The bartender snorted. “Coming up, big spender.”
While Eli was distracted, Devan’s meal had arrived. A salad from the look of it. Probably something overly healthy, knowing him. Devan was as lean and fit as he’d been three years ago; Eli would have fun putting him through his paces at the gym. He did look tired though; no doubt from having to be up with Matthew through the night. Teething sounded miserable for all involved.
As time went on, Devan’s nods slowed in frequency and he started to lean back further in his chair. The man had no idea that he’d already lost Devan and continued to smile and chat away. There’d be no second date, which meant that there was one less man Eli had to worry about for competition. It was probably for the best if he left before Devan saw him. Being caught wouldn’t bode well for his chances at making amends.
He got up, nodded to the bartender, and was about to go when he saw something that stopped him cold. The man had reached across the table and was holding Devan by the wrist. Eli could see the strain in Devan’s body, trying to pull free without looking too obvious about it, but it clearly wasn’t working.
The man’s eyes were wider, and his body language was all wrong. His head was tilted down and his legs were spread wide. The man was leaning forward, far closer to Devan’s personal space than he should have been.
Without thinking, Eli strode across the restaurant and stood beside the table. “Is there a problem here?” Devan’s eyes were wide and his mouth was open as he stared up. Eli was only marginally aware of the reaction, as all of his attention was focused on the other man at the table. “Your date here doesn’t seem to like your attention.”
The man quickly let go of Devan’s wrist. “What the hell is your problem?”
“My problem is that I was sitting at the bar enjoying a drink and I see a man physically restraining another person, someone who clearly doesn’t want it.” He turned to look at Devan now. “Unless I’m mistaken.”
“Thank you for the wonderful meal.” Devan stood and grabbed his jacket. “I’ll ask the waiter to split the bill.”
“Don’t bother.” Eli reached into his pocket and threw a fifty down. “That should cover it.”
Devan’s face was flushed. “Thanks.”
It was only then that Eli realized they’d drawn the attention of most of the people within close proximity of the table. “Are you fine to get to your ride?”
“Yes. Thank you.” Devan glanced around quickly before fleeing the restaurant.
Rage threatened to spill out of Eli. He needed to get the hell out of here and make sure that Devan was okay. Leaning in, he lowered his voice so that the man was the only one who would hear. “You better think twice before you grab anyone like that on a date again.”
The man’s eyes were so wide they looked to be bulging from his head. “I will.”
Eli left, a smattering of light applause following him out. He doubted very much that anyone would have cheered him on if they realized the reason he’d actually been there.
He’d barely made it out the front door of the restaurant when Devan stepped in front of him. “What the actual fuck are you doing here?”
“Having a drink.”
“You don’t drink when you’re training.”
“It was club soda.”
“You can buy that at the store.”
“I wanted to stretch my legs.” Eli’s jaw clenched. He didn’t want this to turn into a fight, because he’d never backed down from one. “I wasn’t going to do anything.”
Devan groaned. “But you did, Eli. You did.”
“He grabbed you, was clearly making you uncomfortable. I would have stepped in to help any person in the same situation.” Knowing it had been Devan, though, had pissed him off more than had it been a random stranger.
Devan closed his eyes, his breath visible in the cold November evening air. “I’m not just anyone. I can’t do this.” He turned and walked away.
Eli froze. Fuck, what the hell had he done? He started to follow Devan, wanting to grab him and make him understand his intentions. Devan was moving too quickly, and within moments he’d be out of reach forever.
“I’m sorry.” Eli watched Devan stop. “I shouldn’t have come.”
Devan spun around. “No, you shouldn’t have. I know things have been better between us the past few weeks, but don’t think for a second that I trust you. You haven’t done anything to earn that back. Not yet.” The anger on his face bled away. “But thank you for your help.”
The tension in Eli’s chest relaxed. He took a step closer, happy when Devan didn’t move. “How can I make it up to you?”
Devan took a few steps toward him. “You can give me my space when I need it. That means not following me on dates.”
God, Eli didn’t want Devan going out with anyone. He was Eli’s to have, to love, to make love to. His.
But he wasn’t.
“How about I do something to help you?” Eli closed the gap between them. Devan’s cheeks were red from the cold, his lips cracked from where he’d been biting his bottom lip. “Something that will make you know that I can’t interfere with your dates.”
“What?”
It was a risk making this proposition. It went firmly against Rule 1. Still, it was the best way he could prove himself to Devan. “I can babysit Matthew for you.”
“No.”
Eli waited a beat. “I’ll do it for free.”
“No.”
“Why not? You want to have a chance to date. You don’t want me to get in your way. Can you honestly tell me that you will go out, that you’ll date as much as you want, if you have to pay for a babysitter? I know you. You won’t.”
“Rule 1 was that you weren’t going to be involved in his life. Or have you forgotten that already?”
“As a romantic interest to you or as a father figure to him. I’m only going to be a babysitter. Nothing more.” He had no idea why he wanted to push this as much as he was. He didn’t want a child, and he didn’t want Devan dating. But he did want to make amends, and this was the best way he could think of to accomplish that. “You get the best of both worlds.”
Devan chuckled. “You never give up, do you?”
“You know I don’t.”
“Let me think about it.”
“I’ll give up my date with you. You can go out with someone else, and I’ll stay home with Matthew.”
“Do you even know how to look after a baby? Change a diaper?”
A flutter of panic raced through him, but he pushed it away. “You can show me that.”
“But I can’t show you how to handle his crying.”
Eli waved him away. “If I can survive getting beat up in the ring, I’m sure I can manage a little crying.”
Devan rolled his eyes. “I’ll think about it.”
Eli leaned forward, close enough to kiss, but didn’t. “Come on.” His teasing tone earned him another smile. “Find some nice man to go with, bring Matthew to the gym, and have a good evening. I’ll even clean your apartment.”
Devan rolled his eyes. “Not you too.”
“Dude, you’re a slob.”
“I said, ‘I’ll think about it.’”
“That’s all I ask.” Eli straightened, shoved his hands in his pockets, and nodded. “I’ll let you get home.”
He was moving toward the parking lot when Devan called out, “Thank you.”
Eli waved and continued on, knowing that round one had gone to him.
The gym was busier tonight than it had been since Eli had started working out there. Nolan had taken to hiding in the office, which meant Zack constantly moved between making sure Nolan was okay and checking on the trainers. Eli couldn’t imagine what it was like to have the kind of anxiety Nolan dealt with, but he was a strong dude.
It had been two days since Devan had promised to think about it, which was two days longer than Eli had wanted to wait. Instead, he focused his attention on training.
No matter what tim
e Eli arrived at Ringside to work out, the bag he used was always available. Zack had teased him that everyone knew his routine, his preferences, and didn’t want to be the one who ruined his chances to win the fight against Caulfield. He hadn’t considered the option of training anyplace other than his gym in Montreal. He knew the guys there, he had his coach, everything to be successful. Here at Ringside it was only him, and that was terrifying. He had his routine, could push himself hard enough, but there wasn’t anyone there to guide him, to call him out when he was projecting his punches.
Ringside was a great local gym, but it lacked most of what he needed for serious professional training. Weights and heavy bags could only do so much. What he really needed were a few opponents he could go toe to toe with in the ring, but there weren’t many guys he felt comfortable sparring with.
The young guy who’d been mirroring his moves was back again. His form had improved considerably, and while he wasn’t going to be winning fights anytime soon, he was at a point where Eli might be able to push him a bit while helping himself.
“Hey.” Eli waited until the kid looked up. “Get a head guard and get in the ring.”
The constant buzz of noise in the gym died down. The kid looked around for a moment before giving his head a shake. “Me?”
Eli raised an eyebrow. “Unless you want someone else to be my sparring partner.”
He’d never seen a man move that quickly before in his life.
Eli yanked his shirt off and climbed into the ring. It felt good to have canvas under his feet, to be back in the place that had started him on this path years earlier. The kid came in a few minutes later, his head guard in place.
“Do you have a mouth guard?”
The kid smiled, the black plastic over his teeth.
“Good. You ever fought MMA style before?”
He shook his head.
“What’s your name?”
“Kevin.” It came out muddled, but Eli had no problem understanding it.
Eli grinned and slipped in his own mouth guard. “Well, Kevin, this will be an experience. Don’t hold back. Keep your guard up. Kicks, punches, holds. You know, whatever.”
He started light, needing to get a feel for not only Kevin’s skill set, but also to make sure he was warmed up.
Jab, jab, cross, side kick.
Kevin stumbled back, but didn’t drop his guard. He rounded his shoulders, stepped in, and led with a few jabs of his own. Eli barely felt the contact, but Kevin had great form. It took a few minutes and more than a few landed punches for Kevin to let go and really get into the sparring. Kevin landed a snap kick to Eli’s chest, sending him back a few inches and pulling a cheer from the watching crowd.
“Lucky shot.” Yeah, this felt good, right.
Sweat beaded on Eli’s skin and threatened to run into his eyes as they traded blows. Kevin was letting his right guard drop, which was too tempting to resist. He moved in quickly and wrapped Kevin up, knocking him quickly to the canvas and landing a punch to the side of Kevin’s head.
Kevin tapped out, and the crowd watching applauded.
Eli rolled off and helped the young guy to his feet. “You keep dropping your right guard. Work on that. I want you to up your weights as well. You can easily push an extra twenty on your legs and another ten for your arms. The bulk will help with your power, but make sure you’re using your hips on those crosses.”
Kevin spit out his mouth guard. “Thanks, Mr. McGovern.”
He chuckled. “It’s just Eli.”
They touched fists, and Eli was ready to leave. One moment came the rush of being back in the ring, and the next the air was sucked from his lungs.
Caulfield stood in the front door, an entourage and several sports journalists standing around him. People had their phones out, and Eli had no doubt whatever this would turn out to be would end up on YouTube and Facebook the second they were done.
“McGovern!” Caulfield strutted into the gym. The crowds parted, giving them a clear view. “You training for the amateur league now?”
“Shit,” Eli muttered. He made sure to stand at his full height, crossed his arms, and stared down from the ring. It was wrong for Caulfield to be here, to encroach on his haven. Zack and Nolan had worked too hard to build this place up, he’d be damned if he’d let this asshole tear it down. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I’m checking out the competition.” Caulfield jumped up onto the ring, holding the top rope, and swung around to face the crowd. “I wanted to see the king’s new kingdom.”
“Get the hell out of here.”
“Scared I’m going to show you up in front of all your little friends?” He jumped over the top rope and landed beside Eli. “How about we have a go now? Show these punks how real men fight.” In a blink, Caulfield yanked off his shirt and kicked off his shoes.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Eli got in his space.
“Stirring up some publicity.” Caulfield lifted his chin. “You don’t have a problem with that? Do you?”
And without warning, Caulfield shoved Eli hard.
Cheers and shouts filled the room as the press and Caulfield’s entourage rushed the ring. Before Eli realized what was happening, Caulfield took a swing, and Eli’s instincts kicked in. He rolled out of the way and quickly got back to his feet. “You need to stop.”
“Why, McGovern? Scared I’m going to kick your ass?”
Sparring with Kevin was one thing, but going toe to toe with Caulfield was something he wasn’t ready for. Eli kept his distance, dancing around and doing his best to stay outside Caulfield’s reach. “You’re that anxious for me to knock you out again? I’m sure I rattled your brain pretty good last time.”
Caulfield took another swing at him, but Eli ducked away easily. “You were lucky. You should have stayed down when I connected.”
“Nope. And I won’t stay down this time either. I’d say you hit like a girl, but that’s an insult to women.”
What the holy hell was wrong with this guy? It was to no one’s benefit for them to get into a fight now. Sure, the publicity might help spur ticket sales, but this was well beyond that. Out of the corner of his eye, Eli couldn’t help but notice the sea of phones and faces following every move they were making.
“What the hell is going on?” Zack’s booming voice filled the gym and drew Eli’s attention at the wrong time.
As he turned his head to see his friend coming from the office to the ring, Caulfield took that moment to connect with a snap kick to Eli’s chest. Unlike when Kevin hit him, this time Eli landed flat on his back.
“Get out of here!” Zack was in the ring and in Caulfield’s face. “This is a private gym and not a fucking side show.” He pointed to the entourage and press that were there as well. “Unless you have a membership or are signing up for one, I’m asking you to leave. Now.”
Eli got to his feet, tamping down the physical pain to ensure no one would think he’d been hurt. He couldn’t afford to appear weak, to show any hole that Caulfield could go back and examine and exploit during their fight.
Zack looked over his shoulder and nodded toward the office. “Nolan is in there with an ice pack. Go.”
As he made his way to the office, the regular members were all nodding, giving him a thumbs-up as he went. If nothing else, he’d cemented his place here at Ringside.
Nolan was sitting in the chair behind the desk. His face was pale and his hands gripped the edge of the desk. “Who the hell was that insane man?”
“Jay Caulfield. The guy whose ass I kicked in the last fight.”
“The one you’re fighting in two weeks?” Nolan held out the ice pack. “Here.”
“I’m fine.”
“Oh good.” Nolan placed it on the back of his neck. “Zack would have come out sooner, but my anxiety kicked in with the crowd and . . . yeah. Sorry.”
In the few conversations he’d had with Zack, the subject of Nolan’s past had come up only once. He didn’t know ex
actly what had happened beyond him being in a car accident, but that was all that he needed to know. “It’s good. You should take priority over my sorry ass.”
Zack came into the office and closed the door. “Your sorry ass will be all over social media in about five minutes. If Caulfield wanted to drum up publicity, then he did exactly the right thing.”
“Fucker.” Eli rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. “At least the gym will get some publicity as well.”
“Depending on who’s doing the reading, that might not be a good thing. We’ll have to wait and see.” Zack came around the desk and put a hand on Nolan’s shoulder. “You okay now?”
“Fine.” The weak smile he gave Zack probably indicated otherwise.
“Take him home.” Eli pushed away from the wall. “I’ll stay until close and lock up for you.”
Zack frowned. “Really? I figured you’d want to get out of here after what happened.”
“Run back to my empty house and do what?” He shrugged. “I can use the ice pack here as well as there. Get out and the two of you go home.”
Zack helped Nolan to his feet. “I owe you.”
“Nope. Go.”
He watched through the window as his friends left, wishing he had someone to be with like that.
No.
He’d fucked that up with Devan and had no right to pine for something that he’d carelessly thrown away. If nothing else, Caulfield reminded him, in the most painful way possible, that this was what he’d chosen over domestic tranquility. He’d wanted this life, this career, and there was no reason to regret it now.
Once everyone had gone back to their workouts, Eli left the office and ducked into the locker room. He fished his phone out of his gym bag and checked to see if Devan had contacted him.
Nothing.
He tossed the phone back and slammed the door shut. It was probably for the best. He didn’t want to drag Devan and especially Matthew into this world. It was one of the reasons he’d left in the first place.
Ignoring the growing ache in his chest—it was probably from the kick anyway—Eli grabbed his things and headed for the shower.
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