Greatest Fight of All (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Lee Rose

“Ten?” he asked, wanting to know how many sets she could do.

  “What are you, a girl?” She snorted. “Let’s go for twenty, unless you are too hungover and weak?”

  Blake chuckled and started pulling the weights downward, counting as he went along. She could hear other men in the gym working out. Not everyone here was a fighter. They also had regular members who paid for a membership just to keep in good shape. Tom gave martial arts classes for exercise or protection. When Jessy had time she often joined his class.

  Sam came out a few minutes later and joined them on the machines. He was quieter than usual and Jessy guessed he still didn’t feel so great after a long night of partying.

  “I really needed this,” she told Blake with a satisfied sigh as she pulled the weights down with her arm. She felt the burn on her muscles as she worked them out, but it helped to forget the pain inside her heart. “I feel energized. We should do this more often.”

  * * * *

  Royce sat on a bench, looking over the schedule Jessy had set up for Adam for next month. He had come in from lunch to find her working out. He wanted to tell her she shouldn’t be doing that while she was sick, but Jared had stopped him.

  “Leave her be, Royce,” Jared had told him, watching his daughter punch a bag with expertise. “She knows when to stop. First time I found her in here she was eight years old and Helen, my wife, was dying. I didn’t realize how much of a brave face Jessy was putting on for us. She didn’t want to burden us with her sadness. She holds so much of her feelings inside of her.”

  Royce could hear the deep sadness in Jared’s voice when mentioning his late wife. “I yelled at her for being here around the men. I never allowed her to hang out here, but Tom convinced me she needed an outlet for her anger at the situation. She was holding everything inside and that is never good for anyone. If feelings fester inside of us and never come out, they turn into poison. After Helen died she spent a lot of hours hitting those bags, but when she was done I could see the calmness on her face. She’s a strong girl, Royce, but even the strong can break. If you truly don’t want to settle down with my Jessy, just stay away from her. She doesn’t deserve to have her emotions played with. No one does.”

  “I didn’t hurt her intentionally, Jared,” Royce stated defensively. He already felt consumed with guilt, he didn’t need a constant reminder that he was an asshole.

  “You spent the better part of the last year soaking up her attention and flirting right back with her. I know something happened between you and I heard how devastated she was to walk into that party to see you with someone else. That doesn’t sound like you are so innocent, Royce. You should never have laid a finger on her if you wanted an easy lay. Manager or not, I can still kick ass, so don’t tempt me. From now on she is just an employee to you.”

  Chapter 5

  Royce had never seen Jared so angry and he was sure his face was red with embarrassment. Not even his dad had ever dared to lecture him.

  He sat there watching Jessy as she moved from machine to machine with the two men. She kept up with them and he admired her tenacity. Her shorts were a little too short for his comfort. They showed off her long, tanned legs and curvy ass. Her tank top was tight and he could see her flat stomach every time she lifted her arms up. He remembered her small butterfly tattoo on her hipbone and how he had kissed it softly. He felt his body tighten with desire. He squirmed on the bench, glad he wore loose gym shorts and not tight jeans that would let his erection show.

  Jared was right. He may not like being told what to do, but if he wasn’t planning on entering another relationship he had to keep things with Jessy businesslike. He was thirty-four years old but he never wanted to put down roots or be stuck with one woman forever. That seemed like a nightmare to him. His parents had done nothing but scream and argue until they finally went their separate ways. He had been fourteen but he had been so glad when the fighting had finally stopped. He thought divorce was the best invention ever. As he got older he had never seen a relationship that stayed happy for long. Sometimes two people suffered in the relationship for whatever reason but he never saw a happily ever after. That was just a lie someone made up for the fairytales. He allowed Trina to talk him into making a commitment to her but he knew he would never marry her. Their relationship had been exhausting emotionally. She accused him of cheating on her constantly when it turned out she was the one cheating on him.

  Then he met Jessy, a petite firecracker of a woman, with chocolate-colored hair and emerald-green eyes. Her sassy smile had hit him square in the gut. He liked her and not just sexually. He enjoyed her company and her outgoing personality, but did he really want forever?

  No one deserved to have their emotions played with. Why was he so desperate to get her to forgive him? Did he want to make a commitment to one woman? Before, he would not have hesitated to say hell no. Now he felt confused and unsure. Until he knew what he wanted he had to stay away from her and keep things businesslike. He didn’t like the idea much because they had spent so much of their time together, but it wasn’t fair to give her hope until he understood his own mixed-up emotions. He got up and went to get Jared’s approval on Adam’s schedule. But not before taking one last look at Jessy and wishing he were a better man. The kind she deserved.

  Chapter 6

  Since both Royce and her dad approved the schedule for Adam, Jessy spent the next week immersed in her work. She finally sat down with the new guy, Jackson. He was only twenty-two but he had a lot of ambition and she thought he would do well. In her spare time she worked out with Blake or Sam. It helped her feel tired enough to sleep at night.

  Royce was being friendly but professional toward her. She assumed this meant he really did want to keep things nonromantic between them. It hurt but she hid her hurt feelings and treated him just as politely. Miss Manners would be proud.

  Today she had dressed up, since Adam had a radio-station interview. He was new at fighting in the circuit. He wanted Jessy to accompany him and she jumped at the opportunity to get away from the gym for a while. She wore a short navy-blue skirt with a silky white blouse. She clipped her hair up and out of the way. It was hot today. But it always hot in Los Angeles, especially in the summer months.

  “Honey, Adam is ready to go,” her dad said, knocking on her door and opening it a little.

  She stood up and grabbed her bottle of water and purse. Her throat still felt raw despite all the over-the-counter cough medicines she had bought at the pharmacy.

  “Okay, Dad. I’m ready.” Her voice came out scratchy. Her dad walked down the long hallway with her. She knew he was dying to ask her about what happened with Royce. Maybe in time she would confide in him. Right now it still hurt and she wouldn’t be able to hide her tears from him.

  “You sure you feel okay? I can have Royce go with Adam instead.” She felt tempted to say yes but she assured her dad she could handle it. Sitting at home doing nothing gave her too much time to dwell on sad subjects.

  Jessy linked her arm through her dad’s. “It’s just a simple cold, Dad. It’ll pass.”

  “It’s my job to worry about you, honey,” he said gruffly, and Jessy gave him an affectionate smile.

  Adam was waiting in the front for her. He looked nervous walking back and forth with his hands in his jeans. He wore a light-gray Camp Daniel T-shirt and jeans. He smiled with relief when he saw Jessy. He reminded her of a surfer boy with his shaggy blond hair and tanned skin. “I’m so glad you’re coming with me, Jessy. I hate having to speak publically.”

  Out of all the fighters on her dad’s team, Adam was the one who shied away from publicity. Where Sam and Blake reveled in it, Adam tried to keep in the background.

  Jessy hooked her arm with his and used his stage name in an effort to make him smile. “Come on, Mad Dog Miller. You’ll do great. If you want to be famous you’re going to have to get used to being the center of attention.”

  Adam relaxed a little and they went outside. He looked at her small
sports car with horror. “We’ll take my truck, Jessy. Your car is too tiny. That’s a girl car.” He led her to his shiny silver pickup truck.

  “I fit in my car just fine.” She laughed, following behind him.

  “Sure, because you’re so tiny. Hey maybe we should call you Tiny. All the fighters have nicknames, why not you?” he joked, and she punched his arm. She loved his easygoing manner. Adam was a talented fighter but most of the ones she knew used the sport to get all the anger out of their system over bad things in their life. They channeled that emotion and it fueled their determination in the ring to reach the top. Adam seemed mellow and easygoing. She wondered what fueled him up when he got in the ring.

  Adam laughed and started the truck. The mufflers made a loud noise and he grinned with joy. Typical male, she thought, shaking her head with amusement. “What’s the deal with guys and loud vehicles?”

  “It’s a dude thing,” he joked, putting some shades over his eyes. “Makes us look cool with the chicks.”

  “Oh brother,” she muttered, putting her seat belt on.

  They arrived at the radio station on time despite the heavy traffic they had encountered. L.A. had traffic no matter what time of day it was. They were shown to a small sound booth surrounded by a thick wall of glass. It was filled with complicated-looking equipment. The radio deejay was a young pretty woman in her early twenties and Jessy saw Adam’s eyes widen with amazement. The girl was blonde and cute and Jessy thought she looked more like a cheerleader than a radio deejay.

  “Hi, you must be Mad Dog Miller. I’m Destiny. I’ll be doing the interview.” She held out her hand and Adam shook it gently. “Hope you don’t mind.”

  Adam gave her a charming smile and Jessy knew he was smitten and he would do just fine. He forgot all about his dislike of speaking publically and was now focused on getting Destiny’s attention. “Why would I complain because a beautiful woman wants to interview me?”

  Destiny chuckled happily, her smile growing wider. “Oh you’re a charmer, huh? Lots of guys think a woman knows nothing about these fights, but I’ve been a big fan since I was a kid. I have followed the circuit for years. I hear a lot of good things about you.”

  Jessy sat down on the small black couch lined against the wall. She knew Adam was fine in Destiny’s capable hands. They went into the sound booth, where a technician explained all the equipment and gave Adam some headphones. Jessy took the time to lean her head back against the wall and close her eyes. She could hear the interview from the speakers and Adam seemed to be his usual charming self. There was not even a hint of nervousness in his voice.

  The interview only took about twenty minutes and the small rest energized her.

  On the way back to the gym, Jessy teased Adam. “I think you made a new fan today.”

  Adam grinned happily. He seemed to be relieved the whole ordeal was over. “Think so? She knew a lot about the sport and I felt like we were just talking and not like I was being interrogated.”

  “She’s good at her job and quite cute,” Jessy commented. “You did great, Adam.”

  He nodded. “It wasn’t so bad. Destiny knew her stuff. She says she’ll be at the fight next month.”

  “Awesome,” she agreed, and they talked about his upcoming fight for the rest of the drive. Adam was excited his career was on the right track. He had spent years trying to get his name out there and it was finally paying off.

  They arrived back at the gym to find her dad holding Kyle up in the air by his shirt collar. Kyle’s face was turning red and he kept muttering he was sorry. He was wearing his gray delivery uniform. Jessy was surprised he even had the guts to show up here again. His nose did look a little crooked, and that made her smile. She stayed put because she knew her dad wouldn’t really hurt Kyle, just scare him. After his awful behavior he deserved to be scared.

  “That word means nothing to me, you little punk,” her dad yelled. Royce and Tom stood near her dad, looking intimidating and scary. She almost felt bad for Kyle. Almost.

  Adam leaned into her and whispered, “I feel sorry for your date but he deserves it, little prick should learn how to treat a woman. Blake was pissed and he told me all about it.”

  “You better find someone else to take this route because if I ever see you coming into this building I will throw you in the ring with my fighters. They love fresh meat to pound.”

  Blake grinned from the ring where he had been boxing with Sam. “Throw him in here now, Jared.”

  Kyle paled even more as Jared set him back on the ground. He swallowed hard and looked around the gym, noticing all the muscled men giving him hard looks. “Um yeah. I won’t deliver here no more.”

  Kyle spotted Jessy standing by Adam. He stumbled quickly to her. “I’m sorry, Jessy, for how I treated you. You’re right, the word no means no.”

  Jessy just nodded without smiling or saying a word. She was happy his hair was all messed up and she wanted to laugh, but he ran out of there like his tail was on fire.

  Once he was gone, Jared grunted. “What a marshmallow. He just about pissed his pants.”

  “What did he mean by his little speech?” Royce asked seriously, looking straight at her.

  She lowered her eyes and shrugged casually. “I told him I was not going home with him just because he bought me dinner. He had trouble understanding that until I broke his nose. Next time a girl tells him no he will leave her alone.”

  Her dad looked angry all over again, so she walked over to him and gave him a big hug. He looked like he was thinking of going to look for Kyle all over again. “Thanks, Dad. You’re my hero and I really mean that.”

  “You won’t see that asshole ’round here no more,” Adam said with a shake of his head and an amused expression on his handsome face. “Thank goodness you’re a tough chick, Jess.”

  Jessy updated her dad and Royce on how well the interview went. She coughed a few times and had to sit down on one of the benches that lined the wall of the gym.

  “You look sick, Jessy. We’re all done here. Why don’t you head home?” her dad ordered, looking concerned. She never got sick but sleepless nights were taking a toll on her body. “A good long nap might just cure you.”

  Jessy yawned, too tired to argue. “Maybe you’re right, Dad.”

  Royce put his hand out to help her off the bench. That was the first time he had touched her since the night they had spent together weeks ago. A small shiver went through her body at his casual touch, but she was getting good at hiding her reaction. “Let me take you home, Jessy. Your car will be safe here.”

  Jessy hadn’t spent any time with him in the last two weeks and she felt the withdrawals. Would it hurt to spend fifteen minutes in his company or should she drive herself home?

  Jessy’s instinct was to argue that she could take care of herself but she missed the easygoing atmosphere they had once shared. Maybe Royce was right. They had to work together and now because of one night they had all this tension between them.

  “Okay.” She took his help in getting off the bench but pulled her hand away from him as soon as possible. She turned to her dad to give him a reminder. “Gabe and his friend Chico are supposed to come in later today. I really wanted to be here to show them around. They’re good kids, Dad.”

  “Don’t worry, honey, I’ll show them around and let them know you’re sick,” Jared promised.

  She followed Royce outside into the hot sun and despite the heat she felt her body shiver with cold. Before their fight she would have leaned against Royce and he would have wrapped his arms tightly around her, making her feel better. Now that was gone and all she could feel was depressed.

  * * * *

  Royce led Jessy to his SUV and opened the passenger door for her. He jumped at the opportunity to spend even a few minutes with her. He had tried to keep his distance from her after Jared’s talk with him. He had spent a lot of time thinking about Jessy lately. She was a beautiful woman but more than that he liked her and he missed her sens
e of humor and feeling comfortable around her. Jessy wasn’t awed by his championship status. She could relax and fit in with all the guys without being prissy. She hung out with Blake and Sam all the time and he watched her to see if she flirted with them too, but she hadn’t. They treated her like a sister, always watching out for her safety. Maybe he wanted her to be like so many other women so he could have the excuse of keeping things casual with her. He truly didn’t want to hurt her. His desire for any woman never lasted long and he didn’t have a lot of faith that two people could stay together happily for long. Sure they could suffer together for years in their miserable lives, but that wasn’t any way to live. His relationship with Trina had been volatile. She accused him of wanting the groupies and he had caught her flirting with his friends many times. Did he really want to walk into something like that again? Even though he knew Jessy was nothing like Trina, he still felt hesitant about taking that road again.

  “Thanks, Royce, for taking me home,” Jessy spoke up, breaking him out of all his heavy thoughts. He wanted to be her friend first until he could sort out his feelings. “I would have been fine driving myself home.”

  “No problem, Jessy. It’s nice to get out of the building for a while and see the sun.” She agreed with him.

  He drove silently down the busy highway until he reached her house and pulled in her driveway.

  The house was large, with two stories and a two-car garage. He wondered if she ever got lonely since Jared spent more time at the gym than he did here. That man did not know the meaning of relaxing.

  Royce turned off the ignition. He turned to her, feeling nervous, but he had to clear the air between them. Hopefully things would settle down and they could regain their friendly relationship. “I’m sorry I was such a jerk. You were right. I should never have slept with you until I was sure I could make a commitment to you. I am attracted to you, but at this point in my life I’m not sure I want to settle down. I was gutted when Trina dumped me. When I found out she had been seeing her new boyfriend for weeks behind my back, it hurt. I should not have let you walk into that party and see me with that groupie. You didn’t deserve that, Jessy, and I do regret it.”