by L. P. Dover
Great, I thought. I’m fucked.
Andres and one of the officers went straight to the guy on the floor. Meanwhile, the other officer approached me head on. I knew the drill all too well, so I placed my hands behind my head, not even resisting when he cuffed me. By the look in his eyes, he’d been prepared for a fight, but I knew better than to do that.
The last thing I wanted was to be banned from the UFC, and knowing my luck I was probably going to be after what I’d done. I may have hit the cocksucker one too many times, but he deserved it.
“Care to tell me what’s going on, son?” the officer asked.
He was older, probably in his early fifties, and most likely ex-military judging by the dog tags around his neck and the buzz cut; very authoritative looking and almost the exact image of my father.
My father was my biggest supporter and the one who inspired my brother and me to fight. He passed away two years ago after a motorcycle accident, and ever since then nothing had been the same. I may be spending the night in jail, but he would’ve done the same thing if he saw a man hit a woman.
Since the guy on the ground was knocked out, I knew I was going to be the guilty party no matter what I said. Thankfully, Megan spoke up on my behalf. Gone was the girl who seduced me, and in her place was a scared woman, terrified.
“It wasn’t his fault, Officer, it was mine,” she cried, her voice shaking.
“And how is that?” the officer asked, turning his attention to her. Swallowing hard, she looked down at the guy on the floor and then sheepishly at me. She briefly closed her eyes before turning toward the officer. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out … the son of a bitch was her boyfriend.
“My boyfriend caught me in here with Ryley, sir. When he found us, he made the first move and hit Ryley. It was stupid of me, and I shouldn’t have done it. I promise, Ryley was only defending himself.”
“And you,” I added angrily, glaring at her. “I was defending you. Why would you want to be with someone who hits you like that? Has he done it before?”
Shrugging, she once again closed her eyes and sighed. “Not really. I mean, he’s only done it two times.”
The officer held up his hand, signaling for us to stop. “Okay, hold up,” he said, turning to Megan. “Did that guy hit you tonight?”
Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she wearily nodded her head. “Yes, he slapped me and pushed me into the wall. After that, Ryley started to fight him. It’s not Ryley’s fault,” she pleaded again.
“That may be true, but I still need to take him to the station until your boyfriend wakes up. They’re both coming with me.”
The officer read me my rights and we followed Andres through the back to the squad car. I was put in one and dickhead was put in the other, still passed out. Nervously, Megan came over to the car I was in and leaned down toward the window.
“I’m so sorry about this,” she cried. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”
“Yeah, well, next time don’t try to fuck someone else when you have a boyfriend,” I growled.
She averted her gaze and closed her eyes. “I know. It was wrong of me. I guess it just felt like freedom to get away from him. I don’t even know how he found out I was at Cloud Nine.”
The officer finally got into the car and glared back at us. “Okay, miss, it’s time to wrap it up. Say your good-byes.”
“Look,” I said, “I don’t know you very well, and I’ll admit, I don’t treat girls the way I should, but I do know that none of them deserve to be hit. You need to get away from him.”
She nodded, tears streaming down her face when she opened her eyes. “I will. Is there anyone I need to call for you?”
Camden was still inside having the time of his life while I was bloody and confined in a police car. “Yeah, I need you to find my brother. He’s in the club somewhere. You can’t miss him because he looks just like me.”
“Oh, I know. I’ve seen you two in the ring. I’ll go find him for you and let him know what’s going on.”
Turning on her heel, she ambled off toward the back door of the club. “Megan!” I shouted.
She wiped her eyes and turned around hesitantly. “Yeah?”
As much as I should hate her for putting me in the position I was in, I couldn’t help but realize there was a larger problem at hand. “On Monday night, meet me at the gym on Sykes Street.”
“Why?” she asked skeptically, furrowing her brows.
The officer put the car in gear and slowly started moving out of the parking lot. “Because I’m going to teach you how to defend yourself.” Before he could roll up the window, I shouted, “Meet me there at seven!”
Her reply came instantly. “I’ll be there!”
AFTER SITTING AT the station for four hours twiddling my fucking thumbs, I figured my brother would at some point come to get me. I called and texted, but nothing. At least I was free to go with no charges against me. Thank God.
“Is there anyone else you can call?” the officer asked. “Your family? A friend? Your coach?”
The officer’s name was Brigg and I was right when I thought he was ex-military. For the past couple of hours he’d told me stories of his time overseas, and it just so happened that he and my father were both at Camp Pendleton during the same time frame.
Unfortunately, I definitely couldn’t call my coach. He had already threatened to leave me and my brother behind if we got into any more trouble. My mother was out of the question; in her eyes, my brother and I never got into any trouble. It would crush her to know what we were really like, especially since it was after my father’s death when things started to change.
There was only one other person who I knew wouldn’t judge me. She wouldn’t judge me, but she sure as hell was going to be pissed at me for calling her at three in the morning.
“Actually, there is,” I said, reaching for my phone. Once I found her number, I bit my lip and dialed.
Her voice was groggy when she answered, but it didn’t stop the giggle that escaped her lips. “Let me guess, Ryley, you figured out that you’re in love with me and you couldn’t wait to tell me, so you called at,” I could hear the rustle of her sheets as she turned in bed, “three in the morning. Geez, couldn’t you wait for another few hours?”
I chuckled. If she wasn’t off limits I would’ve tried to get with her. Unfortunately, that would never be possible considering her brother was one of my friends and threatened to kick anyone’s ass that messed with her. I wasn’t about to go head to head with Matt ‘The Destroyer’ Reynolds.
“I wish that were true, babe, but I need your help. Can you come pick me up from the police station?”
“Oh my God, you got arrested?” she squealed incredulously. “What the hell did you do?”
Sighing, I looked down at my hands which were split open, but thankfully, no longer bloody. “It’s a long story, Gabby. Is there any way you can come get me?”
She huffed and I could hear her getting out of bed. “Fine, I’ll be there in about thirty minutes. You owe me, Ryley.”
She had no idea.
Thirty minutes later, Gabriella Reynolds walked through the door in a pair of pink pajama pants and a CSU sweatshirt, her long, midnight-colored hair pulled up in a ponytail. She was a good friend, and probably the only female I could say that about.
When her gaze landed on me, she covered her mouth with her hand and laughed. “Wow, I must say … you sure know how to party. Do you ever do anything other than fight?”
A mischievous grin spread across my face. “Do you really need me to answer that?”
Holding her hands up, she rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Okay, never mind. I already know what you and your brother like to do. Now come on and let’s go so I can get your worthless ass home.”
Putting my arm around her shoulder, I squeezed her tight and bent down to kiss her cheek. “What would I do without you, Gabby? Thank you for coming to get to me.”
“Oh, it doesn’t come without a
price, Mr. Jameson. There’s something I want from you.”
We ventured out into the parking lot and stopped by her little silver sports car. She turned to face me with a sly smile, folding her arms across her chest. I knew that look; she was up to something. “Why do I get the feeling I’m going to regret this?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say you’d regret it, but it is going to take some work.”
“What do you want?”
Her grin grew wider. “You have a fight next weekend, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And of course afterwards there’ll be a party?”
Sighing, I stared at her hopeful gaze, knowing very well what she wanted, and nodded. “Yes, but you know you can’t go to it. Your brother would kick my ass. He already hates the fact that we hang out together.”
“Tell me about it,” she groaned. “He just knows how you and your brother are. What he fails to realize is that I’m a grown woman and can make my own decisions.”
She was a grown woman all right. She was fucking hot and a newbie fighter as well. Her brother had been teaching her mixed martial arts for a while, and I helped her fight every now and again; she was a firecracker in the ring.
“So why are you wanting to go to this party? What’s in it for you?”
She winked and bit her lip. “I have my own reasons, Ryley. Get me into the party and I’ll call everything even.”
“How about you bring a friend and then we’ll call it even,” I countered. “I’d love to meet one of them. How about your friend Ashleigh? You always talk about her.”
Gabriella rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’m not going to let you seduce my friend. Besides, I don’t think she’d fall for your schemes. She’s a smart girl and definitely not someone to play around with.”
“So basically what you’re saying is that she can’t handle me, is that it?” I asked, chuckling.
Laughing, Gabriella strolled over to her side of the car. “Oh, Ryley, if only that were true. I hate to say this, but it’s the other way around … you wouldn’t be able to handle her. Not even with the help of your brother.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, right. I have yet to find a female I couldn’t handle. You have no idea what I can do in the bedroom.”
She nodded. “True, but I’ve heard plenty of stories about you and your brother’s trysts in the bedroom. I must say it’s pretty interesting. You know, one of these days you’re going to want to stop doing that and settle down with one woman.”
“I’m not a one woman kind of guy, sweetheart. There’s too many to pick just one.”
Gabby held up her hands up in defeat. “Okay, fine, have it your way. I’ll bring Ashleigh, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Getting in the car, I looked over at her and smiled. “Then I’ll get you into the party. Leave your brother to me.”
I loved a good challenge.
MONDAY ROLLED AROUND and it was time to get back to work, to training. Camden apologized for not picking me up at the police station, and like I already knew, it was because he was busy fucking the three girls at the club. At least someone had fun. Thankfully, my motorcycle was still there in the parking lot when we went back to pick it up.
When we walked into the gym, I saw the owner, Carter Bennett—who also happened to be Gabriella’s brother’s coach—down at the ring talking to mine, Danny Echols. Carter was probably somewhere in his late forties and a head shorter than my coach by almost a foot, but he was one of the most hardcore fighters I knew.
Gabriella’s brother definitely had one of the best coaches around along with me. My coach was a little bit older, but he was just as bad ass as Carter. Thankfully, my brother and I were early which earned us an appreciative smile from him when we approached. I had to make sure he didn’t find out about last night.
Matt Reynolds was in the ring, battling it out with Mason Bradley, two of the best Heavyweight UFC fighters of my time and also my mentors. “You better train hard this week, brother,” Camden commented. “You’re up against Nate Anderson this Saturday.”
I sneered at him. “Please, I’m not worried about that fucker.”
“Okay,” he chuckled. “I’m just saying the guy’s gotten better. I’ve been watching his fights.”
So have I and I knew I could take him. “I’m not going to lose, I can promise you that.”
After setting our gym bags down, Danny nodded at us and hopped into the ring, putting on his black gloves and headgear. Danny was a retired MMA fighter just like my father had been, and also one of his good friends.
When my father died, Danny took up the role as coach and made sure to push us hard, to make us better. He was a Heavyweight fighter when he fought and even to this day he still kept up the muscle mass; it was impressive. His salt and peppered hair, however, hadn’t kept up with the times so he kept it shaved close to his head so no one would be able to tell it was thinning.
“Let’s go, boys,” he commanded. “We’ve got lots of work to do.”
Every day of training, Camden and I practiced with Danny, and the rest of the time we fought against each other. We always anticipated each other’s next steps, making it hard to ever surprise the other in an attack. When the time came for me to fight him in the ring, it was going to be one interesting battle.
Camden elbowed me in the side as I was putting on my gloves. “Hey, some of the guys are going out for drinks tonight. You want to go?”
“What time?” I asked.
“Around seven I think.”
I sighed. “I can’t. I’ll be busy.”
“All right, but if you change your mind we’re meeting at Bailey’s Bar.”
I had plans to teach Megan some self-defense moves—if she even decided to show—but if she stayed with her cocksucker boyfriend I knew she’d bail on me. I wished everyone had self-defense training. If Carter allowed it, I’d enjoy teaching a couple of classes every now and again. Knowing how to defend yourself was important; it could save your life.
Three years ago, Camden and I had shown some defense moves to our cousin, Emery, who had just graduated high school and was about to go away to college. Those moves helped her fight off an attacker one night as she was walking back to her dorm.
The guy had raped three girls during that month and she would’ve been the fourth if she hadn’t used the moves we taught her. Luckily, the campus security apprehended him as he tried to stumble away. If I was there I would’ve killed him.
“Well, if it isn’t the twins of terror,” Matt teased, leaning over the ropes. “Why don’t you boys get up here and let the professionals show you how to fight?” He had the same dark hair and green eyes as Gabriella, and both of them liked to joke around. It was uncanny how they were so much alike.
I smiled up at him and flexed my muscles. “You know I would, but I’m afraid I’ll hurt you. We can’t have that now can we?”
Matt hopped out of the ring while Camden jumped up, getting in with Mason and our coach. While they sparred back and forth a bit, I figured it would be the best time to get Matt’s approval for Gabriella.
“Are you ready for your fight this Saturday?” I asked him.
He grabbed his water and chugged it down before replying, “Yeah, are you?”
“You know it. Hey, listen, I need to ask a favor.”
Setting his empty bottle down, he chuckled and wiped the sweat off of his face with a small, dark blue towel. “Uh oh, I don’t think I’ve ever heard that come out of your mouth. I’m almost scared to know.”
“Well, it has to do with your sister.”
That definitely got his attention. Pursing his lips, he immediately crossed his arms at his chest and glared at me.
Holding up my hands, I quickly said, “Dude, it’s not what you think. She picked me up from the station last night after I got into a fight at Cloud Nine. I owe her, and her request was that I talk you into letting her come to the party this Saturday after the fight.”
Matt groaned and shook
his head. “I can’t believe she asked for that. She knows I don’t like her going to the parties. I realize what happens at them.”
“Yeah, but she’s a big girl, too. Everyone understands that they need to keep their distance from her. You probably need to loosen up on her … if you don’t, she’s likely to rebel and start fucking every single fighter she can. I’m pretty sure you don’t want that.”
“Hell no I don’t,” he growled, sounding defeated. Sighing, he sat down on one of the workout benches and started taking off his gloves. “But I guess you also have a point. If I let her go, I need you to promise me you’ll keep your eye on her. I’ll talk to Tyler and make sure he watches out for her as well.”
“And if I promise you’ll let her come?”
Reluctantly, Matt nodded in reply.
“All right, I promise then. Do you want me to call and tell her the good news, or will you?”
Taking out his phone, he shook his head. “I’ll do it. I need to talk to her anyway and ask her when she wants to meet for another training session.”
Matt clapped me on the shoulder and walked away to call Gabriella. Now all I had to do was make sure she didn’t get into any trouble at my party.
It was six-thirty and everyone had already left, including Camden and my coach. “You trying to get some extra workouts in or something?” Carter asked after training.
“No,” I told him. “I’m meeting someone here at seven. I’m going to teach her some self-defense moves.”
Carter laughed. “Ah, is that what you call it these days?”
I set up my weights on the straight bar and smiled up at him before turning serious. “It’s actually not like that this time. This girl really needs help and I’m going to give it to her.”
“Is everything okay?” he asked curiously.
Sighing, I shrugged my shoulders and sat down on the bench. “Have you ever thought about having someone teach self-defense classes here?”
He nodded. “At one time I did, but all of the people who are qualified to do it already have too much on their plate. No one has the time.”