by Jones, P. A.
Seduced 4
P.A. Jones
Copyright © 2013-14 PA Jones
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, place and events are the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously.
Seduced Series
If you haven't read Seduced 1, 2 and 3 grab it here. Seduced 1 is Free on Amazon.
Seduced 1
Seduced 2
Seduced 3
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 1
Tristan
“Come on, sucker. It’s the opponent, not your girlfriend. Punch it harder,” Coach Hardy yelled at me, sending a dash of energy into my tiring body.
I felt the punch in my gut. I grabbed the punching bag with my left hand and hit it harder and harder with my right, until even the dirt in it loosened up. I hated that bag and didn’t like seeing it there hanging anymore—it had to go. I wanted it destroyed like every opponent I’d faced till now.
Fifteen minutes after the bag gave up, the leather was strained and then broke to throw the inside soil out. The coach brought these special soil filled bags for me. He said, they would make my fist harder than iron. And heck, I loved them.
“Again, Tristan. Take another bag. You can’t stop until all the bags break with the soil spilled. And if you can’t get it out of here, don’t act like a girl.” Coach howled at me again.
I looked at the cat-face clock on the wall. I was training for the fourth continuous hour, and still I had lots of energy left to continue. I remembered when I’d started, it was half an hour and I would have to lay down in exhaustion. Six months down the line, I could go on and on and on.
I smiled back at the coach. “Challenge accepted. Today, I’ll finish the bags; I’m not yet ready to give up. I’m no angel,” I roared. Winning was the only thing I knew and I wasn’t going to lose that streak. I’m giving it my all. I won’t stop until I fall down or my training finishes. I repeated this to myself and continued hitting the next punching bag. I was rotating among five bags and my goal was to destroy them all.
I had a few more types of training planned ahead. First was this punching bag, then cardio and finally three back-to-back matches with pro-MMA fighters hired to train me.
The memories flashed in front of my eyes as I punched the bags again and again. In the last six months, I’d turned into a well-known name, and I had everything I wanted in my grasp. You name it and I could have it, but my focus was only fighting. I lived for it. Shouts, blood, pain and the thrill was running through my veins. I forgot the countless times I was hurt in the last six months, or the countless times I’d spilled my blood on the ground, the countless times my opponent hit my face with a blow. The only thing I remembered were fourteen wins in the last two months and all knock-outs, no less.
Half an hour later, I tore the last bag and stopped punching. “Is that it, Coach? I expected more from you.” I grabbed his head and banged my head on his. “I need more, Coach, I can’t stop like this. This is nothing for me.” The sweat was dripping from every inch of my body. My chest was moving like an air pump, but my heart wasn’t satisfied. I wanted more.
“Let’s see how you survive in today’s cardio,” Coach replied.
“Bet on it, Coach. You will be eating dust today, not me.” I chuckled. I liked the challenge and after recovering through my shoulder muscles issues, I needed more and more.
“Don’t count your chickens until they are hatched,” he replied with a wicked smile.
It was a game between us. Every day, we found different ways to insult each other and then we tested each other till the breaking point, physically and emotionally. We both enjoyed it.
I started my cardio round with weights first. Full kicks, full swings, squats, pull-ups, all with weights hanging to my core, hands and legs. After two hours, I laid down on the mat, looking at the roof.
“So, Mr. Devil, just like that?”
“No, Coach. I want more.” I growled back at him. My body was exhausted, but my mind was fresh, my heart was still ready to pump blood in my veins.
“It’s the fights, then. Go change and meet me in ring in five.” He threw a towel at me.
I jumped to my feet and walked to the changing room. I could smell my own sweat. It made me feel charged up. There is nothing better than smelling your own blood and sweat after exercise.
“Tristan, you have a minute?” Trisha called me before I could enter the training room.
“No, Trisha, it’s my training time.”
“I need to speak with you about an appointment today.”
“What appointment? I’m busy—not now, please.” I entered the changing room without waiting for her to reply. I could only see the three opponents waiting for me in the ring. The thrill of fighting three people at a time was pushing me over the edge. I was going to knock them out. The only question was which method I would use?
“We have a business meeting in an hour-and-a-half. Can you make it by then?”
“And where is that?” I removed my t-shirt. Trisha was standing in the men’s locker room, but I didn’t care. She was used to it by now. When I was training, I didn’t care if she saw me naked or half-naked. No woman could take my mind off of training anymore.
“Hotel Atlanta. It’s about a new contract. This person has been trying to reach you for the last two weeks.”
“Can you decline it? Do we need a contract?” I asked while removing my shorts. I was standing in only my briefs.
“No, but…it looks bad to avoid a meeting like this. He could be a prospective client.” She looked confused. “And I asked you before setting up this meeting.”
I held the edge of my briefs.“Okay. if I finish my training by then, we will go. Otherwise, it’s destiny. I ain't an angel anymore.” I chuckled and lowered my briefs
Her cheeks went pink. “I’ll wait for you outside, then.” She looked at my body once and then turned back. I knew she had some feelings for me, but I wasn’t that man anymore. I was fully dedicated to work.
I’d hired Trisha as my manager and I was paying her double what she’d asked for. She was not only taking care of my MMA contracts, she was looking after my bookstore business as well. She was a cute and talented girl. I liked her for these reasons alone.
Five minutes later, I was standing in front of the coach.
“Coach, I need to finish training little early. I have a business meeting to attend.”
“I don’t care what you have unless you finish these boys.” He frowned at me.
“Okay, no problem. Send them all in.”
“All three?” he asked, his pupils widened, surprise visible in his eyes.
“Are they afraid of me?”
He looked at me, his eyes shooting darts at me.
“Kick his butt today.” He patted my opponent’s back.
There I was, standing in front of three opponents. I smiled at them with confidence. I knew it would be difficult to beat them all at once, but heck that’s the challenge I live for.
They came at me from three sides, I jumped in the air, swinging my leg in a one eighty degree turn.
***
Half a hour later, I was still standing, but they were not. One was bent on his knees, one was ly
ing down on the ground and one was charging at me with a fist and a bloody face. I smiled at him and dodged his attack. I stretched my fingers and formed a fist to hit his chest hard. He stumbled back and fell on the ground like a broken leaf.
All three were down. I’d won again. Heck, it exhausted every cell of my body. I was barely standing. But hell, yes, I was standing with a smile and my pride firmly in place.
“I told you, Coach,” I shouted from the ring.
“Bravo, Tristan. We’ll go with four men tomorrow.” He let a wicked grin cover his face.
“The story will be the same.” I laughed back at him. I turned to Trisha, who was watching the match with wide-open eyes and a palm on her mouth. “So, ma’am, how much time left for the meeting?”
“Hmmm?” she replied.
“We have a meeting with some business client, right?” I slapped her head lightly.
“Oh, yes…” She recovered quickly. She glanced at my face. “Your face…blood on it.”
“I asked how much time, not how much blood on my face.” I chuckled.
She snapped out of her thoughts. “Yes…sorry. We have forty-five minutes to reach Hotel Atlanta.”
“Hotel Atlanta?” A memory flashed through my mind. A lunch with Nikki; I pushed it aside, it was my past. I lived at the Hotel Atlanta these days. Maybe it was irony, but I could afford the most expensive suite in NYC now and it came with five servants to attend my every need.
“Yes. The same hotel we are staying in.”
“Fine. I’ll meet you at my car in thirty minutes,” I said, and walked out. I needed a shower; my body was stinging like an animal living in the jungle. I bet even the animals would smell better than I did right then.
***
“Who is this person we’re meeting today?” I asked as I walked in the suite reserved for me.
“Someone, Mr. ….. Sorry, I forgot his name. He and his wife will be here any time,” Trisha replied. She was wearing a black satin, formal skirt and a white top. The colors looked vivid on her. Her long, blonde hair was straightened and laying on her left shoulder. She had changed a lot since I asked her to be my manager. She quickly adapted to the ways of business.
“Sir, a lady is waiting outside for you,” a waiter informed us as I sat on the couch inside my bedroom.
“Please greet her, offer her something to drink and tell her that we are on the way,” I said and turned to Trisha. “Who are these people? I can’t go out blind like this. I need their freakin’ names.”
“Let me check.” Trisha went through her notes. “It’s Gerome Lewis”
I felt like I’d heard his name somewhere. “Isn’t the name of Nikki’s fiancé the same?” I muttered. I again pushed that thought aside. I couldn’t be thinking about Nikki when I was about to attend a business meeting.
“Did you say something?” Trisha asked.
“No, nothing,” I replied. “But, how long will this meeting be? I need to sleep for at least eight hours. I have a match tomorrow.” The whole training was fine when my adrenaline was up, but now I needed some rest badly.
“If you want, I can cancel the meeting right away.”
“Don’t tease me. I’ll attend for a little bit and then you handle them, please,” I said, irritated.
“Sure. Leave it to me,” she said and walked out with her head held high and a pure business confidence on her face. I liked it very much; she had turned into a beautiful butterfly from an ugly larva in last few months.
I followed her to the suite’s main hall. The suite had many bedrooms. I’d never counted them, though. It was the most expensive suite available in north NYC, but I could afford it now.
“By, the way, that funky chick you hugged at last match was here yesterday, asking for a date with you.” Trisha giggled at me.
“Oh, not her again.” A girl was following me city to city. She was begging for a hug after a match so I hugged her and now she wanted a date. “Can you go on a date with her, please?”
“I’m your manager, Tristan. I can be your secretary as well, but I will not be a bisexual prostitute for you.” Trisha stared at me and her cheeks turned red. “Next time she’s here, I’m sending her in your bedroom after telling her how much you are missing her and what you want to do with her.” She laughed.
“You dirty rat, don’t ever do that to me, or I’ll send my coach in your room.”
“That old slug?” She twisted her face in the worst way possible. “Why don’t you fire me instead?”
“Oh, you know I can’t do that.” I half hugged her as we walked out of the bedroom. She wasn’t only my manager, but a very good friend as well. She was the person who took care of me when I needed it most.
As we walked through the long corridor connecting to the library, I thought a woman ran through the main entrance. When we walked in the main room, no one was there.
“Waiter,” I called.
“Yes, sir,” the waiter said with respect.
“A woman was here, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then where is she?” I knew I saw a woman walking out of here. Who could it be? My gut feeling was giving me mixed signals.
“Sir, Mr. Lewis has arrived outside.” Another waiter entered through the main door.
“Please send them in and arrange two glasses of whiskey,” I asked.
“Are you drinking?” Trisha held my hand. “I thought the doctor told you to avoid it.”
“Not for me. It’s for you and that man. I’m drinking coke. I can’t jeopardize my career at this point.”
“Good.” She smiled.
The waiter went back in and returned with a familiar man. I knew I’d seen him somewhere.
“Hello, Mr. Maxim.” He came and shook my hand.
“Call me Tristan. Maxim is my in-game name.”
“Tristan…?”
“Yes, Tristan Scott,” I said.
“Gerome Lewis. Does that ring a bell?” he asked, staring at my face with surprise.
“Nikki’s husband?” Now I remembered where I’d seen him.
“Yes…”
An awkward pause lasted a few moments.
“Sorry, I didn’t know it was you. Otherwise…” he said after a few moments.
“It’s okay, Mr. Lewis. Anyways, why are you here?” I was curious about what he had to say to me. And I was sure the woman I saw leaving was none other than Nikki Jordan.
“Call me Gerome,” he said with a smile on his face. “Well…” He looked around, clearing his throat.
“Let’s have some drinks first.” I clapped and a waiter came with a glass of whiskey for him.
He picked up the glass and drank it on the rocks in twenty seconds. The only thing that moved was his throat gulping the alcohol in. I watched him with surprise. “Dude you would beat me by miles if we ever got in a drinking game.”
He smiled at me. “Well, I’m here with a business proposal. But now I need a favor from you.”
“What kind of favor? How is Nikki?” I asked him. For the last six months, I’d never tried to contact Nikki or gotten to know about her, but one corner of my mind always thought about her. And I was right leaving her alone; she seemed to be doing fine with her husband. I couldn’t be much selfish.
“She isn’t doing …well.” He stuck on the words. His face changed colors.
“Why? Is she all right? Is she ill? Did you see a doctor? What did he say?” Words came out of my mouth without a thought. My priorities had changed, but my heart still beat for her.
“No…No, she is perfectly fine. Actually, she is doing great these days.”
I relaxed a little. “Then what is it? Why did you say she is having problems?” I asked. Trisha was sitting closer to me. Her hand was on my shoulder. I think she understood my emotions.
“It’s the business. It’s dying, Tristan, and we need your help. I mean Maxim’s help.” he said slowly. He picked up another glass and drank it in another blink of an eye. “And I hope you can help us, at
least for Nikki. If we lose this one, Nikki would lose Steph and you know how much he means to her.”
Hell, Stephen means a lot to me as well. I couldn’t see him without his mother.
“What kind of help, Gerome? Does she need money?”
“Yes…and no.”
“Can you be more specific about your needs?” I asked. He was irritating me now. He wasn’t clear in his own thoughts.
“We need a contract with you. We want to sponsor you for an upcoming event. This will generate money for our business and we can save Stephen from falling in those bastards’ hands.”
“I’m sorry, Gerome. I’ve a working contract and I can’t break it.”
“Not even for Nikki? Please, Tristan, understand my situation. Understand Nikki’s situation.”
For her I would give my life, you fool. But not for you.
“I’ll think this over. I’ll get back to you in couple of days.” I stood up. I saw greed in that man’s eyes and I didn’t like that. I had to verify his claims first before getting into anything.
“Thanks, Tristan. Nikki will be happy to know this.” He shook my hand firmly. He was a well-built man, and to best to my knowledge he was a former MMA fighter.
He turned around to walk out.
“Gerome...” My words stuck at first, but I was dying to know.“How is it going on in between you two?” I asked him before he could walk out completely.
He turned back with a faint smile. “It’s going great, Tristan. We are even thinking about another child and Stephen’s school.”
“That’s great.” I tried to smile, but then I couldn’t fake it. I turned around. My heart was again burning me in hell-fire till eternity.
Chapter 2
Tristan
“It’s going great, Tristan. We are even thinking about a second child.” His words echoed in my mind, bit me like a strained dog and choked me like a snake, one after another.“We are even thinking about a second child.” The words echoed, once again piercing my heart.
I shook my head. What is wrong with me? Why am I thinking about her again and again? In the last six months, I’d built a wall around her memories, but with a peek at her life those walls were easily destroyed. This was the reason I’d left NYC. Why am I back in NYC again? Why didn’t I stay in California?