Fighting the Odds

by Hilary Storm

  "Nah. I think I'll just get something later."

  "You need to eat. Don't you plan on driving most of the day?"

  "Yes, after I get my money, I'm driving until I can't go any longer."

  "Okay. So you need to eat."

  "I hate to have you do any more for me."

  "I'm making my own, so it's nothing." I watch him maneuver around the smallest kitchen in the world. I had no idea they had cook tops with only two burners. He seems so huge in such a tiny space.

  "How long have you lived here?" His back is still turned to me and I start to notice more tattoos this morning than I acknowledged last night. I can tell his tank top is hiding one hell of a canvas, but I sit and take in all the ink that's visible.

  "A few months." I would've guess it had been weeks with the way his apartment looks.

  "You like things basic, huh?"

  "Yeah. I guess more like simple. It was time to uncomplicate my life." My eyes move as he does. Did I just watch his tight ass when he bent over for something in a lower cupboard?

  "I get that. You have no idea how much I relate to that." I battle the urge to ask him more information. This guy is deep and there's no way he'd open up to someone he just met. Besides, I'm not sure I can handle anyone else's struggles when I'm battling my own like this.

  He makes enough scrambled egg whites to feed about ten people. I watch him scoop them onto two plates, obviously not an even portion on each.

  "I hope you don't mind egg whites."

  "Sounds perfect. Luke, thanks again for everything. Last night was hell.... and I have no idea how I would've made it to the hospital if you hadn't helped." Tears well up and I swallow hard trying to fight them back. I know everything will hit me soon, but I really need to try to keep it together until I'm away from him. He doesn't deserve to have to deal with the ball of emotion that I am.

  "Quit saying thank you." He walks toward me with a plate in each hand. He stops mid step only a few feet from me for a second before he continues and I look down, hoping he misses the moisture in my eyes.

  Taking the plate from his hand, I watch him try to avoid looking directly at my face, which only verifies that he saw exactly what I was hoping to hide. I sit in silence as he stands against the kitchen sink and begins to inhale his breakfast.

  Chapter Four

  Luke

  Fuck. What in the hell is wrong with me? It took everything in me not to wipe that tear from her face. I can't go there. I've made it a point to avoid any emotions for months now and I'm not about to start feeling now. Last night fucking sucked and it's just easier to avoid that shit all together.

  I focus on eating and not looking at her face at all costs. Memories of last night and how devastated she was in that hospital come to mind and I realize what a dick I'm being. She's hurting and I'm worried about my damn closed off self possibly getting a breeze of emotion that I'm not ready to deal with. Setting my empty plate on the counter, I look at her... really look at her. She's broken. Her scars run so deep that it's almost invisible at the surface. I fucking get that.

  I watch her pick at the eggs and attempt to eat a few bites before I move toward her.

  "How far do you plan to go today?"

  "I just want to make it out of the city. I'll figure the rest out later."

  "Do you expect trouble when you go to your father for your money?"

  "Who knows? It's rightfully mine, but if he suspects that I'm running, I could totally see him trying to prevent it from happening. He's a bit on the controlling side."

  "Yeah. I caught that right away. I'll go with you and make sure everything goes like it should."

  "I could never ask you to do that."

  "You didn't have to. You should finish your eggs and I'll take you where you need to go." She finishes quickly and I wait for her to finish getting ready. It's strange having a woman in my space again.

  "Are you ready?"

  "Ready as I'll ever be." Carrying her bag out the door, we make it into the hallway just as my neighbor steps out. I notice the smile on Ms. Garcia's face and know she has misinterpreted this whole scene. That little old lady has done her best to make me feel at home in this shitty apartment and tells me every day that I need a 'nice lil' honey' to make my home complete. I'm guessing that she'll be over later tonight with a full plate of food and lots of questions about Kimber.

  "Mornin' Ms. Garcia. How are you doin' today?"

  "Boy. How many times have I told you to call me Delores?" This feisty woman never fails to put a smile on my face. She has to be in her 90's and still living on her own.

  "I'm sorry. How is everything this morning, Delores?"

  "Better now that I've seen this beautiful sight. Ole' Delores was getting worried about you."

  "Haha. Don't worry about me!" I take her arm as she begins to walk to the elevator.

  "Honey. You know how I don't want you to be lonely like this old lady. You have to find someone to keep you young."

  "You know I'm in no hurry for that." I really should've told her a little about Lilly and my past life, but I just couldn't. She means best, but I know how filters tend to fade with age.

  "Boy, I'm going to tell you a secret." She pulls down on my shoulder until I lower my ear toward her. "Sometimes it hits you when you least expect it." My eyes hit Kimber's just as I hear her words of wisdom. I know Delores is hoping to see a female come and go from my apartment way more than I'm ready for.

  "I know just what you're saying. Now maybe you should listen to that yourself. I've seen how you look at that new guy down the hall."

  "Eh. He's not really my type." She changes the subject quick and begins to talk to Kimber. The mood is always light with Ms. G. I sometimes think she listens for me before she comes out the door just to get a little conversation in first thing in the morning. I actually find myself looking forward to it and even have been known to knock on her door to check on her if she doesn't make an appearance.

  "Well, Luke, I expect you to bring her over for our usual dinner time this week."

  "Oh no, I'll be leaving the city today, but thank you for the offer."

  "Well alright. The offer is always there when you come back." I don't bother correcting her right now. It'll just make her more determined to get her to agree.

  I help Delores into her cab and begin to walk toward my bike. Looking back, I see that Kimber is just watching me from her Jeep. Her bag is still hanging on my shoulder, and I begin to think about her Jeep being full of her stuff. If anyone sees it they will know she plans to leave.

  Kimber

  I stand here and watch this man surprise me even more. Who would've thought someone full of tattoos could become friends with an elderly woman from his apartment. The way he took care of her the whole way down and into the cab, surprised me. This guy is full of those though.

  "You should probably ride with me." I don't disagree and I'm happy he suggested it. I'm sure the news of me packing everything up has already spread, but there's no need to test the theory if it hasn't.

  "Ok. It isn't far." I watch his swagger as he walks up to his bike. Did I just agree to this? I follow him and try my hardest to act like I've done this before. He hands me the helmet and mounts the bike like a pro. Hiking my leg over, I position myself right up next to him. He starts up the motor and the sound of the engine along with the vibrations of the engine awake all of my senses.

  "You might want to hold on." Sliding my arms around him is a little awkward, but I do it. His abs are ridiculously sculpted and I try my hardest not to let my fingers roam too much. He starts to take off and I have to tighten my hold even further to keep from falling off.

  The adrenaline rush as we speed down the road scares me. It horrifies me and at the same time I love it. I pull myself in even closer to him and watch everything pass as the air hits my face. He's not driving extremely fast, and I could see how riding could be completely freeing.

  It isn't very far to the gym and before I know it he's turne
d off the engine.

  "That was a bucket list item for me!" He looks at me with a weird expression as I hand him the helmet.

  "I've always wanted to ride. Now I can say that I have."

  "That wasn't a ride....." He's interrupted by the sound of tires squealing. I know who it is before I ever look over. Luke guides me backwards by stepping in front of me.

  "Get the fuck in the truck, Kimber." There's no way in hell that I'm leaving with him.

  "Greg. It's over. I'm not going anywhere with you."

  "Yes you are. Get your ass over here, before I decide to come get you."

  "Mother fucker. Just try it. I'll shove your face into the concrete so fast you won't know what the fuck happened." Luke is no longer standing near me. He is charging straight for Greg, who is still in his truck. Greg hides behind his truck and takes off before Luke can get close enough. I'm sure Luke would've pulled him out of his truck through the window and beat his ass again. The rage in that man's face is unmistakable and it should startle me, but I know it's not toward me.

  "Luke. Calm down. It's okay."

  "Yeah. I just can't stand that fucking asshole."

  "I'll be gone soon and he won't be able to bother you." Luke's tension doesn't ease up with my reassurance.

  "Let's get this done with. I want to get the fuck out of here."

  We walk into the gym and it's packed. Lou greets me at the door right away. His concerning hug reminds me that he's really the only one I'm leaving behind that I'm going to truly miss. His hold on me lasts longer than normal and he starts to ask questions.

  "Kimmy, tell me you're alright. I worried about you all night long."

  "I'm good, Lou. You don't have to worry about me."

  "Sure I do. Now, who did you bring with you?"

  "He's just a friend."

  "Yes. I saw him last night. Your father seems to think I need to train him for a fight that's coming up very soon."

  "I'm not sure about all of that. Is my father here?"

  "Yes. He's in the overlook." I begin to walk away and Luke starts to follow. Lou holds out his hand in introduction and I watch Luke simply shake his hand and nod. From what I could tell, he still hasn't told them his name. I'll respect that fully, because after today I won't even be around to make sure he's taken care of.

  "I'll be right back." I watch his inner struggle to follow me and decide to walk fast enough for him to realize I need to do this on my own.

  I knew that he'd be watching the floor. When I open the door, he doesn't even turn to acknowledge me. Why would he start today?

  "Kim, I love that you're bringing that beast to me. I honestly thought he'd try to back out."

  "I'm not bringing him to you. I just need my winnings from last night and then I'll be out of your way."

  "Greg collected your winnings early this morning."

  "They weren't his to collect. How could you give them to him knowing what he did to me last night?"

  "How was I to know you aren't still with him?" This is my fault. I hid the marks he left and kept the pregnancy a secret. How could this be happening? I have nothing left. The disgust I feel for myself overwhelms me as my life continues to crash down.

  "You're right. I never should have bet the money."

  "It's not like you to bet money. It screams of desperation to lay that much down and it makes me curious of your intentions." My father is smart. He knows something and I can only assume that Greg filled him in on enough for him to put the pieces together.

  "I just need a vacation to think about a few things."

  "That amount of money was not for a vacation. Your lay down would have been more than enough to get away."

  "I ... I just want to have enough to make some changes in my life if needed." He stares into my eyes with power and disappointment. I can't look into his eyes when he's like this.

  "Well. I suggest you ask Greg for your money back." I know not to fight him on this. He never treated me any different than a stranger’s child until he realized how valuable I could be if he dangled me in front of his fighters.

  "You know he won't give it to me."

  "Sounds like a personal problem. Maybe your new boy will save you."

  "He's not mine."

  "Let's just see how this turns out." He turns and starts out the door.

  "I won't let you use me to get him. This guy is different."

  "I know he's different. That's why it's time that I remind him how much he wants this fight."

  Luke

  This old man Lou, really knows what he's talking about, at least from what I've actually heard as I worry about Kimber. I admire the way he interacts with each person here in the gym whether they are training to fight, lifting, or simply doing cardio. I can really tell he's been around for a long time and has made a difference to many of these people.

  "Glad to see you're ready to train for the fight."

  "Don't be so sure of yourself. I'm not fighting for you. Just here with Kimber and then you don't have to worry about seeing me again." Kimber walks up behind her father, who is looking very smug again today. I look at Kimber and see defeat again. What in the hell?

  "That's a shame. I was sure you'd be a monster in the cage." I'm waiting for him to trap me into this fight. He's acting like it's no big deal and I see right through his bull shit.

  "Feel free to let Lou show you around some more. He's ready to give you a workout if you're ready." I can tell by Kimber's reaction to his offer that it's time to go. She may be able to hide under the radar with her own father, but I can see right through her.

  "Nah. I need to get out of here."

  "Suit yourself. Just know, if you walk out that door the offer may not be here if you change your mind." My eyes never leave Kimber. She isn't happy about any of this and I'm trying to decide why.

  "What makes you think I'd change my mind?"

  "I'm just guessing that you'll be needing quick cash soon to help a friend out."

  "Look old man. I've told you not to assume that I need money. Don't fucking threaten me."

  "It wasn't meant as a threat. Consider it more of a warning to think about everything before you walk out that door."

  "What's he talking about, Kimber?" She lifts her head in an attempt to stand tall and fight off whatever it is that's going on here.

  "Greg took my money. I have nothing. My father is trying to trap you into a fight in order to help me, but I want nothing to do with his fucking money." She says all of this as if her father isn't right there watching. The betrayed look on his face and the way he begins to walk toward her has me stepping in front of him before he has a chance to even get close to her.

  "Why did you give her money to that asshole?" My words hit him in the face as I look down.

  "It seems only fair that he gets the money after what you did to him. I figured a little green would go a long way to keep him from pressing charges on you himself." Looking down at this cocky mother fucker, I work hard to pull my anger in and stay as calm as possible.

  "That was not her debt to pay. As a matter of fact, it was payback for the bullshit he pulled. Do you have any idea what she's been through..." Kimber steps in front of me quickly, looking directly into my eyes with her own, pleading for me to stop talking.

  "Please." She pleads in a voice that only I can hear. I keep my eyes on hers as I decide to finish this conversation.

  "I'll fucking fight one time. You give me half the money now." She starts to shake her head no to me and I place my index finger on her bottom lip to quiet her.

  "Do you really think I will trust you not to run? You get the money after the fight."

  "No, I get the money before the fight, or I don't fight." I turn to walk away with Kimber's hand in mine.

  "Be here Friday by 5 p.m. Fight starts at seven. You'll have your money when you arrive." I don't look back as we walk out of the gym.

  "Luke. I don't want you to fight. He's manipulating you through me and I won't let him do that to you
."

  "I'm not being manipulated. Let's talk about it somewhere else."

  "He is. He's done this for as long as I can remember. You have no idea how this business is and he will steam roll you."

  Without saying another word I sit on my bike and wait for her to climb on behind me. I need to feel the air on my face right now and I fight the urge to find an open road. Thoughts of Missouri come to mind and it's the first time I find myself wishing I was back home. Open roads aren't an issue there.

  She doesn't climb on. I turn to see what she's doing only to find her walking away. Fuck. I don't fucking chase people, so why am I now jogging to catch up with her?

  "Kimber, what are you doing? Get on my bike and let's get the hell out of here."

  "No."

  Chapter Five

  Kimber

  He has no idea what he's getting pulled into. I can't let this happen to him. He's been there for me like no one else in my life and he's willing to step into this for me, and he's only known me for a day. There's no way I can stand by and let him do this. There has to be a time that I put a stop to my father and his hold over me.

  He steps in front of me and I slam into him like the brick wall he is.

  "Luke. I'm doing you a favor. Get on your bike and forget you ever saw me."

  "That's not going to happen." He's going to be stubborn and completely difficult about this, but that's ok because I can be too.

  "Why can't you just leave? You have no ties here. I can tell you're the type that likes it that way."

  "You have no idea what I like. I'm not leaving you here. You're leaving with me if it means I throw you over my shoulder and walk the fuck out of here. I keep having to threaten you with that, can't you just cooperate? I have a shit ton of time to deal with your ass being complicated, but I'd rather you make it easier and let me help you. Now, can we talk about this later?" I've dealt with alpha men all my life, but this is different. This time he's fighting and being demanding to help me. He's not forcing me to do something degrading or to pleasure his wishes. It's about saving me. I can tell he's not playing in the slightest and he truly wants to help me. It just hurts to know that I'm at the point in my life that I really have no choice, but to let him help.