Against the Cage (Worth the Fight #1)

by Sidney Halston

  When she finished with his hip injury, she began to inspect his face. She kneeled between his thighs, and her big blue eyes with those long black eyelashes looked into his eyes. He hated to see the sadness in them. She cleaned his nose and stuffed it with cotton. She got up, went to the kitchen, and returned with small plastic bags of ice and a package of frozen peas. She tossed two small bags of ice at Slade and told him to put the ice on his eye while she finished mending Jack. Then she gently placed the bag of frozen peas on Jack’s swollen eye. “Hold it here.” Quietly he followed her instructions.

  “Okay, all done.” She started packing up her things, then went upstairs again and came back a few minutes later with a small suitcase. First she pointed to Jack. “Keep putting ice on that eye, and keep your head forward until your nose stops bleeding. Remember to change the dressing on your gash tomorrow.” Then she pointed to Slade. “You may have a broken rib. But really, who cares—you made twenty-five grand. I’d like to ask you to try to not get arrested again, but, since that seems to be inevitable, I guess I’ll see you at your next arraignment. Though it seems like you should have enough money now to bail yourself out for a while. Bye, Slade. See you around, Jack. Sorry for all the trouble we’ve caused you in the last forty-eight hours.”

  “Come on, Chris. Don’t leave. I’m sorry I was an ass. I guess … well, I seem to be an ass all the time, but I’ll do better. I promise,” Slade begged, his head back against the couch, looking up at the ceiling, the bags of ice held to his face.

  Chrissy let out a large puff of breath but otherwise didn’t reply before shutting the door behind her. Jack thought he must have been hit harder than he’d realized, because he was not processing what had just happened.

  “Dude? Did your sister just leave?”

  “Looks that way.”

  “You’re not going to stop her?”

  “I tried. She never listens to me. She hates me, dude. I feel terrible that I asked her to post the money. How the hell was I to know she wasn’t making bank as a doctor? I guess I should’ve used my money for bail.”

  “You guess? You’re a fucking dickhead.” Jack pushed himself off the couch, slapped the back of Slade’s head, and ran toward the front door, but she was already gone.

  Rather than take his Jeep, he fumbled for the keys of his police cruiser, then drove off in it in search of Chrissy, his head throbbing. He scrolled for her phone number on his cell. He’d had it for years but never used it. He’d only known about her through Slade, and the details had been minimal, since Slade wasn’t a master conversationalist. Once he found her name, he called, but it went straight to voicemail—though when he heard her voice on the voicemail greeting he was relieved she hadn’t changed her number in the intervening years.

  After an hour of driving, he admitted defeat and headed back home. But on his way back he caught sight of her car on the side of the road, not two miles away from his house. He released a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. Parking behind her, he walked toward the car and saw the spare tire that had been mounted to replace the flat tire had gone flat as well.

  When he got to her door, he gently knocked on her window as to not startle her. As she ever so slowly turned toward the window, he immediately saw her puffy red eyes and the thick red indentation that marred her forehead from resting on the steering wheel. She reached for the window and rolled it down. She looked utterly defeated, and having known her his entire life, this was something he was completely unaccustomed to. Slade had always been Jack’s lifelong friend, a brother, really, but at the moment he wanted to break Slade’s kneecaps for having put this look into her eyes.

  Leaning his forearms against the open window, he couldn’t help but reach over and stroke the red indentation on her forehead. “What are you doing out here?”

  “Waiting on AAA again.” She sighed. “I wonder if they have frequent-user rates.”

  “You need a new car.”

  “Duh!”

  He wanted to smile at her quick response, but she looked so damn sad.

  He opened her door and extended his hand to help her out. “Come on.”

  “I can’t. I have to wait for—”

  “Just leave it. We’ll deal with it tomorrow. It’s been a long day. Let’s go home.”

  “I’m not going back home—well, Slade’s home. I need to get my car fixed and get the hell outta this town. I shouldn’t have come back.”

  “You probably shouldn’t have come back to help him. But I’m glad you did because I got to see you again. Anyway, you’re not driving anywhere tonight. Call AAA, tell them not to bother, and come home with me.”

  “No way. Nothing’s changed. You’re a violent cage fighter who sleeps with women and never calls them again. I can’t get involved with you. I am not going to go home with you, and I’m certainly not sleeping with you. Last night was a mistake.”

  “You couldn’t be more wrong about my history with women. Either way, I didn’t say anything about sleeping with you.”

  “Oh. Um … I just assumed. Sorry. I …” Her smooth white cheeks crimsoned immediately.

  “Don’t get me wrong, we are going to sleep together. That’s a given. Just not tonight. You’ve had a rough few days. Not to mention that my face hurts. Come on—I have a spare room.”

  “Jack Daniels! I can’t believe you just said that. You’re outta your mind if you think I’m stepping out of this car and going anywhere with you, especially after what you just said. Pfft!” Chrissy huffed.

  “You’re going to sit there and pretend there’s nothing between us? You know very well it’s just a matter of time. But fine, have it your way. You’re gonna hang out here in the dark in a car with a flat tire for God only knows how long? You’re exhausted and helpless, not to mention that any weirdo can come by and attack you and no one will ever know. Oh, and the alligators. There’s probably hundreds of alligators mere feet from you right this very moment. Have it your—”

  “No, wait! Alligators?”

  “Seriously, woman? That’s all you got from my little speech? How about the part about the weirdo attacking you?”

  “I don’t like reptiles!” She stepped out of the car quickly and walked toward his car. “Please note that I am only going with you under duress, and you better not try any funny business. As a police officer, it is your civic duty to assist me. Got that, Daniels?”

  Jack shook his head and snorted. “You’re leaving under duress, with protest. Some shit about civic duty and no funny business. Got it. Come on, crazy girl.”

  He opened his car door, and when she sat down, he leaned his enormous body through the door and buckled her seatbelt for her. His face was inches from hers. On his way out, he slightly nuzzled her neck and inhaled.

  “Are you smelling me?”

  “Soap and vanilla.” He let out a little groan with closed eyes. “Yum.”

  “I’m a big girl, you know. I could’ve buckled myself up. And it seems that in fact you didn’t note my previous comment about not being happy about this situation and no funny business.”

  He gave her a playful smile. “Yeah, but what’s the fun in that?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’ve never sat in a police car before. It’s a little scary.”

  He laughed. “Why’s that?”

  “I don’t know. I feel like I’ve done something wrong.”

  “You feel naughty, don’t you?”

  She didn’t answer immediately, but when she did her face was flushed. “Yeah, kind of,” she admitted uncomfortably.

  “Interesting.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Just an interesting observation. I’ll keep that in my vault.”

  “You have a vault?”

  “Oh, baby, I have quite the vault,” he said, pointing to his head. “There’s a whole bunch of very interesting observations I’ve made about you. When we’re finally naked together, I plan to unleash all the knowledge I’ve accumulated.” He looked over at her
with a mischievous grin. She let out a little gasp.

  They sat in comfortable silence for the few minutes it took them to arrive back at his house. He noticed that she glanced over at her house and shook her head.

  Jack cut off the engine and turned his body toward her. “He loves you, you know.”

  “No, Slade only loves Slade. I feel like an idiot. He says jump and I say how high. Since our dad died, I have this sense of obligation to help him. Do you know how many times I’ve had to send him money for one thing or another?”

  “He’s a grown man, Chrissy. He can take care of himself. You’re enabling him every time you bail him out of some problem. And the strange thing is that in every other situation you are far from being a pushover. I will admit, you used to be easily manipulated, but not anymore. Now I can’t get you to stay put for one damn second, even if it’s for your own safety.”

  “I know. You’re right. But he’s my only family and I owe it to him. What am I supposed to do? He never told me what he needed the money for. You think he’s in some sort of trouble?”

  “Truthfully, I’m not sure. He’s always told me everything, and I don’t know what he’s keeping from me. You know, he makes a very good living as an MMA professional. Don’t underestimate the amount of money he makes. I don’t see why he’d need money so desperately that he’d call you to bail him out, but mark my words, I’m going to find out. Tomorrow I’ll talk to him.”

  “Thanks, Jack. Not just for talking to him, but for everything. For taking me to the fight, for getting beat up on my account, for rescuing me yet again.”

  “You’re kind of a pain in the ass. You seem to need rescuing a lot.” He smiled at her.

  “Normally I’m a rather independent woman. I travel all over the world to the worst environments and manage just fine. I lived in Haiti after the earthquake for a year. Did you know that? We had no running water, there were looters, I was treating the worst injuries I’ve ever seen, and to top it off we had to be careful of mudslides. And I survived just fine. A few days back home and I’m a complete and total mess. A damsel in distress.”

  “Of course I knew you were in Haiti. We may not have spoken over these last years, but I knew about you through Slade and worried about you. But you two didn’t keep in touch enough. There were times I asked about you and he didn’t seem to know where you were. And by the way, I wouldn’t go as far as calling you a damsel.”

  She reached over and punched him playfully in the stomach.

  “Ouch. Injured guy, remember?” He pointed to his hip and pouted. “The hot doctor who treated me told me I couldn’t fight until I’m healed. So the, ah, wrestling match you want has to wait.”

  “You asked about me?”

  He didn’t answer. Well, at least not verbally. His face softened as he looked into her eyes. His dimple came out in all its glory with a brilliant smile that made her heart pitter-patter.

  Chapter 5

  “Such a crybaby. A big guy like you can’t handle a playful little punch from a girl?” Chrissy said nervously, trying not to think much about Jack’s smile, which was worth a thousand words. She got out of the car and quickly walked to Jack’s front door.

  “You know, I think I’m coming down with a fever,” he told her.

  Chrissy looked at him quizzically, not sure if he was being serious.

  “You can always take my temperature … with your tongue.” He gave Chrissy a big, toothy grin and wiggled his eyebrows.

  “Oh my God, you are such a pig!” She punched him again, but this time a little harder. She knew him well enough to be aware that he was using humor to deflect the comment he’d made, which had made her nervous. His boyish grin combined with those delicious dimples made her smile. Just being in Jack’s presence made her feel so much better.

  He opened the front door and stepped aside, as he always did, to let her in first. The sound of tiny claws running on the hardwood upstairs could be heard from the door.

  “Come on in, Mike Tyson,” he said to her. “By the way, I was very impressed with the way you took out that guy earlier tonight,” he said as he grabbed her hand and led her upstairs, where Drogo ran to greet them. Maybe “greet” was an overstatement—it was more like growl at them.

  “Thanks. I took self-defense classes years ago, though I’d rather hoped I’d never have to use them.” Chrissy bent down and held out her hand. Drogo took a sniff and backed away, all his little teeth exposed. Chrissy smiled and blew a kiss at him before standing up.

  “Well, you did good. The jerk’s probably still trying to pull his balls out from his throat.” He smiled at her. “Here’s the spare room. The bathroom is right across the hall.”

  “This was your old room,” she said.

  “Yeah. You remember?”

  “Of course I remember. I spent as much time tailing you guys as I did in my own house.”

  Jack smiled but said nothing.

  “I know, I know—I was a pest. You guys reminded me of that every single day. Do you mind if I take a shower?”

  “Go ahead. There are towels in the closet. But first can I take a look at your cut, please?” He reached toward her forehead, but she swatted his hand away, and Drogo barked at Jack. He stared at Drogo incredulously. “I think he just defended you.”

  “Aww, such a sweet puppy,” she cooed at Drogo, careful not to touch him, and then looked back up at Jack, who was examining her cut. “Oh, it’s nothing. It doesn’t hurt. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Doctors make the worst patients.” He pulled her by the hand and gently sat her on the bed. Now it was his turn to kneel between her legs. He swiped the hair away from her forehead to look at the cut. “You were not supposed to leave my side. I specifically said, ‘Beautiful Chrissy, pretty please stay by my side so that I can keep the crazy drunken perverts from trying to maul your pretty little ass.’ And you replied, ‘Yes, sir.’ ”

  “Oh, really? Me? I said ‘sir’?” She laughed. “I highly doubt that.”

  “Okay, maybe you didn’t say ‘sir.’ You’re not that docile. I think you said something along the lines of ‘I promise I won’t leave your side, sexy man.’ ”

  “You’re right. I did promise to stay by your side.” She giggled at his silliness. “Sorry about that. I thought you were right behind me. One of those assholes sort of pushed me against the wall, and I went to fight him off, and he had on some leather bracelet things. I think that’s what cut me. But really, it’s fine.”

  He cupped her face with his hands and looked into her eyes. Searching. Longing. Aroused beyond comprehension. He let out an agonizingly long breath. He was only inches from her. “Go take your shower, but at least let me put some antibiotic ointment on it when you’re finished.”

  “Okay,” she whispered. After a moment of awkwardness—with him still holding her face and their eyes connected—he pushed away from the bed in an attempt to shake off their trance. However, being that he was still on his knees, her standing brought them to an even more intimate position. She quickly shifted nervously. The attraction between them was intense. It was a living and breathing thing that pulsed around them, but she wouldn’t allow it to go anywhere. She’d been down this road before, and it had ended badly. Very badly. The crux of her dilemma remained: once a bad boy, always a bad boy, and bad boys were violent. She had to remember that. If not for her sake, then for the sake of her father and all that had transpired eleven years ago.

  “Damn. My stuff is on the side of the road, in the trunk of my car.”

  He pushed himself up. “I have antibiotic ointment. Don’t worry.”

  “No, it’s not just that. I don’t have clothes with me.”

  “Oh, well. Being that we decided yesterday that your uniform would be one of my T-shirts, you’re in luck. I have drawers full.”

  “We,” she said, waving a finger between them, “didn’t decide on anything. It seemed to be a decision made by you alone. But since I have nothing else with me, I guess I will have to b
orrow one of your shirts again.”

  “Well, I’m nothing if not flexible. If you don’t want to wear one of my T-shirts, I’m also okay with you not wearing anything at all. In fact, I think I prefer that option.”

  “I’ll take the shirt.” She laughed.

  “I knew we could reach a compromise.” He patted her on the ass playfully before she sauntered off to the bathroom. Drogo stayed by the foot of the bed, chasing his own tail.

  How could he resist the beautiful woman who ignited all these newfound feelings in him—desire, protectiveness, possessiveness, a constant flip in his stomach—when she was sleeping only a few feet away from him? This was going to be one hell of a long night. All those years he’d believed that Chrissy was just his best friend’s innocent little sister. Nothing more. Nothing less. He hadn’t been lying when he told her he’d always known where she was. He asked Slade about her often in a platonic, friendly sort of way. He’d known her most of his life; how could he have pretended she didn’t exist? Of course he’d asked about her. How could she not have known that? He wondered if she’d ever asked about him. But now, eleven years later, it was as if he’d never really seen her before. Looking at her for the first time when he had pulled her over for speeding two days ago, he had been truly blown away. God, she was sexy, and so close.

  All night Jack had wanted to walk into the room where she was sleeping and just slip into bed with her. Bury himself inside Chrissy. It took all his self-control not to do so. Honestly, though, that wasn’t exactly the case. It wasn’t so much self-control as it was a vicious little pup that had been standing guard in front of her door all damn night. The one time he had succumbed to his desire and made his way to her room, Drogo grunted and nipped at his ankle. Pain-in-the-ass dog! He hadn’t slept at all, and at eight the next morning, while Chrissy was still sleeping and after he had let Drogo out to relieve himself, he found himself in Slade’s kitchen.