Fight It Out Series Box Set

by T M Kelly

  I shoved at his shoulder. “Oh, hush.”

  “Well, you two look cozy,” Journey said from the kitchen doorway. I jumped up and stepped away quickly. “Don’t get up on my account.” She walked in and sat down at the kitchen table. “We need to talk.”

  “Well make yourself at home,” Malik said and leaned back in the chair. “Did you forget how a doorbell works?”

  “Sorry, we need to discuss a few things.”

  “And they can’t wait?” Malik rolled his eyes.

  I refilled my coffee and sat down next to Journey. “Did something happen?”

  “Yeah, we lost the target,” she said.

  “Lost?” I glanced between Journey and Malik. “What does lost mean?”

  “You can’t leave this house.” Malik slammed his hand on the table. “How did you let this happen?”

  “You stopped working in the field a long time ago. Don’t fucking start yelling at me.” Journey leaned forward and rested her arms on the table. “You’re lucky I’m here. Now, if you want to listen and avoid being a dick, I’m willing to share that answer.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Fuck you.”

  I held my hand up. “Okay, enough on the fuck you sentiments.” They both stopped talking and looked at me. “Journey, can I ask what happened?”

  Journey pointed her finger in my direction. “See how easy that was?”

  “Journey,” I said. “Am I stuck here for a while?”

  “Yeah, I’m sorry to say that, but you need to stay low.”

  “For how long?” I expected her to say months.

  “Honestly, not long. He’ll surface soon.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “Because guys like him are sloppy. They always mess up.” She tapped her fingers on the table.

  That made sense. Ray didn't care about much. The few things he did, though, were looking good, making good money, and feeling that buzz. “Would it be better if we used me as a pawn to get him?”

  “Look at you,” Journey said. “All brave and shit.”

  “That wouldn’t be a good idea, Jenny,” Malik said. “They have enough manpower to find him.”

  Journey stood and walked to the back door. “We’ve got this place surrounded. You should be fine if you plan to continue using the gym in Julian’s place.”

  “Good, because I need to start training.” I turned to Malik. “And don’t ask her to talk me out of this.”

  He held his arms up. “I wouldn’t do such a thing.”

  “Am I missing something?” Journey had a scowl on her face.

  “I plan to train and try to get accepted with Spartacus.”

  “That’s excellent, Jenny.” Journey walked over and gave me a high-five. “You’ll be amazing in bantamweight.”

  “Um, okay. I have no idea what that means, but I’ll figure it out.”

  “You will,” Journey said and waved goodbye.

  I walked over to Malik and sat back down on his lap. “I don’t have a college degree. I’ve been a housewife. There has never been something in my life worth fighting for…until now.”

  His face softened and he brushed a lock of hair off my shoulder. “That I get. I just don’t want you to do this all because of a personal vendetta.”

  “I promise it’s more than that.”

  “Should we start the training?”

  “Show me how to properly stand.” Malik had his arms crossed over his chest.

  “You mean, what I do for the first punch?” I felt unsure. Yet, most of what I had been taught revolved around training for fighters. “Like this?” I lifted my fist up about chest level and kicked my one leg back.

  “Almost.” He stepped forward. “Can I show you?”

  “Please.” He stepped around behind me and reached for my hands.

  “Hold your fists like you're ready to engage.” He wrapped his fingers around my wrists. “But keep your fists at cheek level.” He placed his arms against mine. “Make sure your elbows are by your rib cage.” He tapped my left thigh. “You choose which leg, but keep them shoulder width apart, and kick one back behind you.”

  As he directed each move, I couldn't decide if it was helping, because every time his hand touched my skin, there was a shiver that shot through my body. I needed to get my head straight and focus.

  “Are you okay?”

  I stepped away. “What? Oh yeah, fine.”

  He scowled. “Jenny, if there is something you need more clarification on, tell me.”

  “No. I’m good.” I put my body back into position. “Well, I guess I do have a question. Why put your hands at cheek level? On TV you always see people hold their hands at chest level.”

  “They don’t value their face very much.” He shrugged his shoulders and walked over to grab the practice mitts. “Now, want to give it a shot?” He slapped the leather together.

  I did value my face, so I put my fists by my cheeks and got my body in position. This very moment brought back a memory of my father before he passed away.

  He was a tough man that provided for his family. He was good to us but didn’t take bullshit. I could remember him telling me even when I was only ten years old, We have to fight for what we believe in. Over the years he would repeat that until he was blue in the face, You are in charge of your own happiness in life.

  I missed him.

  Letting go of the memories, I made sure my posture was right before preparing to hit the practice mitts.

  Dad was right, I was in charge of my own happiness. Right now, I didn’t know what happy meant. That emotion had left my soul a long time ago. If I wanted that feeling again, I had to get this right. I threw the first punch against a mitt and noticed how the action made me feel.

  This. This right here I needed in my life. Ray ripped away a part of me I thought was gone forever, but I planned to bring it back. My father would be disappointed if he ever saw me give up.

  I could hear him yell the words, fight, fight, fight, as I punched each mitt.

  “Jenny.” Malik grabbed my hands. “Take a breath.”

  I collapsed into his arms and inhaled through my nose, and then I let that air slowly out of my mouth. It was like I had just started the process of bringing back what I’d lost so long ago. I wanted to be happy, and I planned to fight to have it back in my life.

  14

  One month later…

  “Look at you,” Charlie said and stepped onto the mat.

  “Charlie.” I hopped up and surprised myself by wrapping my arms around her waist. “When did you get back?”

  “Several days ago. It’s a long story.” She grabbed my arms and stepped away from me. “No, really. Look at you.”

  “She’s tenacious.” Malik chuckled. He walked over to the bench and grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat off his face.

  I was on week four of intense training with Malik. We were still locked up at Julian’s with no end in sight. Really, we should have stayed at the guest house, but I convinced Malik to stray from the four walls a few hours a day. Well, more like six hours a day.

  “I heard my guest house was finally getting the attention it so deserved,” Julian said as he stepped into the room. He walked over to Malik. “Good to see you, man. You okay?”

  “We’re fine. Jenny just needed a place to crash for a bit.”

  I walked over and held out my hand. “Sorry to take over your place.”

  “If Malik was okay with it, then I am, too.” Julian shook my hand. “You okay?”

  “For now,” I said and laced my fingers together.

  “You’re in a room with people who are all too familiar with this shit.” Malik rubbed his hand up and down my back. “Plus, Julian worked in the field, too.”

  My head lifted up so fast. “Wait, you were a federal agent?”

  “No, but let’s just say I’ve done some work for them.” Julian sat down on the bench Malik had just occupied. “What’s the short form?”

  “Her husband is o
ff the radar.” Malik crossed his arms over his chest. “Two of the best agents I know lost sight of him about a month ago.”

  “So, this is your home away from home for a while?”

  “Pretty much,” I said and sat down in the center of the mat. “I hope that’s okay?”

  Julian flashed the biggest smile. “Jenny, you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you need.”

  “So, that’s not self-defense I saw taking place when I so rudely interrupted.” Charlie plopped down next to me. “Are you training for something?”

  “Maybe.”

  She shoved at my shoulder. “Don’t maybe me. Tell me.”

  “Spartacus has openings.”

  “And you thought, why not?”

  “Well, it does pass the time.” I glanced toward Malik. “Not that I’m bored or anything.”

  “What?” Charlie burst out laughing.

  “No, I didn’t mean that.”

  “Sure, sure.” Charlie patted my knee. “Are you ready for a sparring partner yet?”

  “I…um…I think so.”

  “She is,” Malik yelled from the other side of the room.

  “Yes.” She hopped up and reached down to help me to my feet. “Let’s connect in a few days.”

  “Are you sure you have time?”

  “Well, besides all the shit that just happened in Liverpool. Yeah, totally fine.”

  I reached for her hand. “If you need to talk, I’m here.”

  “Let’s swap stories another time,” Charlie said and leaned in to kiss my cheek. “Be safe, sweetie. I need to head out. It was so good to see you.”

  “What did Charlie mean earlier when she said, besides what happened in Liverpool?” I added ice to my glass and filled it with water. “Did her fight with AFC get canceled?” I walked over and sat down on the couch next to Malik.

  “Oh no, she fought. But she had more than one opponent.” He paused for a beat. “Her father kidnapped her and Brooks.”

  I knew my eyes were the size of saucers. “Her father? Holy shit.”

  “Well, from what Julian said, technically her older brother, but the father was the mastermind behind it all.” Malik reached over and pushed my chin back up to close my mouth. “I know.”

  “Wait, let me get this straight. Her brother and father, two people who should love her unconditionally. They kidnapped her?”

  “You have it all correct.”

  That seemed insane. It would make a perfect action-packed drama on a big screen. “She probably wants to see it all go away.”

  “I don’t blame her one bit.” Something about my conversation with Charlie confused me. “How is she going to be my sparring partner when she needs to tend to her own mess?”

  “I was wondering that, too. Maybe she needs a distraction.”

  “I can do that.”

  He moved his body closer to mine. “So.” He grabbed my glass and leaned forward to place it on the table. “How are you feeling about training?”

  I turned my body to face him. Without thinking I combed my hand through his hair. I loved how soft it felt on my fingers. “I think okay. I have a lot to learn still.”

  “What should we work on next?” He rested his head against my hand. “I may tell you what we do next if you keep that up.”

  “Oh, yeah?” I very lightly brushed the tip of my thumb across his bottom lip. “Is that a threat?”

  He placed his hands under my arms and pulled me onto his lap. “It’s a promise.”

  I leaned closer and kissed his lips. “Really? You’re ready to start making promises?” My words caused him to get tongue-tied. He sat there with his mouth dropped open, but no sound was escaping. I traced a finger down the bridge of his nose and over his lips. “Close your mouth.” I giggled and leaned in to kiss him lightly.

  “Jenny,” he whispered.

  “I’m sorry.” I pulled away and tried to move off his lap.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Um.” I looked at the cushion just inches away. “Don’t you want me to move?”

  “No.” He pulled me closer. “Actually, I want the very opposite.”

  “Opposite. So you want—” Then my brain started to catch up to the conversation. “Oh, I see.”

  He rubbed his hands down over my behind. “Only if you’re ready?”

  I thought about that question for a moment. Having sex with Malik had been on my mind for several days now. The fact that we had managed to avoid this moment for weeks now was amazing. We trained several hours a day and rolled around on top of each other. Our meals were all cooked in tight quarters where we bumped into each other non-stop. The hardest part, watching movies on the couch and trying to avoid touching. I made sure to pick out action or horror movies to avoid all the romance scenes.

  So, was I ready?

  My husband made sex a chore. I felt obligated to make him happy. Sex with Ray was about his orgasm. I couldn’t remember the last time I had actually had one. I guess I could’ve taken care of it myself, but I slowly lost the desire to feel pleasure.

  Now. Looking at Malik. I could feel my body come alive for the first time in a very long time.

  “Jenny.” He brushed his fingers down the side of my face.

  “Yeah?” I looked up. “I’m here.”

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  “For what?” His words confused me.

  “Maybe it’s too soon.”

  I wasn’t sure if I was ready for these feelings coursing through my veins. A part of me wanted to run. Instead, I realized I had to show him. I had to be the one to initiate this meeting. It was my call.

  I backed up and slid off his lap. Then I reached out my hand. He paused before finally interlacing his fingers with mine. I made him follow me to the bedroom. When we reached the room, I turned to face him. We were still in our workout clothes. I fisted my hands around the hem of his shirt and pulled it up over his head. He stayed silent as I grabbed his hands and pulled him over to the bed.

  Ray wanted to make an appearance in my thoughts, but he wasn’t welcome anymore.

  “It’s been a long time since I let myself feel.” I stepped closer. “My body just became a machine. I did what it was required to do and then I shut down quickly.” His dark curls on his chest were distracting me. I ran my fingers up the center of his body. “I want you, Malik, but I’m scared.”

  He reached up and tucked my hair behind my ears. Then he laced his fingers together behind my neck. “You tell me what you want, Jenny. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable with me or rushed.”

  I pushed the thoughts of Ray aside.

  Malik made me see I was worth something.

  Now I craved his touch.

  I was ready to feel again.

  15

  I felt like I had just gone to confession and all the negative energy was seeping from my bones. It was funny how words could truly heal the soul. I was surprised by how Malik made me feel again. I had a long road in front of me but looking into his eyes I felt hope.

  Even with all the positive running through my body, I somehow managed to find a negative. At the moment, the large master bedroom room was feeling small or was I just letting the past intensify my emotions? I closed my eyes and inhaled all the good energy surrounding me. Then I exhaled all the negative that was holding too much residence inside my body.

  I reached for his hand and turned to walk toward the bed. For the past week I would wake up around three and just lie there, staring at the ceiling. Several times while I waited to fall back to sleep, I thought about walking into Malik’s room and sliding under the covers just to feel his body next to mine. Fear stopped me from making the move.

  This time, I would ignore the emotion and listen to my heart. Right now, my heart was telling me it was okay to be with Malik.

  “Are you sure, Jenny?” Malik said and squeezed my hand.

  I stopped at the end of the bed and turned around to face him. “I’ve never been more sure about a
nything in my life.” My words sounded so dramatic. “Help me let go of my past.”

  He sighed heavily, making me wonder if he was about to say no. “I’m sorry for what he did to you.”

  I placed my finger over his lips. “Let’s not discuss him.”

  Malik’s face softened and he grabbed the bottom of my shirt to pull it up over my head. I was wearing a form fitting T-shirt without a bra. The moment I was free of the fabric, I could hear his breathing increase. He reached up and cupped both hands around each breast and gently squeezed. The feeling sent shockwaves to my core. Then he surprised me by rubbing his fingers lightly over each nipple. My legs gave out and my bottom hit the edge of the bed.

  “Jenny.” He knelt down in front of me. He looked worried. Then he sat there, staring at me. “God, you’re so beautiful.”

  I wrapped my legs around his torso and combed my hands in his hair. “I forgot how good this all could feel.”

  “Well, if you want, I’ll show you more.”

  “Please.”

  He reached back and wrapped his hands around my ankles to pry them off his body. “Lie back on the bed, baby.”

  My breath hitched when he called me, baby. The way his voice sounded was enough to send my body over the edge at that moment. I slowly let my back fall against the duvet. He stayed silent, so I felt unsure what to expect. I brought my body up slightly with the help of my elbows.

  “No, all the way back,” he said with the biggest smile.

  I had to learn to trust again. Maybe the time was now. I dropped my elbows down and let my back fall onto the mattress for the second time. Malik wrapped his hands around my ankles and started to pepper light kisses up the inside of each leg. Then he inched his hands up and looped his fingers into the waistband of my leggings to slowly slide them down over my hips. I lifted up my behind and felt his warm breath against my skin.

  “You deserve to feel, Jenny. I want to make sure you enjoy this moment completely.” He brushed his fingers down each thigh. “Spread your legs for me.” I didn’t move. “It’s okay, I promise.” I knew he would never hurt me. I opened my legs. I fisted my fingers tightly in the duvet and locked my eyes onto one small spot on the ceiling. “Take in a deep breath, honey. Now let it out.” I did as he said, knowing I couldn’t hold in my breath forever. “I’m going to touch you now.”