by Maya Rossi
“It was after the only important fight of my career. We went out celebrating and I woke up in the hospital with the news that I would never be able to box with my hand. Ever again. During my physical therapy, I took long walks through the hospital.” He smiled crookedly. “There’s no better reality check than seeing worse cases than yours in a hospital. That was how I met Nance. She came in for a routine check up, we got talking and she introduced me to Frank.”
Ava frowned. “But Nance only just came to HTV?”
Eddy made a scoffing sound. “She has been here from the beginning trying to get Frank to leave Macy and marry her. It was when she couldn’t she got a job with him instead.”
“I never knew that,” she said faintly. Nance dated Frank, and never told her?
“I think she’s somehow ashamed of the whole thing. But--” Eddy exhaled harshly. “I don’t know why I went off tangent. I just--” his shoulders dropped. “I’m sorry too--”
“No,” Ava choked out, “you’ve got nothing to apologize for--”
“Let me finish Ava.” He took her hand. “It’s the truth, you complained so many times about my failure to open up about my past. You learned to work around it, careful to move and retreat depending on my mood. I’m sorry about that.”
They sat like that, side by side for long moments. Ava started to fidget. “I saw some of my things in a drawer in the bathroom. Why didn’t you tell me I forgot my things here, not that I can remember doing that?”
“I hoped if you ever agreed to spend a weekend with me, you wouldn’t have to pack. I’ve always loved your dress sense, so much class, you know.”
Ouch. Ava took a deep breath. “Will you forgive me?”
“That depends on what you’ve got to say about my request.”
“Anything.”
“You’re not going to like it,” he warned. “In fact I expect you to lose it.”
She tightened her hand on his. “You’ve been incredible, let’s hear it.”
“I will marry you on one condition. One, that we do it as soon as possible, preferably in the next month. Two, you will become a housewife, stop working to care for our kids and home.”
With a wrenching motion, Ava pulled away from Eddy and moved to the window. She had to take a deep breath to curtail her anger. “I hope that’s the end of your list.”
“I told you, you wouldn’t like it,” Eddy said with a laugh, coming to curl a hand over her shoulders to hug her close. ”I also hope you’ll send Jami away but I’m willing to be generous.”
Ava pulled away. “I think I gave you the wrong impression.”
“What does that mean?”
“I hurt you, I admit and I’ll fucking apologize again if you want me to. But I refuse, I reject your punishment plan.”
His lips thinned. Eddy ran a hand over his sandy colored hair. Eyelids twitching in irritation, he leaned forward. “Agreeing to be my wife--”
“In the next month at the expense of my needs.”
“And becoming a wife to me and mother to my kids--”
“Destroying a career I’ve worked hard for--”
“Your fucking career got you into this mess. I’m trying to look out for you,” he spat.
Ava edged around him and began gathering her things. “Somehow, I can’t find it in me to appreciate that. You will have to find some other woman to look out for.”
He laughed. Eddy didn’t stop laughing until he was bent over, shaking. “You’re not breaking up with me. Take your time, think it over. You’ll be apologizing again in a few days.”
She left without a backward glance.
On the weekend after their breakup, Ava was getting ready for a long weekend with Robin and Steve. The baby had come earlier than expected. With the rollercoaster of the past week, she just wanted to wind down with the children and have a good time.
As she got out of the building, Mason accosted her. “Hi, Mason.”
“Heard about you and Eddy and I wish I could say I’m sorry.”
Ava looked him over. As the one person who got all her assignments whenever Frank decided a male should handle it, she never warmed up to Mason. “You’re honest at least.”
“When Eddy mentioned how you refused to move in with him, taking the train all the way back to Navesink, I saw the handwriting on the wall. I can’t imagine living apart from my wife.”
At the curb, he stopped. Ava folded her arms. Funny, she never took Mason for Eddy’s messenger. “Any other surprising revelations?”
“Drop by Eddy’s.” He shoved his hand into his trouser pockets. “I have two girls, the most beautiful creatures ever created.”
Ava blinked, struggling to follow the direction of their conversation. “My friend Robin and her husband think the same of their children.”
“I think you do good work but…” He shrugged. “Drop by Eddy’s. Don’t you have something you forgot over there?”
The drawer filled with her things came to mind. “Yes, actually.”
Long after Mason drove off, Ava remained behind. Was she actually going to Eddy’s because Mason of all people urged her to? With a groan, Ava caught a cab to Eddy’s. He’d piqued her curiosity, no way she wasn’t going. Maybe he had an elaborate makeup session planned? She might as well get her things, make a clean break of things.
The first thing she saw when she got out of the cab was Nance’s car. Right on the curb, staring at her best friend’s car parked in a spot where her car used to be, Ava knew. She felt no pain or anger. Idly, she strode past the car and up to Eddy’s room. The door stood ajar so there wasn’t even the chance of interrupting. Ava walked in, following the trail of clothes to the living room.
From there, she simply traced the loud voices to their location.
“Oh, god. Eddy, yes. My champion.”
“Fucking take it, take it.”
“The only champion, the strongest, aaah.”
A dark haired unrecognizable version of Nance was propped on the back of the couch getting nailed from behind by Eddy. It took a second for Ava to understand why Nance looked so different. When she did, Ava couldn’t stop her bark of laughter from slipping out.
“The clothes in the drawer are for her? Jesus.”
The lovers sprang apart, staring at her wide-eyed. For a heartbeat, they stood in the age old cheating tableau. Eddy’s sandy hair stood on end like a cartoonish character suffering from electric shock. Nance hand trailed up to her hair and back down.
Ava smiled but inside she quaked, she had broken up a great friendship for this? “So all those silly quarrels you picked with each other, damn. Keeping the pretence must have been difficult.” She smiled at Nance. “Nice wig.”
Nance winced. “Ava--”
“No, I shouldn’t have interrupted. I came for the clothes, I didn’t know you needed it. Don’t stop on my account, I’ll just leave.”
“You bitch,” Eddy cried, “you fucking bitch. Don’t put the blame on me, you caused this.”
She arched an eyebrow. “I did? Yes, I did. I can’t believe I planned to marry you. As unimpressive and weak as you are, in my desperation to have a family of my own I nearly made a mistake.”
He took a step forward. “We can still create a family, this was just a one time thing.”
Nance sputtered. “Are you mad?”
A great weight slipped off her shoulders. “No, I think you’ll make a fine couple. Soulmates.”
Eddy’s eyelids twitched, his scarred fingers clenching and unclenching in anger. “Ava--”
“Have a nice life you two.”
“Don’t you fucking dare walk the fucking out on me.”
Round four
Chapter eleven
If there was one thing he had learned after almost two decades in the sport, it was the fickle nature of the spectators and the futility of winning. You didn’t just win once and took a break; you had to keep at it.
“The narrative has changed, Brayden,” Luke moved the pointer to another p
ortion of the screen, “over sixty percent of boxing fans believes you’re the one ducking the fight.”
Brayden Marshall glanced at his watch. “I haven’t been challenged. I don’t run after fights, you know that. They come to me.”
Luke threw a quick glance at the other members of the public relations team. “I’m afraid this time, it’s different.”
“How?” Brayden looked from Luke to his coach, Samson. “Do you agree with his assessment?”
Samson nodded. As wide as he was tall, the former heavyweight boxing champion was his number one fan. He had been known to pick fights with reporters and promoters where Brayden was concerned. “I’m afraid so, go on social media, the ignorant fools all say the same thing. They wonder if you’re afraid of that idiot Ryan. One round will be enough to settle this, Brayden. I’ve studied his tactics, he’s not your mate.”
Brayden’s lips twisted at that slip. Samson was of Nigerian descent and his speech patterns switched the angrier he got. “I won’t be pressured to take a fight so soon after injury, I’m not ready.”
Duke raised a hand. At Brayden’s nod, he began, “I agree you shouldn’t fight so soon after the injury.” He aimed a dark glare at Luke and Samson. “You two disappoint me. I don’t care what the public says, as long as the belt is in our corner, we’re champions. He dislocated his shoulder against Ortiz, it was twelve brutal rounds.” He straightened. “In my professional opinion, Brayden is not ready. When you hear people ask about Ryan, remind them Brayden is still undefeated and Ryan is nothing but a challenger. When Brayden’s ready they can talk.”
With spread hands, Samson gestured at Brayden. “What are you talking about? He’s been sparring with Jack and Ade. He’s damn ready.”
“He’s not ready, let the narrative continue until he is.” Duke folded his arms and scowled. But his fierce expression was marred by the glasses slipping down his nose.
“The narrative has seen Highland crowned interim champion,” Luke retorted.
Paul Jenkins his promoter tapped his phone once. “I’ve spoken to Isaac Foreman. While I agree you shouldn’t be pressured into the fight, the pay can get as high as 250 million dollars for the bout. They are many interested parties. Isaac says he’s putting pressure on Highland to make the fight happen. Reading between the lines, I can tell Highland might be reluctant to take the fight.”
“Of course he will be. God knows, I will be,” Samson crowed. “He’s interim champion right now, it might not be the real thing, but he has a belt on his fucking corner. The moment he fights Brayden, he loses it.”
“I don’t have anything against the boy,” his trainer, Caleb said, “but Isaac? He’s a disaster waiting to happen.”
“Honestly? We have no business with Isaac, I’m more concerned with public perception,” Luke said, frowning at the screen with graphs and jagged lines.
“Of course, you are,” Brayden agreed wryly. “Highland isn’t going anywhere and neither am I. We wait.”
As they filed out of the conference room, Jack stuck his head in. The moment Brayden caught the latent fury in his gaze, he knew. Rising, Brayden buttoned his jacket with quick, precise movements. “Where’s he?”
“In the fourth conference room, we need to handle this, Brayden.”
“We will.” Brayden took a second to breathe through his nose, fighting to marshal his fury. When his head cleared. He nodded and strode to the door. “I will.”
“No,” Jack braced his hand across the door, barring him walking past. “Let me do this for you, Bray.”
Nostrils flared, muscles twitching in agitation beneath his Hugo Boss suit, Brayden stared at that hand until it morphed into a long cane. He went white with fear and took a stumbling step back. Irritated at his momentary lapse, he speared Jack an even look. “Don’t ever block my way again.”
Jack followed as they moved to the conference room. “We got him at a bar on fifth, screaming and shouting. I don’t think he had done much damage by then.”
Garth, his personal assistant stood by the door, going through some information on his tablet. When he saw Brayden, he rushed forward. “You can’t be seen with the likes of him. Something has to be--”
“We’re handling it, Garth. Thank you.”
With an uncertain nod and an indecipherable look at Jack, Garth walked out. Brayden paused by the door. “Still sleeping with him?”
Jack stilled. His eyes darted left and right, before landing on Brayden. “He won’t--”
“Clingy?”
“Yeah.”
“I warned you.”
The moment they entered the room, Danny lurched forward. Like Janet, his hair hung limp and dirty around his pockmarked skin. As a kid, he had been good-looking, obnoxious but neat. What did he do with all the money Brayden gave him?
“Danny, what the hell?”
Danny listed forward, barely able to stand on his feet. He tugged at the sleeves of his shirt, tried a smile that fell flat and gave up. “I want to change the terms of our agreement.”
“Is that why you went to that bar singing?”
“I want to raise the terms of our agreement,” he said sulkily.
“I paid for your loyalty and your silence.” Brayden held his hand out by his side. “I haven’t seen it.”
“I want more money.”
“Do I look like a bank? You want more money? Earn it. Stop. Talking.”
“You would want that, wouldn’t you?” Danny ran greedy eyes over the conference room. “You haven’t paid enough, give me a job.”
Brayden went cold. Outwardly, not even by a flicker of his eyelashes did he give away the extent to which Danny’s request rocked him. “That’s impossible. Here’s what I propose, a flat fee, no more monthly payments for your silence.”
Danny wrapped thin arms around his torso. “No, no, that won’t work.”
“Of course not, you might blow the money and never get a payday, which is why I would offer five million, recommend a manager for you and you disappear.”
“No, no, no.”
His fingers twitched at his sides. Brayden exhaled quietly. Why didn’t the man just overdose and leave him be? Somehow, Danny remained alive and well, torturing Brayden with his presence for the past six years.
“I want things to remain as they are, just increase the monthly payments,” Danny said.
Pressing a finger against his temple to ward off the sudden headache, Brayden took a second to imagine calling Danny’s bluff and walking out. Only he couldn’t. The richest and most influential athlete in the world and he couldn’t afford to call Danny’s bluff and worse? They both knew it.
“One time payment, take it or leave it.”
Like a switch, Danny straightened his slouched posture. The light in his eyes went from wild to laser focused. With absolutely no warning, he launched his body at Brayden. Two thoughts slammed into him at once.
One, he mustn’t suffer an injury not with the whole Highland business knocking. Two, he had to keep this out of the press somehow.
He braced his feet apart, catching Danny’s weight easily. Malnourished and extremely thin, his fists didn’t pack a punch so Brayden easily restrained him. Like a feral dog, Danny bared his dirty teeth at him, showering Brayden with spit and stale breath.
“Do you recognize these people?”
Brayden looked down to see a picture pressed to his chest. There were two pictures, one of Ava and the other Hannah. His brain shut down. He flung Danny away like he weighed nothing. The room resounded with a sickening crack. Fear pierced Brayden’s momentary rage, and he rocked back on his heels.
Jack rushed forward. “You broke his ankle.” He pushed Danny’s foot away with a sound of disgust.
“He must be severely malnourished,” Brayden muttered. “Get Duke, he must still be in the building.”
An hour later, Brayden sat in his office, furious at himself for his overreaction. There was no doubt who won that round. His private phone rang. Brayden eyed the phone, he
sitating. Only a handful of people had that number, Joseph Sidwell’s lawyer, Ava, his mother, Hannah and Sheriff Greenwood.”
“Hello, Sir.”
“Son, are you all right?”
The Sheriff’s familiar voice cooled a bit of his fury. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You haven’t been home in a while, Gladys has just about bitten my ear off asking for you. How’s the injury, almost healed?”
“Yes. Tell her I said hi.”