by KB Winters
Jasper frowned, but it was Sadie who looked most displeased, in fact she looked ready to kill.
“And the girl?” she asked, her words urgent. Demanding.
“That’s what brought Madison to Glitz. She hasn’t heard from her in a few months. She’s fairly sure the McLaughlins are the reason for the silence. I am too,” she said with a heavy heart. “They checked into the hotel as the Smith family.”
“Fuck.” Cal let out a low, visceral growl from his spot beside Kat and smacked the edge of the table with enough force to make the silverware rattle. “Send me everything you’ve found and I’ll do more digging.” He flashed a look at Jasper, who gave his nod of approval because that was how things worked in this family.
“Good job, Kitty Kat, but you need to stop digging. Now. It’s too dangerous,” Jasper said.
Kat’s eyes sparkled with fury as she shook her head. “Fuck that, Jas. As long as they’re staying at my hotel, I need to know what the fuck they’re doing and that means watching them. Closely. I won’t let them take some kid to fulfill their sick fucking desires, not on my watch. I just fucking…won’t, Jas. I won’t.”
At Kat’s emotional display, Jasper looked to Sadie and they held a silent, minute-long conversation before she nodded. I understood their hesitation, their worry. Given everything the Ashby boys and even my own fucking brother had gone through at the hands of the fucking Church, I knew why this mattered so much. And I would help in any way I could, especially if it meant keeping Kat safe.
“Fine,” Jasper finally conceded. “Terry will keep an eye on them as much as needed, which shouldn’t be much since you said they checked in alone.”
Kat nodded; shoulders slumped in defeat.
“If they require more surveillance, he’ll let me know,” Jasper said, his gaze on mine to make sure I understood what was expected.
I nodded my agreement because there was nothing I wouldn’t do to keep Kat safe. “I’m on it,” I assured Jasper, Sadie and Kat.
“Good,” Sadie said and stood. “I’m going to my room to relax. Good night.” After Sadie’s farewell, the rest of us stood, ready to go our separate ways for the night.
Cal left first, eager to get back to his pregnant girlfriend, or whatever she was to him these days. Kat filled her glass with more whiskey and made her way out of the dining room, heading to the huge guest house she’d been living in since she returned from college.
Jasper grabbed my arm when we were alone, nodding to the staff to give us a moment of privacy. “We both know Kat isn’t gonna let this go, especially after everything that happened to us. Add on what happened to Maisie and Bonnie, and she’s feeling very protective over the women in her life, which now includes those two girls. Keep her safe.”
This was a different version of Jasper, the one I’d only seen half a dozen times over our decades-long friendship. He was vulnerable. Afraid.
“Of course, I’ll keep her safe, man.”
He nodded. “I know you will. You’re the only one I can trust with her Terry.”
I nodded, accepting the compliment for what it was. His trust in me, my love for the Ashby family, was the main reason my feelings for Kat could never come to anything. Would never come to anything.
It would kill my relationship with Jasper. And the rest of the Ashby family, which was effectively, my family.
Which is why I still kept my feelings for Kat under wraps. Even after all these fucking years.
Chapter Nine
Kat
Fight Night rolled around faster than I expected it to, especially considering I’d been living and breathing this day for the past six months. Maybe longer.
And the day had arrived. Finally. Specifically, the night had arrived and the preliminary fights had just finished. So far, the night had been a raging success for House of Ashby fighters, Emmett, and anyone smart enough to bet on Ashby.
Sadie and Vanessa sat in the front row of the arena where the Ashby team could see they had full family support. Next to Vanessa was Jasper and then Maisie and Virgil. Cal was there with a reluctant Bonnie, who had her face buried in her phone.
And of course Terry was around here…somewhere. He’d been around all week, lurking under the guise of additional security but I knew what he was really doing. Watching me. I knew because everywhere I turned there was that nearly white-blond crop of hair, so high above the average man because he wasn’t your average man.
Every damn corner I turned; there he was with those sparkling light blue eyes that always seemed to be in on a joke the rest of us weren’t privy to. Yeah, he was everywhere. Laughing. Looking at me in ways that did strange things to me. Smiling at me like he wanted to devour me. And worst of all, Terry made me laugh which only made me want things I shouldn’t.
Things I couldn’t have.
Things I didn’t have time to think about, especially not tonight.
“Ms. Ashby, they’re ready for you now.” I stood at the bottom of the steps that led to the octagon and gave the production assistant a nod. “Right this way.” He held an arm out automatically and I took it, taking careful steps so millions of people didn’t see me fall flat on my face.
“Thank you.” I stood dead center of the octagon, looking up at all the lights with a smile on my face. In less than an hour, months of hard work would be over. The results would be final, whatever they were. And we were set to make millions.
So far, so good, I whispered to myself as the television crew did a final check of the lighting and sound.
From this spot everything on the other side of the cage was just a blur of lights, sounds and moving objects. No wonder fighters could tune out everything but the roar of excitement and focus on the battle in front of them. It was exhilarating, being right in the middle of the excitement of Fight Night.
The Emerald Isle Grand Arena had never looked better. With the casino workers, the performers, and the TV network, there were lights everywhere, casting bright white or multi-colored circles all around the fifteen thousand seat arena. Corporate sponsors had done an incredible job of making sure their logos were plastered everywhere since they’d paid a handsome fee for the privilege.
We estimated this night would reach upwards of fifty million people.
And billions of dollars.
Everything was perfect.
Just fucking perfect.
Except the strange feeling I had that I was being watched. All night I’d had this annoying sensation that I’d chalked up to nerves but here inside the ring, I felt vulnerable. Trapped. Hunted.
It made sense to feel watched since every ticket had sold out and all the comps had been claimed at will call. That meant fifteen-thousand fight fans and another thousand or so workers, vendors and suits milling about. It’s just nerves, I tried to convince myself, shaking said nerves loose through my hands. The presence of the TV crew was throwing me off. The pay-per-view deal meant more money than we’d ever got for one night, and that had to be what was getting to me.
It had to be that because I didn’t have the time or the patience for it to be anything else.
“Thank you, Ms. Ashby.” Another assistant or producer in a headset explained the pacing for the three headlining fights but I barely heard a word. “We’ll get a commercial or two in between rounds,” he said and I nodded as if I was paying attention.
I wasn’t, because directly in my line of sight but probably a few hundred feet away, was Terry Manning. Decked out in a black suit that made his blond hair blonder and his pale skin paler, he looked hot as hell. Way too hot for my already scattered, restless brain. In his usual getup of jeans and a blazer, Terry was irresistible. In that suit, I felt the edges of my lace panties start to smolder.
“Fuck.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said fuck,” I blurted out to the producer and turned away from that knowing, teasing smirk, and back to the person talking. “Just thinking out loud. Anything else I need to know?”
“Uh, no.”
>
“Great. Thanks.” The first fight would start soon and I needed to check on a few more things. Taking my time on the steps, I didn’t see Travis Stone until it was too late.
“Kat, you’re looking beautiful and harried this evening.”
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face because Travis really was a likable guy. “Thank you, Travis, that was almost a full compliment.”
He shrugged. “I’m sure you get plenty as it is. May I escort you to your seat?”
I shook my head and took his arm. “I’ll escort you, but I still have a few more things to do before fists start to fly.”
His laugh was deep and full bodied, like a man who laughed a lot. “The most incredible part of watching a fight this close up. Barbaric and invigorating.”
I tilted my head up at him and laughed. “You are a strange man, Travis.”
“From you, I’ll take that as a compliment.” To the outside observer we looked like two attractive people flirting, but Travis really was just a fun guy to be around. “I know you have to rush off,” he said, “but I have an idea for a fight app that I would love to run by you, when the time is right.”
“Yeah? You have all my contact info and even if you didn’t, I’m sure you could get it, Spy King.”
At my words, Travis threw his head back and laughed, drawing stares from all around us. “I look forward to it, Kat.”
“Enjoy the fight. Maisie is just over there if you have any questions, or strange needs.” I gave a little wave and then rushed off to make sure the doors were unlocked for the big splashy entrance of the final six fighters of the night.
Time continued to fly and I couldn’t shake the feeling I was being watched, which was ridiculous because I was surrounded by tens of thousands of people. Some of them were bound to be staring, but no matter how hard I tried to convince myself of that, I didn’t believe it. But each time I turned to spot someone, there was no one there. At least no one who stood out.
“You’re doing too much, Princess.” Terry’s out of the blue appearance actually startled me. Okay, he scared me enough that my heart raced with an all too familiar sensation. Fear.
“Whoa, you all right?” he said when he saw my reaction.
The hot singe of his hands on my shoulders settled me instantly, which should have pissed me off, but I was too relieved to give a damn.
“Yes. No. I don’t know.” My shoulders fell in frustration. “I’m fine, Terry. Did you need something?”
“Not specifically. You looked a little alarmed and I want to know why.” Gone was the easygoing man who’d flashed that charming smile at me, in his place was the badass, sometimes enforcer, I’d known since I was a girl. Arms folded over his broad chest; Terry’s icy blue eyes stared at me expectantly just as the bell sounded for the lightweight belt fight.
“Well?”
“Who says I’m alarmed?”
“Me. You went pale inside the cage and you’ve been looking over your shoulder every two fucking minutes. Somebody following you, Kat?”
“You tell me since you’re watching so closely.” My heart raced and I wanted to kick my own ass for not being honest when Terry was the one of the few men here that I knew wasn’t watching me. At least not like that.
At my words, his shoulders relaxed just a little. “No one I could spot, beyond Stone and a few guys checking you out.”
His honesty surprised me. “Well shit, Stalker, I was hoping for more from you.” My attempt at lighthearted humor felt forced even to my own ears. Terry’s full lips didn’t even twitch with amusement.
The bell ending round one sounded, startling a gasp out of me.
“Kat, what’s going on?”
“Nothing. I don’t know, and I have to go check on a few things.” Just as the round two bell chimed, I turned away, but Terry grabbed my arm and sent a fire roaring through my blood. “Terry!”
“Kat, I just want to help.”
“Then let me do my job.” The strength of my words was ruined by the loud uproar of the crowd that yanked a loud scream from the depths of my stomach.
Terry’s grip tightened on my shoulders and turned me toward the cage where the Ashby lightweight stood above the unconscious figure of his opponent, arms raised in victory.
“Win number one secured,” he whispered in my ear and I did my best to suppress the shiver his warm breath on my neck caused.
“Oh. Good.” That was good news. Excellent news. Nothing to worry about. “That means Rachel’s fight is next.”
“Stop worrying Kat, she’s got this fight in the bag. The bantamweight belt is hers.”
I nodded at his words of encouragement, annoyed that it was working to calm my frayed nerves. “Thank you, Terry. Seriously I don’t know what’s going on but…thanks. I have to go.”
He let me go without a word, but I knew Terry. He was a tenacious as they came when he cared.
There was nothing to be done anymore, not when the music began for Rachel Cruz’s opponent. The only doors that opened to the arena were the ones each fighter came from and those were protected by Ashby Security. So, with nothing else to do, I made my way to my seat. And Travis.
“Enjoying the bloodshed?”
His smile lit up and he nodded, his golden wheat colored hair bouncing boyishly. “Much more than I thought I would. Thanks for the ticket.”
“Thanks for the lesson. It was worth both tickets.”
Travis laughed again and stood when the familiar bass of Rachel’s entry music, a popular rap song, blasted through the speakers.
“I’ll remember that for next time. If I had known it would be so fun, I would’ve asked for both.”
The fight got underway and all conversation stopped as we both focused on the female warriors in the cage. Rachel was in good form, focused on her strikes and leg kicks, swiftly avoiding the takedown attempts by her opponent, a fighter put up by Ronan. She was good, but not good enough. Had more anger than skill and Rachel took full advantage of it.
Rounds one and two finished in a blur, Rachel the clear winner without any interference. The smile on her face as round three began was priceless, and I made a note to track down every photographer in the building to get that image. It would make an excellent promo photo.
Round three went to Ronan’s fighter once she got Rachel flat on her back, but round four introduced the world to Rachel, the beast.
“Holy shit, that woman is amazing!” Travis clapped and whistled loudly, an instant fan.
Just as round five got underway, the feeling of being watched returned. I stood, looked around the arena casually at thousands of unfamiliar faces, a few hundred semi-familiar ones, but no one looked at me like they wanted me dead.
With one minute to go my phone buzzed in my pocket. The number was unfamiliar but something told me to answer. “Hello?”
There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and I was about to hang up when I heard a faint voice. “Hello.”
I looked at the screen again and frowned. The voice was too low and the crowd too loud, so I ended the call and turned back to the fight just as Rachel choked out Ronan’s fighter for a submission with twenty-eight seconds left in the match.
“Holy shit!” came out of me in admiration. It was a thing of beauty, and I couldn’t stop the thrill of excitement that washed over me. Rachel was a kid who’d come from the streets but she worked hard to get where she was, and now she was a champion.
“Wow!” Travis’ shocked grin turned on me. “Is that a look of pride I see, Kat?”
“Well Rachel is a House of Ashby fighter. And she’s damn good.”
“So good! Think I can get an intro after the fight?”
“Absolutely. I’ll talk to Maisie, but right now I’ve got to put on a smile for the cameras. Later.”
After five minutes of photos with the new champ, it was time for the main event. Rob “Ravager” Regan against another of Ronan’s fighters, Perry “Choir Boy” Hill, an aging superstar who w
as part of Ma’s plans for Rob’s career. If he fell in line. And right now, that was a big goddamn if.
As soon as Rob’s fight got underway, my nerves returned tenfold and I could hardly focus on the main event. Instead my gaze lingered on Terry and his spot right up front where he and Jasper flanked Ma. His gaze never left mine, not the entire fight. Each time I looked at him, his blue eyes seared into mine.
Rounds one and two went to Rob while Choir Boy took round three with an early takedown that let him dominate on the mat. Round four was split, I was pretty fucking sure, despite how hard Rob fought to take it.
“Asshole,” I grumbled during the break between the final round. Ravager was determined to fuck this up which would be unfortunate because Sadie wouldn’t take it well, and that meant it wasn’t just his career he stood to lose.
My phone rang again and this time I picked it up right away, walking backwards down the hill so I could at least watch the final five minutes of the match. “Hello?”
“Kat?” It was Madison and she sounded, I didn’t know, hurt or in distress. “Help me. Please.” I turned away from the fight right away and walked as fast as my legs would carry me toward the nearest exit.
“Madison. What’s wrong? I can barely hear you.” She didn’t say anything else, but the line didn’t go dead right away, instead I heard sounds of a struggle, maybe a fight.
“Madison? Hello?”
She said nothing and I looked up, noticing the door was about one hundred feet away and I willed my feet to move faster as I cursed my four-inch heels that, while they looked incredible, were not made for running.
Frustrated, I kicked off the expensive stilettos and scooped them up with my free hand so I could run out of the arena and to the parking lot. It was a three-minute trip, at least. Two without the heels but only if I ended the call.
Which I couldn’t.
Chapter Ten
Terry
I had my eyes on Kat from the moment she’d gotten that call during the bantamweight fight—all night actually. She stuck out in a deep blue dress that was modest compared to some of the outfits the other women wore, but still she was the most beautiful woman there. Something was definitely up with her. The call didn’t frighten her, though, but it damn sure worried her. And that worried me.