by Mia Ford
“Good,” they would smile, but I wondered if part of them were disappointed that there wasn’t any gossip about our relationship or even more about the boss. Even if our friendships weren’t real, they had treated me better than some of the people in town that I’ve known my whole life.
I get up and clear the table and then I hear a familiar voice behind me, “I could do that?”
I turn around and hug him, “Neil, you came back?”
He nods, “I couldn’t stay away from this place. Do you mind if I stay for a little while?”
I push him back and say, “You really are stubborn. This is your home. I don’t care what it says on paper. You can stay here as long as you want.”
He shakes his head, “But I don’t like the way that you look at me, or the fact that you don’t trust me.”
I agree with him and say, “If you want things to change then you have to change it.”
He takes out his hand and says, “You got a deal!”
I hug him one more time and say, “You really are an old fool and I love you. And Isaac does too. He’s going to be thrilled that you’ve come back.”
He winks, “He his, he’s bringing my things into the house right now.”
I laugh as I think about the two men in my life. They’re a handful, but I feel proud because before I didn’t have any family. I had no one that really loved me and although Neil had hurt me and done things the wrong way. I knew that he loved me. He’d showed me when he handed me his home, took up a meaningless job and the pity in his eyes right now. I shouldn’t let the old man suffer, because as angry as I was in the past. It’s truly buried, and that’s the only way to move forward with a happy new beginning.
BOOK 3: GLOVES OFF
Payton Sanders had been fighting all of her life to survive one hardship after another. She grew up disheartened by society looking down on her like she was an insignificant insect on the bottom of their shoes. She fought against the gender card, learning to exceed expectations and make people look at her as a force to be reckoned with. Joining the Marines was a daunting task and she served two tours overseas protecting the country. She suffers images of the dead reaching out from the grave to haunt her. She can’t keep a job without raising a hand to her superiors. She doesn’t believe that anybody is her superior. She fights to rid herself of those demons. Knight Williams is a man with a problem. Using his influence and power, he offers Payton a job on his personal security force. They will work hand to hand which will lead to moments of heated release meant to give voice to their passion. What happens when a matter of convenience turns into something more? Will this distraction prevent Payton from doing her job?
Chapter one
He was screaming in my face and belittling me in front of others without taking the precaution of bringing me back to his office. I had no doubt of stepping over the line, but the way that he was going about chastising me was wrong on so many levels. There were little bits of spittle flying from his mouth. They were hitting me in the face which only infuriated me more.
“I don’t know who you think you are, but I’m the boss around here. What I say goes and you just cost me a contract worth millions. You couldn’t keep your mouth shut thinking naively the truth was going to set you free. You are a disgrace and I don’t care if you are only here on a temporary assignment. The world is not black and white. The sooner that you learn there are different shades of gray is when you will finally understand how the world works.” He was a harsh taskmaster, but I couldn’t in good conscience allow him to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes.
I didn’t even have to look and the others in the office had taken an interest in his form of management. I stood there at attention feeling like I was back in the Marines, but this time there was nothing stopping me from taking action. Mr. Milton believed himself to be my superior, but he couldn’t have been further from the truth.
“I only hired you because of your pretty face and body. I had to have somebody on the front lines. Walking in and parading what god gave you made you the perfect candidate. Had I known that your idealism was going to stand in my way of business, I wouldn’t have even given you a second thought.” He really was hot under the collar. Even during his tirade, he still couldn’t stop staring at my bosom. I was quite endowed, but that was not something I was proud of. I did learn quickly that using my sexuality could be to my advantage. Smiling and putting on the air of someone that was only after one thing made me a sought after commodity by the temp agency.
Nobody was coming to my rescue and I probably would’ve stood there and taken the abuse, but then he pushed things too far. Putting his finger on my chest brought about the training I had received. He was breathing in my face one second and then looking up at me with his arm dislocated from his shoulder.
“You fucking bitch…you fucking broke my arm.” If I had broken his arm, he would’ve been screaming a whole lot louder. “I’m going to sue you for everything you have.” That was always the way with America. I had bounced from country to country and this was the only one that settled things by taking things to court.
My blonde hair was cut short to stay out of my eyes. I didn’t look like much of a threat being only 5’4, 120 pounds, but I had a big bite for a small dog.
“I don’t have a fixed address, I barely make enough to feed myself and you expect to get blood from a stone. These people are here because they have no choice. You are despicable and the lowest form of humanity. I have seen my fair share of those abusing power, but you take it to a whole different level. I would suggest you change your ways, but I doubt you have it in yourself to make that dramatic of a change.” I felt vindicated, but I knew the job was now out of my grasp. It only lasted a couple of months, but it was longer than any other time.
“I will not allow you to do this to me. I will make you…PAYYYYYYY.” I made him scream a little louder which brought about snickers of approval from those witnessing this display. It was only when he passed out when I finally let him go. I leaned down and slapped him across the face hard enough to leave a mark. I wanted to have the last word and to leave a lasting impression in my wake.
There was a chorus of applause, but I didn’t do this for them. I grabbed my brown suede jacket, zipped it up halfway and then took the elevator down to the main lobby where security was waiting to escort me out of the building. I gave them a stern expression and it backed them down from putting their hands on me.
“I don’t know what you did, but I’m sure he had it coming to him.” Jeannie Mackenzie was a testament to woman power. She had a high profile position within the security force. They protected him from crazies like me. “I hope this doesn’t mean you and I can’t remain friends. You have gotten me a lot of play with some young cubs.” I had seen her use her feminine charms to lure young unsuspecting men into her web.
“We have a standing arrangement and I’m not going to walk away from that. I’ll be there tomorrow night like clock work. I would suggest you wear something slutty, but your closet has never been for the faint of heart.” I’d seen her flaunt her wares with a body rivaling my own. I was driven by a regiment every morning to keep me in tip-top efficiency.
“You always know just what to say.” She gave me a wink of encouragement, but that wasn’t going to put food on my table or give me a place to sleep. “You know my couch is yours whenever you want it.” I was tempted to take her up on the offer, but I was never about charity. I fought for everything I had in my life and I wasn’t going to stop now. “I know what you’re going to say and I respect your need for independence. I’ll see you tomorrow night and I hope you are prepared to play.” Manipulation was just one of the tools I had learned in the Marines. There was a time for diplomacy, but there was also time to take action which Mr. Milton had just found out firsthand.
I saw my reflection in the glass of the door leading to the sidewalk. I didn’t look hard as nails not when I was wearing something more appropriate to get the bosses attention. A low cut
red blouse with no bra and a black leather skirt barely covering my ass was my disguise.
It didn’t even bother me the way men looked at me like I was a potential conquest. Women didn’t dress like this without wanting some attention. It made me feel empowered. It wasn’t like they stood a snowball’s chance in hell of getting into my pants. Only a select few could say they had accomplished that feat. It was refreshing when somebody just said what was on their mind. Those that took the initiative got more respect from me than some lame come on.
I was going to have to change for my second job. It didn’t look like I was going to be able to take the night off. This job in the office had afforded me the opportunity to prevent certain injury to other parties. They would not be very happy to see me tonight, but their comfort was never my concern.
Working for a living was tedious and I’d always felt like a penned in animal. Leaving here at the end of the day and watching the sheep go about their business was a mind-numbing exercise in futility. I had no siblings, my parents were dead and bouncing from Foster home to Foster home had given me a thick skin. This life was not going to hand me anything without taking it by force if necessary.
It was so easy to put Mr. Milton in his place and the sound of the sirens from the ambulance approaching was for him. I could easily put my own socket back into place and had done it several times. He was too much of a prissy little bitch. He would need a gentle hand. I couldn’t bear looking at him anymore without wiping the smug look off of his face. He was the one that pushed me too far. Touching me was a cardinal sin. It was a painful lesson for someone to learn.
I had joined the Marines, but it wasn’t easy to gain acceptance with them thinking of me as a joke. I proved them wrong and saved their lives more times than I could count. They had me to thank for coming home to their loved ones in one piece. I had become a leader, but what I had seen changed me down to my foundation. I walked away after my second tour seeing the faces of those who I had killed haunting me in my dreams. There was really only one to get rid of those demons temporarily.
Chapter two
He was bigger than I was, but his movements were clumsy like that of an ape in a cage. He swung wildly. If I had allowed him to make contact, I would’ve been flattened before I even began.
I was dressed in my customary black workout pants and sports bra. My hair was pulled back into a ponytail and I had added red streaks to give myself the fierce makeover. I saw somebody watching me more intently than everyone else. He didn’t seem like he belonged and was totally out of place within the blood lust of those screaming for somebody’s head. I couldn’t get a good look past his blue blood.
This behemoth was telegraphing his moves and I easily evaded which only seemed to make him feel like he had something to prove. “Stay still and it will be over quickly. I’ve heard the rumors, but I haven’t seen anything to impress me. I think you have only been lucky and you’ve never faced anyone like me.” He was right. His size did give him an advantage, but only if somebody didn’t know how to use that against him.
“I hear a lot of talking, but I don’t see any marks on my body. It must be galling to be out of breath and literally ready to collapse from the effort.” I hit quickly, striking a bundle of nerves underneath his arm that made his left arm fall uselessly by his side. “You should’ve taken heed of everything you heard about me. None of it has been exaggerated. They threw you into the lion’s den because they really did think you stood a chance. They were under the mistaken impression size matters. I am used to typical male thinking. It’s what you have and can use properly that gives the bigger punch.”
He made this growl of an animal and I sidestepped him long enough to bring my leg down on the back of his right knee. He screamed, falling to a subservient role of looking up at me. He tried to reach out, but I was too quick for his clumsy maneuver. I was meticulous with how I had incapacitated him. My elbow came down on his wrist and I put him into a triangle hold.
I gave him credit for staying awake and most in this position faded quickly. The color of his face was a deep maroon. There was no tapping out in the cage. The only way to end this was to incapacitate the opponent enough that they wouldn’t be able to fight back. It was a broad term with many taking it to heart. Punishment didn’t mean a blood sport and my position had always been that intellect would always win out in the end.
“I’m going to hurt you so badly that you won’t be able to stand afterward.” It was false bravado, but I gave him his due for trying to stand with me holding firmly to my position. “I won’t let some little girl do this to me. I won’t hear the end of it.” He was a mountain of a man. It would’ve been interesting to translate his rage in between the sheets. I could see myself making him submit, riding him to completion and letting his seed wash away any of my doubts.
“The only thing you’re going to do is go to sleep.” I was a woman of few words, but what I said had the kind of impact of a sledgehammer between the eyes.
“I won’t give you the satisfaction.” If I had a dollar for every time somebody said that I would be able to afford some of the high rises in the metropolitan area.
I turned quickly, keeping him off his guard long enough to apply the chokehold. He was on his stomach and I was hanging off his back like an albatross around his neck. I knew just what kind of pressure to bring an end to his fight. He tried to break free of my grasp and I knew the bruises in the morning were going to be fresh.
The pounding of his fist became more like a small child reaching for his mother’s skirt. I felt his body go slack in my hands and I continued to apply pressure until I knew he wasn’t getting up.
The promoter of this fight club was not opposed to pitting a woman against a man. It made for some great entertainment. I’d always followed through with giving them a fight to remember. Rick Kirkland was going to make a mint and I was going to receive 20% of the take from tonight’s festivities.
I stood up to a multitude of boos, but there were some loyal followers that gave me my just desserts. It felt good to make this man knuckle under. He was one of those muscle-bound freaks, but he could’ve been more of a challenge had he taken classes in hand to hand combat. Once he learned that, he would be a better fit to go toe to toe with me again.
I stepped out of the cage without a hair out of place. There were no marks on my body except for the bruises that would show up later on my forearms. They were going to be painful and it wasn’t like I was a stranger to having injuries.
Rick was amassing his fortune one fight at a time. He was collecting his bounty and counting the $100 bills without the concern of somebody mugging him. It was an unwritten rule and one the fighters and spectators followed without hesitation. Nobody was to touch him or they would be banned for life from fighting or watching their favorite pastime. His security consisted of a couple of disgraced fighters. They didn’t have any place to go and he scooped them up when they didn’t have anything left.
He motioned for me to follow him into the back room. There was no doubt the black leather couch was used for extracurricular activities. I didn’t even want to begin to imagine what a black light would reveal.
“Payton, you always go above and beyond the call of duty. Tonight was no different. We made out like bandits. I’ve always been a man of my word. Here is your take and you have been missed greatly around here. I was beginning to think you weren’t going to have to slum it anymore. I should have known better. You have this need to get violent. You made it look so easy, but you know what they say about it only taking one.” He handed me $20,000 in cold hard cash. Unfortunately, I was going to have to spend 99% of that getting a particular loan shark off my back.
“The one thing nobody can take from me is my will to fight. I may not like this little enterprise of yours, but it does help me in ways you can never imagine. I would thank you, but it’s not like you haven’t profited yourself.” I was about to leave with him counting his ill-gotten gains all over again, but he stopped
me by putting his hand on my shoulder.
He was sleazy, but he had good bone structure and the kind of reputation for being a beast in the sack. I was tempted to mix business with pleasure, but it was a slippery slope.
I looked at the way that he was touching me; giving him a cold hard stare of disapproval which made him take his hand back like somebody had burned his fingertips.
“I’m sorry, I forgot about your rule of no touching. I wish one day you would allow me to show you what you have been missing.” He fondled himself, showing the real estate slinking down the left side of his leg. It was appalling, but also a very telling sign of his virility. Those that had spent the night took the walk of shame with a smile on their face. He was different from other guys. His advances were not strictly given to the female persuasion. He was an equal opportunity kind of lover.
“One of these days, I might just take you up on your offer and we’ll see who can go the distance.” I held his stare and he was fanning himself with the money made on the backs of others.
“I have a bonus for you in the amount of $5000. There’s a man who wants to meet you. He has given me the incentive to make it happen.” If I had gotten 5000, then I could only imagine what his take from that was. He always did have greedy pockets and took every opportunity to supplement his income.
“I’m not opposed to talking to anyone, but it has to be on my terms. Give him this number and I’ll make arrangements to see him in a public place. I have to say, you surprised me by how much money you gave me tonight. I’m going to let it slide this one time, but let’s not forget who’s the moneymaker. It’s not 10% and we both know it. We will return to the standing arrangement of 20% next week.” He was always trying to undercut me, but it was a game to see if I was a woman enough to catch him.