Everything I learned, knew, and was taught ran through my mind as I adjusted the high impact leggings and the black racerback bra. I looked at the training shoes that sat on the table but reached for the flip-flops sticking out of my bag instead. I liked to fight barefoot, to me the shoes were constricting. As I gathered my bag and entered in the main gym part from the women’s locker room, I found Tony, Fin, Falon, and Harm waiting.
Falon’s back was to me as he talked to the other men. I smiled because I figured he was threatening them on what he would do if I got hurt. I knew he was worried for me, and even though he didn’t need to be, it still warmed my heart.
Tony and Fin spotted me and when they looked over Falon’s shoulders, he turned.
“Go right back in there and change!” Falon yelled, then turned back to the other men, “Don’t fucking look at her.” I rolled my eyes as I walked up and the other men laughed.
“I train in this gym in less. Why are you being grumpy?” I smiled up at him.
“That is here, not somewhere you won’t be protected!” And that was the cause of his outburst.
“Falon, we’ve been over this. I can take care of myself. You have to trust me in this, okay? If this,” I moved my hand between us, “is going to work. I need you to believe in me just like I believe in you.”
Harm’s cell rang drawing all our attention. Everyone waited while he answered.
“Murtoch,” he said and then listened. We couldn’t hear the voice on the other end but the nodding of Harm’s head let us know that it was the call we were waiting on.
“Thirty minutes. What happened to a couple hours’ notice?” he asked and I looked at Tony and Fin who were frowning at his statement.
“Yeah, we’ll be there,” Harm said, then hung up and ran his hand over his head and rubbed his neck.
“What’d they say?” Tony asked.
“Pick up is at the Bay Plaza, the parking area on the side of the movie complex. When I questioned the shortened pick up time, the dude only said, be there if we wanted any payout.”
“Something is up. Why the change?” Fin said and looked at Tony.
“Don’t know. Could be they are fucking with us to see how much shit we will put up with. And if we are right about it being someone in the police department, then we also have to go under the assumption they know it is us behind Harm and his fighters. But what doesn’t make sense if they aren’t sharing that info with the people we are dealing with. If you’re getting a payoff to look the other way, why not share info to get a bigger cut.” Tony shrugged when he finished. “Doesn’t add up.”
“Is this going putting Mel in more danger than before?” Falon asked and looked at Fin who stared back at him.
“No way to know, Falon.” Fin turned toward Harm. “Whatever it takes, man. You hear me. You two get in there and things turn south.” Harm nodded at Fin.
“I’ll protect her with my life, Fin, you know that,” Harm said and Fin shook his head up and down.
“Wish we had more time to analyze this but the clock is ticking. I’ll text everyone. Thank God all the men came in early. Mace and Reese have the GPS ready to go to track them once they pull out of the parking lot at the mall.” I knew Tony was trying to run every scenario through his head.
“Ready, Mel,” Harmed turned to me and asked.
“Yeah, let’s roll. Sooner we get to it, sooner we’re back.” I turned to Falon and Tony, Fin, and Harm walked away to give us privacy. I appreciated it.
“Falon, you going to be okay?” He was frowning and it kinda worried me.
“Maybe,” he said and finally looked at me.
“Falon,” was all I said and he moved directly in front of me.
“Fine, but if you get hurt, I’m holding them,” he pointed to where the guys stood, “responsible.”
Chuckling, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek and he grabbed me with a speed I didn’t know he was capable of and lifted my off my feet. I lifted my legs and wrapped them around his waist. Falon placed his forehead on mine, his eyes cut over to the guys and back to me and he lowered his voice, “Please don’t get hurt. I don’t think I can take it. I love you, Camelia Caparelli.”
As I looked into his eyes, I saw the truth to his words and they scared the living shit out of me. We’d know each other a few short months and only been together a few weeks, how could anyone be so sure as him? We stood with our heads together and stared into each other’s eyes not saying a word, but I thought back to the first time I met him and every day after. Then how I felt when got shot and I didn’t think I really I had choice from the beginning.
“You are such a bastard for saying that before I have to walk out the door, but dammit, I love you too.” Falon’s smile started before I even finished saying the words and then his lips met mine for one of the sweetest and gentlest kisses he had ever given me. Someone coughed and we broke apart. I released my legs and Falon sat me on my feet.
“Sorry, gotta go, Mel,” Fin said and I nodded.
“Go kick some ass. Show ‘em the O’Malleys’ women aren’t creampuffs,” Falon said and then patted me on the ass.
I shook my head and followed Harm out to the truck.
The drive to the north side took us fifteen minutes and Harm circled the lot and found parking at the end of a row where nothing blocked our path. Quick getaway if something went down.
“Think they are here watching?” I asked as I looked around the parking area.
“Yeah, I didn’t see anyone but that doesn’t mean they aren’t here,” Harm said, doing the same as I was.
“There, to your left. Black SUV, tinted windows, moving slow.”
“Yeah, I see it,” Harm said and we waited. As the SUV reached the lane where we were parked, it looked as if they were going to pass us by but it stopped. Harm rolled down his window and so did the driver of the other vehicle.
“Get in,” was all the man said and his accent wasn’t strong but he had one. Russian.
Harm and I got out and I grabbed my bag out of the bag seat. When I did the door behind the driver opened and the man sitting in the truck held out his hand and I handed my bag over. He confirmed they were Russian when he spoke to the driver as he searched my bag and then ran a handheld device over it.
The bag was cleared, then passed back to me. The man stepped out and held the door open for Harm and I to get in. Once we were in, he walked around and got in the passenger seat, reached down to the floorboard and sat back with an iPad and two black cloth hoods.
“Put these on,” was all he said as he tossed one to each of us. I looked at Harm and he nodded. The driver spoke in Russian then both men chuckled and I looked at Harm and he shrugged his shoulders.
I placed the hood over my head and though I could breathe, I couldn’t see a damn thing, only able hear and that sucked too because the men stopped talking. I tried to stay focused on the turns the vehicle made but in the end there were so many I didn’t think I would be able to retrace the trip. At one point, I would have bet money we drove in a complete circle three times before continuing on our way. By counting off seconds in my head when the vehicle stopped, we had drove approximately forty-five minutes.
“Do not remove your hoods,” was told to us, then my door opened and my arm was held as I stepped out of the vehicle. I assumed Harm was being led as I was. We stopped and I heard the click of door and then we started to move again.
“Wait here,” was followed up with whoever’s hand releasing my arm. The hood was pulled off and I look around to see that Harm stood beside me and we were in an area of the warehouse that was divided off with makeshift walls and a door that was currently open. The area held a ring, that from the looks of it could be broken down and moved with ease. For the underground, they had a decent setup.
Harm was told to hold his arms out and spread his legs. One of the men ran a device over Harm but when he didn’t do the same to me, I frowned.
Another man walked in the door and spoke with t
he two who were with us. When he finished, they walked out but the new man remained.
“Mr. Murdoch, I’m sure you remember the rules from the last fight. From what we saw of your man, you do know quality.” The man looked me over and my creepy meter went off. “The rules are the same for the women. If by chance your girl wins today, it will be the same as last time, the money will show up in your account before you are back to your vehicle. The other fighter and manager will be shown in shortly.” The entire time he spoke, his eyes stayed on me, yuck, and there really wasn’t a bag thick enough to put over his head. “Such a pretty face to be marred,” he said to me and I would later think, if I had a later, that Falon might be rubbing off on me. I really hoped it was just because I was a bitch but whatever. I looked at Harm, who had only nodded at the man and I saw the resolve in his eyes.
The man was headed toward the door when I spoke, “Excuse me, I don’t want to tell you how to run things, ‘cause you got a nice setup going, but can I suggest something?” Harm pinched his nose with two fingers and sighed as the man turned back to us.
“What is it?” he asked.
I waved my hand toward the door he was standing by, “Dumb and Dumber really shouldn’t talk in your mother tongue around others, it’s rude.” Harm let out a low groan when I continued. “If they can’t, then they should at least know what they are talking about. Mr. Murdoch is not taping this, nor am I the emotional weak American woman who lets her man rule her with his dick and money. My suggestion is to monitor the TV programs they are watching, because Real Housewives of New York, or any of the other ones from the different states, is not like the majority of women in this country.”
When I finished, I didn’t know if Harm had his head down laughing or cursing me but the man by the door threw his head back and laughed.
“Yes, Mr. Murdoch does know how to choose quality.” He continued to laugh as he went out the door and closed it behind him.
“Seriously, why did we not know you spoke Russian?” Harm asked and shook his head.
“I don’t speak it or read it. Couldn’t master those parts, but I can understand it though.”
“Christ, I’d give anything if the feed in this room was already on,” Harm said and moved to the ring.
“Bite me, Harm.” I walked over to where Harm rolled his eyes and held the ropes apart so I could step through them.
“Come on, get ready. The other fighter will be led in soon.” Harm had just finished when the door open and a Hispanic woman entered followed by a man. My eyes met the man’s and he smiled, then placed his hand at the small of the woman’s back and led her to the opposite corner.
“You got this, Carlita, look at the small puta.”
I smirked back, the fucker would pay for calling me a whore the next time I saw him.
Chapter Eighteen
Falon
“What do you mean they lost them? What the fuck?” I paced back and forth. Jet was supposed to be tailing them and he was when the SUV pulled out into traffic at the mall.
“Goddammit, give me a minute. The signal disappeared when Mel got in the vehicle. The bitch is bouncing back inside of homing in on the tracker,” Mace said as he pounded on the computer keys.
“Calm down, Falon. Give them some room to work,” Fin said and laid his hand on my shoulder and I shook it off and turned on him.
“Really? Want to rethink telling me that. She is mine and I’m telling you right now that if something happens to her, I won’t care that you were a MMA champion. I. Will. Kick. Your. Ass!” Fin nodded and I went to stand behind Reese who was working on the computer the vid feed would come through on. Tony was on the phone with Jet while Michael, Sean, Bry, Reed, Cal, Ranger, and FBI agent, Thad Briggs, were spread out in the room.
“Boy, I can hear you bellowing all the way down in the gym. What is going on? Anthony and I came by to watch the fight.” I turned at my dad’s voice.
“Where are the women if you are here?” Tony asked.
“At Reilly and Olivia’s house. Between wedding talk, Maria writing up the contracts for the commitment portion of the ceremony, and everyone wanting their time to hold the baby, we decided to come here,” Anthony Sr. said and sat beside Thad at the table.
“Yeah, you sure you didn’t come because they took the baby from you and wouldn’t give her back?” Tony smiled at his dad and Anthony Sr. grunted.
“Xavier drove Brant over to visit with Josh, so he and Bear said they would stay with the women. Oh, Ranger, Rucker held the baby and informed Maria that he needed a brother or sister asap.”
“Well, he is just going to have to wait because I refuse to get on the baby train right now,” Ranger said and if I wasn’t so worried about Mel, I would have laughed at the look on Anthony Sr. face.
“Us either. We are enjoying ourselves before with throw kids into the mix,” Bry said and he and Reed high-fived and Dad scowled at them. When Sean and Cal high-fived, Dad’s scowl deepened.
“Why are you two high-fiving it up, neither one of you have a woman?”
“Yep and that is why, Dad. We aren’t included in the reprimand of the others for not being married or pressured to populate the Bronx with little O’Malleys,” Cal said and Sean chuckled.
“Excuse me, but can we focus back on my woman.”
“Got her!” Mace yelled out and everyone shut up to watch as Mace work the key to home in on the signal. “Come on, baby. Come to papa,” he mumbled as we watch the screen shift and the map came into view and we waited for the bleep to show and then the screen went blank.
“Now what!”
“Shit, I don’t know, Falon.” Mace kept his head over the keyboard.
“Vid is up and it is counting down the final minutes until fight time. Everyone has until the computer hits twelve minutes to place their bets. When it hits twelve, betting will stop and the feed coming from the fight will come on and the final two minutes will count down with the feed already showing the fighters in the ring. Mel and Harm have to be there, so I don’t know what is wrong with the tracking device,” Reese said as he watched the screen.
Dad walked over and looked over Reese’s shoulder. “Can we place bets?” The collective “Noes” rang out around the room. “Fine, you boys are no fun,” my dad said and looked at each of us.
“You know it’s against the law, right?” Agent Briggs brought up and Ranger turned toward him.
“Have you not paid attention at all when you’ve been around these families?” Ranger asked. Thad acted like he had to think about it, then he looked at Ranger.
“True. I’m not sure I could put up with the crazy,” Thad said and Ranger looked over at Anthony.
“Maybe, but damn, these women are so worth it.” Anthony’s eyes softened as he looked at Ranger.
“Here we go, two minutes to count off,” Reese said and all the other talk stopped as we watched the vid come up on the wall with the aid of a projection screen. I paced wanting to see Mel show up on the screen.
“Oh, Anthony and I forgot to tell you, your aunts and uncles later tonight. They drove so it took them two days,” Dad said and I stopped to look at him just as the others turned toward him.
“So they were able to make it then?” Michael spoke for the first time, then Reed looked at Bry.
“The ones from Chicago you told me and Petal about?” Bry nodded.
“Were the cousins able to make it too?” Fin asked.
“Just Kian and Fiona. They were off shift, the others couldn’t get their shifts changed on such short notice,” Anthony answered.
“Fi’s coming?” I couldn’t help but ask. She was my female cohort. The others groaned and Ranger looked at them.
“Maria didn’t say anything but nice things about Fiona. What am I missing?” he asked and frowned.
“Just going to say this, we referred to Falon as the manwhore, well, Fi, she’s known as the man-eater,” Cal answered, I chuckled, and the others nodded in agreement.
“Christ, the
re are more of them,” Thad leaned over to Ranger and said.
“Yep, firemen and cops is what Maria told me,” Ranger said.
“Son, come sit down and let’s watch my girl kick some butt,” Dad said and patted the seat beside him.
“You mean my girl, not yours,” I said when I sat beside him. Michael looked at me and shook his head.
“Falon, if you’ve ever listened to me, do it now. It isn’t worth the argument.”
“Listen to Michael, he finally gets it.” I looked between my brother and my dad.
“What the hell are you two talki—” I stopped talking as the countdown reached zero and the live feed started. My eyes automatically zoned in on Mel bouncing in her corner. The nerves I had just a little while ago settled just seeing her. Jet walked in and took a seat.
“Did you figure out what happened to the tracker?” he asked.
Mace joined us at the table. “Yeah, the assholes used something to block any signals but theirs in the transport vehicle. We picked her up briefly so that had to be when they got out of the car. But as soon as they walked into wherever they are, it was blocked again before I could get a lock on it. We will be ready next time. Answers why we couldn’t trace back the live feed from the last fight. Somehow when we are tracing it back, their program is sending it bouncing between different IP addresses and off different towers and not sure but they could be tapped into a satellite. I will work on a program to counteract theirs before the next fight.”
Tatted and Tamed (KO Ink Book 5) Page 12