Below the Belt

by E M Lindsey

  After a beat, Cole rose and made a clicking noise, his guide rising to her feet to stand next to him. “I’m going to go make a couple calls, okay? I’m going to need some info on this guy though.”

  Noah frowned. “What kind of info?”

  “As much as you can get your hands on,” Cole told him. “All the important shit, address, date of birth, employee ID, all that.”

  Noah squeezed at Adrian’s fingers, then said, “I can call a friend in. She works in admin and she’ll probably be able to get me some of what I need.”

  “It’ll be asking a lot of her,” Cole warned. “It’ll put her at risk—not just for getting sacked, but maybe even charges.”

  “You’re talking about Esther, right?” Adrian asked. He hadn’t met Noah’s friends yet, but he knew Esther and her wife cared about Noah like family. “She’ll do it. She won’t care. When she finds out what Charlie did,” he began.

  “We can’t tell her everything,” Noah said in a rush. “She and Sabrina are trying to get pregnant, I can’t put them at risk like that. But she can get us something.”

  “Something will work,” Cole said, offering a smile. “Don’t you fret, okay? I’ve taken down powerful men. This little professor is nothing to me.”

  Adrian felt some of the tension bleed out of Noah’s shoulders, and he tucked him in closer, mindful of his sore ribs. “Thank you,” he said softly.

  Cole nodded, then took up his guide’s harness and left the room.

  When they were finally alone, Adrian took Noah’s face by the chin and turned it. He brushed along the swelling of his eye with ginger fingers, prodding but not too firmly. Noah sucked in breath through his teeth and let it out in a shaking sigh.

  “I can see out of it. Sort of. I pried it open when I was on the street and there was light and color, but I couldn’t…there w-wasn’t…” he stopped.

  Adrian cupped his cheek. “I’ve had a shiner like this before, and it fucks you up for a bit, but your eye is one of the fastest healing organs in your body. I know why this is terrifying for you, babe, but it’s not permanent. I’ll have Wes take a look when he comes back with food, okay?”

  Noah licked his lips, wincing at the cut, but he nodded. “Okay.”

  Adrian held him tight until Wes returned with some soft bread, a mug of something warm, and a small medkit hanging from his wrist. Adrian motioned Lemon to get down and Wes took her placed, putting a careful hand on Noah’s knee.

  “Can I take a look at you?” he asked.

  Noah shifted and turned his face toward Wes. “I’m…I’m mostly worried about my eye.”

  “Your prosthetic?” he asked.

  Noah shook his head. “That’s long-gone. I heard that f-fucker step on it. I have spares but m-my socket is too swollen to p-put anything in tonight.”

  Wes hummed to acknowledge Noah’s words, and he opened his kit. “The swelling should go down in a day or two. I’m guessing by tomorrow you’ll be able to open your sighted eye again, and any blurry vision should be gone within the week.”

  “So, I’m b-blind until then,” Noah said. “I’m glad I’ve been working to prepare for this m-moment.”

  Adrian heard the attempt to be lighthearted and cover up his fear, but with the stammer, it missed the mark. Instead of a jesting tone, there was abject terror and Adrian wanted to wrap him up in his arms and hold him until his wounds were healed.

  “Is Ryan here?” Noah asked after a moment.

  Wes pulled out a packet of alcohol wipes and ripped them open. “He went to drive Cole back home, said he had a couple calls to make and he’d be by in the morning. I think he’s up to something he doesn’t want us in on.”

  Noah scoffed, then winced when Wes began to dab his cuts and scrapes with the disinfectant. “Just like him. It’s probably better that way, though. He’s a good guy, but he can be…dark.”

  “I think in this case,” Wes said, patting Noah’s face dry with a bit of gauze, “that’s a good thing. This fucker is walking thin ice and it’s just a matter of time before it breaks.”

  Adrian heard the promise in his brother-in-law’s voice, the tone that said anyone who fucked with the people he cared about would pay. Adrian was right there with him, but he didn’t think those were words Noah needed to hear right then.

  “I think you two should still go,” Wes said after he spread a layer of anti-biotic ointment over Noah’s cheeks.

  Adrian frowned. “Where? To the vacation house?”

  “I’m going to call my mom and tell her to cancel the weekend. You two head up there to recover while we handle shit down here.”

  “No,” Noah said, pulling away from Wes’ hands. “Look, this isn’t your problem.”

  “It is when someone is threatening people I care about. Friends, family, it doesn’t fucking matter. And like it or not, you’re one of them. He fucked with Adrian, and now this?” Wes took in a breath, unclenching his hands. “He underestimated us because we’re not what he considers normal, or capable. That was his mistake, but I’m grateful for his bigotry because that’s what’s going to take him down.”

  Adrian felt a wave of appreciation and love for this man—a friend since childhood, a former brother-in-arms, and a brother by law. He’d never been more profoundly grateful Anna had chosen this man to be her husband. “He’s right,” he finally said, pulling Noah’s hand to his lips again. He spoke against the cool skin of Noah’s knuckles. “We should go. You need time to recoup and we need to trust that the people who love you are going to help you.”

  Noah’s jaw tensed like he wanted to argue, then he deflated and leaned back against the cushions. “Okay. I guess at this point there’s not much else Charlie can do to me. He’s taken my job, my dignity, and now he’s had me beaten to a pulp to prove that I can’t even defend myself there.”

  Adrian felt white-hot anger course through him. “He attacked you from behind, in a dark alley like a fucking coward. I have years and years of training, but that doesn’t mean a person couldn’t get the jump on me too.”

  “Right,” Noah said with a scoff.

  Wes reached out, squeezing the top of Noah’s thigh. “He’s not wrong. I was mugged. Before my injury,” he clarified. “I was on leave and we decided to take a little trip to Rome—me and a couple of the guys. We’d just finished this huge meal and they were wasted so they decided to go clubbing. I was tired and sober and really not in the mood for their shit, so I decided to walk back to the hostel. I was about two blocks away when this guy came out of fucking nowhere, right up behind me and got me in the back of the head. I went down, he got several good punches in, grabbed my wallet, phone, keys, everything. I had years of training, I’d been boxing since I was thirteen, I had championships, medals, titles, not to mention years of military training, and this asshole in a dark alley brought me to my knees and made me feel weak and terrified.”

  Noah licked his lips, his brows furrowed. “I…”

  Wes quieted him with another touch. “I never really told anyone about this, but for years after that, I was terrified of walking around the streets at night. I was hyper vigilant and stronger than before, but when I was alone having to cross through a dark alley, I was like a scared kid because I knew that no matter what, there’s always a chance someone could get the jump on me. So no, that piece of shit attacking you like that does not make you weak and does not mean you can’t defend yourself. It only proved he’s a coward because the only way he feels strong is if he’s oppressing someone else and that shit does not fly with me.”

  Adrian looked up at Wes and made sure his face showed his absolute gratitude. “Wes isn’t the only one whose been taken down, babe. I have too. But when you’re better, you can start coming to the gym more. I’ll train you—Wes will train you. It doesn’t guarantee no one can ever touch you again, but it helps.”

  “It’ll allow you the chance to take some of the power back,” Wes told him.

  Noah swallowed and when he spoke, his voice was thick
. “Thank you.”

  Wes chuckled, then pressed a small, white pill into the center of Noah’s palm. “Take this, then get your ass in bed. You need to sleep this shit off as long as you can because you are going to be hurting in the morning.”

  Noah sighed but didn’t argue as he put the pill on his tongue and accepted the mug from Wes. Swallowing it all down, he handed it off then accepted the bread, chewing mechanically as he leaned into Adrian’s side. When he was finished, Adrian rose to his feet and carefully helped Noah up.

  “Come on, we’re in my room,” he said.

  Noah shuffled along, his hand gripping Adrian’s arm like a vice. Adrian was mindful of his uneven gait, of every potential obstacle between the living room and the room he occupied at Anna’s. They got there without incident, and Adrian carefully guided Noah’s hand to the edge of the bed.

  “Here. Now, strip down and get under the covers. I’m going to be here if you need the bathroom or anything, okay?” he said, and tugged at the hem of his own shirt.

  Noah started to undress, then froze and turned his face up. “Wait, Adrian, you can’t stay here with me.”

  Adrian frowned, his arms frozen in the aborted motion to undress. “Why not?”

  “Because this night was fucking stressful,” Noah said. He turned and sat down hard, wincing at the pain of it. “There’s no fucking way you’ll be able to sleep with another person like that. It’s…it’s fine, really. I’ll be fine.”

  Adrian shook his head, walking over to kneel down next to his boyfriend. He put both palms flat over the dirty jeans cover Noah’s thighs and squeezed. “I’m not going to sleep tonight, trust me. But I am going to rest, with you in my arms, knowing that for now, no one can touch you. Trust me, I’ve stayed up a lot damn longer than a single night and was just fine. I need this, I need to be with you tonight, so please, let me have this.”

  Noah’s mouth softened and he made a soft noise in his throat as his hands reached up for Adrian’s face. They found his cheeks, cupping them softly, and they pulled Adrian into a careful, chaste kiss. “I don’t deserve you,” he murmured.

  Adrian felt his heart wrench. “You deserve way better than me, babe. I’m difficult and messy, but I’m going to do my damn best to do right by you. I’m starting tonight with holding you, and tomorrow by making sure that piece of shit can’t get near you ever again.”

  Noah swallowed, tense his jaw, then nodded. “Okay.”

  Adrian wasn’t sure he believed in Noah’s easy acquiescence, but the night had been too damn long to push it. Instead, he stripped down, then helped Noah get out of his clothes and up against the pillows. He tried not to let the anger at seeing the sunset of bruises send him flying into a rage, and instead focused on the way Noah melted into him, and breathed steady and even, and slipped into a gentle slumber.

  18.

  Adrian got Noah to take a second dose of pain killers around three in the morning, and by five, he was still out but Adrian was feeling restless. Lemon was cuddled up at the end of the bed, so he motioned for her to scoot up next to Noah and take his place.

  Strapping on his braces, he tugged on a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt, then wandered into the kitchen to find Wes fiddling with the coffee maker. He turned to see Adrian and offered him an exhausted smile.

  “Did you get any sleep?”

  Adrian sighed and lowered onto one of the barstools. “I think I dropped off a few times, but I wasn’t expecting much. You?”

  Wes shook his head. “Ryan called around two and let me know that he’s got a friend who can take care of Charlie today, long enough for you two to skip town.”

  Adrian’s eyebrows shot up toward his hairline. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “He’s a state prosecutor,” Wes reminded him. “I think you know what the fuck that means. Either way, the house is protected and if you leave late like you were planning to…”

  “Yeah,” Adrian said, accepting a mug of coffee with a grateful smile. He took a sip, the bitterness of it waking him more than the caffeine or the heat. “Shit, I can’t…Wes,” he said, his voice breaking a little as he looked up at his brother-in-law, “when I saw him lying there on the street like that…”

  Wes reached out and squeezed his wrist. “You don’t have to tell me. If that had been Anna, I would have lost my damn mind.”

  Adrian dragged a hand through his hair, then down his face as he let out a frustrated sigh. “Tell me we’re going to get this fucker. Noah was onto something with Cole. He’s having him try and find the trail between Barnes and the guy he hired to fuck Noah up. If we can do that, we might have something to use.”

  “Ryan’s pretty sure we won’t be able to do this legally,” Wes warned him.

  Adrian let out a dark laugh. “That’s the last fucking thing I want. I want to feel bones crack under my fists. This man does not know who he fucked with.”

  “He doesn’t,” Wes agreed. “He will, though.”

  Adrian felt satisfaction in that. “Just don’t take any action until we get back. I want this guy scared, and I want him to see my face when he’s pissing his pants.”

  Wes grinned at him, and maybe it made Adrian a bad person for the joy he took in it, but he didn’t care. Not after this. He shouldn’t have let it get this far and he would be beating himself up for years at his dumbass hesitation. “It’ll be fine. You two go get some rest, do some good fucking when he’s up for it, and when you come back, we should be ready to make a move. Cole’s a terrifyingly smart guy, I don’t think it’ll take him long to come up with something.”

  “You know,” Adrian said, a little guilt welling up in his gut, “I feel like such an ass. I didn’t want to take this guy on when he first started. I didn’t want someone else’s hang-ups fucking with my progress. But he’s proved me wrong at every turn.”

  “He’s been asking to compete,” Wes told him, and that was no surprise to Adrian. He hadn’t directly mentioned it, but there had been hints. “He knows there’s no place in the professional world for him. Regulations won’t allow it, but I could set something up for him, and I think I plan to. It’ll be nice to make him feel at home.”

  Adrian lifted a brow. “You’re not thinking about…”

  Wes laughed, shaking his head. “Nah, man. I don’t think he’s into women and that’s a deal-breaker for Anna. Besides, she’s massively crushing on someone right now and we have a date this weekend.”

  Adrian blinked, then smiled and shook his head. “You’re out of your fucking minds, the both of you. One kid, baby on the way, and a boyfriend?”

  “Girlfriend,” Wes corrected.

  Adrian froze, then his eyes widened with realization. “You don’t mean Connie?” They’d been taking care of the woman for a while now—she’d been coming to the gym for over a year, trying to get over her abusive ex and take some of her control back. The guy wouldn’t leave her alone, and they’d been chasing Mike off for months. Adrian also couldn’t pretend like he hadn’t seen the way his sister was taken with the little spitfire, and he couldn’t blame her. If Adrian had swung her way, he wouldn’t have been able to resist. “How do you feel about that?”

  Wes dragged a hand down his face. “I love that girl to death,” he said, and that was true. He’d doted on her since she started working for him. “But she’s got a lot of issues and baggage, and I’m not sure she’s ready for what it means to be with two people.”

  “But it’s not just a hook-up?” Adrian pressed.

  “No. Anna’s not into it, and it gets a little exhausting. We want something stable,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve been busier lately, and with a new baby on the way, Anna needs that. She’ll be fine without, but we’re too old for hooking up like that anymore.”

  Adrian nodded his understanding. “I get it. And there’s no sweeter girl,” he said, meaning every word. The Baum Boxing family had taken her into their protection without hesitation, and it and thinking of Connie joining with Anna and Wes felt st
rangely right. “If it works out, I’m happy for you.”

  “Thanks,” Wes said. Then he grinned at Adrian. “And you, man.”

  Adrian held up his hand. “Look, we all know you want to give me shit over this, but let’s wait until we deal with everything else. Then you can fucking throw an I-told-you-so party in my honor.”

  “Deal,” Wes said with a shit-eating grin. “Now, I’m going to head downstairs to do the treadmill, then I’m off to the store. Send me a list of shit you guys will need for the trip and I’ll pick it up. I promise we’ll get you out of this mess, okay? We just need to be patient.”

  Patient was the last thing Adrian wanted to be, but Noah deserved no less.

  ***

  Noah came to in fits and bursts, aware of the pain first before anything else. When he didn’t see the usual wash of light from the morning through his eyelid, that’s when the panic set in. His head was fuzzy, everything hurt, and he couldn’t see. Noah sat up with a gasp, his fingers pushing at his face until a warm hand closed around his wrist and pulled it down.

  “Stop,” said a familiar voice. Adrian. “You’ll just make the swelling worse.”

  “Swelling,” Noah repeated, his voice hoarse and cracking. His throat felt like he was speaking through razor blades, and he swallowed against the harsh ache. Swelling.

  The memory of the night before came back in a rush. Leaving the curry shop, the hands on him, his throat squeezed, his face bashed into the wall. He couldn’t see because his sighted eye was swollen shut from a vicious right hook, and his throat hurt from when the stranger had squeezed it until he’d gone silent.

  Noah reached out, finding Adrian immediately, and he sagged against his warm cotton t-shirt. After calming himself, he very carefully attempted to open his eye. He was startled when his lids obeyed him, only a fraction, but there was still light and color. His tear ducts both watered up and he felt his blind socket fill with the salty drops and spill over his lower lid. He prod at it, feeling the slightly more pliant eyelid there and sighed at the loss of his expensive prosthetic.