T.K.O.: Total Knock Out

by Ana Layne

  “Um, no. Sorry. See ya’ll tomorrow.”

  “Well, that’s not nice, Raegan. Come here.” Before I can stop him, he tugs me against him, and I want to stay in his arms all night—but I can’t.

  “I’ve got to go,” I say, pulling away, but not with the same vehemence I displayed earlier. God, what is happening to me?

  Before he can stop me, I dart out the door. Safe in my truck, I can’t help but grin like an idiot. If this is what it feels like to be somewhat happy again, then I will take it and I’ll grin my little heart out.

  To not see Dad’s vehicle in the driveway feels like the biggest blessing in disguise. I take advantage of that and run to my room. After a quick shower, I’m relaxed on my bed, wondering if Garrett is thinking about me. Of course, just because I have the hots for him doesn’t mean I want to go out with him. Maybe we could just sleep together but then, I don’t do that without commitment. Garrett doesn’t seem like the kind I could sleep with and leave; he would break me, because I know I could fall in love with him. James was the only guy I’ve ever been with. He was the only guy I planned on being with forever—but things change. Regardless, nothing can happen between us. If it did, it’d ruin my chances at the gym. I just know it.

  Just as my eyelids are fluttering shut, my phone rings.

  “Hello?”

  “Raegan.” The voice on the other end sounds weary. There’s a lot of background noise and I almost can’t understand him. “This is Nate down at Janie’s Lounge. I’m sorry to bother you so late, but your Dad has had quite a bit to drink and, well, is there any way you can come get him?”

  “Yeah, Nate, I’m on my way.” Aggravated, I drag myself to my feet. My dad is irresponsible and a damn drunk.

  The whole way there, I feel numb. He’s a damn cop for crying out loud. I shouldn’t have to do this, but I bite my tongue and try my best.

  The minute I walk into Janie’s, the smoke instantly fills my lungs and I know I will definitely be taking another shower when I get home. I already smell as if I’ve smoked several packs of cigarettes and I don’t smoke at all. The jukebox is blasting some tunes from the 70s and it doesn’t take long before I spot my Dad half passed out on the bar. His body is slouched over. His head isn’t quite resting on the bar top. He’s awake, not totally incoherent, but I know this is going to be a struggle.

  “Raegan, thank you so much for coming down here. I’m so sorry to bother you.” Nate leans toward me and speaks in a low tone. “Is everything okay at home? I’m not used to seeing him this bad off.” Nate leans against the bar, drawing in a deep breath. The older man looks at me with weary eyes and nods to the bar as if offering me a drink. I politely shake my head no as I turn my gaze back to my father.

  “Everything’s fine,” I mutter.

  Nate doesn’t seem convinced, but he nods and returns to his work, keeping a watchful eye on the situation.

  It takes two grown men almost the size of Howard to help get him into my truck. With one of them on either side, they carry him effortlessly. I thank them for their help as I shut the door on the side where Dad is slumped over. I don’t even bother buckling him in. If anything, I want to open the door and hope he rolls out on the freeway. Getting him into the house is what I am scared of the most. I can’t carry him.

  When I pull into the driveway, I shake his shoulder, but he doesn’t budge. “Dad, get up you have to get inside the house.”

  “Raegan, what the hell?” He throws his head up, sneering. “I’m fucking sleeping, can’t you see that? Are you stupid?” With one hard push, I land on the driveway. My first instinct is to jump up and punch his face in, but I’m still sore and fear sinks in. Fear that he would do something worse than just put me back on the ground. Memories of his foot in my rib cage help change my mind on that idea. He can sleep outside for all I fucking care, just not in my truck.

  He grumbles a little bit then drags himself out of the seat. I don’t say anything, just hide in the shadows for my own safety. Once he gets in the house, I sneak in behind him and don’t stop until I reach my room. With the door locked, I can rest easy.

  I pull my purple and pink striped notebook from my nightstand drawer along with the blue ink pen and open it up. I want to pour my heart out but I don’t know what to say. I don’t know where to begin so I stare blankly at the tiny blue stripes on the white paper. The last thing I wrote says I <3 James. It was drawn in obnoxiously large bubble letters. Gah, what a nerd I am. I quickly rip the page and crumple it before tossing into my wastebasket. I begin writing.

  I’m going to train and bust my ass to be the best fighter I can. Garrett better get out of my way. Remember, Raegan, he’s nothing but a distraction. A hot, sexy distraction. Remember these words, he’s trouble, and you have enough of that right now.

  For some reason, staying away from Garrett is going to hurt like hell, but I can’t figure out why. I close the notebook and place it back in the drawer before snuggling under my covers and succumbing to a peaceful sleep.

  Chapter 5

  Garrett

  It’s been one week since Raegan stepped into Lou’s, since my world turned upside down. Never thought I would look at a woman and experience these sensations. Whitney finally moved out this past weekend. She and Howard only live a few blocks away but I can be a man and admit I miss my sister. This apartment isn’t the same but I manage. Little traces of her are everywhere. There’s the little vase filled with colorful rocks on the table by the door where I throw my keys. Across from that is the picture on the wall that says, Welcome to our Home.

  This apartment is the closest thing to a home we had. When we lost our parents in the car accident three years ago, Whitney and I stuck together, sold the house, and started fresh. The memories there were too much for us. We both stumbled into Howard and found what we needed to pull our minds away from everything. The training and fighting helped us cope with the pain. Who knows what we would have gotten into if it hadn’t been fighting?

  I can’t help but wonder if Mom and Dad would be proud of the people Whitney and I have become. Of course they would be. Oh man, what I’d give to hug my mom one more time or talk sports with my dad. Now I’ll never be able to do that again because of a drunk driver. I go through every day wanting to pick up my phone and call one of them, but I can’t. Their voices are nothing but a memory, and I cling to that.

  I’ll never forget the night we got that phone call. Whitney and I had just seen them a few hours before. They had an evening out planned—dinner, a movie, the whole works. Dad finally had some time off from work; he’d been pulling all kinds of crazy hours. To say Mom was thrilled was an understatement; she spent the day getting ready. Whitney helped do her hair and makeup while I sat around trying to ignore all the girlish hell I was surrounded by. I was with Lance later that night; we were on our way out to Joe’s and Whitney had gone camping with a few of her friends.

  I’m not sure who the police tried to contact first but Lance had just pulled up in the parking lot at the bar when my phone rang. Hearing those words sucked the life out of me. All I could do was nod my head and reply to any questions they asked. Lance saw me cry for the first time that night. I broke down sobbing, throwing my phone on the floor of the truck. Then I had to call Whitney. The words weren’t coming out; how was I supposed to tell her we’d just lost our parents?

  Lance had to pull the phone away from me and tell her himself. I could hear her screaming and in that instant I wished I could hold my sister. Within thirty minutes Lance had pulled into the camping grounds where I found my sister curled up in a ball on the ground, on the twigs, leaves, and dirt. She clung to me tightly. We were alone now. I never imagined in a million years what it would be like to lose either one of them, but having to sit there and stare at two coffins was torture.

  As I lock the apartment for the day, I can’t help but notice the picture of Whitney and I in the living room hanging on the wall. I let out a half smile and imagine what a picture of me and Raegan wou
ld look like in its place.

  Who am I kidding? In the whole week she’s been there, no matter how many times I try to smile at her or say something she has a sarcastic comeback, which I have to admit turns me on. I’d like to think we shared a moment that night she came over for pizza, but I guess not.

  I don’t even try to spar with her because she hurries and runs to Lance and I cuss him under my breath. And just to be an asshole, he winks at me every time. He gives Raegan a hug and starts making bullshit conversation with her. I’m sure he does it because he knows I’m watching.

  She looks beautiful with her hand on her hip in that tight black tank top and those short pink shorts. Her hair isn’t blonde anymore, it’s brown, and if I didn’t think she was sexy before, damn, I do now. I can’t hear what Lance’s saying but it must be funny because she tosses her head back, giggling, and the sound of her voice, I swear, is my new drug. It keeps me hanging on end and it’s all I want to hear. She looks over and gives me a slight smile before taking Lance down on the mat. He is one lucky bastard.

  “Why don’t you just talk to her, Garrett?” Jack asks.

  “Why don’t you mind your own damn business?” Just because he has a happy life at home with his wife doesn’t mean everything is simple for everyone else.

  One hit, that’s all he gets in because he caught me off guard with his question. The next time he tries, he doesn’t get close. We have matches tomorrow night so no one is seriously training. No point in possibly getting hurt today and potentially ruining the match. Raegan isn’t ready yet, but I overheard her tell Lance she wants to experience every bit of it. I’ve watched my sister annihilate in the ring since she started and she is good. But the thought of Raegan getting hurt really bothers me.

  When she says goodbye to Lance, I see the slight grin she gives me, those plump pink lips sliding into a near-flawless grin. She’s trying to make me jealous and its working. I see her expression fall for a second as she’s walking outside. She stops and looks across the street at the Starbucks. For a minute, it almost seems she’s upset but she blinks so fast I feel as if I were imagining it.

  I follow her out and before she can close the door of her truck, I grab it and take a chance. “Hey, Raegan, I like your hair, when’d you dye it?”

  “Thanks.” She looks distrustful, like she isn’t sure what to think of me. “I had it done yesterday.”

  Time to go for it. “What are you doing tonight?”

  “Probably just going home.”

  “Oh, come on sweetheart, live a little. I mean, a week ago we shared a pizza and watched Grease.”

  “No, Garrett, I shared a pizza with your sister too.” She laughs, but it sounds forced; she’s uncomfortable, I can tell.

  “Yeah, I know Whitney was there too. But I thought maybe you’d want to hang out tonight, maybe have a drink at the bar with me?”

  “I don’t drink.”

  “Oh.” That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that one. “Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, I’ll see you then.”

  She drives away leaving me standing there wishing for more conversation. I want to see her outside of this gym; I’ll take whatever I can get. I know she can’t deny the attraction. If she wants to play stubborn, that’s okay. I like a challenge.

  ***

  Arriving early the night of a match is something I’ve always done. Howard taught us to always be early, and I like to be prepared before meeting my opponent. Lance and Jack were lucky. They don’t have to fight tonight; I am the only one up from our gym.

  I see Raegan the minute she walks in through the double doors of the arena. Her eyes widen as she catches sight of the ring in the middle. She inches up on her toes to get a better look before taking notice of the crowd beginning to form. When the lights begin to dim, she turns, noticing Whitney and makes her way over. Whatever conversation they are having must have my name in it because every two seconds, I meet her blue eyes and hold them until she turns away again.

  “Good luck, Garrett, I wish I was out there tonight. Get a hit in for me.” Whitney has it rough; she really wants to be in there. This is all she’s known for the past few years.

  “You got it. As soon as I know who I’m against, consider it done.” I hate to sound cocky, but I’m good and I know it. Hell, I’m the best.

  Raegan glances at me then turns away. This girl is a tease and she’s definitely going to be the end of me.

  The lights dim and the crowd begins chanting different names. My name sticks out once or twice but it’s time to get into the zone. I put Raegan out of my mind and every other thing that could distract me from winning. As I look around, I notice the building is packed with people which means someone as good as me if not better is here tonight. Question is, who?

  Blaize, the announcer’s voice, comes loud over the speakers breaking up my thoughts. “Well, well, good evening, all you lovely people! Ya’ll ready for a hell of a night?”

  The crowd goes wild and my blood begins pumping. This is what I live for.

  “Hell yeah, let’s get this started. Tonight we have Marley Liles against our very own Whitney Johnson….” Everything he says after that goes unnoticed, because Howard and I are up there immediately trying to get the fight removed. There’s no one to take her place and no way in hell is my pregnant sister getting in the ring.

  “Blaize, man, she can’t do it. We told ya’ll this two weeks ago, find someone or Marley has to forfeit.” Howard’s face is red with fury, and the only thing that scares me is seeing him mad. I’ve only seen him like this once or twice before. The last time was when a guy broke a rule and should’ve been disqualified but wasn’t, and the lucky bastard ended up beating me. Howard’s face was crimson as he yelled at the referee and I think my opponent pissed himself. I ended up taking the loss but my big, seething cheerleader with his meaty biceps fought for a rematch. As he jabs his finger toward Blaize, yelling up a storm, I try picturing him with pom-poms—nah, wouldn’t work.

  “I can take her place,” a familiar voice intones. “Isn’t that what I’ve been training for?”

  “What are you doing, Raegan?” I grab her arm and pull her to the side. “You can’t go against Marley. You’re not ready, you’ve only been training for a week. Marley’s damn good, she’s as good as I am, as good as Whitney is. You weren’t prepared.”

  “Let go of me, Garrett. I’m here and Whitney can’t do it, so why can’t I?” She jerks her arm away.

  “Raegan, if you feel ready, we can prep you. I don’t want you in there if you aren’t ready.” Howard frowns, looking Raegan up and down as if checking to see if she’d break.

  “I’m ready for this.” Raegan turns her nose up at me as if she’s got something to prove.

  Howard shakes his head and gives her the rundown, then tells Blaize about the switch.

  Once again, the announcer’s voice booms over the crowd. “Okay, scratch Whitney Johnson, tonight we have Marley Liles against Lou’s newest fighter, Raegan Montgomery, and our main event is Brady Moore against our very own Garrett Johnson, hell yeah!” The crowd goes nuts. I’m still pissed about Raegan fighting tonight, and I’ll be even more pissed if I lose my match because I’m distracted.

  “I wish you’d wait, Raegan.”

  “Garrett, leave me alone. Quit womanizing me.”

  “Womanizing?”

  “You’re undressing me with your eyes. Stop it.”

  “You must like it if you noticed.”

  “Ugh!” She growls as she makes her way to the back to Whitney and Howard. I’m not out of this game yet; maybe I still have a chance with her.

  I wonder if she’s nervous. She’s got to be, seeing this is her first time. I should have given her advice but instead I tried to talk her out of it. I turn away, but then I spot her talking to some couple I’ve never seen before. Who the hell were they? Her expression is pained as she speaks, and I wish I could walk over there and check on her, but I know that’d throw her o
ver the edge.

  This girl has too much of a hold on me and it’s driving me up the wall. Her fight is coming up next. I’m not sure who’s more anxious—me or her.

  Chapter 6

  Raegan

  Fucking James. The first night I fight, he would have to be here. This is the first time we’ve been face to face since that day in his room when I left it all behind.

  We were all a little thrown off when the announcer said Whitney was due to fight tonight. Yea, that wasn’t happening. Garrett looked pissed when I volunteered. I know I haven’t been training that long, but I want to. I can feel the adrenaline pumping through me, I can’t wait to get out there and show him what I’m made of.

  But James is here, and that makes me nervous. He’s got Adryian with him, and she has the gall to look all pompous; she stole my man and she knows it. Their hands stay intertwined the entire time. She won’t let him out of her sight, but can you blame her? If he cheated on me, I’m sure he’d do the same to her.

  When I return to my new companions, Whitney starts gushing, “Who was that, Raegan? He’s cute!”

  “Just my ex,” I grumble, hoping she’ll get the hint this conversation is over.

  Howard clears his throat and points to a set of changing rooms on the far side of the arena. Once inside, he grabs my hands and starts wrapping them before tossing some gloves at me. “Put these on.” After throwing a mouthpiece in my direction and one of Whitney’s extra sports bras and shorts from her locker, he steps out the room so I can change.

  Noticing the odd look on my face, Whitney points in the direction of the little outfit and says, “They’re just extras I keep here, they’re clean I promise.”

  “Is it normal to be this nervous, Whitney? Shit, I don’t know why I stepped up to do this. Garrett looked like he was going to kill me when I said I’d fight for you.”