“So, is this like the Jets and the Sharks?” Molly asked.
She was so fucking bouncy. It was like everything excited her. Every question she asked was done with a smile and she never frowned at anyone. It pissed me off. Everyone should be angry at least once at some point in their day. The woman was so damn infuriating.
“Well, there won’t be any singing or dance fighting, but it’s something like that,” Cap answered. “And since we only have you guys for a few days, we should get started. We set you guys up in the first locker room. I was thinking we’d run some drills first, let you guys get an idea for where we stand, and let you take it from there.”
“This is so cool,” Molly whispered. “Should I give you a blow job for good luck?”
Fuck, I was going to hell.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Molly
Sebastian directed me to a sort of spectator section. It wasn’t exactly like stadium seats, but there were some folding chairs and it seemed to be out of the way of all the action. There were already a few women sitting over there, so I smiled and took a seat next to one of them.
“Hi, I’m Molly, Tony’s girlfriend.”
“Ali. I’m Chris’s wife, and Axel is my son.”
“Oh, cool! It’s so nice to meet you. Your son is like…huge. Way huge.”
She laughed, “Yep, he takes after his dad.” She turned and tapped another woman on the shoulder. “This is Molly, Tony’s girlfriend.” Then she turned to me and pointed to the other ladies. “This is Raegan, Reese, Cara, and Ivy.”
They all waved hello and I smiled back, so excited to have some girlfriends to hang out with.
“Hey,” I chirped. “This is so cool. When I found out what Tony did, I was a little nervous, but this is totally cool. Now I can see what he does and maybe I won’t be so nervous when he goes out on jobs.”
“How long have you been together?”
“Oh, a few days.”
“A few…” Ali nodded, a look of total shock on her face.
“I know, it’s fast, but when you know, you know. That’s how it was for Tony and me. It just all clicked and fell into place. And now we’re just mad about each other. He’s coming home to meet my parents this weekend.”
Her eyebrows shot up and a smile split her lips. “Well…that’s just…wow.”
“I know, right? I’m so lucky to have finally found him. I knew that it would be this way when I found the man of my dreams. Was that how it was for you?”
“Um…well, no actually. Chris left me alone and pregnant, even though he didn’t know. I was taken by a gang where I raised our son until he was sixteen. I contacted Chris and he rescued us. We started a huge gang war, and now here we are today.”
“Wow!” I shook my head in amazement. “That is such a good love story. I mean, he rescued you? And now his son is just like him. Stories just don’t get any better than that.”
She looked at me strangely and shook her head. “Uh…thanks.”
“What about the other ladies? Do they have exciting stories too?”
“Um…well, I guess?”
“Tell me,” I asked excitedly. “I live in a hole. I swear, nothing exciting ever happens. I mean, I work in a bar, so I see some cool stuff, but nothing like this.”
“Well, Reese recently got married to Craig. Um…they didn’t really date all that long, but he stalked her, kidnapped her, tricked her into marrying him, and now they’re going to have a baby.”
“Aww, that is so sweet,” I said, holding my hands over my heart.
“I’m pretty sure she didn’t feel the same way.”
“Really? Which one’s Craig?”
She pointed to a sexy as hell man that was fighting with one of the other guys. His body was ripped and lean and so fucking sexy. Frankly, I didn’t see a downside to any of this.
“Damn, look at that body. Do they all look like that? I mean, I’m not seeing any guy that doesn’t look like a model.”
“Yeah,” she sighed. “They all look like this.”
“So, do you spend all your time down here watching them train?”
“No, I have a little girl. Well, she’s not so little anymore. She’s actually just about to turn four. But now she’s off training, so I have a lot more free time.”
“Training for what?”
“Oh, all the kids start training when they get old enough. Yeah, it’s actually a little creepy, but once the guys all started having kids, there was no stopping them. It comes with the territory. Once you’re a part of Reed Security, you just go along with it.”
“So, my kids will be part of this?”
She looked at me funny. “Are you and Tony already talking about this?”
“Well, my mom wants to know, so I’ll need to find out so I can let her know. She’s very nosey like that.”
I watched as Tony started fighting the man named Toro and I flinched when he took a punch to the face. Toro moved like he was an actual bull. He was fast and when he attacked, it was swift and hard. I winced as Toro came at him from behind.
“Why didn’t he block?” I asked Ali.
“He can’t hear him.”
“What do you mean?”
“His hearing is distorted in the ring. He can’t wear the hearing aid in the ring. It’s not safe.”
“Oh, well, then should he be fighting?”
“It’s good practice. It helps him to use his other senses when fighting. But right now, he’s distracted.”
“Why?”
She smiled at me. “Because you’re here.”
“Oh.”
“Come on, old man,” Toro shouted. “Get up.”
Tony jumped to his feet and rushed Toro, grabbing him around the waist and pushing him into the corner where he started pummeling the shit out of him. “I’m thirty-fucking-two, asshole.”
“You move like you’re ninety. Should I ask Molly to get you a diaper? Are you gonna have an accident?”
“Oh shit,” I whispered, slapping a hand over my mouth. “I shouldn’t have said that, should I?”
“You told them that Tony needs diapers?” she asked incredulously.
“Not exactly. Tony told me that he couldn’t come over last night because he wets the bed.” Her eyes went wide and she shook her head slowly like she couldn’t believe I was that stupid. “I didn’t know he was lying! Why would he lie about something like that? Who would think to make up something like that?”
“Well, he’s gonna pay for it now,” she laughed. “Serves him right.”
We sat there for a minute watching, but then curiosity got the better of me. “Hey, any tips on Tony?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, he’s just so reserved. I know he’s going through some stuff, but I want to help pull him out of that.”
She thought about it and then grinned. “You know, he loves tacos.”
“He does?”
“Totally. Eats them all the time.”
Hmmm. I could make him tacos, but honestly, they were a lot of work and there were way too many ingredients.
“Do you think I should make a run to Taco Bell?”
Her eyes lit up and I knew I had hit the jackpot. “He’d love that. And you should get him some of everything.”
“Yeah?”
“Totally. He loves them all; nachos, chalupas, regular tacos, Mexican pizza.”
“Cool. I would get them for everyone, but that’s probably a lot of money. I’m assuming these guys eat a lot.”
She grinned and there was a hint of mischievousness that I detected, but what could be so sinister about tacos? Besides, it was her idea. “Hold that thought.” She pulled out her phone and texted someone, then turned to me with a grin. “Cap said you can take the company card. He’s waiting for you by the door.”
“Super. I guess I’ll go get lunch.”
I got the card from Cap and he led me out of the training center. I was so excited to be running errands for my man. My man. It had been
a long time since I’d thought about having a man. The last few guys that I dated had been great. Everything was going along so well. Momma and Daddy had loved them and the dinners that we had gone to had been so good. But they all came up with excuses as to why it wasn’t working out.
It’s not you, it’s me.
I’m too in love with you. I think I’ve lost myself.
Our Zodiac signs just aren’t compatible.
You’re too good. You deserve better than me.
We don’t fight enough. You obviously don’t care about this relationship.
The excuses went on and on. In the end, it was like I wasn’t enough. But I didn’t understand it. When I dated someone, I went all in. There was no halfway. Why date someone with only the intention of getting to know him? No, it had to be that I was one hundred percent devoted to that person. Only then would I get to see his true colors.
I loaded up on Taco Bell, spending way more money than I had in a very long time. I actually felt guilty handing over Sebastian’s card, but he told me to load up, so that’s what I did.
When I walked back into the Reed Security building, Cap was waiting for me with a huge grin. He led me down the hall to the conference table and told me to go ahead and start unpacking while he got the guys. I heard the loud rumble of voices as they all walked down the hall, and stood next to the table and the spread of food. The guys all walked in and started laughing, but it wasn’t until Tony walked in and stopped dead in his tracks that I knew this was more than just tacos.
He looked up and shook his head, then walked over to the table. “I hate all of you.”
✯✯✯✯✯
“I swear, I had no idea,” I said to Tony as I sat next to him eating tacos. “Ali told me that you loved tacos. I didn’t know it was a nickname. How did you get it anyway?”
He rolled his eyes as he chewed his taco. “I was working at Taco Bell before I came here. I met Maggie when she was causing shit in Pittsburgh and I somehow got tangled up in it. When Cap arrived and he found out that Maggie had hired me, he said that he didn’t even know what my qualifications were. So, I was honest and told him I was currently working at Taco Bell. He said something like Great! You hired Tony Tacos, and it stuck. I haven’t been able to shake the name since. And not just that name. There are variations of it. Taco cheese, Taco truck, Taco Man. I thought I would get some manly nickname, but no, I got stuck as a taco.”
I thought about it for a moment. “Taco salad.” I grinned and glanced over at him. “Sorry, just thought I’d throw that out there.”
He grunted and shoved the rest of his taco in his mouth.
“So, I was talking to my mom, and she was wondering what time we would be there on Saturday.”
Tony choked suddenly, gasping for air. I slapped him on the back, but he flinched away from me. Was it something I said? Maybe he didn’t like the taco reference.
“You know, I think we should play it by ear. I’m not even sure I’ll be able to go. It all depends on work.”
“But Sebastian said that you could have off.”
“Right, but jobs come up at the last minute all the time,” he said awkwardly.
“Oh, well that’s good to know. I’ll let my parents know that it depends on your work schedule.”
“Right.” I looped my arm through his and sighed in contentment, resting my head on his shoulder. Tony was such a good guy. It was so nice of him to be considerate with my parents, not wanting them to be waiting around for us when he might get called out.
“I should get back.” Tony shoved to his feet and looked at me strangely before offering his hand to help me up. Such a gentleman. I kissed him on the lips and walked back to the seats to sit with the other ladies. An arm swung around my shoulder and a brute of a man was walking beside me. I recognized him from the second time I’d been here.
“You’re on Tony’s team, right?”
“Storm,” he grinned. “That was totally awesome. Was that all you?”
“Sorry,” I chuckled. “I can’t take credit for that. I didn’t even know about his nickname. Ali put me up to it.”
“He hates that nickname, says he needs something more manly.”
“Something that makes him sound powerful,” I said thoughtfully. “Like TNT.”
Storm snorted. “Sure, but it’s not as good as Tony Tacos.”
I bit my lip and grinned up at him. “Tony Nachos Tacos. TNT.”
Storm paused and then burst out laughing, “Holy shit, woman. I think you just made my day.”
“Shit, I shouldn’t have said that,” I said quickly. “Just forget the nickname.”
“Are you kidding me? You want me to forget a nickname that allows me to make fun of the Taco man, while making him think that he has a really awesome nickname?”
I fidgeted uncomfortably, wondering what Tony would think when he realized they were mocking him because of me. “Look, just forget that I had anything to do with it.”
“Not a chance in hell,” he laughed. “You know, I like you. I mean, I can see what he’s talking about, but you’ll be good for him.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked in confusion. What did Tony say?
“Nothing, sweetheart. Don’t let him push you away, okay?”
There was a serious tone to his voice, but also a mischievous one. Damnit, that was like the third time that I felt like I wasn’t being let in on the joke. What the hell?
“You’re staying for the rest, right?”
I glanced at my watch and shook my head. “No, I can’t. I have to leave for work.”
“Well, we’ll see you later, Taco sauce.”
“Hey, I didn’t work at Taco Bell,” I shouted to him.
“You’re named by association,” he said with a grin as he ran off. Yep. I was definitely getting in deep with my man.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Tony
I walked into my suite and tossed the keys down on the table right inside the door. I was fucking sore after today. Not that I wanted to admit it, but those guys were kicking my ass. They moved faster than I had expected, but they were cocky as hell, and we could use that against them later. I quickly showered, then headed to the kitchen to find something to eat. Usually Raegan’s mom made sure that we were all well fed. It was a little weird having them in the bunker all the time, but then again, this was their home now. And they weren’t my parents, so at least there was that. Besides, they made sure that all of us were taken care of. Susan did all the cooking, and even helped us out with laundry and cleaning when we were busy. Her dad, Robert, took care of maintenance around the bunker and ran errands. But he had recently gotten a job in town, so he wasn’t around as much as he used to be.
“Tony,” Susan beamed. “Are you ready for dinner?”
I nodded and returned her smile. “What did you make tonight?” She was the best cook that I knew, and after seeing what Molly made, there was no way I could ever leave Mrs. C’s fabulous cooking.
I shook my head, wondering what the hell made me think of Molly. She was nothing, just a woman that acted like we were together. Even today with the whole taco thing, I got that it was a joke, but she shouldn’t be in on it. It felt too domestic, and we weren’t even dating.
“I made chicken and potatoes tonight.” She shoveled all the meat and potatoes onto separate plates like she did every night for whoever was around to eat it. Her chicken and potatoes was amazing, and not at all like Molly’s. She made these onions with it and let them caramelize. It was hands down one of my favorite meals.
I greedily grabbed the plate and started shoveling the food into my mouth. Susan raised an eyebrow at me and let out a tsk sound. I grimaced, knowing what was coming.
“You don’t think you’re actually going to get away with skipping your vegetables, do you?”
I groaned as she picked up a pot and started scooping out broccoli onto my plate.
“Don’t give me that, young man. You need vegetables.”
�
��But Mrs. C-”
“Don’t Mrs. C me,” she scolded.
I pretended to be mad, but there was no being mad at that woman. She was way too good to all of us. She didn’t have to cook our meals, and she didn’t have to look out for us the way she did, but she treated all of us like we were her kids. It was actually pretty awesome, but I was pretty sure that Jackson took offense to it. That was his problem though. He was the one that moved out and away from her cooking.
“So, Storm tells me that you have a new lady friend.”
I dropped my fork with a groan. “I do not have a lady friend.”
“He said that she showed up here today to watch you train.” She started drying some dishes, smiling like she had a secret. “I think that’s great. You need to get back out there after what happened.”
“Look, I’m not trying to get back out there or anything. She’s just a drunken mistake. I don’t know why she keeps showing up.”
“Really?” she smirked. “You have no idea why a woman that you slept with one night would form an attachment to you?”
“I don’t even remember it,” I grumbled.
“And you think that matters to her? Why don’t you try just talking to her?”
“Because she’s psycho.”
“Oh, come on. She can’t be that bad.”
“She handcuffed me to her bed the other night.”
“And you slept with her again? Good work,” she said sarcastically.
“It wasn’t- what was I supposed to do?”
“Well, you could have started by telling her no,” she laughed. “Do you really think that sleeping with her is going to make her think that you don’t want her? I may be older, Tony, but I’m not stupid. Even I know that you’re headed for disaster.”
“Well, how would you do it? I mean, let’s say that you were the woman and a man was letting you down, and you were…obsessive. What would work for you?”
She thought about it for a second. “Honesty. Brutal honesty. But, Tony, there’s no halfway. You can’t be swayed by her good looks, and when she tries to tell you that you’re just saying that or you’re scared, whatever it is, you have to be very honest with her. Otherwise, you’re going to lose and she’s going to keep pursuing you.” She set the dish towel down on the counter and turned to leave the room. “And, Tony, don’t sleep with her again.”
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