by C. M. Steele
Holiday Knockout
A Steele Riders Family Novella
C.M. Steele
Copyrighted © 2019
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written expressed permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is purely coincidental.
Cover design: C.M. Steele
Cover Image: Deposit Photos
The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as advertisement. Trademark names are used in an editorial fashion with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.
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Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
Excerpt: Protecting Macy
Of all the people…
Why does she have to be related to him?
Why does he have to be a barbaric, handsome beast?
Daniel Miller entered the Octagon years ago, and he’s remained undefeated until he meets a true knockout artist. She takes him by surprise and lands a one-two punch on his heart. Now to make the vixen see that she belongs with him—even if he has to pin her down and make her submit.
Sammie Morris learned a long time ago that a man can ruin you with charm and then demand obedience, beating it out of you if necessary. She refuses to step into her mother’s shoes and be another woman falling for a brute, but there’s just something about Daniel that she can’t erase from her mind, body, and soul.
Chapter One
Daniel
“Come on, Danny boy. Do it again!” my trainer, Tom, shouts, wanting me to knock my sparring partner to the ground. My moves are quick, and my target doesn’t see me coming as I reach with a left uppercut intentionally meant to miss. He leans back out of the way; my right leg swipes his from underneath him. Before he can react, I’m on top, ready to drill his face in, but I don’t because I’m not trying to injure the guy before he gets his opportunity to enter the arena.
“Good, good. Again,” Tom calls out. I stand up and assist my buddy to his feet. Ernesto Reyes is about three years younger than me and ready to debut in the Octagon in a couple of months.
“You good to go?” I ask him. He nods, and we touch gloves before taking our boxing positions. We go another three minutes, but I’m not trying to push it.
I’ve been fighting for almost eight years in the Octagon. Although I know that my time as a champ is coming to an end and I am nearly on my way out, I still love the sport. MMA fighting has taken off, and my brother and I both fell in love with the sport. I have a bout coming next week, and my body aches to high hell but I don’t say shit. My last injury to my shoulder took a real toll on me, tempting me to throw in the towel. I refuse to retire and look like a coward with all the smack talk my contender throws out at every press conference.
“DJ, wait up,” Tom hollers as he runs toward me. I slow down but don’t stop because I can tell he’s going to grill me.
My trainer catches up to me as I pull an ice pack out of the fridge and toss it over my shoulder. “It’s killing you again?”
“Not too bad. Just a little stiff.” I roll my shoulder to loosen it up. I hear that little knocking sound that reminds both of us that it’s more than stiff.
“You need to have surgery on it and stop fighting.” He brings me a bottle of Gatorade, and I polish it off in one long gulp with four Advil to take the edge off the swelling and pain.
I scowl at him, but he’s been with me for years, and that look means shit to him. “I’ll have surgery after this fight. Don’t go opening your mouth about it either. I don’t want anyone letting it slip that I have a weakness.”
He closes his mouth and swipes his fingers across his lips, twisting his fingers and pretending to throw away the key. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me. Although if it was any worse, you know we’d have to go to the commission.”
“Well, it’s not. Just years of wear and tear. Now, did you need something?” My attitude sours with every second he stares at me disapprovingly. I grab a towel and wipe my face just to avoid looking at the know-it-all bastard.
“Yes, your parents called and asked that you call them as soon as possible.”
I drop the towel onto the bench and stand up, scowling. “Damn it. Why didn’t you stop me and tell me sooner? What did they say?”
“To call them as soon as possible…after you were done training.”
Fucking dickhead. “Fine. I hope nothing’s wrong. Why would they call the gym?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to watch Ernie and then close up shop. You good?”
“Yeah. I’m gonna get out of here soon.” He nods and walks back into the gym. I drop the ice pack down onto the bench and head to my locker.
I pull my shit from my locker and drag out my giant-ass duffle bag. I need a fucking shower, but I have to call my parents first. I toss my gloves inside and then unwrap the tape from my knuckles. As soon as they are good to go, I pull out my cell and call my mom. Her phone goes to voicemail, so I try my father’s. He picks up on the first ring. “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”
“Hey, Danny. I need you to do me a favor. We need a couple extra suites for the hotel. We’ve got a wedding to prepare for.”
“Are you kidding me? Crystal and that guy are getting married? They hardly know each other.”
“I know, but if I was going to pick a son-in-law, this one isn’t too far off.” I haven’t met the fucker yet, but I’m not sure about him. It’s all too soon for my tastes. She’s never been this serious about a guy before for her to be getting married in a rush. I wonder if she’s knocked up and thinks she has to marry the dude. She’s spent all these years in school to be a teacher only to give it up for some douche.
“Okay, Pops. I’ll get it all squared away with my manager. Does Mikey know?”
“Yes, I called him after I couldn’t get ahold of you.”
“Just so you know, we might bust his head if he doesn’t do right by her.” I want him to know my position. Tonight, I’ll give my sister a call and have a talk with her about this guy.
“Get in line.” My father isn’t as put out about this guy as I would have expected, or as he wants me to think. Something else is going on that he doesn’t want to fill me in on. He knows how much preparation for the game is mental.
“See you then.” I end the call and get ready to shower. The heat feels so damn good, but I need to
leave before the crowd gathers outside, waiting to ask questions about this weekend. Once I’m dressed, I toss all my dirty clothes in my bag. I take a whiff of my gym bag and make a mental note to wash it with the next load of laundry.
It would surprise people to know that I wash my own clothes and cook my own food, but my mom and dad instilled in me the ability to fend for myself—and not just with my fists.
As I make it to the door, I notice the cameras going wild outside. I turn around and take the back way around. My trainer takes my keys and steps out into the crowds. Two minutes later he’s knocking on the back door with my keys in hand. I open my palm, and he drops them in. “You probably have two minutes to get out before they realize it.”
“Thanks.” I clap his shoulder with my hand and make my exit. Pulling out of the lot and onto the main street is easier than I could ask for. It’s the first time I sigh in relief all day. My brother and I share a condo in Vegas when we’re getting close to a fight. If not, we live with our parents in Nashville, Tennessee.
I pull up to the building and see the cameras flashing as they recognize my SUV. The windows are tinted so they can’t really see inside, but they hope for the best and keep shooting and shouting questions. I enter the secured garage and park in my spot, taking my filthy clothes with me.
The condo is spotless, and my brother is chilling on the sofa watching TV. “Hey, you lazy shit.”
“Fuck you. I worked out this morning. I didn’t wait until the middle of the day to start.”
“I started at ten.” It’s already five at night, but we both like to bust each other’s chops since we’re twins. I’m older by thirty minutes, but it’s irrelevant because we are identical. Well, almost identical. He has a scar on his face from a bicycle accident when he was seven.
“Lazy…So I started some lasagna. It’s in the oven.”
“Thanks, bro. I’m fucking starving.”
“I’ll get the plates.”
“And some beers. We’ve got a lot to go over.”
“Crystal?”
“Yep. And Dad said there’s another one eyeing Sophia.”
“Another one? A brother or a brother?” Crystal’s fiancé has his own motorcycle crew who runs the entire town. I doubt their activities are legal, but I can’t do anything about my sister’s choices anymore. She’s a grown woman, and she’s allowed to fuck up her own life. Now, my other sister is barely legal, and I sure as fuck have a lot to say about anyone snooping around her.
“He’s a biker, too, but the bastard is a doctor.”
“Wait…how did they meet?” Crystal moved down to Texas with a friend and met her guy there. Sophia still lives with our parents
“Let’s get dinner, and I’ll tell you.” Being twins has kept us in sync, so we efficiently set up dinner at the kitchen table and take a seat. We’re as close as brothers can be without wanting to kill each other.
The second we both swallow our first bites, I demand, “Spill it.”
“Okay…but remember that we can’t leave. There are millions of eyes on us.” He goes on to explain an attempted abduction and that the Steele Riders—both Boomer, my sister’s fiancé, and the one interested in Sophia—saved them.
“At least he’s good for something.” The bastard protected my family. I’ll have to give him that.
“Yeah. Dad trusts the guy.”
“That’s what I was worried about. I don’t even get a chance to disapprove of him.”
“Who says? I’ll fuck with him anyway, or even the doc.”
“He better keep his latex gloves away from my baby sister.”
“Sounds like a plan. Soph’s barely legal.” He cleans off his plate, practically licking the damn thing, and then fills it up with another helping of lasagna.
“I know, and the fucker has to be at least a decade older than her. We’ll meet both of them this weekend. Now, excuse me while I get another beer.” I stand up and go to the fridge.
“Bring me one too, you shit.”
I get us some beers before we’re cut off from all alcohol for the next week. It’s rare for us to drink more than a couple of beers in a week, but a week before any bout, we get rid of all treats, desserts, and booze.
After finishing off the entire lasagna, we get everything in the dishwasher and start it before we turn on the news to watch some sports.
Ten minutes into a Titan’s pre-season game, a guy on the field is injured and being carted off to the locker room. Something about it causes me to blurt out, “So, I know I probably haven’t mentioned it, but I’m thinking about getting out of the game.”
He twists in his seat, looking wildly at me. “Are you serious?” I nod and take a drink from my beer. “I knew you were having pain, but I thought you were getting close to a hundred.”
“I wish. It’s taking longer than I have time to heal. I need the surgery, and I’m not sure it’s worth putting my body through the wringer only to lose my edge.” I’m referred to as The Beast because I’m ferocious and quick, but the videos and the commentators are making it clear that I’ve lost a tenth of a second, and in this industry that’s costly.
“I understand. I’m sorry to hear that. I know you’ve got the money to stay out of the Octagon, but do you have the willpower?”
“I think I do. It’s going to be hard as fuck to transition into retirement, but I could use some rest.”
“And maybe a woman,” he teases. We’ve both maintained a lifestyle of abstinence for the past eight years because we don’t want the damn headache of a groupie. We’ve met too many fighters dealing with one-night stands and the consequences of being foolish. If I am ever blessed with a child, I want it to be from my wife—whoever she may be. I’m not ready to get married just yet, but the idea of going to a wedding suddenly pops the image of a different future in my head.
“That would be nice. I’m going to bed. I’m exhausted, and I have two meetings tomorrow.”
“Same. Just remember, I’ve got your back on this. Whatever you decide, I’m sure the whole family will support your decision.”
“Thanks.” I head to my room and strip down to nothing and climb into bed. I love going to sleep naked. Now, if I only had someone to sleep in the buff with. My dick hardens for this imaginary woman, but I ignore the fucker. Jerking off before a fight is a big fucking no-no. I need that testosterone to knock my challenger on his ass and out cold. Thoughts of my upcoming fight play in my head and I smile. Even with my downward slide, he’s no match for me.
Chapter Two
Sammie
“I am so drained. It’s been a long day, but hey, I get to go to Vegas this weekend,” I say to my assistant manager, Elvin. He’s been working with me for the past year after moving to Steeleville with his dad who works on Cowboy’s ranch. He knows how much stress I’m under as the boss. Most of it’s self-induced because I’m a perfectionist and for the money I get paid, I want to show my worth, but I’m so worn out that the break is exactly what I need.
“That sounds fucking awesome. I’m totally jealous.” He pauses a long moment and then says with a cool, curious tone, “Who are you going with?”
My ears perk up, but I don’t let on to my suspicions. “My brother and some of the Riders. Mr. Steele is getting married.” Garrett “Boomer” Steele owns this company and this town. He’s a wonderful guy and I’m over the moon for him and Crystal. She’s a pretty awesome chick to hang with, so I get why they hit it off from the start.
“Oh, I must have missed that news. That’s great. He’s a cool dude, if not a little intimidating.” God, he sounds so weak when he says things like that. “Although, I say it’s a good thing with all the guys there to protect you from the sin of that place.”
I don’t like his tone, so I pick up my clipboard and start the snack inventory. “I can protect myself just fine.” Not physically because I’m not a fighter at all and I hate the sight of blood, but I’m not the kind of person that walks into danger. I know my surroundings and avoid
dangerous situations as best as possible, like this one. “Excuse me, but I need to get this done before the night shift comes in.” We’re not open late during the week, but we are open every day. We don’t open until two because with a town this small, there’s really no need for early showings. Most people come on dates in the evenings, so that’s when we’re the busiest. I’m scheduled to go home in an hour, so I don’t want to leave without making sure to order any necessary new products.
“I’ll be working on the new schedules for you to look over before you leave tomorrow.”
“Great. Actually email it to me and I can look at it sooner. I want to be packed and ready to leave and don’t want the staff to be waiting.” We have six employees in total and we have four employees working at any given time after we open. It’s a pretty easy, straightforward kind of job, so we get a lot of teens who want the work.
When I finally finish everything, it’s an hour later than I hoped for. I’m on salary, so it’s not like it matters how many hours over my scheduled time that I work. Although, I’m paid ridiculously well for it. A six-figure salary to run this place when I don’t have my degree is pretty sweet.
I stand up from my desk and stretch my back, arching it. I need to get out of this place. It’s been a long day, and I’m tired. I pack up my things and grab my light sweater. As I walk out into the lobby, I see a decent crowd. The latest Marvel movie is out and like the rest of the theaters in the country, we’re pretty full.
“Hey, what’s up, Elvin?”
“Nothing. Everything is going well. We’ve got all stations full at the moment, but we’ll get them down. It’s a last-minute rush.”
“Okay. I’m going to go scan tickets so they can get in.”
“I’ll open another register in concessions, then.” I walk over to the long line and see my new employee feeling overwhelmed with the crowd.
“How are you doing? Who’s ready to get in?” The crowd starts cheering. Then I wave at them to be quiet. “Okay, now simmer down. Ms. Lee is new here, so don’t give her any shit.” I’m not above tossing someone out on their ear if necessary, and most of these people know it. I take tickets like she does, and the lines move a lot faster. We get them into the theater in a few minutes.