by Josie Kerr
His phone rang again, and this time, he recognized the number. Speak of the devil.
Tripp groaned, but picked up. “Hey, Pierce. What’s going on?”
“You talked to Andrea?”
“No, I haven’t. I actually haven’t seen or talked to her since the night of the fight. Have you?”
“No, and I’m getting worried. It’s been two weeks, and you know it’s not like her to go for more than two minutes without her phone.”
Pierce was right. Andrea never went anywhere without her phone. Shit.
“Okay, I’m gonna check one more place. I’ll give you a call in just a few.”
Tripp slammed his fist on the steering wheel. This was bad. This was so bad.
He made his way to her apartment, one of the Holbrook Firm’s corporate units that he had arranged for her to move into without his father’s knowledge, which was definitely against the rules. At the time, he was glad have a chance to thumb his nose at his father while possibly getting some action from the busty blonde, but he soon realized that Andrea just wanted to get away from Pierce, who was actually pretty needy for a mean fighter, and she was absolutely not interested in Tripp: she only had eyes for that fucker Carmichael, and she’d do just about anything to get him.
The fact that she was still pursuing Carmichael after almost two years spoke of her single-mindedness. Single-mindedness? More like obsession.
Tripp jogged up the flight of stairs and knocked on the apartment door. He didn’t see her car in the parking lot, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t home. He waited a few minutes, and then knocked again.
Tripp dialed her number, and could hear the phone ringing inside the apartment.
Okay, this was really bad.
He made an executive decision: he had a key, because it was a corporate apartment, so he let himself in.
“Oh, fuck.”
“C-C! Up!” Maude stretched as tall as she could, reaching for Colin. He scooped her up and twirled around with her. The little girl giggled wildly as he danced to the hip-hop beat. Who knew that banjos and rapping could go together so well?
They bobbed their heads at each other and both laughed.
Colin kissed Maude on the cheek as he walked over to put her in her high chair for breakfast.
“Eggs, babydoll. That’s what you’re having this morning. Because those eight teeth of yours can’t eat a steak. We’ll have breakfast and wait for Mama to come home from the hospital. She’s seeing your little cousins,” Colin babbled at the baby, who answered him enthusiastically. “I tell you what, your Uncle Rory is gonna have his hands full with a house full of women, especially if they’re like sassy Auntie Ashley.”
“Sassy Assy!”
Colin snickered. “Yep, that’s her. Sassy Assy.” Man, I’ve gotta remember to tell Mick Ash’s new nickname.
Knock, knock, knock.
Colin had just finished wiping Maude down when he heard the knocking. He scooped the little girl up again and answered the door to find Tripp on the other side.
“Hey, Tripp,” Colin said, somewhat breathlessly. Note to self, leave fast moving child in her high chair while you clean her up. “Bailey’s not here.”
Tripp looked at Colin with disapproval in his eyes. “Do you even own a shirt? Or pants for that matter?”
Colin looked down at his body. Oops. He forgot what he had on, which was not much—just a pair of fighter shorts that he had grabbed when he heard Maude start to babble in her crib.
“Sorry about that, Tripp.”
“You need put more clothes on when you’re around people’s kids.”
Colin rolled his eyes. “Bailey doesn’t seem to mind how I’m dressed.”
“She wouldn’t, now, would she?” Tripp said with a scowl as he eyed the bulge in Colin’s shorts.
Colin’s temper flared at the implied insult, but he tamped it down. “Like I said, she’s not here. Bailey’s visiting Ashley and the babies. I can tell her you came by.”
Tripp grunted. “I need to talk to her today, Colin. You sure you’ll give her the message?”
“Dude, I said I would give her the message. Have I ever not?” Colin said, insulted again. Asshat’s making it hard for me to keep it together.
“I wouldn’t.”
“Well, that’s another difference between the two of us, then.” The two men glared at each other.
“Aren’t you even going to tell Maude hello?” Colin asked. If she were my daughter, I’d be grabbing her and holding her as much as possible.
“Hello, Maude,” Tripp said. Colin scoffed and shook his head, while Maude just looked at her father, not saying a word. Tripp looked at Colin. “It’s not like she can hold a conversation.”
“We have all sorts of conversations.”
“Well, that’s you. You’re a fighter; grunting is conversing.”
“You don’t know me, Tripp.”
Tripp rolled his eyes at Colin. “Oh, I know you all right. You said you were gonna back off, but you obviously didn’t because Bailey was never into reconciling, not really, and now you’re here, in her house, dancing around like the half-naked heathen that you are.”
Colin barked a laugh. “Dude. I have an M.B.A. from Wharton. I was a Wall Street broker for eight long fucking years before I started fighting full-time.”
Tripp blinked. “You have an M.B.A.?”
“Yeah. From Wharton.”
Maybe I misjudged this guy.
“Anyway, tell Bailey that I need to talk to her. It’s urgent.”
Colin had never seen Bailey so angry. Tripp must have really pissed her off. She stomped around the duplex, slamming doors and cabinets hard enough that Maude looked at her with concern.
“Bailey, you gonna tell me what’s got you torqued up and let me help you however I can, or are you just gonna continue to freak your baby out?”
Bailey halted. “Oh, God, Colin. Maude, I’m sorry, honey.” She ran over to her daughter and picked her up. “I’m so sorry, Maude. I’m sorry.” Maude patted Bailey’s cheeks and then leaned her head against her mother’s shoulder.
Colin wrapped both of his girls in his embrace and gave them a little squeeze. “You gonna tell me about it?”
“Tripp’s gambling again.”
“Like gambling gambling or just…gambling?”
“The first. He wants to know if he can skip his child support payment this month so he can take care of this stuff.”
Colin barked a disbelieving laugh. “He actually fucking asked you that? Oh man, that guy’s got a brass pair on him, I’ll give him that.”
Bailey just rolled her eyes. “I told him yes. I’ll be fine. I’ve got savings. I’ve got a stash. I earn decent money and don’t have any debt.” Bailey stopped talking when Colin grew thoughtful. “What, Colin?”
“I can help him.”
“Colin, I can’t let you do that.”
“Bailey, as much as I don’t like the guy, he doesn’t need his legs broken or worse. He’s still Maude’s father.”
“Colin, he owes over a hundred thousand dollars.”
Bailey had to laugh at Colin’s shocked face when he heard the amount. “What the actual fuck? He must suck at gambling.”
Bailey buried her face in her hands and gave a little shriek. “Oh, God, he just flat-out sucks! God!”
“I can, though. Help, that is.”
“You just have that kind of money laying around?”
Colin shrugged. “I can get to it pretty easily. Duke made me more than comfortable.”
Bailey looped her arms around Colin’s waist. “This is why I love you, Colin. This right here.”
“Oh, babydoll,” Colin sighed as he held her close. “I’ll do anything I can to help you and Maude. I hope you know that.”
“I do, but I can’t let you help him. If he realizes that you’ve got access to that kind of money, he’ll keep doing it.”
“Yeah, you’re
right,” Colin admitted. “So what are you gonna do?”
“I’m going to let him skate on the child support this month, but tell him he has to add half of this month’s to next month’s payment.”
Colin nodded. “Sounds like a plan. But you need to know that if you run into any problems, I do not want you to hesitate to ask me for help. Promise?”
“Promise.” Bailey stretched up on her toes to give him a kiss. “I promise.”
Colin groaned as he looked through the peephole and saw who was waiting on the other side of the door. He debated for a moment about pulling his pants and shirt off and answering the door in his underwear, but he decided that might be poking the bear just a little too much.
“Tripp,” he said in greeting to the other man. “Bailey’s not here again, but she should be home soon.”
“I need to talk to her now, Carmichael.” Tripp looked desperate, but he had a sneering tone to his voice that Colin did not like at all.
“Well, she’s not here.”
Tripp tapped his foot impatiently. “Do you know how soon ‘soon’ is?”
Colin shrugged, but didn’t say anything and didn’t offer to let Tripp inside the house.
“You’re not going to invite me in?”
“Why the hell should I? I told you that Bailey will be back soon, but I don’t know when.”
The two men stood in the doorway, looking at each other.
“How much do you really owe, Tripp?”
Tripp decided to try another route to get the money. He suspected that Colin realized he didn’t owe quite that much, and hell, he might just get something out of that huge fucker this way.
Colin just shifted Maude on his hip and continued looking at Tripp.
“Okay, I don’t owe quite that much. I just need some padding, because I do owe people money. You losing that fight put me in a world of hurt.”
“You fucking piece of shit. You bet against Pierce, didn’t you?”
“He was supposed to throw the fight. How was I supposed to bet on a guy that was supposed to lose?”
Colin’s eyes got big at that tidbit of news. What the actual fuck?
Fuck. I royally screwed up, thought Tripp.
“How much do you really owe?” Colin asked in a very quiet voice.
“About 50 grand.” Colin’s glare bored through him. “Okay, a little over twenty.”
“You really are a piece of shit, Tripp. You know that she’s been racing around, trying as hard as she can to try to actually get that money?”
“She is?”
“She is. And I offered to help.”
“You have that kind of money?”
Colin shook his head again. “Like I said, you totally do not know me. If I were you, and I knew that some guy was getting close to the mother of my child and my child, I would be damn sure to know every single goddamn thing about this guy that could be found out, legally or illegally. God, you’re a shitty person.”
“What did she say, when you offered the money?”
“She thought about it, but not because of you. Because of Maude. She didn’t want your jackassery to affect Maude in any way. Then we talked about it and figured that if you knew she had access to that kind of money, you’d just do it again and probably even end up in more trouble, so I decided to renege my offer. She wouldn’t have taken it anyway, though.”
Tripp barked a laugh. “Oh, I don’t think so. I think she would have taken it in a New York minute.”
“You don’t know me very well either, then, Tripp.” Bailey stepped from around the corner.
“How…how long have you been standing there, baby girl, er, Bailey?”
“I think I’m gonna leave you two to discuss some things,” Colin said. “Maude, give Mama a kiss and then let’s go get ready for the day, yeah?”
Maude leaned out of Colin’s arms and Bailey smooched her cheek. Maude blew Bailey a kiss, and then, after Colin kissed Bailey, the big fighter and the little girl went into the house and closed the door.
Bailey turned to Tripp. “You are really a piece of shit, you know that? A friggin’ piece of SHIT!” She screeched the last word. “You let me worry, and fret, and panic over money that you don’t even FUCKING OWE!”
Holy shit, she’s mad. Bailey never cusses, much less drops the F-bomb. Fuck.
“You let me think that they would hurt Maude. You piece of shit!” Bailey punched Tripp in the arm. Fuck. Has she been working out?
“Bailey, baby girl…”
“GOD! How many times have I told you to not call me that, EVER? I am not your fucking baby girl!”
Shit.
Bailey took a deep breath. “Get out of my sight, Tripp. The fact that you used your child to try to extort me, and that’s basically what it this is, extortion, makes me sick, and you can rest assured that I am going in there and calling my lawyer the moment I see the back of your head.”
“Bailey…”
“Go away, Tripp. Just get out of here, for everyone’s sake.”
Tripp stood in front of Bailey for a few moments, then turned and got into his car, backed out of the driveway, and drove off.
Bailey slumped on the wall by the front door. She heard the door open and Colin came out, put his arm around her, and led her into the house.
“I’m so proud of you, Bailey. You are the strongest person I know, sweetheart.”
“I don’t feel strong. I cursed and lost my temper and screeched at him.”
“He deserved every bit of it.”
“I wanted to break his nose again,” she said with a chuckle.
“He deserved that, too.”
“I need to call my lawyer.”
“Yep, but now, let’s go into the kitchen and I’ll make you some breakfast and we can talk. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Colin kissed his fierce woman and she let him prepare her breakfast.
Chapter Thirty-nine
July
“That cake is insane. Man, I am so there,” Ashley grinned at Colin, who just stood, looking at the cake with wide eyes.
“It’s got your approval then?” Em said with a grin, poking her head between the birthday celebrants.
“Most definitely.” Ashley did a little clap and a little dance. Colin just shook his head.
“Man, this sucks. That cake has a million layers. No matter how soft it is, I’m not going to be able to eat it,” Colin said.
“Oh, honey, is your lip actually sticking out?” Bailey said with a little laugh.
“You’d pout, too, babydoll, if you couldn’t take a bite of a cake that someone made especially for your birthday.”
“‘Babydoll’?” Rory said with a snort. Colin’s ears pinked up. Ashley punched Rory in the arm.
“Shite.” Rory rubbed his arm. “Need to keep my fuckin’ mouth shut is what I need to do.”
“Mm-hmm,” Ashley said with a toss of her head. “On the other hand, I need lots of calories, so cut the damn cake.”
Em grinned as she cut a large slice of cake. “Oh, my God, Em!” Ashley exclaimed as she counted the layers. “It’s seven layers. That really is kind of crazy.”
Em shrugged. “I figured I’d make each of you a three-layer cake, so...”
Colin sighed again, but when Em slipped a milkshake in his hand, he grinned.
“I’m not cruel, sweetheart,” Em said with a wink and a peck on her brother-in-law’s cheek.
“Another 11 months and you girlies can have some cake, like the big girls,” Rory said, looking first at his daughters in their carriers, and then at Maude and Emily, who were sharing a single piece of cake, Emily eating only the cake and Maude eating only the icing.
“Ash, are you actually licking your plate clean?” Bailey said with a laugh.
“Maybe I am. God, this is so good.” Rory shook his head at his wife, but Bailey noticed that he was swiping his finger over the last of the frosting on his own p
late.
“When did you realize that our birthdays were so close together?” Ashley asked Colin after they had finished cake and put all the babies down for a nap.
Colin chuckled. “Last year. I remembered you from that MMA meet and greet in Vegas because Em said it was your birthday the next day, and the meet and greet was on my birthday.”
“It’s still kind of crazy, you know? Us meeting at that meet and greet and then you turning out to be Mick’s long lost brother. What are the odds?”
Colin shrugged. “It was a sign, I think.”
Ashley chuckled. “A sign,” she said with a shake of her head. “Em’s a perfect fit for your family. Perfect.”
Colin grinned back at her.
“That was a great party, wasn’t it?” Bailey sat on the couch, her feet up, enjoying a glass of wine. Colin had put Maude to bed and joined her on the couch.
“Happy birthday, sweetie,” Bailey said. “Here’s a present for you.” She placed a small box in his hands.
Colin looked at her and grinned. “I thought we agreed to not do presents?”
Bailey smiled shyly and pinked up prettily. “This is just a little something.”
Colin unwrapped the small box and took off the lid. He picked up the small pendant in his hand. “St. Nicholas?”
“He’s the patron saint of fighters. I thought you could put it on the chain with your other medallions.”
“Thank you, Bailey. Truly.” He gave her a sweet kiss.
“Do you want another present?”
“Another present? Bailey, this is too much...” he protested.
“Sugar, this didn’t cost a thing.”
Bailey swung her hips over him to sit on his lap. She hiked up her dress and moved Colin’s hands to cup her behind.
“Ooh, I like this present, too,” he chuckled.
“I thought you might,” she grinned and brought her mouth to his.
Colin ran his hand over Bailey’s shoulder as they laid on the bed. Bailey was stroking Colin’s chest while she touched the new medallion that joined the St. Rita pendant and the Jerusalem cross on the only piece of jewelry that Colin wore.