Challenge: A Contemporary MMA Romance: Oni Fighters Book 3

by Natalie Gayle

  Dane nodded in agreement before adding, “Do us all, and particularly Seth, a favour and let him at least help you out with paying the household expenses. It will save you both a heap of heartache.”

  Dane sounded like a man that was speaking with the benefit of experience.

  “We’ll see. I’m not broke.” I had my own ideas on all this. Regardless what bossy men thought.

  “Yeah, well let us know if you need some cash,” Xander offered and Eden nodded in agreement.

  “I’m not taking your money.”

  “Sophia, we have more than enough and Xander’s about to get an even bigger pay day. We’d rather help you than see you struggle. Isn’t that right, Xan?” Eden looked at Xander adoringly and he brushed a kiss across her forehead.

  “Yep. I’ve got a hell of a payday coming my way. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you need money.”

  Oh, God, I had that teary feeling for the second time today. What was with everyone? They must be all conspiring to make Sophia into a blubbering mess. I covered my emotions by moving around the desk and giving first my sister then my brother-in-law a hug.

  “Thanks, you two. I love you both.”

  “We love you, too.” Eden smiled at me and Xan nodded.

  We all looked at each other in kind of an awkward, emotional silence.

  “Hey, what about me?” Dane put in and wrapped an arm around my waist and scooped me back for a quick hug before releasing me.

  “You’re going to be just fine, Soph. Now, go get ready. I’ll meet you back on the mats in two.” Dane turned his attention to Xan. “Make your call, man. Reed will be on the phone to his dad and you know Ron will call Len. He’s expecting it this time.”

  “Okay, I’ll be out in about ten. Think you two can manage without me until then?”

  Dane rose from the edge of the desk where he’d been perched.

  “Somehow, we’ll battle through. Right, Soph?”

  “Right,” I agreed.

  As I headed to the women’s locker room, I realized just how much I loved my friends and family. I did not doubt for a second that any of them would give me the shirt off their back if they thought I needed it.

  I really was lucky to have all of them.

  14

  Seth

  “There he is!”

  My head sprung up from the iPad I had resting on the wheeling table. Mark, one of my mates from Onigashima, was striding through the door. It had been one long arse day without Sophia to keep me company. I didn’t realise how much I missed her until I was bored out of my brain this afternoon. And the minutes had been dragging ever since.

  “Hey, man, what’s happening?” I reached my hand out and we did the fist bump/handshake thing.

  “Thought I’d better call in and see you. It’s been awhile.” Mark looked a little sheepish. “Sorry, mate, I’ve been meaning to get in earlier, I’ve just been smashed with work. Flu bug has taken out half the damned station. Crims are having a field day, I reckon.”

  Mark was a detective down at the local police station.

  “That’s fine, man. Don’t sweat it. You can’t help being busy.”

  He avoided the chair beside the bed. The one that Sophia always sat in.

  “Take a seat, mate.” I nodded at the chair.

  “Nah, I’ll stand for a bit. I’ve been sitting down all day doing paperwork. Bane of my existence.”

  “Sounds gruesome,” I agreed.

  He just nodded. “So, where are you at?”

  “I’m doing okay, I guess. Pissed that I’m still basically stuck in this bed. Although, I can manage to get to the bathroom and walk around a bit with the help of my trusty mistress.”

  Mark looked confused. I nodded at the walking frame on the other side of the bed. “She’s the type that loves you to hang all over her.” Dude seemed quiet and a bit distant this afternoon. Maybe the job was getting to him?

  Finally, he seemed to see the humour and smirk a little, it just didn’t reach his eyes.

  There was an awkward silence for a couple of moments. I wondered who was supposed to be cheering who up?

  “You okay, mate?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not just here to pop in and see a friend, Seth.”

  Mark’s face had turned all business and I wondered what the hell he was on about?

  “You’ve lost me.”

  “Do you know it’s routine that we get a blood sample from all accident victims when they come into the hospital? We test for blood alcohol levels and also levels of prohibited substances, drugs, in your blood.”

  Oh fuck! The bottom fell out of my stomach. I’d been drinking that night. Heavily. How bad was it? Was I going to go for driving under the influence? Lose my license?

  Fuck! I don’t even remember driving that night. The last thing I recall was riding the ecstasy train in Sophia’s tight pussy. If that was what the “e” he was talking about, then I clearly remember being guilty, no other drug needed.

  Anything else…nope.

  Mark had his cop face on. I really did prefer his mate face.

  “I don’t remember shit about that night, mate. I must have driven, I get that. I just don’t remember any of it.” I took a deep breath. “How bad was it?”

  “You had a reading of .02.”

  .02…that was under the limit, wasn’t it?

  It was as if Mark could hear my thoughts. “Yeah, you were under. The only thing that saved your arse, I reckon, is that we didn’t get to do a blood test for a few hours.”

  His words sank in. I’d obviously driven way over the limit.

  I was lucky I hadn’t killed someone else.

  Fuck! I had almost killed myself!

  “Fuck, man, you know I never drive under the influence.” It was a feeble excuse.

  “Well, that’s what I thought I knew. Now, I’m not so sure. So, why that night, Seth?”

  I shook my head and chewed my bottom lip. I wish I knew. Fuck, I wish I knew. I had this crazy feeling like I should have known but nothing came forward in my head that made any sense no matter how hard I tried to pull it up.

  “Hi, guys!” Sophia called brightly as she appeared from behind Mark who was blocking most of my path to the door.

  Her gaze quickly flicked back and forth between us when she realized something was wrong.

  “Umm, I can come back.” I saw the worry etched on her face as she turned to go.

  “No. Stay,” I said.

  She moved nervously in and popped a brief kiss on my lips before taking the seat.

  “You sure I’m not interrupting?”

  “If Seth’s cool about you seeing me chew his arse for driving under the influence then that’s fine with me. I gather you were pretty smashed that night as well. Won’t hurt for you to have a reminder about getting behind the wheel of a car when you’ve been drinking.” Mark glared between both of us.

  “What are you talking about?” Sophia looked totally confused.

  “Apparently, I had a blood alcohol reading of .02 when they tested.”

  “That’s under, right? So, what’s the problem?”

  Mark let out a long sigh. “The problem is, Seth would have started out driving while under the influence. The fact is the only reason I’m not here charging him with DUI is because his arse was stuck in a wreck for probably four hours. If he’d been found and transported to the hospital immediately, I’m pretty sure he’d have gone well over the limit. I think the thing that saved his arse is his size, based on the rate alcohol metabolises. Particularly in guys Seth’s size.”

  “Ohhh! I never realized or thought to be honest,” Sophia admitted.

  “I should be here checking in on a mate. Instead, I’m giving a lecture and it sucks. It would have been one of the other traffic guys. It’s just that with half the station down with the flu and with no charges to be laid, I said I’d go deliver the lecture. Have to say it pains me to do it. I would have sworn you two knew better,” Mark gritted out and it w
as evident the whole speech cost him.

  “We do know better,” Sophia defended both of us. Mark just raised his eyebrows in a look that said “really?”

  “We had been drinking. But we had no intention of driving. We got a cab back from the party to my house. Problem is, I don’t remember much after that. I don’t remember Seth leaving. There’s no way I would have let him drive if I hadn’t um…fallen asleep.”

  And here we were, circled back to that same old chestnut.

  Why the fuck had I left?

  Mark shifted his weight and shoved his hands in his hip pockets. “Well, unless Seth here, get’s his memory back we’ll never know. Maybe you two need to lay off the booze and not party so hard. Alternatively, make sure there’s no need for you to go out again. What the hell did you need to go out for anyway? Condoms!” Mark said the last bit as a joke and I smirked and nodded my head at his attempt at humour. Problem was, that sort of seemed to feel like it might have been the reason, but I knew Sophia had a stash at her place so, nope, that didn’t fit.

  All this thinking was hurting my brain.

  “Look, man, I’m really sorry. I’ve never done anything so stupid before. What’s more, I can’t give you a reason why. All I can say is I won’t do it again.”

  Sophia nodded her support.

  Mark glared at both of us. “Make sure you don’t. I don’t want to have to see my friends down at the station for any reason other than popping in to say hi. Nor do I want to see either of you become a road statistic.”

  Yep, Mark had this lecture shit down pat. It was official—I felt about an inch tall. Although, there was no way I was going to let on. I’d fucked up for whatever reason and the reality was a lecture was a very small price to pay.

  “Message received loud and clear, mate and I’m really sorry I did something dumb and put you in an awkward position.” I apologized and I really meant it.

  A hint of a grin finally graced Mark’s mouth. “I’m just glad you’re fine. No hard feelings?”

  “Hard to have hard feelings when I’m the dickhead that fucked up, even if I don’t know why.”

  This time, the grin was bigger on Mark’s face.

  “So, when the hell are you getting out of here. Surely they must be sick of your arse by now?”

  “Yep, seems to be the case. Doc said he wants to do some final tests at the end of the week and a couple of x-rays. If all is okay, I’m out of here after that.” It had been the only highlight of my day. I was just schooling myself not to get too excited before I got the test results.

  Sophia jumped up and hugged me the best she could with me laying in this stupid bed.

  “That’s such good news. You must be so pleased.” She looked at me, her face radiant. God, she was a beautiful girl and apparently all mine. I was still kind of pinching myself at that.

  “Yeah, looking forward to being at home and sleeping in my own bed.” Our eyes snagged and I saw the heat there in hers at the thought of my big, king bed. Was that a twitch in my shorts or just wishful thinking? I held my breath waiting…

  She pulled back a fraction. “What?”

  “I think something happened.”

  “What are you talking about?” Sophia looked totally confused.

  Her hand landed on my shoulders and she pushed herself back a little further, looking at me like I’d grown another head.

  I could see confusion all over Mark’s face as well from behind Sophia’s shoulder.

  “My dick! It twitched. When you looked at me like that. I was starting to get hard.”

  Sophia threw her arms around me and planted her lips on mine in a smacking kiss.

  “That’s great.”

  We pecked and smooched at each others lips a few more times. Oh yeah, something was definitely happening in my shorts.

  Mark cleared his throat before saying. “Umm, I’m just going to head out.”

  We broke apart like guilty teenagers, only there was no way I was going to be unhappy about what was going on in my shorts.

  Thank Christ.

  “Don’t go, man. Stay and chat.”

  Mark just glanced at the more prominent bulge under the blanket. “Two’s company, three’s a crowd I think in this case.”

  “Sorry, mate. I didn’t mean for that to get awkward. But I can’t say I’m upset...downstairs has kind of been out of action. Appears he’s back from holidays.”

  A deep belly chuckle let rip from Mark’s throat. “That’s too fucking funny. I bet he’s been irritable and moody as shit, hey, Soph?”

  She moved back to the chair and I was a bit annoyed at that. I liked having her up against me. Particularly now. Could I get fully hard yet?

  “Umm, he’s had his moments,” she offered politely.

  Mark laughed again.

  “Hey, it’s not that fucking funny. See how you like waking up with a tube shoved up your dick and your hips smashed to pieces. Fuck, I haven’t had sex in weeks. That’s some kind of record. I can’t remember a dry spell like this since I was about fourteen.”

  “Tragic, really.” Sophia mimicked a violin playing and Mark laughed harder.

  “Yeah, you can laugh but while I’m out you’re not getting any either.”

  Then she turned on me with a wicked glint in her eyes. “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve been managing with BOB. He’s been assisting me quite well.”

  BOB!!!

  Right. That did it. She’d better be packing BOB when she came to stay. I wanted to get acquainted with my “assistant” BOB. No way could I fathom the possibility BOB could replace what I could do to her…make her feel. But fuck, we could have some fun.

  “Really? Wait till we get home,” I threatened. I honestly had no idea what I was going to be able to do about anything. My hips still hurt like a bitch and the thought of the workout they’d get fucking her hard, like she loved had me breaking out in a cold sweat, but there was no way I was admitting to that.

  “Yep, and I really know it’s time for me to head out now.” Mark made his way over to Sophia and gave her a hug.

  “See you at training this week?”

  “Maybe. I’m mainly training days now.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, I kind of lost my job today,” Sophia explained.

  “What! Why are you telling me now?” I demanded.

  She waved her hand at me casually. “I didn’t want you to worry. John was an arse again and insisted on my taking on the rent roll rather than doing agent stuff. He also refused to let me work from home nor would he let me take compassionate leave to be at home for you. So, in the end, he decided to fire me.”

  Fucking dipshit John. If I’d been up and around, I’d have paid that sniveling cocksucker a visit. But then, if I’d been up and around, chances were all this stuff never would have come to a head for Sophia. Bottom line—she’d lost her job because of me.

  “You got a case for wrongful dismissal?” Mark’s eyes had narrowed at Sophia’s news.

  “I think so. I’ve made an appointment with the lawyer Seth recommended to talk about that and some other stuff. I guess I didn’t realise just how much of a grudge he was holding against me.”

  What? Why was this the first I was hearing about this?

  “What do you mean by that?” I demanded.

  She shrugged one shoulder and smiled at me. “Oh, nothing really. I just realized that since I turned down his advances he’s been giving me all the crap jobs and he’s been well…difficult.”

  Now, I was pissed. No pencil dick, arse wipe was giving my woman shit.

  “When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me?” It came out angrier than I intended and immediately I saw her shoulders stiffen.

  “It was months ago. While you guys were all in Vegas. Shit, we weren’t even together. It was only today I realized it when I looked back and thought on what he’d been doing.” Her voice was defensive.

  “I’m going to kill him,” I fumed.

  “Um, best not say shit like th
at in front of a police officer,” Mark reminded me. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear any of that.”

  “Fuck! Not like I could take the arsehole anyway. I can barely walk let alone dish out a beating, well at least not at the moment.”

  Sophia glared at me. “Would you put a lid on all the macho shit? I could take the guy in my sleep if I needed to. I don’t need you fighting my battles.” Then, she smiled. “Don’t worry, if I need help sorting out anyone, I’ll let you know.”

  I nodded, my ego somewhat soothed. Truth was, my girl was a hell of a fighter. In fact, she was a warrior. Not too many guys would stand a chance. They’d need some serious training to have a fair shot. And fuck if I didn’t feel my dick twitch again at the thought.

  Athletic fighter girl…sexy as hell…all mine!

  Suddenly, I was feeling horny.

  I must be getting better.

  I’d have to fuck her soon. I had no idea how I was going to pull that shit off but that was something to ponder later and hell if it didn’t give me a little pep up.

  “Anyway, enough about my bullshit previous job. Xander’s fight’s been set. Yeah, we’ve got about four months.”

  Four months!

  I was going to be useless for at least the first couple. Shit. Now, I was letting down one of my best mates because I was busted up. I’d been letting down my girl—she’d freely admitted she’d resorted to BOB.

  “Who’s he going to train with given Seth’s out?”

  “We were talking about it today. Dane mainly, of course. And he had a couple of ground lovers in mind that he was going to discuss with Reed.”

  What? replace me!

  “Oh, and he mentioned he wants to train with me,” Soph added in coyly.

  “What?” This time, I voiced my surprise.

  “Yeah, I was shocked too. Xan and Dane apparently talked about it and they think there’s some stuff I can help with, plus, it will help me with prep for my fight.”

  Mark nodded looking impressed.

  Me, I wasn’t so sure I liked this idea at all. Fight training for what Xander was doing was insanely tough. Sophia was tough and had the never say die attitude but training with Xander was like moving out of the national league and going straight for Olympic Gold. She’d be knackered all the time and battered and bruised.