by Lyssa Layne
“What do you wanna do with it?” Sketch asks, staring around the empty warehouse. It’s the first time we’ve stood in here since the night Marcus was shot over a month ago. No one from the club has set foot on the property since the big fight. They all cleared out that same night and never came back. Whether they caught wind of the FBI lurking around, or simply found more profitable pastures I don’t know and I don’t care. As far as I know, they left Marcus for dead, abandoned the club and took care of Rediger, all without leaving a shred of evidence behind they were ever even here. At least as far as I can tell. No telling what the mysterious van people found while they were here. But even they’ve left without so much as saying good bye or leaving a note.
I guess I thought if they all washed their hands of the place, I could do the same and it would just…disappear somehow. It didn’t pan out. The building still sits here. Haunting me. Reminding me of all the terrible things that happened this summer. There’s not much I’d like to do with it. Except maybe one thing.
“Burn it down.” Ideally.
“Yeah. A fire. That’ll be a great way to end this whole debacle without drawing attention to ourselves.” She bumps me with her side and I bump her back.
“You know you wanna do it, too.”
She shrugs. “Actually, I had something more physical in mind.”
“Oh, yeah? Like what? Taking the place apart by hand, one piece at a time?” Doesn’t sound like something I have the dedication for. I just want it gone. Wiped off the face of the earth, along with all the shit that happened here.
“Not exactly. Hold on, I’ll be right back.” She breaks into a jog heading for the door. When she comes back in, she’s holding two sledgehammers. “How about some demolition therapy?”
“Sketch, you’re like, the smartest girl I ever knew,” I say with awe in my voice. I’m only sort of kidding. She really is brilliant.
We both choose two random walls, that separated the former club rooms from the main hall and the fighting ring, and then we start swinging. It doesn’t take too long before the commotion draws Mouth, Princess and Cherry as well, and soon all five of us are busy dismantling everything we can smash with a hammer or take apart by hand. It’s late in the afternoon before we get tired enough to slow down.
There’s rubble everywhere. Piles of chairs and bar stools scattered throughout. Trashcans stocked to the rim with smashed glassware we took turns throwing at the concrete floors with full force. It was worth the cleanup. The only recognizable thing still standing is the ring at the center of it all. Damn thing is indestructible. Or, at least, it can’t be taken down with any of the tools we have on hand.
“Now can we light a fire?” I ask Sketch, eyeing the monstrosity still mocking me. Mocking all of us.
“I don’t know. Ask your boyfriend what he thinks.” She points at the door just as Lucas walks in. Memphis is right behind him. I guess not everything that happened this summer was horrible. Lucas came home. Lucas came home, to me.
“What are you asking your boyfriend?” He kisses my temple, wrapping one arm around my waist and investigating the rubble all around.
“If we can have a massive bonfire to roast marshmallows and make s’mores. And, you know, destroy the ring of doom here.” I point at the thing in disgust.
“Oh.” He sets down the large paper bag he’s carrying. Whatever is in it smells really good. I love that he still brings me lunch. Well, judging by the size of the bag and the two Memphis is holding, it’s for all of us.
“So, what do you say? Can we torch it?”
“Nah. Leave it.” A smile starts to creep up his mouth as he exchanges a meaningful glance with Memphis.
“Why?”
“Because we’re gonna need it when we open up our gym in here,” Memphis explains casually, as if it’s obvious.
“Excuse me?” It’s not obvious. Not at all.
“Hear me out,” Lucas turns me by the waist until we’re face to face. “Memphis and I have been talking, and I think I finally figured out what I want to do.”
“Yeah?” I love that. I don’t love that it involves this building.
“Yeah.” He knows. He can tell, but it’s not deterring him. “It’s good. I promise.” He smiles. I already believe him. “We want to turn this place into a legit gym. Teach boxing, Mixed Martial arts, all of it, but the right way. The safe way.”
“Training better fighters. This is a good thing how?” Sketch is still skeptical. She’s clearly not as easily swayed by his smile as I am.
“It’s a good thing,” Memphis explains, “because we’re not going to teach the hulking beasts and bullies. We’re going to teach the little dudes. The underdogs. The kids who need a boost, whose self-esteem and self-confidence have taken a beating and need to learn how to soar over all the bullshit.”
“Are you going to teach girls?” Mouth inquires, but it’s less of a question and more of a threat to better say yes.
“Of course,” Lucas confirms.
“Then I’m for it,” Princess announces almost simultaneously to the words coming out of his mouth.
“But how are you going to make money?” Sketch. Always the practical one. “It doesn’t sound like you’re planning on running a business as much as you’re opening the doors to a non-profit organization. I’m not knocking it. Just wondering how you’re going to feed yourselves.”
“Personal training,” Memphis answers, “We’ve both got the background for it.”
“You do?” The military, sure, I can see that. But bull riding?
Memphis makes a face at me, clearly not appreciating my skepticism. “You don’t think it requires a healthy, fit body to do what I do?”
He wrestles bulls. I guess working out would come in handy for that. “Point made.”
“Speaking of what you do,” Sketch interrupts again, “Are you giving it up for good now? For Juli?”
“I’m not giving anything up for anyone.” Memphis scowls at her. She is kind of putting a damper on their big reveal. “I’m making a change. For me. This isn’t my long-term plan, Sketch. I’m just going to help Lucas get this thing up and running. Then, when things are solid, I can still decide if I miss life on the road or if I’m ready to retire and choose a safer, more settled lifestyle.”
Sketch nods and turns away, uttering something involving curse words and Juli’s name under her breath as she goes.
“So, what do you think? Want to lease the building to me?” Lucas turns things back on me.
“No.” I love his plans, but I want to do more than just say yes. More than just support him. I want to give him what he gave me. His own place. “I’ll sell it to you though.”
He leans in, kissing me softly. “Deal.”
Lucas
Three months. That’s all it took to get this place set up and filled with kids ranging in age from nine to nineteen, six afternoons a week. Mornings are reserved for one on one sessions, and even those are booking at a steady rate.
Thanks to Liv’s buddy Jensen, finding the right crew to rebuild and renovate the warehouse was a piece of cake. Considering she not only handled all the demolition with the girls, but also sold me the place for a buck after handing me back my savings, I actually had the funds in place to do some pretty cool things.
Memphis is still hanging around, but his heart isn’t in it. I can tell. He’s trying though. Wants to want this the way I do. Not for me, for Juli. After the hell she went through with him this summer, he’s not keen on putting any more strain on their relationship by getting back in the circuit, especially now that she’s set on staying close to home. I know she’s angling for an engagement. Kids. The whole deal. She’s ready, I just don’t think he is.
I feel a buzz on my thigh and reach into my pocket.
“Hey, Ma.” She calls daily. Ever since I moved out.
“I’m just going over the guest list for Thanksgiving dinner and I’m wondering whether I should put you and Olivia down.” Ever since Marcus unoffi
cially died, she’s been a lot more accepting regarding my relationship. Guess she deems him a lot safer now that he’s in hiding for the rest of his life. My father’s still in complete denial, but I can live with that. I’m used to it with him.
“Yeah, Ma. Holidays. Family events. You can go ahead and put us down every time.” I don’t mind reminding her. I gave her plenty of reasons over the years to think otherwise.
“Oh, good. I can make Tofurkey too, if Liv would like?”
That sounds nasty, but I appreciate the kind intentions. “No, thanks. She’ll be totally cool just eating side items. Trust me on this.” Some days I wonder how I’m still alive and kicking. Of course, I’ve learned a lot about this new diet I’m on in the last few months. I’m not starving anymore – most of the time – and frankly, I’ve never felt better.
“What about Memphis? Think he and Juli would like to join us?”
“I can ask, but they’ll probably wind up at her parents’.” I check my watch. It’s almost time.
“Okay, you do that and get back to me, by tomorrow if you can. I’m sitting down with Stephen to decide on the menu, and I want to be sure I know who’s coming before I finalize things.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I walk into the back office. Memphis is already back here. He’s zoned out, staring at his wrist when I walk in. I catch him doing that more and more these days. Thinking of her. Probably because things are getting so serious with Juli.
“Alright, I’ll let you go, I know you’re busy,” my mother chirps, the sound of conversation growing louder on her end. She’s the busy one.
“Thanks for calling. Bye, Ma.”
I slide the phone back into my pocket, stalling.
“What was that about?” Memphis asks, pretending neither of us know what’s going on with him.
“My mom invited you and Juli to Thanksgiving.”
“Oh.” He sits up straighter. “I think we’re going to Juli’s house, but thanks.”
I watch his fingers move to cover Riot’s name.
“Ever think about having it turned into something else? Might help you finally move on. Get past it.”
He shakes his head, grimly. “No.” He gets to his feet. “There’s no getting past it. There’s living with it. Dying with it. Pushing forward with it. But there’s no getting past it.” Then he walks out, taking it with him. Taking her with him everywhere he goes, painted into his skin, bound to him for the rest of his days, just like Liv’s Uncle Camilo. Only I don’t see how it’s romantic anymore. It just looks like fucking torture from where I’m standing.
Lost in thought, I almost forget what I came in here for until the alarm goes off on my phone. I force myself to set aside Memphis and his past. We’re in the present. The now. A moment in time that seemed nearly impossible to reach not all that long ago. Who knows, maybe Memphis has a moment like this one waiting for him right around the corner, and he just doesn’t know it yet.
With that in mind, I reach for the picnic I packed myself today and head back out into the gym.
Cooler in hand, I walk out the front door and across the lot to Pink. It’s lunchtime, and I have a standing date with my girl.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A great deal of wonderful people and fantastically random events helped bring this new story to life, along with the colorful characters in it. I’d like to thank every one of them personally, but some of them, maybe the most important ones, I’ve never met. So, I will thank them silently, these beautiful strangers who inspired me and tied together a string of thoughts and ideas which had no rhyme or reason until they came along.
Others I can be more vocal and direct about. Tawnya – thank you for taking the time to bounce ideas back and forth with me. Thank you for always being honest. And thank you for the moments of kindness you share with me. You can’t imagine how often they occur just when I need them the most.
Simone - I came to you with a scary deadline and a messy draft. You saved my ass! Thank you!!
E - My love, my favorite and the greatest gift of my life. No one else could ever motivate or inspire me more.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dog Lover who likes her pastries full of cream and sugar…oh…and I write some ;-)
Aside from being an author, I am also a mom to a beautiful little girl. I tell everyone I named her after my great-grandmother (because that’s the mature answer), but really, I named her after my favorite princess – just so happens I got lucky and they had the same name…If I wasn’t a writer, I would work on a horse ranch – I’m an animal lover (in addition to dogs, horses are at the top of my list). I wear flip-flops pretty much everywhere I go. I would rather stay awake until 5 am than get up at 5 am (years of bar tending have left their mark), if I can, I’m going to the beach AND I will always be nice to people who bring me chocolate…or coffee…if you bring me both, I’ll probably love you forever.
A gypsy at heart, I write the way I live, following the story wherever it may lead, always ready to start the next one. This is clearly reflected in my body of work which to date includes everything from Children’s Lit to Thrillers.
I happily reside in sunny Florida (for now) and can be contacted via my blog, my website or the following social media sites ~
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
SAFE TO LOVE YOU
Ink Series – Spin Off #2
Jude Ouvrard
Other Books by Jude Ouvrard
Under the Sun
Wonderland
Lost Dreams
Ophelia
Body, Ink, and Soul
Music, Ink, and Love
Not Afraid to Love you
Safe to Love You
Sweetness
**
Holding a Hero
Christmas is for lovers
Summer Solstice
Winter Solstice
Safe to Love You
Copyright © 2014 Jude Ouvrard
All rights reserved.
DEDICATION
To all of you who supported me from the start.
This is the start.
CHAPTER ONE
Presley
The hot water washes against my face as I attempt to scrub off the memories once again. Nothing seems to work. I close my eyes and try to think of nothing but the washing of my face. For over a month I’ve been haunted with the thoughts and memories of her…Kelly.
I groan. Just the thought of her name makes my stomach ache.
As the water drips off my face I look into the mirror and focus on the ridiculous reflection of a pathetic man. What is happening to me?
You are so lame, Presley. Get over it.
I have a good family, good friends and a job I love. That should be enough to keep me happy and on track, but I’m losing it.
I thought she was a great girl. An honest girl. I can't believe it. She used me, used my name, and I gave it my all during her photo shoot. It was one of the best I have ever done. We had great chemistry. I thought we were getting along perfectly. I even bought a new lens and new equipment, just to please her. I wanted to make it a special day for her, because I thought she deserved it.
I should've known, the second I gave her the portfolio, her attitude would change. She went from super sweet to super bitch. I'm just too naive sometimes. I should've known better. Never date a girl in the business; it brings you nothing but trouble. We had fun while it lasted, but the way it ended still tears me up. I liked her free spirited attitude and how wild she was. I may not have been madly in love with her, but I expected more than to be thrown out like garbage when she was finished with me.
When I met her a year ago, she was working on a photography set as an assistant. We talked a little at the time, but didn’t rush into anything. Kelly was good friends with one of the models I was shooting. I gave her my card, something I do all the time. She’d done a few modeling gigs in the past, but nothing major yet. I'm a busy photographer, but I still enjoy working on por
tfolios for up and coming models.
Kelly called me a week after we met and we went out for drinks. We discovered we share a passion for tattoos and music. We had a blast that night; we played pool, drank beer and I thought why not see her again?
We caught up with one another a few more times before we started seriously dating. She had a troubled past and I knew about it, but that didn’t matter to me. Everyone has a past; hers just happened to be a little more challenging. Kelly was sweet and I enjoyed being with her. She made me laugh, she was a real goofball and I needed that in my life.
After a while, she was staying pretty regularly at my place. I liked falling asleep and waking up next to her. We hadn't talked about making the situation permanent, but I believed she was starting to consider it. My life with Kelly mirrored the life of Hollywood stars. Most nights we partied until the early hours, bouncing from one event to the next as if that were our job. Kelly had a lot of friends and even more connections. I had never known this sort of life before I met her.
’Do you think we're ever going to get tired of this?’ Kelly asked me once, in the middle of one of the biggest events we had been invited to. With my camera in one hand and her in the other, I lost myself in the music and atmosphere that surrounded us.
‘I don't know, Kel, but let's just enjoy while it lasts,’ I chuckled. ‘I’ve met some important people tonight; one guy said I should hear back from him later this week. A tattoo magazine shoot–that would be great if it worked out.’
‘Maybe if you keep getting important contracts, your family will stop hating me.’ Kelly had looked pained when she spoke. She’d never done anything wrong around them, but my family had heard rumors about her history as a wild child, and disapproved of the way we spent our time.
‘They don't hate you, Kel. They just don’t understand our crazy lifestyle.’