by T M Kelly
Lily Waters doesn’t plan to change her name back to Adams. Her dad wanted her to be Lily Waters, and that is the way it will stay.
What we can do? Give her a nickname. A well-deserving one, too.
Lily “Little Punisher” Waters fought her first fight with AFC six weeks ago. She fought with a broken jaw and managed to take down her opponent with the rear naked choke. Stealing the Bantamweight championship belt from Cheyanne Johnson, breaking her four-fight winning streak.
Little Punisher is living up to her father’s legacy. This was Lily’s first fight with AFC, but it won’t be her last. She signed on the dotted line, and you get to enjoy her for the next five years.
I talked to the owner of AFC, Chuck Anders. He said he knew Lily was a winner and looks forward to working with her for many years. He also told me that it’s nice to see The Punisher legacy live on in such an amazing fighter.
“Holy shit.” I reached for a tissue to blow my nose.
“It’s out there. You ready for the attention?” Julian pulled me onto his lap and kissed my temple.
“I am,” I said, looking up at Julian. “Let’s do a really special ceremony for the memorial fund.” I jumped off his lap. “Chuck and Candace want to be included, which means they will probably donate. I should find five fighters to help and have them at the ceremony.”
“Fight It Out will donate, too.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and started to kiss him all over his head. “I love you.”
He grabbed me around my waist and picked me up off the ground. “We forgot to make the bed.”
“Oh no, we better go fix that.”
Right as Julian placed his first foot on the stairs, my phone buzzed. Jumping down, I reached into my back pocket and answered it quickly.
“Lily,” Candace said. “Have you been watching TV or reading anything on social media?”
“No,” I said, mouthing who it was to Julian. “What’s up?”
“Turn on the news.”
I ran into the living room only a few feet away and searched around for the damn remote. It was wedged in between two couch cushions. I waited for the TV to start up and then turned to a local station. “A soap opera’s on.”
“No, national news not local.”
Her words caught me off guard. “National?” Then I went to the main news channel and was stunned. A montage of photos were fading in and out on the screen. They were all of me. Some of me fighting and some when I was in San Francisco at my gym training.
“Candace,” I said in a hushed tone.
“I know,” she said, laughing. “Get on social media. There was a hashtag created just for you, #littlepunisherwins.”
Julian reached for the remote and flipped around to some of the other news outlets. The same headline was on each station. Lily “Little Punisher” Waters lives up to her father’s legacy.
I let my body fall to the couch just as a picture of Dad faded in and stayed on the screen for a few seconds. I looked up at the ceiling and thought, We did it, Dad.
36
“Thank you, Chuck,” I said, handing him a folder. “All the details about the memorial fund are in there. Charlie spent way too much time or maybe the perfect amount of time on all the details.”
“Did you already pick the five fighters to sponsor?”
“We have and will be announcing the names tomorrow night at a special live event.”
“Remind me of the location. I’ll be there with bells on.”
I had spent the last two weeks working on the memorial fund that was set up in my dad’s name. Charlie created a website, social pages, and had already managed to build a following. We did have The Punisher’s name flashed everywhere, so it made sense it was drawing attention.
“It’s at the MGM. In the evening at seven but doors open at six.”
“I plan to bring my family.”
“Thank you again for everything and for believing in me.”
I waved goodbye and quickly left. Charlie was waiting for me at Julian’s house to finish getting everything in order.
As I stepped through the door, there was screaming coming from the kitchen. It was Charlie screaming, but I couldn’t hear who was on the receiving end. Peeking my head around the doorframe, I saw my friend pacing the kitchen and looked as red as a tomato.
“Fuck you,” she screamed and threw her phone on the floor. I watched as it shattered into several pieces.
“Um, hi,” I said cautiously. She turned on her heel and went into a dead run throwing her arms around me. “Who was that?”
“Dad,” she said, engulfing me into a big bear hug.
It’s funny, for most people they would say, elaborate. For me, I just pulled her in tighter because her dad was an asshole with a capital A.
“Why were you talking to him, and how did he get your phone number?” Two very important questions since they had not talked in years.
“Oh, you know Dad; he has his sources.”
I pulled her over to the table to sit down and went to grab a glass of water. “But why now?”
“He heard about you.”
The glass of water almost dropped out of my hands. I caught it right before it slipped free. “Money?”
“You know it. Dad wanted to see if I had signed with AFC yet.”
“When you told him not yet?”
“He said and I quote, ‘I should’ve known because you were never a good fighter.’”
“Wow.” I didn’t know what else to say. “You hung up then, right?”
“After I said fuck you.”
“Good girl.” I pulled her up and wrapped my arms around her waist. “Because you’re goddamn amazing, and I can’t wait till you have the flyweight championship belt around your waist.” I kissed her cheek. “It can be your big fuck you to your dad.”
“With a side of go suck donkey balls.”
I burst out laughing at her words. “That’s my Charlie Bear.”
“Where’s Evan?” I asked, stepping into the conference room. “We have five fighters getting a scholarship and one-on-one training with top fighters. How is one of the five missing?”
“Breathe,” Julian said, rubbing my back.
“Here he is,” Charlie yelled from the other side of the room. “He got lost.”
“See.” Julian winked. “Everything’s okay.”
I placed my hand over my chest and took in several deep breaths. It wasn’t working.
Several weeks ago, we’d taken a trip back to the infamous storage unit in San Francisco—with cops this time. I needed photos, memorabilia, and anything else my dad had hidden in those many boxes.
While I was there, I’d taken a trip over to my old gym and let them know what I was doing. Jake, my old trainer who was part owner of the gym, wanted to donate immediately. They had some images of Dad at the gym that were amazing. I borrowed them and made copies for the event.
It felt like a lot of work ensuring this event went off without a hitch. Then I saw the images at the gym in San Francisco, and I knew I was making the right choice. There were several photos of Dad posing with now champion fighters. Some of those fighters considered him a mentor and asked to be a part of the event.
We spent several hours talking about Dad and his many accomplishments. The best part of the evening was when the fighters took turns at the podium to share a story about Dad and how he influenced them.
We spent three hours honoring a man I looked up to and loved with all my heart. I still couldn’t believe my mom tried to take that all away from me.
The five men who were honored with a scholarship would be training at Fight It Out with Julian fucking Moore. My dad would be so happy to see the man he mentored now taking on that legacy.
Julian walked up and kissed my forehead. “Let me join in on those many thoughts running around in there.”
“You want to join in, eh?” I laughed and climbed up onto his lap. “Dad would be so proud of you.”
“Me
,” he said, scowling. “Don’t you mean you?”
“You may not be able to fight in an octagon anymore, but look what you’re doing.”
He pulled my body close. “I wouldn’t be.”
“I’m not following?”
“I was contemplating selling my half of the gym before you came into the picture.”
I sat up. “What? No.” I jumped down off his lap. “Did Brooks or Tyler have a say in that decision?”
“They were going to buy me out.”
Now I was confused. “Where did you plan to go?”
“California.”
“Really?”
At that moment, I found life really funny. Fate always had a way of ensuring it got its way. If Dad hadn’t died, I would have stayed in San Francisco. Which means, Julian would have come my way instead.
“It was meant to be.”
He kissed me. “Yes it was.”
Volume Two
Tap Out
Book Two
Synopsis
My father tried to break me.
He almost made me believe I was weak, so I walked away from everything in my life.
Being alone was safe.
Until him.
Brooks Moore. Champion MMA fighter–and the man determined to train me to be indestructible.
When I saw him fighting in the ring with his sexy abs and powerful kicks, I never expected he would be the only man in my life who could knock down my perfectly placed walls.
I never planned to fall for him.
But then my father reappears, and he’s not here to celebrate my achievements as an MMA fighter.
Tapping out is not an option. It’s time to take back what’s mine.
Dedication
To my love, the one who taught me to fight for what’s mine.
Prologue
Twelve years ago…
“What the fuck kind of move is that?” I yelled, falling to the mat.
“The ‘I kicked your ass’ move,” Lily said, looming over me, trying not to laugh.
I grabbed the hand she offered and jumped up. “I’m never going to get these mixed martial art moves right.” I reached for my towel. “How the hell did you catch on so quickly?” Lily was just swallowing some water, and it looked like she was about to choke. “Shit, are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She waved my hand away. “Charlie, you know who my dad is, right?”
Lily’s father was The Punisher and the current five-time middleweight champion. Fighters were unable to take the belt from him. Which meant fighting was in my best friend’s blood.
“Will he train me?”
“He’s getting ready for his next fight in a few months. Maybe after, though.” She paused for a beat. “Wait, what am I, chopped liver?”
“Well, I mean…” She shoved at my arm as I tried to hold in a laugh. I looked down at the bright red watch on my wrist. “Shit, it’s already four. I need to get home before my father sends the military out to look for me.”
My dad knew my classes let out at three, but he never arrived home until after five. Every day, Lily and I filled an hour grappling. I was determined to figure out MMA and hopefully be just as good as her someday.
“Is tomorrow my day to pick you up?” Lily said and threw her bag over her shoulder.
We had five months left in our senior year of high school and then freedom. “Yeah, homeroom together tomorrow.”
There was something about my senior year that felt off. Dad was more demanding of my time and was encouraging me to apply to the top colleges. He held the key to the family’s trust funds, savings accounts, and any other money-related account. If we didn’t say yes to college, he had the power to close the account before it even hit our checkbooks. Since I was graduating soon, he wanted answers on what my plans were going to be. The problem was, all I could think about was fighting. What if I got asked to fight with AFC (American Fighters Championship)? I wouldn’t need my father’s help then. I knew fighting with AFC was a long shot, but I had to try. Which meant college was not high on the priority list.
Lily nudged my side. “Hey C, you sure you’re okay today?”
“Yeah, you know, the usual.”
“Want to stay with Dad and me? There’s plenty of room.”
I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer to my side. “I love you, Lily Bug. I’ll be okay.”
“Promise?”
“Cross my heart.” I made an “X” with my finger over my chest. My car was parked in a different lot. “Catch you tomorrow at eight a.m. sharp.”
I watched as she blew me a kiss and then ran off to the main lot where her car was parked. As I approached my tiny vehicle, I noticed a note resting under one of the windshield wipers.
“Dad is going home early. Where are you?”
Fuck. My twin brother, Jackson, was warning me. Hopefully I could make it home before my father, but I had a feeling I was screwed.
“Decided to make an appearance finally?” My dad was sitting at the kitchen table. He closed his laptop, stood, and walked over to where I was by the center island. “I thought your mom and I made it clear when classes ended, you were to come straight home?”
I should have felt scared, but instead I started to feel pissed off. “When did it become a crime to work out?”
He reached up and slapped me across the face. “Don’t talk back to me. If you wanted to add in a workout schedule, we have a fully equipped gym downstairs.” I rolled my eyes. “Do I need to slap you again?”
Feeling defeated I finally gave in. “Lily was helping me with some wrestling moves from gym class.” That was a lie.
“Wrestling? That is not a sport for girls.”
“Who says?”
“Have you ever seen a woman fight?”
He was right, it was a man’s sport. Something I wanted to change. Women were just as capable as men to hold their own on a mat.
“Fine. What sport is okay to do?”
He shook his head. “Again with the smart-ass comments.” He made his way back over to the table. “Volleyball. Your mom loved that when she was in high school.”
I repeated volleyball in my mind and made sure to not laugh out loud. “I have homework to do.” There was no way I planned to discuss fucking volleyball with my father. Slamming my bedroom door, I fell back on the bed and pulled out my phone to text Lily.
Me: Dad wants me to take up volleyball.
Lily: Is this a joke? Did someone steal Charlie’s phone?
Me: Fuck off.
Lily: You’re serious.
Me: Is the subject of my dad ever a laughing matter?
Lily: What are you going to do?
Me: I don’t know.
There was a light knock on my door. “What?”
Jackson peeked his head around the wood frame. “Did you get my note?” he whispered.
I sat up and crossed my legs in front of me. “Yeah, but not until four. Why didn’t you come find me?”
“I was running late. Ethan was with Dad. They went home together. That’s how I found out.”
“So he let you know Dad was coming home early.”
“Exactly.”
I shook my head and wanted to scream. “Well, now Dad wants me to take up volleyball. Thanks for the shitty warning.” Reaching back, I grabbed a stuffed animal sitting on my pillow and threw it at Jackson’s head. “Next time, if there is a next time, take that extra few minutes and go to the gym.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He rolled his eyes and closed the door.
My diary was hidden under my pillow—not really the perfect hiding place. Grabbing the small binder, I opened to the next blank page.
Today, Lily finally helped me understand how to do a perfect submission hold. I know The Punisher is skilled at submission and wins by knockouts usually. Maybe that will be my specialty someday.
“Charlie,” my mom said in a whisper.
Closing my diary quickly, I shoved it back under my pillow. “Yeah.”
She opened the door just a hair. “Can I come in?”
My mom was always respectful of space. “Sure.” I moved to the end of the bed and threw my feet over the side. “What’s up?”
“Did you have a good day?”
“Sure. You know, the normal.”
“Your dad said you were late. Everything okay?”
I held in my sigh. My frustration was not aimed at my mom. “Yeah, just worked out with Lily in the gym.”
“Wrestling, though?”
“I like it.” And now my mom was going to give me the lecture on sports for men and sports for women. Whatever that meant.
“Do they have a volleyball team you could join?”
“Five months before I graduate?” I stood up and walked over to my desk. “Listen, I like learning wrestling and mixed martial arts. It makes me happy.”
Mom walked up behind me. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I just want to make sure you’re happy.”
“You do?”
“Of course I do,” she said, turning me to face her. “Your dad just feels we should be focused on college right now. He’s anxious to hear who accepted you for the fall.” My mom followed everything my dad told her to do. She really didn’t have an option or any say in how her kids lived or what choices they made.
I kissed her cheek. I didn’t have the heart to tell my mom Dad was going to be pissed because I never applied. Instead, I took the completed applications and set them in my glove box in my car. There were five envelopes with stamps sitting under the owner’s manual.