Training the SECRET (Corrigan & Co #6)

by Crystal Perkins

  Chapter 8

  Jade

  “I’m glad the two of you made up, but are you sure that’s a good thing?” Ellie asks me as we drive to the gym.

  “Hello. It’s Nate. The guy I’ve been in love since the day he took over our fight training from Selene. Of course it’s a good thing.”

  “I know you love him. But he’s so tortured—which can be hot—and he’s uptight, too.”

  “Aiden’s not tortured?”

  “We’re not talking about Aiden and me.”

  “Then we’re not talking about Nate and me, either.”

  We finish the rest of the drive in silence, and I know she’s thinking of at least some of what I am. That we can put this aside for now, but both of us do need to talk about the relationships we’re currently in. With each other, and with the guys. Neither one of us wants to rock the boat because we’ve been hoping and dreaming for them. But it has to be done because we both know what secrets can do to a relationship. Secrets have nearly destroyed some of our best friends, and we’ve talked about how we don’t want to go through that. We’ll let our guys keep to themselves for a little while, but not for long.

  When we walk through the doors of the gym, Heath laughs. “Back to hiding what you’ve got again, huh?”

  “I didn’t think I should come in to paint in a dress.”

  He’s right, though. I am hiding myself. I could’ve worn leggings and a tee instead of baggy sweats and one of Nate’s tees. He appreciated me in it, but I did it more for the cover than for the romance. Even after all these years, I can still remember how I felt when I was kidnapped and what I was afraid they would do to me. Joining the Society has made me more confident when I’m out and around the world, but being back here brings it all back. I want to hide.

  It’s not rational, and I’ll need to talk to the therapist Helen found for me once I’m home, but for now, I just have to deal with it my own way. Which means baggy clothes and no makeup, unless I’m out with Nate. God help me, but for all the toughness I portray to the world, it’s a man who makes me feel safe. Not just any man—my man.

  “Leave my little girl alone, Heath. She doesn’t need to be showing off what she’s got to these gym rats.”

  “Hi, Daddy. Do you have some time to talk right now?”

  “I should say no, because I don’t like fighting with you after I’ve got you back, but I can’t deny you either. So let’s go upstairs and get this over with.”

  “Now I know where you get all the drama from, J,” Ellie says with a smile.

  “Yeah, that’s us. The Garrett Drama Club.”

  My dad sighs as he walks behind us up the stairs. “I’m not trying to be difficult. This is my life we’re talking about.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “I didn’t mean it that way, and you know it.”

  “You meant that they gym is your life, but how is that going to work when you’re dead because you refused to get the medical care you need?”

  “I am not leaving you here alone to run this place without me. Even with Nate Anderson sticking to you like white on rice, you’re still not safe. At least when I’m here with you in the gym, no one will touch you.”

  “You are not going to sacrifice yourself for me.”

  “I’m your parent. There’s nothing I should be doing but sacrificing myself for you. I haven’t done that enough.”

  Tears well up in my eyes at the thought of him hurting because of me. “You were the best dad a girl could ever want. I wouldn’t have traded my life with you for anything.”

  He pulls me to him and holds me tight. “That’s all a man ever wants to hear from his little girl. But I know that’s not all you came here to say, so go ahead and tell me what you have planned.”

  “I want you to go to Vegas and check into the medical wing of the Corrigan & Co. Foundation. Not only is it the most secure facility in the country, but it also houses some of the best doctors, too. My boss, Reina Corrigan, said that she’d get the best heart doctor in the world to fly in and set up a treatment plan for you. So you’ll be both safe, and well cared for.”

  “While you’re here, keeping yourself in danger.”

  “Only for a little while. Nate and Aiden are looking for a manager for the gym.” He starts to argue, but I hold up a hand. “They know you’ll only accept the best. I’ll stay long enough to get him trained, and then I’ll go home to be with you.”

  “You said ‘him.’ You’re not looking into a female manager?”

  “No. We both know that wouldn’t go over well around here. I could stand the heat if I was staying, but I won’t subject anyone else to the nastiness.”

  “I want to meet whoever Nate chooses.”

  “Of course. And he’s not choosing, you are. He’s just getting us some choices.”

  “He’s a good man, Jade.”

  “Yes. Yes, he is.”

  “Now that I’ve given in to you—like you knew I would—why don’t you show Ellie around? I’m sure she’d like to see what the gym looks like when we’re working instead of throwing a party.”

  “The party was your idea.”

  “I needed to show off my wonderful daughter.”

  “And now you want to put me and my friend to work.”

  “Well, yeah. I mean, why else are you here if you’re not planning on helping?”

  “We were going to paint.”

  “That can wait. I have a few guys who need sparring partners. From what you told me about your training, the two of you should be more than capable of holding your own.”

  “Oh yeah. We can definitely do this. It should be fun,” Ellie says, standing up and stretching.

  “This may cause a riot,” I say, knowing that we’re going to hurt some young egos.

  “Not here. My boys know that respect for women is not something I take lightly. I’ll give them permission to let loose with you in the ring, but outside of it, no one will touch you.”

  “There you go. Let’s go kick some little boy ass, J.”

  We fist bump, and practically run down the stairs. After changing into workout clothes, we walk out to the ring to stretch. Which definitely causing a reaction.

  “That’s enough, you little assholes. Are you really going to let a couple of women in tight clothes distract you? Because if you are, expect to be knocked out in the ring or cage when you see a ring girl. They’ll be wearing much less than these two. Although I can’t see how they could be any more beautiful.”

  “Aww, thanks Hunt,” Ellie says, kissing his cheek. “Now, who’s up first?”

  “I’ll fight you, Barbie,” says a buff guy with dirty blonde hair. “And if you’re nice, I’ll even hold back a little.”

  “This is going to be so fucking fun,” she tells me, causing me to laugh because I know she’s right.

  It takes her less than a minute to have that cocky little bastard tapping out. I look to my dad, and raise an eyebrow. He shakes his head, and calls over my opponent. Despite what everyone just saw Ellie do, he’s just as cocky as the last guy. Ellie and I smirk at each other as I walk onto the mat.

  My guy’s a little more skilled than hers—or maybe he’s just being more careful after he saw what my bestie did to his friend. Either way, he gets a good jab to my ribs. And then he makes the mistake of gloating about it.

  “Didn’t see that one coming, did you sweetie?”

  Instead of answering him, I make my move. He doesn’t even seen the haymaker from my left arm coming as he’s too busy watching my right—and my tits. I follow him to the ground and pull him into a chokehold. He’s tapping the mat within seconds.

  “That’s my girl,” my dad tells me with a big grin. I smile back, and wait for my next victim. Umm, opponent. I totally meant opponent.

  * * *

  Nate

  Brent’s picked the swankiest hotel in town to stay at, from the looks of it. That puts me a little on edge. Everything I’ve heard about him says that he’s a down to earth guy wh
o’s worked hard for all the success he’s achieved. It just doesn’t sit well with me that he’s showing off how successful he is. Even Matt, who’s one of the richest men in the world, doesn’t live like a king. In fact, before Reina moved in, his apartment was more function than luxury. They managed to combine their tastes into something kick-ass, but still not ostentatious.

  Scott says Brent’s a good guy, and the Griffins are the last people to flash their wealth, so I’m hoping the hotel is just a matter of wanting a nice bed, and not a way to try and flaunt what he’s got. Because I won’t be impressed, and Aiden would just laugh himself out the door.

  We exchange looks as we’re directed to the penthouse, but I shrug to let my friend know that I’m not sure what to think either. “If he’s an ass, we walk.”

  “Thank God.”

  The guy who greets us when the elevator opens is just under six feet tall, and the very definition of a pretty boy. He’s got the lean muscles of someone who knows his way around a gym, but he’s not cut like me, or Matt. Or even Aiden. He’s dressed in a t-shirt and basketball shorts, but I have the sense that it’s not what he’d wear if given a choice. I’m definitely on high alert, and I can feel the tension coming off of Aiden, too.

  “Welcome to my humble abode,” Brent says with a laugh.

  We don’t laugh back. “Scott Griffin vouched for you, and I take his word as gold, but you don’t seem like you’ll be the right guy for the job.”

  “Aww, are you worried about your girl wanting me instead?”

  I can’t hold back my own laugh at that question. “No. I’m worried that one of those gym rats is gonna kick your ass, and then the whole place is going down.”

  “I have an excellent track record in Chicago.”

  “This isn’t Chicago.”

  “No it isn’t. But a gym’s a gym. I can pull any of them out of a gutter.”

  “Garrett’s isn’t in the gutter, and by you even saying that, I can tell that you’re the wrong guy for the job. Thanks for wasting our time.”

  Aiden nods at me and we turn to go. “Wait. I’m sorry. I have to put on the ‘asshole’ act for most people I meet because I don’t look the part. I should’ve known I couldn’t bullshit the great Nate Anderson.”

  “I’m just a guy, Brent.”

  “One who only lost two bouts in two years. They don’t make them like you every day.”

  “Thank God for that,” Aiden says with a grin. I flip him off.

  “What I did as a teen has nothing to do with this job.”

  “Actually, it does.”

  “Excuse me.”

  “If you want me to take this job—and trust me, you do want me to take it—you need to fight for me next month.”

  “No.”

  “I need to train you, and see how everyone reacts to it. I don’t want a gym full of jealous pricks. If I take this job, I plan to have some fighters who are just as good as you, and I want to know that the other guys can support them while still being competitive.”

  “Even if I did agree to this, I don’t have final call in hiring.”

  “Hunter Garrett will want me. I am the best, and everyone in the fighting world knows it.”

  “Really? Because all I see is a ‘jealous prick’ who’s trying to mess with my best friend. I would seriously advise you to dial it back.”

  Brent turns to Aiden with a smirk. “You think you can stop me?”

  Aiden’s blue eyes turn to ice, and his voice is even colder. “Without even breaking a sweat.”

  “For two guys who came here looking for help, you’re not being very accommodating. I’ve only asked for one thing.”

  “You’re not our only option,” I remind him.

  “But I am your best option. We all know it. And you want the best for your woman, don’t you?”

  I don’t want to admit that he’s right, but he is. There are other people we can hire, but no one with his kind of track record. I can hate him all I want, but it won’t change that fact.

  “If Jade and Hunt approve you, I’ll fight.”

  “Nate.”

  “It’s fine, Aiden. I can do this.”

  I can. Because it’s for Jade. I’ll do anything for her, including facing even more of the demons that haunt me day and night. She deserves at least that much from me.

  Chapter 9

  Nate

  The three of us walk into the gym and find a crowd gathered around one of the sparring mats. The crowd parts to let us through, and I immediately see what the attraction in. Jade is sparring with a well-muscled kid, and she’s looking fucking hot doing it. Seriously. The compression top molds to her tits almost as well as my hands do, and her tight pants are showing off that ass of hers to perfection. I know she needs to wear something form fitting while fighting, but if I hear one disrespectful word thrown her way, I’ll be in jail tonight.

  The fight would seem to be evenly matched to anyone who doesn’t know her, but I can see the way she’s toying with him. I don’t know what the little fucker did to piss her off, but I know he did something. She’d just take him out fast otherwise.

  She sees me as they circle each other and her lips turn up. She steps forward a little, and lets him pull her into a hold. He thinks he’s won, but he’s very, very wrong. I know exactly what she’s about to do. She leans forward, but instead of flipping him, she uses the momentum to pull herself up into a handstand on top of his shoulders. Then she flips them both onto the ground, and cuts of his oxygen until he taps the mat. It’s a thing of beauty, and it makes me so hard that I don’t know if I’ll be able to walk over to congratulate her.

  I don’t have to worry about that. She lets him go, hops up and runs to me, jumping into my arms as she wraps her legs around me and captures my mouth. I hold her tight against me, letting her feel how turned on I am, while I kiss her back. We go at it for several minutes, not caring that we have an audience. She finally pulls back and leans her forehead into mine.

  “How many boys got their asses handed to them today?”

  “Just ten. Five from each of us.”

  “Are you hurt at all?” She doesn’t seem to be, but I have to ask.

  “I’ll have some bruised ribs, and I took another hard kidney punch. Nothing a good soak won’t cure. Especially if my boyfriend’s in the tub with me.”

  “Well, that’s a given. And since I haven’t said it yet, I’m loving that my girl kicked some ass today.”

  “I can tell,” she says, biting her lip. “But it’s nice to hear.”

  “If you two are done, can we talk now?” Brent asks, sounding annoyed.

  Jade lowers herself out of my arms and turns to face him. “If you have a problem with a little PDA, you should probably leave now. I don’t like to go too long with my lips or hands off of Nate.”

  “I agreed to come here because I thought you were serious about this business.”

  “Fuck you, asshole. You know where the door is.”

  “If I walk out that door, I’ll make sure no one else walks in.”

  Is he serious right now? Jade looks ready to kill. “Are you really trying to threaten me?”

  “No. He’s not. Because that would be a very stupid thing to do, and from all I’ve seen and heard, he’s not stupid,” I say, glaring at Brent.

  “This is a gym and not a fucking dating service. So, if you want me here, I don’t want to see any of that shit again. Especially while you’re training, Anderson.”

  “Training for what? What’s he talking about?” Jade asks.

  “As a condition for him managing the gym, Brent wants me to fight.”

  “No. You said you don’t want to fight anymore.”

  “One fight won’t hurt him. I need to see how the gym handles someone like him training here.”

  Jade pulls me close and leans up so only I can hear her. “You don’t have to do this. We can find someone else.”

  “He’s the best, Angel. I’ll be okay.”

  She looks into
my eyes, and I do my best to show her the love I feel for her. In her eyes, I see the fight that’s such a big part of her. She’s going to do this her way. “I’m training him if he’s fighting.”

  “That wasn’t our agreement.”

  Hunt answers before she can. “You have no agreement at the moment. Neither one of us has agreed to take you on. If Jade says she’s doing things her way, then that’s the way it will be. You can walk your little boy ass out my door if you want, but remember that I have some clout in the fighting world, too.”

  “You really think you can train him?”

  “I know I can. I grew up in this gym, and when it comes to Nate—well, no one knows his body like I do.”

  A look of anger, or something else that I can’t identify, passes across Brent’s face, but he recovers quickly. I look at Aiden, and he nods. He saw it, too. We’ll both be keeping an even closer eye on him.

  “Fine. But no making out. You can do that at home.”

  “You are not the boss of me, Brent. You need to be really clear on that. I would like someone to manage the gym, but I am fully capable of doing it myself. And I will, if need be.”

  “What kind of message do you think it sends to the guys around here if the owner is getting it on with a fighter?”

  “Pretty much everyone in the city knows by now that Nate is my boyfriend. If they don’t expect us to be affectionate, then that’s their problem. I’m not dating a fighter, I’m dating Nate. He’s so much more than any label you want to give him.”

  My heart feels like it just grew more than three times in size. Because those aren’t just words. I know Jade, and I know that she means what she just said. I also can hear the unsaid—but implied—message, telling him to have more respect for me. I know he hears it too, because he doesn’t try and hide his anger this time.

  “Only time will tell, but don’t blame me if you’re disappointed.”