Bad Boys of Chaos: The Complete Duet Boxset: Books 1-2

by Marie York

  Chapter 28

  Nixon

  I burned rubber almost the entire way back to my place, beating the shit out of Tanya, but I had no control. My emotions took over, and I was on autopilot. If that son of a bitch so much as touched a hair on that fucking cat, I would be thrown back in jail because I was going to actually commit a murder.

  I was barely in the parking lot when I threw Tanya in park, and ran to my door, taking the steps three at a time. My hands shook as I tried to ease the key in the damn lock, making it almost impossible. I took a deep breath and shoved the key in, turning until it clicked. I flung the door open, and it slammed against the wall.

  “Sassy?!” I yelled as I scanned my apartment. She wasn’t in her bed or on the couch. Not at her water bowl or lying on the kitchen tile as she loved to do. “Sassy, baby, where are you?”

  I hauled ass into the bedroom, and dove to the floor, searching under the bed, but all that was there was a dirty sock and dust.

  My breaths came in short jagged gasps as I moved around the bed, skimming over every inch of the room, even looking at the top of my dresser and in my closet.

  It was getting harder to get air into my lungs and I pressed my hand to the wall to steady myself. I inhaled deeply and pushed off the wall, heading to the one place I hadn’t looked.

  I flipped the bathroom light on and exhaled in relief as Sassy gazed up from taking a shit in her litter box. “I have never been so happy to see you shitting,” I said with a laugh.

  I shut the light to let her finish in peace and rested my back against the hallway wall. As much as I hated to admit it, Sal was right. Everybody had their weaknesses. Who would’ve thought mine would be a stray cat I found in an alleyway?

  But now that I knew Sassy was okay, it was evidently clear that Seth liked mind games. He wouldn’t actually cause any harm. He just wanted me to think he would. He would’ve been better off killing Sassy because, now that I knew, he would never play me like a fool again.

  ***

  Beckham left at the ass crack of dawn the next day, and it gave me time to get a run in before I had to be at the warehouse. Despite the shitfest that was my life the last few days, I still had a fight to train for. I only had a couple days before I was in the cage, and I needed to be on my game.

  I cancelled appointments with my clients at the gym, citing personal reasons, but they all knew what happened. It was all over the papers and the local news. Most of them left me messages telling me how sorry they were for what happened, and how they didn’t believe for a minute that I was actually guilty. I also had a few messages from old sluts who were turned on by me being in jail, and wanted to meet up. I deleted those before I even listened to the whole message. There was only one girl I cared about seeing, and I would as soon as I was done with my session.

  I waltzed into the warehouse and right to the ring. Kevin was already geared up as I had texted him that I was on my way and he better be ready. Mark stood outside his office like he’d been standing there all morning, waiting for me to get there.

  I gave him a nod and jumped right into the ring, wasting no time. Kevin automatically put his hands up, set to take my jabs.

  “How you doing?” Mark asked as he grabbed the ropes and pulled himself up on the ring.

  I threw a roundhouse kick at Kevin. “Never better.”

  “Maybe you should cancel this fight,” Mark said.

  My body came to a halt and I spun toward him. “And why the fuck would I do that?”

  “You’ve had a lot go on these past couple days.”

  “I’m not forfeiting a fight because of some bullshit.”

  Mark ran a frustrated hand through his hair and then held both hands up. “You were arrested for murder.”

  “That I didn’t commit!” I yelled, and my voice echoed through the large space. All the movement seized, and I could sense all eyes on me.

  “You don’t have to forfeit, but you should reschedule,” Mark insisted. “Have some time to recuperate and train.”

  “That’s not going to fucking happen. I don’t need to recuperate. I’m not some injured fucking dog.”

  “I didn’t say that,” Mark ground out.

  “No, but that’s what you’re insinuating. I’m not fucking stupid. And, truth be told, I had a few shitty goddamned days, but who hasn’t? Life goes on, and I’m ready to move on with mine. So, if you’re done here, I have a fight to train for.”

  “Fine,” Mark fumed. “Have it your fucking way, like always.”

  “Hasn’t failed me yet, has it?” I called after him, and he slammed his office door in response.

  With a laugh, I turned around and swung. Kevin lifted his hand just in time and stumbled back at the force.

  He shook his hand out. “A little warning next time.”

  “You have to expect the unexpected,” I said, and it was a motto I lived by. One I had let slip away from me a few times these past few weeks, but not anymore. There wasn’t anything that would take me off guard again.

  Nothing.

  Chapter 29

  Nixon

  I flirted with one of the nurses on Brooklyn’s floor, had her giggling and licking her lips and, once I found out Brooklyn was being discharged today, I left her dazed and confused as I made my way to Brooklyn.

  There was no way in fucking hell I was letting Brooklyn go back to her place, especially not alone. If she wanted to battle it out, I was ready. If I had to, I would throw her over my goddamned shoulders and carry her to my place.

  I walked into her room and past the half dead lady in the bed next to her. Brooklyn was bent over, pulling a shoe on her foot, and I couldn’t help but stand there and admire her perfect round ass.

  She stood up, so I adjusted myself before she turned around and noticed me. When she finally spotted me, her eyes rolled in annoyance.

  “I thought I told you—”

  “You needed time,” I cut her off. “And I gave it to you.”

  “It’s been a day.”

  “It’s been a day and half,” I corrected her. That extra half a day killed me, but I spent the time in the ring, trying not to focus on it.

  “Whatever, it’s still not enough.”

  “B, look. I’ll give you all the damn time you want, but I refuse to let you go back to your place. Come home with me.”

  She shook her head.

  “Before you say no,” I jumped in. “Hear me out.” She glanced up, and I took in her face, happy to see it was slowly healing. She was able to open her other eye, and even though it still wasn’t fully open, it was enough to see a sliver of gray. “You can stay in my room and I’ll sleep on the couch. I won’t even go in the bedroom without your permission. I won’t make any moves on you unless you ask me to.”

  She laughed and I smiled. “Why do I find that hard to believe?”

  “Oh, trust me when I say it’s not going to be easy. If I had my way, I’d take you right here right now.”

  “So, why haven’t you?” she asked, and my cock actually didn’t jump at the thought.

  “Because for some reason, the thought of treating you that way disgusts me.”

  The corner of her lips tugged as she tried to force the smile away, but I saw it anyway.

  I stepped forward and grasped her hand, rubbing my thumb across the soft skin of her knuckles, seeing cuts and bruises that shouldn’t have been there.

  “Please. Don’t go back to that hell house. I couldn’t protect you from Karl, but at least let me protect you from ever having to go there again.”

  “I told you. I don’t need to be protected.”

  “I know. You’re the strongest chick I’ve ever met, but protection is what I can offer you, and I just hope that’s enough.”

  She squeezed my hand and swallowed before looking up and running a finger down the side of my face. It didn’t hit me in the junk like I expected it to. Instead, it spread a warmth through my veins and pooled right in my heart. “That’s not true. I’m sure the
re’s so much more you can offer me.”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m curious enough to find out.”

  She went to pull away and I pressed her hand to my cheek. “Does that mean you’ll come home with me?”

  “No.” The word hit me like a blow to the face, and my hand fell to my side.

  “What do you mean no?” I demanded, as I turned away from her and counting to ten before my temper got the best of me. I tried to calm down, then faced her again. “Stop being so fucking stubborn.” So I wasn’t completely calm, but that was the best I could do.

  Her hand planted on her hip, tugging her shirt tight across her tits. “Right back at you.”

  “Me? You’re the one who wants to go back to a crime scene.”

  “It’s my home.”

  “Not anymore it’s not.”

  “So what? I’m just supposed to give up everything I worked so hard to get and go live with you because of what happened? Don’t you get it? That’s what Karl would want. He’d want me to be scared. To give up everything because of him. And I refuse to do that. If I do, he still wins, and I’ll be damned to let that happen. I need to go home.”

  My jaw ticked, and I cracked my neck. “I swear to God I’m going to throw you over my shoulder, and carry you to my place.”

  “That’s something Karl would do,” she said matter-of-factly, and the frustration I was trying to contain boiled to the surface.

  I couldn’t even manage to get words past the fury burning its way down my throat and through my body. My chest puffed out as my breathing picked up.

  Brooklyn rested her hand on my arm, and I swallowed down the fire making its way back up. “I shouldn’t have said that,” she muttered.

  “No. You shouldn’t have, but you did.” Her hand was keeping me from exploding, but if she thought I was just like that piece of shit, maybe I needed to prove her right. I took her hand from my arm, and placed it back at her side.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, as I stepped away from her.

  “Too late.” I headed for the door, unsure of what else to do. My patience was wearing thin, and I was pissed the hell off.

  Her hand wrapped around my wrist. “Nix, please.” I glanced up, but refused to look her in the eye. If I did, I’d be a prisoner to her gaze, and any control I’ve managed so far would be lost. One glimpse at those fuck-me eyes, and all the anger would vanish. I wouldn’t be able to keep from kissing her, thrusting my tongue in her mouth, or running my hands along those gorgeous curves.

  “I’m trying to sleep here!” the old hag in the next bed screeched, and I was actually thankful for the distraction.

  “Sorry,” Brooklyn said, and yanked me back on her side of the curtain.

  “What?” I growled, yet completely aware of her hand on me, and how amazing it felt on my skin. The desire to pull her against me was strong, and I had to dig deep to keep from doing so.

  “I don’t know. I just don’t want you to leave mad at me.”

  I stopped fighting, and touched each side of her face. She blinked up at me, and, like the fucking champion I was, I stayed strong. “Then, come home with me.”

  Her eyes went void of any emotion, and she drew my hands away from her. “I can’t.”

  “Dammit Brooklyn!”

  A thump came from behind the curtain, and I assumed it was the old hag smacking her mattress in annoyance. It was followed by a loud sigh. I ignored it, and grabbed Brooklyn’s waist, pulling her back to me. “You know you want to. Stop fighting it. Us.”

  “There is no us until there is a me. And I can’t do that unless I go home and prove to myself that Karl doesn’t have any control over me anymore. I need to know that I am free of him.”

  “And you can do that at my place.”

  She shook her head. “No. I can’t.”

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake!” the hag exclaimed.

  Both Brooklyn and I yelled back at her at the same time. “Shut up!”

  “Kids these days have no respect,” she muttered.

  Brooklyn lifted up on tiptoe and pressed her lips to the corner of my mouth. “Let me do this,” she whispered against my skin. “I’ll be okay. I promise.”

  “Let me go with you, then.”

  “I need to do this on my own. I’ll call you,” she said and ran out of the room, disappearing into the hallway.

  “Fuck!” I cursed.

  Another loud sigh came from behind the curtain. I ripped it back, and the old hag startled.

  “I’m leaving!” I stormed out of the room and out of the hospital. Hopped in Tanya and headed home. Alone.

  Chapter 30

  Brookyln

  My apartment was no longer a crime scene, but yellow tape still hung on the doorway. I pulled it down and the old lady from across the hall stuck her head out. I offered her a smile, but she quickly closed her door and disappeared into her apartment. So much for keeping a low profile.

  I stepped inside and my eyes lingered to the place where Karl took his last breath. Blood still stained the floor and the dishes the Karl knocked over in an attempt to grab me were still scattered from one wall to the other.

  It was a fucking mess. I turned to lock all three of my locks and stopped myself. I no longer needed to hide from the outside world. The threat on my life was gone. I locked the door and left the dead bolt and the chain alone. Feeling relief and a sense of security, I stepped farther into my apartment and started cleaning up the remnants of what was left of my past.

  I grabbed a rag and some bleach. I started scrubbing, an anxious desire to get rid of every last piece of evidence came over me. I thought if I kept moving, kept cleaning, I wouldn’t have to think about it, but my thoughts were relentless, refusing to let me have a moment of solace. I scrubbed until my hands hurt. Scrubbed until, the reality hit me and knock me on my ass and then I scrubbed while I cried my eyes out.

  ***

  Nixon

  The more time passed, the more I wished I threw Brooklyn over my shoulder, and carried her out of there. But, then, her words popped into my head, and pissed me off. It was an annoying cycle that I couldn’t get out of, no matter how many times I hit the damn bag.

  I had a fight tomorrow night, and if I couldn’t focus, I’d be screwed. Maybe I should’ve listened to Mark and rescheduled the fight. Sal would have loved that phone call. Probably give me a lecture on responsibilities and all that shit. It was a wonder he was still my agent since he was a royal pain in my ass, but he was the best in the business, there was no denying that.

  I threw a few more punches, then grabbed my shit, and headed out of there. I got in Tanya, and was relieved to see it was eleven o’clock. At least, I could go home, and just pass out. Forget about today and focus on tomorrow and the fight.

  Sassy greeted me at the door. I filled her water bowl before jumping in the shower. Brooklyn was still in my head, and driving me fucking insane. My mind shifted to the way her ass looked when I walked into the room, and how badly I wanted to smash my mouth to hers.

  My cock throbbed with each thought, and I wrapped my hand around it. I was never a fan of jerking off, but since easy whores weren’t my thing anymore, and Brooklyn would barely touch me, it was all I had.

  Maybe shooting a load was exactly what I needed to clear my head and be able to go to sleep. So, I closed my eyes, and continued to stroke my shaft, thinking of Brooklyn and every sexy curve. I thought of that amazing round ass and imagined how it would feel to grab the bare skin. How I wanted to bury my face in those huge tits of hers, and suck and kiss her nipples until they were tight little peaks. Run my tongue along her collarbone and down her entire body. Spreading her legs wide and tasting her. Plunging a finger into her pussy, and working her clit with my tongue until she was screaming my name and writhing beneath me.

  The pressure built, my balls constricted, and I came with a vengeance. I rested my head on the cool porcelain tile as the last of my cum spurted out. I felt relief for about two s
econds, then Brooklyn walking out on me flashed back in my mind, and I was pissed again.

  I rinsed off, then stepped out of the shower. I dried myself off, and hung my towel on the back of the bathroom door before heading to my room. I pulled on a pair of boxers, and flopped onto the bed. Sassy jumped up, and snuggled into my side.

  The first few weeks, every time she hopped in bed, I would place her back on the floor. After a while, I just gave up. She was relentless, and I admired her stubbornness. Funny, since that’s exactly what was pissing me off with Brooklyn.

  I pinched the bridge of my nose as if that would erase her from my mind. Wishful thinking. If anything, when I closed my eyes, the vision of her became more vivid, and reminded me that she wasn’t here.

  It took an hour, but I finally drifted off to sleep. An hour after that, a noise woke me. I blinked my eyes open, and swung my legs over the bed. Sassy didn’t even bat an eye.

  I heard the noise again, and realized it was someone knocking. I went to the front door and pulled it open, expecting a drunk neighbor who had the wrong door. Instead, I found Brooklyn, her arms wrapped around her waist. Her hair was pulled back, but curls came free from their restraint. She licked her lips as she looked up at me. Defeat radiated in her eyes along with a thin sheet of gloss that looked like it would crack at any minute.

  I didn’t say anything. Instinct took over, and I just grabbed her arm, pulling her against me. Her head rested on my bare chest and I caressed her cheek.

  “I couldn’t do it,” she mumbled into my chest. “I couldn’t do it.” It was the first time through this whole fucked up ordeal that I saw her break. It pained me more than I thought it would.

  “Shh.” I kissed her forehead.

  “He won,” she repeated over and over.

  “No, he didn’t.”