Fight It Out Series Box Set

by T M Kelly

  The lawyer persisted. “He does understand without the death penalty he would be in jail for the rest of his life. He does accept that.”

  “That’s lovely that he accepts what he deserves. I’m done, Gene. I was given permission to wash my hands of everything that deals with this case. Good luck with it.” Before he had a chance to plead his case some more, I hung up.

  I hit end and glanced down at the screen. The balls on my father. Fuck him.

  “He really called you?” Brooks said and shoved my luggage in the back of Julian’s SUV.

  “He really did.” I buckled my seatbelt and brushed my loose strands of hair away from my face. “I’m not sure how anyone on his defense team thought they could change my mind.”

  “Desperate times call for extreme measures.” Lily hopped in beside me and patted my leg. “I’m glad you were cleared of testifying. You really didn’t need to be put through all that bullshit.”

  “I agree.” I clapped my hands together. “Okay, no more shitty father talk or death talks. I need this trip to be minimal stress.” Julian held up a bag. “What’s that for?”

  “Let’s go technology free.”

  “And if there’s an emergency?”

  Julian pointed toward his bag. “Thought of that.” Then he pulled out a small flip phone. “It’s a burner phone and will help us if in a bind. Which won’t happen, so it will be a waste of money.”

  “It’s not a waste if it can save our lives.”

  He handed it to me. “You can be in control of it. How does that sound?”

  I tossed the small device back and forth in my hand. “That’s a lot of pressure.”

  “So is going through all that you did.” He reached back and touched my knee. “Keep it close by.”

  We spent the next twenty minutes fighting traffic. As we pulled into the airport, there were several twists and turns before we found the right parking garage.

  “You sure we’ll be okay with just this one little phone?” I tossed it into my carry-on and zipped it back up.

  Julian was last to get out. I noticed how he pushed the bag with our phones into the glove compartment and locked it up. “Yup, all important numbers are programmed into the phone, and we have international service, too.”

  “You really did think of everything.”

  “My brother always comes prepared,” Brooks said and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

  The moment we stepped into the airport, I knew it was a good thing we arrived early. “Shit. I’m glad we have our comfy shoes on.”

  It took easily forty-five minutes to get through check-in and security. The flight left in one hour, so we had more than enough time to relax before we left.

  “Who’s hungry?” Brooks said and raised his arm up.

  “I’m guessing you are.” I laughed and grabbed his hand. “What should we eat?”

  “Nothing that will come up during turbulence on the plane.” Lily threw her hand over her mouth.

  “So everything then?” I looped my arm around Brooks. “Let’s get a burger.”

  “Sunshine.” I heard my name called from behind me. When I spun around, I came face-to-face with Nikki Grant, the woman I had just stole the title belt from just a few short weeks ago. “Celebrating?”

  “Nikki.” I stepped closer and reached out my hand. “Yeah, heading back to the U.K. How about you?”

  She accepted my greeting. “Our first flight is taking us into Heathrow, then heading over to Ireland.”

  “Nice, that’s the next trip we need to take. I have wanted to explore Ireland forever.”

  “There’s a bunch of fighters meeting in Dublin if you want to join us. The more the merrier.”

  Now I felt confused. “You’re inviting me to join you on your trip?”

  She touched my forearm. “It’s a fight, Charlie. What happens in the octagon is separate. I’m not some evil person who despises you. Actually, I look forward to getting to know you more in the future.”

  I loved my career in MMA. Nikki’s words solidified those feelings even more. “We’ll think about the invite. Thank you. We have some exploring to do on the Jurassic Coast.”

  I turned and watched as she walked away. My mind wandered back to when Lily’s father—and mine—The Punisher, was training us. He would tell us nothing else matters around you when gearing up for a fight. Nothing. Else. Matters. He stressed that we needed to stay focused and determined. Lily was walking beside me. I reached for her hand and pulled it close to my chest.

  “You’re getting all mushy. Where did your mind go?”

  “Dad.” She just smiled and wrapped her arms around my waist.

  I was truly lucky. It had been hard to see that until today.

  39

  “Where’s the older couple who were running the place a few months back?” I asked the young woman behind the counter at Rudds of Lulworth Hotel.

  “Older couple?” She genuinely looked confused.

  Before I said another word, I thought about what I would say. If my dad had me followed, then he had people in place wherever we went. He truly thought of everything. “Yeah,” I said and showed her the invoice with the dates. “We were here during that time.”

  “That’s odd. Maybe my mom had someone looking over the hotel.” The woman was typing something on her computer. “I know how much she hates leaving the hotel unattended.” She stopped typing. “Weird. I don’t see anything in the computer.” Her eyes lit up. “We won a trip to New York City for ten full days. It was really random. My mom doesn’t even remember entering a giveaway for the trip.”

  “Who are you talking to, sweetie?” An older woman stepped through the doorway. “Oh, you’re the ones that had a reservation, right?”

  “Um, yeah.” I glanced over at Brooks who probably had the same expression plastered on his face as I did.

  “Sorry to startle you.” The woman laughed and handed us some papers to sign. “It’s just that we don’t get very many reservations.” I nodded and just continued filling out the paperwork. As we started to ascend the stairs, the older woman said my name. “Dinner is served at seven every night if you want to join us.”

  “Thank you.”

  We all stayed silent until the hotel door was shut and locked. “We go to Durdle Door tomorrow and leave this place immediately,” Lily said and sat down on the edge of the bed.

  “Is it even that important to go to Durdle Door?” I threw my luggage on the bed to rifle through trying to find something. “I know it will be that end we need, but seriously, I’m fucking creeped out right now.”

  “We’re here. Let’s just make the best of it.” Brooks stepped up beside me.

  “What if my dad still has people tailing us?”

  “He doesn’t.”

  “You don’t know that,” I said a little too loudly. “Sorry, but Dad, well the man who raised me could still be calling the shots.”

  Lily hopped up from the bed. “We all stay together in here. We need to keep together until we leave officially tomorrow.”

  “Agreed.” I wanted to hop back on the next plane and get the fuck out of this country. “From Durdle Door let’s drive back to Heathrow and go check out Ireland.”

  “You want to leave the United Kingdom completely?” Lily reached for my hand.

  “Fuck yeah.”

  “We should’ve packed lighter,” I said and stuffed everything back in my suitcase.

  “Really? You’re just discovering that now.” Brooks rolled over and leaned up on his elbow. “Maybe back in the states we could’ve tended to that problem.”

  I gave him the middle finger and set my luggage by the door. Everyone was still in bed and probably trying to ignore my fumbling around. When we shut the lights off last night I had been wide awake. It was possible I had maybe one hour of sleep, so I knew it would be a long day.

  “I hate you,” Lily mumbled from under her pillow.

  “And I love you.” I swatted her ass. “Now get up so we can l
eave this place.

  “Did you sleep at all?” She reached for my hand and forced me to look at her.

  “A little.”

  “Oh Charlie Bear, you need to rest.”

  “I will in Ireland.” My words must’ve connected finally because they all immediately got up and started getting ready. “Unless we want to go back to the states and enjoy San Diego?”

  “We’re here,” Brooks said and kissed my temple. “Let’s explore a place we all have never been.”

  It took about twenty minutes to pack up and get everything stuffed in the car. I managed to avoid the woman and left checking out to the boys. “You know what’s crazy,” I said and sat down in the backseat. “Never once did I catch on.”

  “Your father has been doing this for a long time, C.” Lily turned to face me. “He was a man who would get whatever he wanted and would do whatever to get it.”

  She was right; Mr. Hill was damn smart. “The drive from Durdle Door to London will be about three hours.” I had time to look at the map since I couldn’t sleep last night.

  “That’s an easy drive,” she said and reached for my hand. “Let’s do this one thing and leave. You never have to come back again.”

  “Unless Chuck assigns a fight, then I will.”

  It was only a thirty-minute drive to Durdle Door. At the twenty-minute mark, my insides turned, and I actually looked around expecting a truck to be tailing us. Thankfully, no one was on the road. The drive was simple—the way it was meant to be.

  I had researched the beach so many times, but I wasn’t prepared for how amazing the place looked in person. The parking was easy and sat beside a large hill. There was a dirt path that was positioned right on the edge of the hill with a spectacular view. Two trucks sat next to the stairs that would take you down to the beach. One of the trucks served specialty coffees. The other truck had sweets and fun souvenirs. We all agreed to look at the fun gifts after exploring the beach.

  The stairway down to the beach was long and thankfully not too steep. There was sand covering each step and no railing to protect us if we slipped. At the bottom of the stairs we all stopped and noticed how the beach was covered in medium-sized pebbles instead of sand. The mountain structure that surrounded the sides of the beach was breathtaking. It was hard to put into words how I felt at that moment.

  I sat down and let the hard edges of the rocks push into my skin. “Thanks.” I turned to Brooks and Lily who were sitting next to me. “I did need this.”

  “Your dad didn’t deserve to take everything you loved away.”

  I grabbed Brooks’s hand. “That was never possible.”

  He stood and pulled me up with him. “Come on.” We walked over to an area of the beach where only a couple people were sunbathing. “Charlie.” He grabbed my hands. “I want to ask you something, but you have to hear me out.”

  “Should I be afraid?”

  He chuckled. “No, actually the opposite.”

  “Um, okay.”

  “So, your mom is gone and your dad is locked away. Your real dad is gone, too. I know you have siblings, but not many you can trust anymore.” He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. This was the first time I had ever noticed Brooks this stressed. “Julian, Tyler, and I were blessed with amazing parents who support and love us no matter what.”

  His eyes welled up with tears. “Baby.” I reached up and wiped a tear away. “What is it?”

  “I talked to my parents before we left and they agree.” He cleared his throat. “They want to be the parents you don’t have. They want to give you the love you deserve. I can’t make that happen, though…unless”—he pulled out a small velvet box from his pants pocket and lifted the lid—“you say, yes.”

  I didn’t know how to take it all in. Was I worthy of this love that his family offered? Then I looked up into his eyes and knew I deserved to be loved. I deserved to have a kind family. “Yes,” I yelled and threw my arms around his neck. “Yes, yes, yes.”

  “Really?” He tightened his hold around my waist. “I know you haven’t had the chance to really get to know my parents yet, but the little they know of you, they already love you.”

  “Why me, Brooks?”

  “I told you why.” He kissed my lips. “The moment I met you, I knew you were the one. I just had to work to convince you.”

  “You didn’t have to work that hard.” I smiled and peppered kisses all over his face.

  “It was all worth it. I wouldn’t change anything about this journey we’ve started together.” He lifted my body up and spun me around.

  40

  Six months later…

  “How is this okay?” I laughed and pushed Brooks away.

  “We’re married now; we can bump and grind all we want.” He pushed his body against me and swayed to the music.

  We were at a night club Zoe somehow convinced us to check out. The place was dark, and strobe lights flashed in every direction. “I need to use the restroom. Can you handle being away from me for a few minutes?” Brooks actually slid his lip out and pouted. I patted his chest and headed in the direction where florescent lights were shining bright. I pushed open the bathroom door and noticed several women checking their makeup or fixing their hair. In the corner were two women making out. I stopped dead in my tracks. That’s why I felt off; this was not your everyday night club.

  I realized there was so much I didn’t know about Zoe.

  I felt a tap on my shoulder and was prepared to tell whoever I was happily married. When I spun around, I came face to face with a ghost. My body gave out, and I fell to the floor. “Charlie,” the woman said and lifted me into her arms. “Are you okay?”

  I screamed and quickly scooted my body away. Her touch couldn’t be real. She couldn’t be real. My voice shook and I struggled to say the words, “You’re supposed to be dead?”

  “The cops made it look that way.” Grace inched forward. She reached out, but I coiled my body away. “When Dad approached me, he gave me a warning. You know those warnings—do this or else.” I brought my legs forward and wrapped my arms around my body. “Mom was never supposed to die.”

  “But she did,” I whispered. “I don’t understand. How is this even real? You stopped breathing.”

  “I was wearing a Kevlar vest. I was knocked out.”

  I felt afraid to touch her but needed to know if she was really there. “This doesn’t make sense. You made me believe you hated me.”

  “Did anything in our lives ever make sense? Charlie Bear, I love you so much.”

  I was afraid to move, too afraid to believe this was happening. “Why show up now? Why not six months ago? Or maybe at my wedding.”

  “I had to wait until Dad’s trial was complete and he was put away for good.”

  “Charlie, you o—” Zoe was standing in the doorway. “I’m sorry.”

  I reached out my hand, needing my friend near me. “It’s okay.” She knelt down beside me. “Um, this, this is my sister. Grace.” When I said the words, my mind was starting to believe it all was really happening. She was really sitting beside me.

  “The one?”

  I nodded and uncoiled my body. “The one.” I reached my hand out, finally needing my sister’s touch. “Asking you to join us sounds so…I don’t know.”

  “Weird,” she said and lifted my hand to kiss each knuckle.

  “Nobody knows who you are here, trust me,” Zoe said and held out her hands to help us up.

  I stood up and turned to face Zoe. “Yeah, about that,” I said and adjusted my shirt. “Is there something you’re not sharing about you? I thought we told each other everything?”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.” She winked and turned on her heels to leave.

  I stood there staring at the door, trying to process the last ten minutes. My sister was alive—holy fucking shit. The prosecuting lawyer for my father’s case had called me a few months back and let me know the verdict. My father would be behind bars for the rest of his lif
e. I turned to face Grace. “Does this mean Mom’s alive, too?”

  Her head dropped. “They shot off two rounds, C. You saw the damage it did to her.”

  “But she had a vest on, too? Right?”

  “I had no idea Mom was there that night. Dad had something planned all along,” she said and squeezed my hand. “I guess he didn’t trust me because when she appeared around the door, everything changed.”

  “But maybe she’s alive?” I begged for her to give me some ounce of hope.

  “Charlie, listen to me. Mom’s dead.” Her words caused me to flinch. My body slumped, and I needed to get some air. “I love you so much, C.”

  I tried to speak, but my voice had deceived me. “I love you,” I whispered. “I, I need to go.” This was not processing in my brain. When I stepped out of the bathroom, the hallway was lit just enough to see two figures plastered together against the wall by the back door. I don’t know why I stood there staring. Maybe I was curious. The one figure lifted his head and turned in my direction. Then the other figure became illuminated. I gasped and turned away quickly.

  Was that Tyler with another man? I tried to disappear before he noticed me, but it was too late. “Charlie, wait.”

  I stopped. “I won’t say anything, I promise.”

  He placed his hand on my forearm. “It’s… Wait, are you crying?”

  “I’m fine.” I tried to brush off his question. My alleged dead sister was in the bathroom right at this very moment, and I was standing in the hallway trying to deny the true reality of what had just happened.

  “And you’re a terrible liar like Lily,” Tyler said and glanced at the mystery man as he passed us both. He didn’t say anything to the guy, but I noticed in his expression there was real emotions for the man.