He laughs. “Nah.”
Marco comes through the door. “Good to see you boys training. I got some info from Roundman.”
Huck and I walk over to where he is and Marco holds out a piece of paper. “He’s going by the name Fredrick Wesley. Word around says he used to be in some type of special forces unit, but our contacts down there can’t find anything to really go with that. He bought the gym with cash, schedules fights. Looks like they have some back room shit going on. The old owner was locked up, will be there for thirty years. He was an old associate leading back to Lowe. It looks like he sent Frank in to take over.”
I laugh and shake my head. “Keep your story as close to the original as you can.”
Huck looks at me confused, so I explain. “When you’re undercover, that’s one of the things they teach. Keep your name close to something of your own, keep your story close to your own. You’re going to have to repeat it several times and never miss a beat so the closer it is to the original, the better your chances are. My alias was always Jake Farris.”
Huck nods. “Okay, so what does all of this mean?”
Marco looks to Huck. “Well, how do you think he’s doing? You think he’s ready to schedule a fight?”
“I think give him another week or so, find out more about the fighters down there and I’ll be able to form the training better.”
Marco nods. “I got some dossiers on some of the fighters down there. Some that would be in his class.” He sits a folder down with some profiles in it. “I figure this guy, or this one. Both are pretty much just punk street fighters. I don’t see much of a history on them but what little bit is there, they don’t go by any rules. Most of the matches they’ve been in were called because they went against the few rules MMA puts out.”
I look over the material the same as Huck. Huck looks at me. “Okay, we need to get you in the ring.”
“I think he needs a go with each one of the guys. Lox is closer to his weight class, but he needs to learn the others, too,” Marco says.
“Yeah, I’ve already told him that. I’ll see who can come in tomorrow and spar with him.” He turns back to me. “Let’s get you on that treadmill. When you go against Lox, you’re going to need stamina.”
Marco gives us a nod and walks out the door. I hop on the treadmill and start the run.
The next few days are going to be fun from the sounds of things.
A couple of weeks go by, Sloan still isn’t speaking to me, Roxanne is getting antsy and the case is at a crawl. Which cases like this one do crawl and then they kick into overdrive faster than any of us want them to. I’ve been training like a mad man though; I’ve now been in the ring with everyone here. Huck says I’m ready, but I’m not sure. Hell, even Lox says I’m ready, but I can’t fuck this up.
Marco comes through the training room doors. “All right, you’ve got a fight next weekend.”
Huck and I stop what we’re doing as Marco walks over. “You’ll be going down to Delray Beach next weekend. You’re going against a guy named Luke Kyle, which is good, he’s one of the guys we figured. He looks like the cleaner of the two, but don’t underestimate him though.”
I nod. “Okay. So when do I leave?”
Huck looks at me. “You aren’t going by yourself. I’ll be with you, along with at least one other guy. It’d look weird if you didn’t go with people from the gym, plus you need someone working your corner.”
“I’m going,” Marco pipes in. “Huck and I are going. Make sure Roxanne keeps her ass at the house.”
“Yeah, we can’t tip our hand yet.”
Huck nods. “Okay, for the next two days we’ll draw back on the workout a little. We don’t want you to over exert yourself during that time. You’ll still be doing plenty of cardio, but no real sparring.” He slaps my shoulder. “All right, get out of here.”
I nod and make my way to the showers. Roxanne isn’t going to be happy about staying home. Standing under the hot spray, I hear someone moving around the locker room. Sticking my head out, I see Lox sitting on a bench.
Once I finish I grab my towel, wrapping it around myself. I step out to face my brother-in-law. “Hey.”
“Hey. So I hear you have a fight this weekend?” he asks.
“Yeah. That’s what Marco tells me.”
“I’m going with you.”
“You don’t have to, man. I know how you feel about this. Marco and Huck are going with me.”
He shakes his head. “You know that Sloan will kick my ass if I don’t.”
“Man, I need you here, with her and the kids, not around this other shit. I don’t want any of it to blow back on you, her or the kids. I offered to go alone, but they said no.”
Lox laughs. “Ha. I would’ve liked to have seen you tell Marco you were going alone. He’s got that Marine mentality. No one ever goes alone, plus you need someone to manage your corner.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty much what they said.” I roll my shoulders as I grab my bag and get my clothes out. “So, that’s what we’re doing. I need you here with Sloan and the boys. I’m leaving Rox here, too. I can’t draw a pile of attention to this fight,” I say as I pull my boxer briefs on under my towel before removing it and putting my jeans on.
He finally sighs and nods. “Okay, man. Just know I think those two women are going to be pissed.”
“Well, I’m keeping their asses safe. While we’re talking, I’d really like for you to let me put a security system in your place like the one we put in at Gibbs. Things are about to heat up and I’d just feel better,” I reply as I tug my t-shirt on over my head.
“I’ll think about it,” he concedes. Which means he’s already been thinking about it. Huck and Chelsea are both firm believers in security systems after everything that happened with her. Gibbs is and Roxanne already has one installed.
“You guys may wanna think about the gym, too. Not just about what’s going on now, but you guys have added a lot of nice stuff here.”
“Yeah. Marco has mentioned something about that already. We actually brought it up at the last meeting. He was going to talk with you about it. That was before all of this came to light. I assume you still have your connections with that though?”
“Yeah. My guy is good and one of the few people outside of this gym I trust right now. Although, he has no clue about my real life.”
He stands up. “Okay, well I think you and Roxanne should come over for dinner soon. Sloan is still sulking around and I know the only way she’s going to get over it is to make her get over it.”
I look at him with an uncertainty. “You sure you want me to bring Roxanne?”
He shrugs. “Yeah. I mean I’m still not totally over it, but Sloan is. They’re both right. It was a long time ago and Roxanne is your girlfriend so we need to get used to her.”
“She and I are working this together. We have a benefits relationship, but I wouldn’t say she’s my girlfriend,” I explain.
“Oh. I just…well, the way you look at her seems to say otherwise.” He lifts his shoulder before walking out the door.
Fuck. Do I really look at her that way?
CHAPTER 16
ROXANNE
“Rox, you know why you can’t go,” he explains.
“Yes, I know. It just pisses me off all over again,” I say, looking through old photos one more time. I stop at the picture of my crumpled Chevelle.
“It was a beautiful car,” Jacob says over my shoulder.
I sigh, setting the picture back on the table. “Yeah, my dad and I rebuilt it together right before I went to college. It was one of the last projects he did.” I walk over and slump into my couch. “Not only did they take my mom, my sister, my nieces and my brother-in-law from me. They took the last piece of my dad that I had, too. When I drove that car, I could feel him with me.”
“They always said your dad was a one-of-a-kind agent. Your old boss said he was the best he’d ever worked with.” He sits on the couch, pulling me into his si
de.
I stare off into space thinking about my dad. “He was tough, wasn’t much into the touchy feely stuff. Jenn, my sister, couldn’t stand that. He could shut everything out in seconds and concentrate on nothing but the job. That’s why it was funny to me that Jenn fell so hard for Mitch. He had some of the same characteristics as Dad.”
I shake my head. “I always found it intriguing. The only difference in him and me is that I was okay with the undercover work. I never had a problem leaving home for months at a time. He always said I was part gypsy.” I smile, thinking about him and the day I told him I was going to intern at the agency. “I didn’t mind starting over in a new town with a new life, new identity. It was okay with me. Until it wasn’t.” I stare at the blue curtains on my large living room windows. “The night the case fell apart, I was so pissed. I remember yelling at Frank and Mitch that I’d wasted a year of my life on that case. At that point I hadn’t even talked to my mom in two months. She had no clue what I was doing. She thought Mitch and I worked for the same company selling tactical gear to government agencies. Hell, I’d been taking my clothes off for the job. I knew in my heart if my dad had been alive, he would’ve been pissed and then to lose the one thing we did together? It hurt. I felt like he would’ve been hugely disappointed in me. So, I was still determined when I woke up in that hospital bed. I was the job, damn it. Then they took my sister, Mitch and the girls. Wes Lowe smirked at me in the courtroom after my testimony and mouthed ‘boom’ to me. I fucking lost it, tried to beat the hell out of him. I told my boss I was done and then the car blew up and I lost my mom. After that I really did start over in a new town with a new life, but I knew that I wanted it to be the last time.”
He rests his head on top of mine. “Hey, it is the last time. I’m not letting this mess run you, me or my family off from here.”
I laugh. “You make it seem like you’re going to stick around for a while after this case.”
“I am. My family is here. I like watching the kids grow up, getting to be friends with my brother-in-law, spending time with my sister.” He shrugs. “It just means more. After this case, I’m done. I’m not working on contract, I’m not consulting. Anything. It’s over.”
I laugh. “I hope you’re right.”
“What do you mean you hope I’m right?”
“I’m just saying look at me. I am proof you don’t ever totally leave the life behind.” I yawn.
“You should get some rest,” he says into my hair.
I give a tired nod. “Yeah. Are you staying?”
“Do you want me to stay?” he mumbles.
What can I say? I’ve gotten used to having him in my bed. I can’t help but wonder where I’ll be when this little arrangement ends. Trying to sound casual, I say, “Well, things are certainly more interesting when you do stay.”
He picks me up, carrying me to my bedroom. “Well, we can’t have things to get boring, can we now?”
I shake my head, looking up at him. “Nope.”
He sits me on the edge of my queen-sized bed and begins to remove my shirt, along with my shorts and panties. My bra went not long after I got home. I settle into my comfortable bed as he undresses and climbs in behind me.
“Chelsea invited you over to her place tomorrow night to hang out until the fight is over. That is if you want to go. I told her I would tell you. She just knew you’d be by yourself and well, she probably will be, too. Huck and Marco are going with me. We won’t be back until really late and I think with everything going on, she’d probably prefer to have some company, too.”
I nestle into his side. “Are you sure? I mean I don’t know her that well.”
“I know, but you and Chelsea probably have a lot more in common than you think.”
“What time are you guys leaving in the morning?” I ask into the darkness of my room.
“Marco said around nine in the morning, so we’ll have time to get there and for me to relax and then warm up.”
“Okay, well I’ll think about going to Chelsea’s and let you know in the morning.”
“Okay,” he mumbles.
I feel my own eyes get heavy as I hear his breathing even out. Used to I could never sleep in a bed with someone. Now, I’m not sure how I’ll ever sleep without him. Especially since our sleepovers have become just as much about sleeping as it is about sex.
~*~*~
I find myself sitting in Chelsea and Huck’s living room talking with her and Marco’s daughter, Liz. I laugh. “So wait.” I motion to Chelsea. “Huck went into a strip club to basically bust Liz, because he didn’t trust her. Then he finds you, the girl he lost in high school, stripping?”
She nods, laughing. “Yes!” She talks with her hands a lot. “Trust me, you think he looks broody now, you should’ve seen his face that night. Then he charged right in there and kissed the hell out of me.”
“Whoa. So you guys hadn’t seen each other in years and he just lays one on you right there?”
She flushes a little. “Well, I’d ran into him at the hospital once, but we didn’t really catch up. Then he comes storming in my dressing room, there was some yelling and then yeah, he kissed me.” She snorts. “Then I slapped the shit out of him and told him to get the fuck out.”
I sit back and laugh hard. More than I’ve had the opportunity to laugh in a long time. Liz comes back in with a fresh round of beers. “Oh, are we telling the story of Huck in the strip club?”
I nod and so does Chelsea. Liz looks over to her. “Harm is still snoozing away.” Chelsea nods.
Liz grins. “Oh, I thought I was going to get fired. Huck and I had just gotten on friendly terms. He’s always such a hardass.”
Chelsea shakes her head. “No, he’s just protective over those he loves and he has a thing about secrets.” She turns to me. “I guess maybe he understands everything with you guys. He’s taken this a lot better than I thought he would. I get it. I mean my dad didn’t have to do like you guys, but I understand the work that goes into it. I understand wanting to keep everyone around you safe.”
I take a long draw from my beer. “Thanks. I seriously thought this part of my life was over.”
They both nod and Chelsea nods at me. “So, now off the serious stuff. Jacob seems kinda broody like Huck. Is he as hot and alpha male in private as Huck?”
Liz makes a gagging noise. “Shut up. I can’t hear this shit about those guys.”
I laugh. “Oh, he really is all alpha in the bedroom.”
She giggles. “Okay, so next question, and this one you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. How in the hell did you get Lox to consent to cuffs? I mean, seriously. I swear the guy irons his boxers.”
“He does not,” Liz barks. “He’s just more mature than the other two and they act like he’s a stick in the mud.”
I bury my face in my hands laughing. “Let’s just say I think that weekend, we both needed a break from who we were, and things got out of hand.”
Chelsea nods, wiping tears from her eyes. “I guess you’re right. He was always into whatever the twins were into, but he played the role of the thinker. He stopped them, well, mostly Sly, from doing stupid shit that would either land them in jail or dead.”
Liz snuggles further into the couch. “Yeah, Dad always said Sly would’ve been dead at least fifteen times now if it weren’t for the other two. That Huck would be in jail for killing someone, if not for the other two, and Lox would be an old man before his time, if not for the other two. So I guess they depend on each other to function or something.”
Chelsea turns to Liz. “So now that my sex life and Rox’s is out in the open, how are things going with you and Breanne?” I know Liz is a lesbian. I knew it when I first met her, no one had to tell me, but I guess they’re assuming I know.
Liz shrugs. “She’s all right. We’re all right. I just...I don’t know that I’ll ever want to settle down. I loved one girl and now she’s gone. I just don’t know that I’ll ever feel like that again.�
�
Chelsea smiles. “I think you will. Plus, Breanne is hot and smart. She’s in school for like physics or some shit.”
Liz shrugs. “Maybe it’ll happen. I don’t know.”
I look to her. “It can’t happen if you keep her at arm’s length. I mean I don’t know the girl you lost, but I don’t think she’d want you to live without knowing love again.”
Chelsea nods about the time her phone rings. She looks up. “It’s Huck.”
She puts it up to her ear. “Hello? Yeah—that’s good—be careful—tell him to ice it now—okay, see you in a little while. Love you, too.”
She puts her phone down. “Jacob won, but just barely. So he’s gonna be pretty bruised up, just prepare. But he got his name out there, which is what he wanted to do.”
“Yeah, he didn’t need to go in there and blow them out of the water. That’d raise too much attention. The slower process is better,” I say, fiddling with the label on my beer bottle and settling back into the couch with a sigh of relief.
CHAPTER 17
JACOB
“Okay, let’s get the hell out of here,” Marco says in his gruff tone.
I follow them to the truck and Huck hands me a couple of ice packs. “Here, go ahead and put this one on your face and the other on your hand. You already took a couple of Advil so just rest on the ride home.”
I shake my head. “Thanks, man. I have a feeling I’m going to feel like shit tomorrow.”
Huck laughs. “Oh, you will, but you’ll be at the gym doing cardio in the morning. You did good tonight. It was close, but you also held your own.”
Marco nods. “You got people showing a little interest in you now. It should be a little easier to get some fights and in turn, you get some info on that group.”
Huck grunts as we pull out of the parking lot. “Yeah. What’s his fuck was paying you some attention tonight, but he didn’t want anyone to know he was watching you.” Huck’s always paying attention to details.
“Thanks. I’m gonna put this ice on and take a breather.”
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