by Lily Harlem
He straightened, then rounded the table, his hulking big shoulders swinging, gorilla-like.
A bolt of fear went through her and she backed up, retreating until she bumped into the filing cabinet.
“You’re going to have to take some leave and help out at the gym on the lead up to the fight. There’s so much to do,” he said.
“No.” She shook her head. “I can’t…and won’t.”
“So I do all the work yet you reap the rewards when I buy us a place in Spain, is that right? Huh?”
She hesitated, feeling small and vulnerable alone in the room with him, but at the same time unable to ignore the courage and determination she’d been nurturing. “There won’t be a villa in Spain, Billy. You know that and I know that.”
He raised his eyebrows. “No, there bloody won’t be at this rate.” He came so close his body heat radiated onto her. “We won’t be able to afford it.”
It scared her as much as when her father had been so drunk he hadn’t known what he’d been doing. He’d just stumbled around in a rage, his grief and alcoholism eating him alive. “Leave me alone, Billy,” she said, edging to the right.
He gripped her arm, keeping her close.
“I mean it, get off me.” She jerked her shoulder, trying to shake him, but to no avail.
The next thing she knew, he’d gone. In his place was a broad, naked back, glistening with sweat and the muscles tense.
Jackson.
“You heard the lady,” Jackson said, propelling Billy into the wall on the opposite side of the filing cabinet.
“What the fucking hell do you think you’re doing?” Billy shouted. “Get off—”
His words were cut short by Jackson wrapping his hand around his throat.
Billy’s eyes bulged and his red cheeks blew up. He pulled back his right arm, fist clenched.
“Go on. I dare you. Throw a fucking punch at me,” Jackson said through gritted teeth, “it’ll be the last time I ever take one in your club.”
Fury washed over Billy’s face and he dropped his hand to his side. His fist stayed clenched. “Get outta here,” he gasped.
“I will when I know Jenny isn’t gonna get any more of your shit.”
“This is between me and her.”
Jackson tightened his hand around Billy’s neck.
Billy grunted and went up onto his toes.
“Jackson, please. Leave him. It’s okay.” Jenny rushed up to the two men.
What the hell is going on?
Jackson turned to her. A deep frown line ran over his brow and there was a slight swelling on his right cheekbone, likely from where he’d been training. “When is it ever okay to speak to a woman that way?” He shook his head. “Or, while we’re on the damn subject, treat a woman the way he treats you?”
“Don’t hurt him.” Jenny tugged Jackson’s arm. His flesh was hot on her palm, his solid muscles and tendons unrelenting.
“Yeah, get off. This is between me and my woman,” Billy said in a gasping voice as he shoved at Jackson.
“What’s going on?” Dale marched into the room, walked up to Jackson and put his hand on the opposite arm to the one Jenny was gripping. He stared at Jackson’s face. “Leave it. For her sake, leave it.”
Jackson twitched his nose, then as suddenly as he’d pinned Billy to the wall, he released him and stepped backward.
Billy huffed and puffed and rubbed his neck. He shot a look of fury at Jackson, then at Jenny.
Her blood ran cold. He was really mad now. Beyond mad, goodness only knew what he’d say…what he’d do.
“Are you okay, Jenny?” Dale asked.
She nodded and swallowed.
“You ever fucking dare touch me again…” Billy wagged his finger at Jackson. “I’ll…”
“Yeah, you’ll what? Chuck me out of the club. I don’t think so.” Jackson gestured to the safe on the floor. “I put too much dough in that for you.”
Billy grimaced and his eyes narrowed. It was clear he knew that was the truth.
“But if I don’t see a bit more damn respect for Jenny around here, from you, then as soon as this Grinder fight’s done, I’ll be gone.” Jackson tilted his chin
“This is the best club around here. We can do the big matches. We’re the only one with the capacity.” Billy huffed.
“No, Jenny can do them, not you, her—she organizes it all. So start showing some appreciation because the lack of it is making me sick.” He set his attention on Jenny, just for a second, then turned and walked from the room. His footsteps were silent in his soft boxing shoes and his shoulders swung stiffly, without their usual relaxed grace.
Billy pushed past Dale to the desk, and grabbed the wrongly sized posters.
Michael appeared in the doorway. He looked at all three of them, then stepped aside as Billy stomped past him with the posters under his arm.
When Billy had gone, Michael shrugged. “Was always gonna happen, Jenny. Real men can’t stand aside and do nothing when a bloke treats his girl like Billy does.”
His girl.
Yes, that’s what she was. But she didn’t want to be, not anymore.
Michael turned and left her alone with Dale.
Jenny was aware of a quiver in her belly. It started small, like a tremor, but soon grew into a full-scale earthquake. Her mind was a jostle of thoughts. Jackson coming to her rescue. Dale calming the situation. Billy’s temper. Michael’s words…had they all discussed her and Billy?
Of course they had.
It was the only explanation.
And they all thought she was weak, stupid, crazy for putting up with it. Her eyes moistened then prickled. She was pathetic in their opinion. Her chest went tight and her breaths became shallow. She buried her face in her hands and tried to hold in a sob. But it was no good and a gurgling gasp broke free.
She was a doormat. Just when she’d made a decision to leave her shitty relationship she’d been exposed for what she was. The moment she’d scraped courage together, it had been revealed how little bravery she had.
“Hey, hey.” Suddenly strong arms wrapped around her and she found herself pressed up against a hard, warm chest.
Dale wore a black vest top and smelled of fresh sweat and lingering aftershave. She closed her eyes and allowed another sob to erupt. It had to. It was too big to contain.
“It’s okay, really it is. You’re not alone.” He held her head with one hand and pulled her body closer with the other. “Jackson and I are here, we’ve got your back.” He spoke against her ear, his lips in her hair. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
Chapter Three
After a few minutes of regaining her composure, Jenny pulled back and looked up at Dale. His eyes were so soft and gentle, his expression full of care and concern.
He kept hold of her shoulders, his big hands pressing lightly as he studied her. “Are you feeling better?”
“I think so…well, not completely, this whole situation.” She gestured around the room. “It sucks.”
“It does.” He frowned. “Listen, I’m going to take a shower, sorry for hugging you in this state, then we’ll go for a drink.”
“No, really, I have too much to do and—”
“Don’t say no automatically. You need some time off in your day.” He shook his head. “For God’s sake, I work like a demon from dawn till dusk, but then this is my relax time, and an hour in front of the TV when I get home. When do you do anything other than work?”
“It’s pathetic.”
“No it isn’t. It’s unfair, and you’ve had a rough ride.”
She glanced away. He didn’t know the half of it.
He ducked his head, then tipped her chin with the crook of his finger. “A drink, with me and Jackson, it’ll do you good. You shouldn’t be going home alone feeling like this.”
All she really wanted to do was be home alone so she could curl up in shame. She needed to lick wounds that had been slowly opening over the last few years. Then she’
d be able to heal and gather her strength. She wanted to be the type of woman she could be proud of, someone her beloved mother would be proud of. It was time to step up to the mark. But first she needed to go home and finish this cry and sleep…sleep for a very long time.
“So I’ll be back,” Dale said, “In ten minutes. To get you. So finish up what you’re doing.”
“But—”
“I’m not in the habit of being bossy, but damn it, Jenny, you need a drink and a friend, surely you can see that.”
Her heart swelled and a fresh batch of tears threatened. He was being so kind. She always knew he was under his tough exterior. But she wouldn’t cry again, not here at the gym. So she took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. One drink.”
“Great.” He stroked her hair, as if smoothing it down from where he’d been rubbing it as he’d comforted her. “Ten minutes.”
He turned and walked from the room.
She watched him leave, wrapping her arms around herself in a tight hug. Dale was handsome and sexy and had every quality she wanted in a man. Every quality Billy was lacking. It was a damn shame he was gay and taken.
By Jackson.
She remembered the way Dale had tenderly touched Jackson in the van. It was the same way he’d just touched her. With respect, affection and care.
She’d liked it a lot. No wonder Jackson did too. For all he was a big guy, Jackson clearly had a soft spot and Dale knew where it was.
With a sigh she looked at the marketing file for Jackson’s big match. It was bulging at the corners. Most of the information was on paper rather than the computer as Billy was so technophobic. She’d made a start, the posters being part of it, but there was still a lot to do. Plus she needed to work on the website and get the tickets on sale.
It would have to wait. Right now she’d had enough for one day and she was going for a drink with two guys who really did seem to have her back.
Half an hour later, Jenny walked into the Dog and Duck with Dale leading the way and Jackson coming up close behind her. She felt tiny between the two muscular men and for once, absolutely safe.
What is it about them?
Dale ordered a red wine and two pints then Jackson led the way to a corner booth with burgundy padded seats. The lighting in the bar was subdued, the wallpaper peeling at the corners and a picture of dogs playing pool and smoking cigars hung askew on the wall. It was hardly salubrious but Jenny was more than happy to take the weight off her feet and sit back.
“Cheers,” Jackson said, passing her wine.
“Cheers. And thank you.” She smiled and took it.
They each took a sip of their drinks. Dale sighed. Jackson wiped a drip of froth from his top lip. Jenny let the sweet berry taste of the merlot swirl around her mouth.
“You feeling better?” Dale directed at her.
“Yes, thanks, and for you know, earlier, too.” She poked at a beer mat and wished the whole sorry incident with Billy hadn’t happened.
“He’s an arsehole,” Jackson said gruffly. “No doubt about it. I’m sorry if you like him…love him and all that, but he doesn’t know how to treat a woman.”
Love him!
“No, no, I don’t love him.” She looked between them and pressed her palm over the beer mat, imagining that was her relationship with Billy—flattened, over, no longer part of her life.
Neither man spoke, but both studied her.
“I haven’t loved him for a long time,” she said quietly.
“But you did once.”
“I guess.” She pulled in a deep breath. “I went through a low point, in my mid-teens. Billy was there for me. He was different then, kinder, more thoughtful, he seemed to get it, understand me.” She paused. “He doesn’t any more. He just thinks about the club.”
“So what changed?” Jackson asked, his voice gentler.
“Was it the club? He’s obsessed with it.” Dale spun his glass around, his big fingers making lines in the condensation.
“He is obsessed with it, and it’s good for him to be, in a way.”
“How do you mean?” Jackson frowned.
“His fighting career was going well. He was destined for great things, so everyone was saying. And then, as you know, he lost his eye in that fight with Neale a few years ago. One day he was the next big thing, then it was all over. The club was all he had left and luckily it was what pulled him out of the ugly black place he was sliding into.”
“Bad luck to have such a permanent injury,” Dale said, downturning his mouth.
“Yeah, it was.” Jenny took another sip of wine and thought back to the time of the injury. “We were drifting apart before the accident. I’d just got my accountancy qualifications and my job at Wainwright and Bramon. He was concentrating more and more on training and traveling to fights. If it hadn’t happened I think we’d have called it quits.”
“But it did happen.”
She nodded. “And then I couldn’t leave him. He needed me and when I’d needed him, he’d been there. And the last thing I wanted to do was…” She pulled herself up, remembering her father’s harsh words. You’re never here when I need you, Jenny.
“Was what?” Jackson asked.
She smiled sadly. “Be the sort of person who let others down. That’s not who I am.”
“I’d say you’re the opposite.” Dale glanced at Jackson. “Wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah. You’re generous to a fault, with your time at least. Billy shouldn’t be getting all those free accountancy hours out of you.”
“And he won’t anymore.” She pushed back her shoulders and tilted her chin.
“He won’t?” Dale asked.
“No. I’ve made a decision, it’s been a while coming and it’s overdue, but it’s time to end whatever this lingering relationship is with Billy. We’re boyfriend and girlfriend in name only, if that makes sense. We haven’t been out together, had dinner together, or…” She stopped herself from saying ‘sleeping together’. These two men didn’t need those details.
“So there’s nothing between you anymore?” Jackson asked. “As in…” He looked at Dale.
“No intimacy?” Dale asked.
They do want details?
She shrugged. What the hell. “No, we haven’t shared a bed for a long time. I can’t even remember the last occasion.”
A look passed between the two men. She couldn’t fathom it. Was it approval at her words? Relief? They were clearly pleased she hadn’t gone so far in her doormat status she’d allowed Billy to use her body as well. Truth was, since he’d lost his eye he hadn’t been interested in sex anyway. The man had lots of issues, more than she was able to sort out. Goodness knows she’d tried, but the time had come to throw in the towel.
“So when are you going to do it?” Dale asked.
“Do what?”
“Finish it with him,” Jackson said.
“Soon.” She hesitated. “After your fight. He’s so stressed about that.”
“No.” Dale shook his head. “You need to get away from him sooner than that.”
“I do?”
“Yeah.” Jackson nodded. “He’s in the kinda mood we don’t want you anywhere near.”
Jenny bit on her bottom lip. They didn’t want her near Billy and his bad mood. A sense of being cared for washed over her again. She liked it. A lot. Okay, so Jackson and Dale were only doing what decent men did, but still, it was sweet.
“But—”
“No, buts,” Dale said. “The sooner he knows you’re no longer his, the better.”
“Because otherwise, as soon as my fight’s over, there’ll be another reason you don’t want to upset him and this will drag on and on,” Jackson said. “You’ll never be free of him, Jenny.”
“I don’t want that. I want it finished. I need it to be finished so I can get on with my life. I’m sure I’ve been overlooked for promotion at work a few times because I haven’t the energy to do that little bit extra to shine. I literally just do my jobs then
rush off to be at Billy’s beck and call.” She picked up the bar mat and spun it in her fingers. How had it come to this? She really was at rock bottom.
“When you feel like this,” Dale said, covering her hand with his and stilling her nervous spinning of the mat, “there’s only one way to go.”
“Oh?” she asked, looking at the way his hand engulfed hers.
“Yeah, and that’s up,” Jackson said.
She glanced at him, then at Dale. They finished each other’s sentences. They were so in tune with each other. How had she never noticed that before? The private glances. The way Dale had had the ability to calm Jackson down when he’d looked ready to throttle Billy earlier. The casual, at ease way they were together. Dale hadn’t even asked Jackson what he’d wanted to drink, just ordered him a pint of bitter.
Jenny was convinced they were lovers. She might not have been getting any between-the-sheets action for a while, but she was sure Dale and Jackson were.
“I’m gonna get some crisps,” Jackson said, standing. “Want anything?”
“Yeah, I’ll have some,” Dale said.
“I’m okay, thanks.” Jenny smiled.
Jackson walked to the bar, rubbing at his sleeve tattoo as he went. She found herself studying his body. He wore a tight black t-shirt and loose gray sweats that hung low on his hips. His torso was lean, his shoulders broad. When she turned to Dale, he appeared to be watching the movement of Jackson’s taut butt. He had a gleam of lust in his eyes, of admiration. And why the hell not? Jackson was a perfect specimen of a man.
Dale switched his attention to Jenny, narrowed his eyes a little as though surprised to see her studying him, then took a sip of his beer.
“Jackson always hungry after training?” she asked.
“Yep, always.”
“And you?”
“Sure, but he works out harder than me, and he’s the one with the big fight around the corner.”
“Are you worried about him?”
“What do you mean?”
“Grinder’s a dirty fighter from what I hear. Doesn’t care how he gets the points, so long as he gets them even if that means a few low blows.”