Fighting Dirty

by Lori Foster

  The car rammed her, startling her so badly that she gave a short scream. The phone fell from her hand and slid off the seat to the floor. Squeezing the wheel, she frantically struggled to stay on the road. When she got rammed again, this time on the back right fender, her car jerked to the left, smashed into the curb and when she tried to correct it, she overshot to the other side of the road. She was still trying to correct her steering when the car shot around her, cut her off and stopped. Instinctively she slammed on her brakes to keep from colliding. Rubber burned and she came within inches of ramming into the other car.

  Too fast for her to catch her breath, a man approached and jerked open her car door. She tried to scream but a hand clamped hard over her mouth, making her jaw ache.

  He leaned in close until his hot breath washed over her face. In clear warning, he whispered, “Don’t.”

  Oh my God. She knew the cold blue eyes staring into hers, the rough voice and the cruel attitude.

  This was the man from the bank robbery.

  Sheer terror narrowed her view until all she could see was his anticipatory smile. Blind with fear, Merissa struggled, striking out at him, clawing.

  He released her mouth and backhanded her hard enough to nearly topple her in the seat. Dazed, she tasted her own blood as blackness closed in. Rough hands opened her seat belt and yanked her out. Her head still reeling, she half fell to the ground. The hands on her tightened, wrenching one arm as he dragged her across the rough pavement of the road toward the other idling car.

  Merissa tried to get her feet under her but couldn’t. She started to scream, but he knotted a hand in her hair and cursed as he shoved her forward.

  No! No, no, no.

  “Fuckers,” she heard, and her mind reeled at the recognizable voice.

  “Leese,” she whispered, and as the flicker of hope gained life, she said again, louder, “Leese!”

  The man shoved her from him. She collided with the front of his car, then fell to the hard, gravel-strewn ground. Her elbow cracked on something, and she felt a searing burn on her cheek, but neither injury mattered. Numbness sank in, mingling with the awful shock.

  She got her head up in time to see Leese attacking the man. How he was here, she didn’t know, but he threw hard, direct punches, demolishing the guy who’d grabbed her. When a second man got out of the car she scrambled toward her open door and dubious safety.

  The sounds of curses and grunts, of flesh hitting flesh, assaulted her brain.

  She needed to help Leese, but how?

  Thanks to Cannon’s insistence, she had pepper spray in her purse, but both it and her phone had been dumped to the floor.

  Inside her car she hit the locks with shaking hands, then quickly looked through the windshield. In the chaos, with her heartbeat thundering in her ears, it was hard to tell what was happening. Leese fought hard, but just as Armie had done, he took on both men.

  Knowing she had to do something, Merissa laid on the horn. The noise was deafening, but she didn’t let up.

  Soon the glow of nearby porch lights flickered on, two houses, then three, four, five.

  Over and over, Merissa blared the horn until most of the street was awake and watching.

  “I called the police,” someone yelled from a house. “They’re on their way!”

  Leese, proving to be a maniac, held on to one man when he tried to flee. He jerked him around at the same time he threw his knee up, sending the guy back and into the side of the car. The bloodied man scrambled for the handle, screaming, “Go, go, go,” to his cohort.

  The driver gunned it, hit the curb, almost struck another car and sped away. Leese stared after them and Merissa, horrified by the idea of being alone, threw open her door and stumbled out. “Leese!” She knew she sounded pathetic and panicked—because she was. “Leese, please!”

  In the middle of the street, chest heaving, blood on his face and his hands still balled into fists, Leese turned to see her.

  Merissa shook so badly she couldn’t stay upright and as her knees gave out, she slumped to sit on the curb just outside her car.

  Oh God. She rocked, holding herself tight, watching as Leese started toward her.

  He looked like walking fury, but after he crouched in front of her his expression changed. His hands were gentle as he tipped up her face, winced and smoothed her hair.

  “Damn, honey, are you okay?” He stripped off his hoodie, then his T-shirt.

  Merissa didn’t understand. He’d never called her an endearment before—and why was he undressing? But even more important than that... “How are you here?”

  Carefully, he used his T-shirt to clean her face. “I was following you.” Chidingly, he whispered, “You should have known both Armie and Cannon would ensure you weren’t alone.”

  “I’m so glad.” She flinched as he touched a particularly tender spot. She wanted to say more, to ask him what he was doing to her, but all that came out was an awful choking sound. Shamed, she threw herself against him. Warm, strong.

  Safe.

  His hard arms tightened carefully around her. “I hear police sirens. I need to call them—Armie and Cannon, I mean—before things get any crazier.”

  She nodded. Damn it, she wanted them both...but she couldn’t get herself to release Leese. Relief battled against the surge of adrenaline and emotions bubbled up. She tried to hold back the tide, but it broke free and she started sobbing uncontrollably.

  Somehow Leese managed to sit and lift her into his lap. “It’s okay. I’ve got you now.”

  Nodding, she burrowed close again. Her arm started thumping and her face burned, but it didn’t matter. Leese was protection. She’d be safe now. If not for him, those men would have had her—and then what?

  From behind Leese, an elderly man spoke. “She okay?”

  Leese carefully tucked her close to his chest and half turned to the man. “You called the cops?”

  “Yes, sir, I did.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Can I get either of you anything?”

  “A blanket?”

  The man nodded and hurried away.

  Merissa knew she soaked Leese’s shoulder, but she couldn’t stem the tears.

  He bent to her ear. “Shh, now. The police will think I’m hurting you.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  He rubbed the middle of her back. “Take a breath,” he suggested gently.

  The man returned with a blanket and Leese draped it around her.

  “You’re the one who’s naked,” she whispered.

  “Don’t go starting rumors, Rissy. I only took off my shirt. Now, another breath.”

  Nodding, she inhaled shakily, then again. As the red-and-blue lights of cop cars flashed around the area, she looked up at Leese. “Don’t leave me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Cops descended on them and an ambulance pulled up. Merissa assumed it was for Leese—until they reached her.

  Well, hell. She suddenly discovered that she was in worse shape than she thought.

  * * *

  ARMIE COULDN’T BELIEVE what Lea told him.

  Yeah, he recognized the description: Steve. When he got his hands on that miserable fuck, he’d—

  His phone rang, but not with the normal ringtone. It was the emergency ring, the one that meant something was wrong, the ringtone that Vanity called the “Bat signal.” All of the guys worked together to help in an emergency. He’d had these calls before, knew it could mean almost anything, but tonight it sent ice through his veins.

  “Wait,” he told Lea, interrupting her story to grab up his cell. Caller ID showed it was Cannon. He answered with, “What’s wrong?”

  “Where are you?”

  That only alarmed him more. “Driving toward Merissa’s house.”

  “Pull over.”

  His guts twisted. “Cannon—”

  “Pull over, damn it!”

  He glanced in the rearview mirror, cut to the right and stopped at the c
urb. Chest tight, he said, “I’ve stopped.”

  “She’s okay,” Cannon said first, “but Rissy got jumped. Leese was following her and he got to her before they could get her into their car.”

  Armie tried to speak, but no words came out. Leese got to her before they could get her into their car. He breathed too fast and his vision narrowed. In a rasp, he asked, “Where is she?”

  “I know that tone, damn it. Get it together.”

  “Where is she?” His heart punched so hard it hurt him, deep inside hurt.

  Cannon went quiet, then whispered, “Remember, she is okay—but an ambulance took her to the hospital. I’m here with her now. I’d have called sooner, but it was a little chaotic at first.”

  Ambulance. Hospital.

  Someone made a grab for Rissy.

  And now he knew Steve was involved.

  Putting his truck back in gear, Armie said, “I’m on my way.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  “YOU SHOULD LIE DOWN,” Cannon told her for the hundredth time.

  Sitting on the side of the bed in the emergency area of the hospital, wearing a hospital gown that barely fit her tall frame and a sheet wrapped around her for modesty, Merissa shook her head. She’d been at the hospital for forty-five minutes, long enough to be somewhat cleaned up and have the cut on her face—a cut she hadn’t even known about—bandaged.

  She still shook from head to toe. Aches and pains had long since set in, but she had so many good friends crowded in the small room that she didn’t want to upset them more than they already were.

  Soon, she’d been told, her face would be stitched and her arm x-rayed. Her poor arm. She glanced at it again and saw the awful mottled bruising from her elbow halfway up her arm and midway down her forearm. It had all happened so fast, she still couldn’t remember exactly how she’d gotten hurt, but she felt it now as she held her injured arm protectively against her body. Cannon stood right there beside her, holding her other hand, his thumb constantly brushing over her knuckles. Yvette stood half behind him, her cheek resting on his shoulder.

  In the corner, Denver held Cherry, her back to his chest, his massive arms looped around her. They both watched her with concern. Merissa tried smiling to reassure them, but that just made the bandages on her face pinch.

  Even though Merissa had tried to protest all the attention, Stack and Vanity were on their way.

  Leese, now in a clean shirt that Denver had brought him, paced in the hall while continually looking in on her. Merissa wasn’t sure, but it seemed like he still had a lot of pent-up fury simmering just beneath the surface.

  Even with a black eye and a bruise at the edge of his jaw, he looked dangerous.

  And he’d saved her. Thinking that made her bottom lip quiver again, which of course Cannon noticed.

  “Just hang on,” he told her, as if her life was on the line.

  And that did make her smile despite the bulky bandage. “I’m okay, just rattled. I promise.”

  Suddenly Leese looked up the hallway, then stepped out of view.

  Merissa heard the heavy, hurried footsteps, heard Leese talking fast, and a second later Armie filled the doorway.

  Their gazes clashed, and oh God, she lost it all over again. The tears welled up, her throat tightened. She tried to swallow but couldn’t.

  Without a word, Armie cut through everyone else and reached her.

  * * *

  ARMIE BARELY NOTICED the others in the room. He’d left Lea in the hallway with Leese. Cannon was talking to him. But all his focus was on Rissy.

  She reached out to him and he gathered her close, slipping one arm under her thighs, the other behind her back. Scooping her in close, using ultimate care, he moved with her to the other side of the curtain and an empty chair.

  “Shh,” he begged in a voice gone thick with emotion. “Baby, please don’t cry.”

  The awful, racking sobs continued.

  With his forehead to hers, he whispered, “Tell me what hurts. What can I do?” She held one arm close and when he looked at it, his heart dropped. “Your arm.”

  Nodding, she tried to talk and couldn’t.

  “I’m so sorry,” he told her. “Jesus, I’m so sorry.”

  She took three shuddering, choking breaths, and finally spoke. “I’m... I’m okay.”

  Armie smoothed one hand over her back, her hip. “How bad is your arm?”

  “I don’t know. Something happened when he grabbed me,” she whispered brokenly.

  God, Armie knew he was going to kill those fucks. “Have they x-rayed it yet?”

  “No.” She sniffled, dried her eyes on his shoulder and lifted her ravaged face. “They’re going to but I don’t think it’s broken.”

  He swallowed hard. “Okay.” Being very careful, he kissed the bridge of her nose, then the bruised skin around her bandaged cheek. “What happened here?”

  “He...he hit me.”

  He closed his eyes, swallowed.

  “Then he pulled me from the car and when Leese got there, he shoved me away and I guess I hit something on the car.”

  That rambling explanation proved that she needed him to be strong now. “He who, honey?”

  “The man from the robbery.”

  Armie’s muscles twitched. Was Steve somehow involved in that, too? “Have you seen the cops yet?”

  From the other side of the curtain, Leese said, “Some officers showed up, but when I explained, they said they’d have Detective Riske or Bareden get in touch.”

  Armie said, “Cannon?”

  Her brother leaned around the curtain. “Logan’s on his way. Should be here soon.”

  Armie nodded, gathered her close again and said to Cannon, “Where the hell is the doctor?”

  “He’s here now,” Denver said.

  “And,” said a new voice, “he needs everyone to clear out, please. I need room to move, but I promise to take good care of her.”

  Rissy’s uninjured arm grabbed him tighter.

  Near her ear, Armie soothed, “I’m staying with you.”

  She went limp against him. “Thank you.”

  “I love you,” he told her. “No way am I budging.”

  She shot up to look at him. Her hair was a mess, her face dirty and scraped, bruised and bandaged. Red eyes and a redder nose and she was the most beautiful, most precious sight. “God, I love you.”

  New tears filled her eyes. “Armie—”

  He was already standing with her, carrying her back to the bed and the waiting doctor.

  He and Cannon remained with her while the doctor put some very tiny stitches in the cut on her face.

  When the doc first pulled off the bandage, Armie grimaced. From her cheekbone up to her hairline her flesh had been split. He’d seen worse injuries—but not on a woman he loved.

  Cannon, having already seen it, still scrubbed a hand over his face.

  Thank God Leese had been following her.

  The doctor promised her that any scarring would fade to be almost invisible. It made Armie so damned proud that Rissy didn’t look overly concerned about it.

  While the doc worked on her, he talked to them, saying it was the first time he’d had a group of MMA fighters crowding the emergency room. He asked questions, not just of Cannon and Armie, but engaging Merissa, too.

  Armie thought it might have been the doc’s effort to put them all more at ease.

  A nurse bustled around them, constantly glancing at Cannon, and then at Armie, while also being proficient at her job. When the doc finished and a guy in scrubs came with a wheelchair to get her arm x-rayed, Rissy flashed him another look of panic.

  Armie helped her into the chair. “I’ll go with you.”

  The doctor patted her shoulder. “There’s a waiting area just outside the X-ray room. He’ll be close.”

  Armie could tell Cannon didn’t want to hang back, but he did it all the same. That was the thing about Cannon—he always did the right thing. Right now he knew his sister wante
d Armie with her, so Cannon would wait.

  More than anything else, that proved how much Cannon cared—about both of them.

  There was a lot Armie needed to share with Cannon, but at the moment, reassuring Rissy took priority. He decided he’d tell Cannon everything as soon as he had the opportunity.

  When they stepped out to the hallway and he saw Lea talking to Leese, reality crashed in.

  He’d forgotten all about her.

  Leese stepped over to them. “X-rays now?”

  “Yes.” Teasing, Merissa shook her head at him. Keeping her voice low, she whispered, “Even here you’re hooking up? Shameless.”

  “What?” Blank-faced, Leese glanced back at Lea, then shook his head. “No, see...” Appearing harassed, he turned to Armie for help.

  Merissa said, “You’ve done more than enough today. If you’ve made other plans, feel free to go.”

  Well, hell.

  But it was Cannon who said, “Lea. This is a surprise.”

  “Lea?” As the aide tried to wheel her away, Rissy twisted around to glare at Lea with mottled fury. “Lea Baley?”

  “She’s here to help,” Armie rushed to tell her. Then to Cannon, “Get the info from her, will you? And update Logan.”

  Brows up, Cannon looked at Lea again, then flagged Armie on. “Go. I’ll take care of it.”

  Armie jogged to the elevator, sliding past the door that the aide held for him. “Sorry about that.”

  The aide nodded. “No problem.”

  Armie looked down at Merissa. Pissed didn’t even come close to covering it. He crouched down and took her hand. “Someone went to Lea and asked her about the rumors. But she fessed up to the truth. That’s why she’s here. To let me know.”

  Incredulous, Rissy said, “And you believe her?”

  The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Armie straightened, and then kept stride with the wheelchair. “I do.” He didn’t want to tell her yet that it was Steve stirring up the lies. At the moment, she had enough to deal with.

  When she remained irate, Armie said, “I’m not a fool, right?”

  Her eyes, red from tears and a little swollen, glared at him. Grudgingly, she said, “No.”

  “So you’ll trust me on this? Please?”