“We probably could’ve stayed there for free since my uncle Dimitri owns that place, but I wanted to stay here with my parents since I don’t get to see them that often and I don’t know when it’ll be the last time, you know?”
Hearing the sadness in her voice, Weave covered her body with his and stared down into her eyes. “This is not the last time you’ll see them, I promise.”
Kera blinked away a tear. “You can’t promise that; you don’t have any control over those sort of things.”
“I certainly can promise it. I’m going to fight, Kera. I’m fighting for you until the bitter end, and I’ll make sure your parents are right there with me. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do to keep you happy and alive,” including selling his soul, he added silently.
It’s funny how life always manages to bring you full circle. He had sat in this same hospital chapel when he had found out Daniel had died from his injuries, and here he was again. Back then, Weave had been unable to pray for anything, much less forgiveness, but now he prayed non-stop for his wife’s recovery. He liked the chapels they had inside of hospitals—they weren’t intimidating the way a regular church was and no one tried to talk to you. He hated when people tried to save him when he was beyond saving. When he had been living in Manhattan, he’d been forced to endure way too much daytime T.V. as he’d tried to recover, but as he’d been flipping through the channels one day, he had come across a taped version of some church’s Sunday services. He wasn’t much for church himself, and he couldn’t even remember what denomination the church had been, but he had been sucked in by the man’s words. The sermon had been on how to pray. Weave had always associated prayer with the beginning of Thanksgiving dinner and such, but this guy was telling him to talk to God as if he were a friend; that there were no rules since God already knew what was in your heart, and going on with your life, there was no reason to try to gloss the situation over. He said if you’re angry with God then tell Him you’re mad. If you are in need, tell Him you are in need. He’d gone on to talk about how there was no need to hide your real self from Him, so Weave had tried it, and it had brought him so much comfort that he hadn’t stopped since. He felt sure that God heard every one of his prayers, and even though Weave was just as sure he’d never get into heaven, he did feel as if he had a friend there. Glancing down, Weave checked the time on his watch and decided Kera was probably wondering where he had gone. He made his way back to her room and found Jazz still there. He was sitting silently in the corner but his energy could be felt all the way across the room. Kera slept peacefully, and a quick check of her monitors let him know she was stable.
“Did the doctor come back while I was gone?”
Jazz nodded. “Yes, he gave her some medicine and she was unable to stay awake afterwards, but he seemed to have high hopes that this would work, and indeed her vital signs have already improved.” Weave breathed easier at Jazz’s words.
He chose the chair closest to Jazz so their conversation wouldn’t disturb Kera’s sleep. “When Kera was describing her family to me, I had always pictured you as an elderly preacher.” Jazz appeared no older than twenty-eight and couldn’t look less like a preacher.
“Where I am from, religion is viewed very differently than it is here.”
Weave listened to Jazz’s flat American accent, unable to even guess at where that was, “Where are you from?”
Jazz looked thoughtful, and Weave wondered momentarily if he were about to be lied to. “China,” Jazz answered, finally.
“You don’t have an accent.”
Jazz met his eyes but showed no sign of annoyance at his obvious disbelief. “I speak fluent Cantonese, but I have lived here for so long that any hint of accent is long gone.” He motioned toward the bed. “Kera mentioned that you work in security and that you have fought professionally. Have you ever considered coming to work for Safe Haven?”
“Jacob offered me a job once, but I turned him down since it didn’t sound like my kind of lifestyle. I wasn’t aware you worked for them,” Weave said a bit surprised. What would a man of God even do for a company like Safe Haven?
“I do not, but my wife does. She is a counselor, and after hearing all about your past I wonder if you couldn’t assist in that area as well. Helping others seems more fitting for you than protecting people’s material things.”
Weave groaned. “This is starting to sound a lot like you’re trying to save my soul.”
“Saving people is not really what I’m known best for,” Jazz said dryly.
CHAPTER SEVEN
They sat silently, crowded around the waiting room, each of them watching their own spots upon the wall, lost in their own thoughts. Lily shifted a sleeping Kyle higher on her shoulder, and Bob glanced over at the movement. “Do you need me to take him?” she shook her head, not wanting to answer out loud and wake Kyle up. She had kept Kyle away from the hospital until today but while Kera was in surgery she wanted to sit with Bob and offer what support she could to Weave, even if it was only adding her prayers to everyone else’s.
When she had arrived at the hospital, Weave had looked at her in surprise but had welcomed her with open arms, and now all that any of them could do was wait. Lily took the opportunity to more closely examine Kera’s family; they were a strange lot. There was a lovely woman with whitish-blonde hair that was heavily streaked with red; she had been introduced to Lily as Kera’s mom, Lena. Lena held Weave’s hand while Weave sat with his head bowed as if he were lost in his prayers. Lena’s father, Dan, paced the room like a caged lion. He had salt-and-pepper hair that did nothing to distract from his powerful presence, and Lily thought Kera must be wonderful indeed to have come from such parents as these. The truly odd factor in the room was Kera’s uncle, Dominic; he had hair that was a strange mixture of blonde, red, and black. He also had one green eye and one blue, but he was beautiful; there was no other word to describe him. He kept his hands covered by a pair of gloves even though they were inside and he wasn’t wearing a jacket. He was a mystery to her. Bob and Weave’s parents, Lucy and Ace Sparks, were also there looking worried but hopeful.
Lily focused once more on the bare wall, becoming lost in her own worries once more. It was strange how a few simple words spoken could create a serendipitous moment of clarity. Bob hadn’t said anything she didn’t already know. Lily had known he had felt that she should have loved Kyle automatically the way he had, simply because she loved Bob, but not until he had said the words aloud did she fully understand that he was right.
Kyle was only a baby, and he was a part of Bob. Kyle needed Bob more than she ever would, and looking at Kyle now she realized he needed her too. Why hadn’t she seen him as the blessing he truly was? She couldn’t have children of her own and she had lived in constant fear that Bob would reject her when he discovered that little tidbit, but God had handed her this beautiful child to love as her own, to make them a family, and she had thrown it all away. She hugged Kyle closer and placed a light kiss on his head. He let out a tiny snuffling noise in his sleep, and her heart melted at the sound. She was such a fool. Lily suddenly felt as if she were being watched. She snuck a quick look around the room and caught Dominic’s gaze. He seemed to be looking right through her and she felt as if her entire soul had been laid bare. She held his stare, refusing to be the first to look away. He rose and moved to sit in the empty seat next to her. Bob was preoccupied with his mom and Dominic leaned closer as not to be overheard. “He has already forgiven you. You should forgive yourself and allow yourself to love Bob the way he deserves.”
Lily stared at him in shock but the surgeon came in, cutting off her attempts to question Dominic.
Jazz had dressed the part perfectly for his hospital visit, ensuring the trust of the staff there, but he was back in his usual black attire for his visit with Shannon Smith. He found him immersed in a stack of paperwork inside his office at Smith Brothers Fight Club. Shannon glanced up as Jazz entered the office, and his eyebrows rose in surprise.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Shannon Smith.”
“Well you found him,” Shannon said smiling radiantly. He shined with an inner light that Jazz had only seen once before in Kera’s father, Dan.
He held out his hand for Shannon to shake. He really hated for anyone other than his family to touch him, but exceptions had to be made when dealing with normal people who were accustomed to such interaction. “My name is Jazz Anderson, and I run a charitable organization that puts together major events in order to raise money for families who have no place to stay while their children undergo treatment for cancer.” It was a huge lie of course, but he figured God would forgive him since he would make sure every penny did indeed go to that charity if he was forced to actually put the event together. “As I understand it, you used to have a man that fought for you professionally by the name of Weave Sparks. I am putting together a match, and, since he had a huge fan following before he dropped off the map, I think he would be a real draw to my event if he would be willing to fight again for the first time there, but I was unsure if he was still represented by your organization.”
Shannon sat back looking thoughtful as if he hadn’t considered Weave returning to the ring before Jazz had put the idea in his head, which was the point. “As far as I know he isn’t fighting any longer, and his wife is extremely sick right now so I don’t know if he would even be willing to consider it, but if you leave me your information I’ll ask him.” He looked away for a moment as if the idea was really beginning to take root. “He’s still in fighting shape,” he added absently.
Jazz wrote his cell phone number on a sticky note and the name of a fake corporation while making a mental note to get Dan started on making the company look real. If Weave accepted, they had a lot of work ahead of them making this lie into the truth.
Bob’s parents offered to take Kyle before leaving the hospital and Bob was quick to accept their help. Now that they knew Kera was going to pull through, Lily and he had some things they needed to work out. They rode in silence until Lily finally broke it. “If you don’t mind, you can just drop me off at the fight club. I’ll call Aunt Alyssa and see if it’s okay for me to stay with her and Uncle Walt until I can get a flight back home.”
Bob’s heart sank at her words. He had thought that after their kiss she might be slowly warming up to him, and she had been more than loving to his son, but apparently it was only human kindness that he had been witnessing. He tried to wrap his mind around it. He tried to force his heart to accept it but a block from the club he slammed on the brakes, jerking the wheel until they were sitting parked on the shoulder of the road. Horns blared and people cursed, but Bob didn’t care; they were having this out now.
“Why,” he growled. Checking his tone he started over. “Why are you leaving me again? Why are you always fucking leaving me?”
“You never asked me to stay,” she told him calmly, and the truth of her words slammed into him as his mind raced to remember every word spoken between them since Louisiana. Bob closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose trying to alleviate the pressure that was building there between his eyes. After a few calming breaths the pain eased, and he looked over to find Lily watching her lap. Her hands were clasped tightly, her knuckles white. Silent tears ran down her cheeks. Reaching over, he covered her clasped hands with his until she twisted her hand, linking their fingers. He brought her hand to his mouth, inhaling her scent as he placed a light kiss on the back of her hand. “I love you,” he said against her skin.
“I love you too.”
He checked the line of traffic beside him before making a U-turn. Lily didn’t protest the change in direction. She had sealed her fate with her words, and he wouldn’t be allowing her to escape him again.
Shannon poked his head questioningly into Kera’s hospital room and waited until Weave waved him inside before moving to sit in the empty seat at his side. “How’s she doing?”
“She’s doing really well,” Weave told him quietly. “Her surgery went exactly the way the doctors had hoped. Her surgeon was bit surprised that the valve was not as damaged as they had first thought, and now they’re wondering if she’d had some sort of infection hidden in her body that they hadn’t known about that was making her weaker than she should have been.”
“That’s great,” Shannon exclaimed. “Hey man, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something? It’s club business, so, if this is not a good time, feel free to tell me I’m being an insensitive ass.”
Weave couldn’t help but smile. Shannon was always selling, but they had all made a ton of money for just that reason. “I’m flying so high right now, knowing that Kera is going to be okay that I’m feeling very forgiving, so shoot.”
“There is this charity fight coming up, and I would like for you to represent Smith Brothers Fight Club as its headline fighter.”
Weave was shocked into silence and Shannon shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Finally Shannon cleared his throat and added, “If you don’t want to ever fight again just say so and I’ll never ask you again. I just thought that since you’re still in fighting shape that maybe you were still training with the intent of fighting again one day, and with Kera on the mend….” he trailed off, shrugging.
“Yes,” sounded a quiet voice from the bed. Both men startled at Kera’s words. “Yes,” she said, sounding stronger, “My husband would love to represent your club.”
Weave nodded before clearing his throat. “Yeah, I’ll do it.”
Lily followed Bob inside his house, and she automatically began to pick up Kyle’s toys as they made their way down the hall. Bob turned to find her arms full, and his eyes lit with laughter. He obediently opened the door to Kyle’s bedroom so she could toss them in. In his bedroom, they both kicked off their shoes and climbed into bed as if they had been doing the same routine for years.
He tugged and she snuggled until they were positioned perfectly in each other’s arms with her back pressed against his chest. “You should get some sleep while you have the chance,” his arms tightened around her letting her know he had heard her, and even though her body hummed with awareness being this close to Bob, she still felt her eyes growing heavy. The stress of the past few weeks had drained her mentally and physically, and she knew that Bob had to be feeling the same way. She fell into a light doze but her eyes flew open at the feel of Bob’s hand pushing up the hem of her shirt. His lips moved along the column of her neck, coming to rest below her ear. “I can sleep later,” he whispered. “I’ve missed you too much.”
Lily turned her head, capturing his lips. For so long he had avoided any real intimacy with her, denying her even a simple kiss, but this was the second time he had willingly kissed her in the past few days, and she reveled in the feel of his tongue brushing hers. His shaggy brown hair fell forward, tickling her face, and she brushed it behind his ear then held him in place, not allowing him to pull away. She wanted it to go on forever. His hand found her breast, and his thumb brushed over her nipple. She nearly moaned aloud from only that small contact. She rolled to her back and he straddled her hips. Sitting back on his heels, he tugged his shirt over his head, revealing his heavily muscled and tattooed torso. She never got tired of looking at him. She had watched him for hours when he had sparred at the gym, envying the sweat on his skin the closeness of his body. Now she was able to run her hands up his stomach and chest until she encircled his shoulders, pulling him down on top of her. He braced his weight on his arms as her fingers sought the button on his jeans. She shoved the jeans down, cupping his bare ass between her hands. She could feel his muscles flexing beneath her fingers, and a rush of moisture pooled between her legs in answer.
Bob kicked free of his pants while gently tugging the clothes from Lily’s body. She had always been the most beautiful woman he had ever met, and he wanted to taste every inch of her body but he couldn’t wait; he needed to be inside of her. Her inner thigh brushed his hip as she lifted her knee, and he
entered her slowly, savoring every second. She tried pressing closer but he forced her to accept his will. He held her gaze as he rocked slowly against her. He needed her to see his love for her, and know that this meant something to him. “Will you stay?” he asked breathlessly.
She nodded and his heart soared with triumph. He pulled out slightly and she groaned in protest before he rocked against her once more. The pleasure rolled down his back and he held back a gasp. This was a torture that ran both ways, but he managed to hold back his own orgasm until he had her screaming his name a second time. As the waves of pleasure tore through his body, he held her tighter, part of him fearing she might disappear if he didn’t.
EPILOGUE
Weave hadn’t forgotten a single moment of this life—the seconds before a fight began when even the air smelled like your dreams coming true. The noise from the crowd would be deafening until it was drowned away as he focused solely on winning. This was his world. He knew what his opponent was going to do before he did it, and he easily won his match. He laughed aloud as his arm was raised in victory: he was a man on top, and it was all because of Kera.
It was the sight of Jazz Anderson that made Weave realize it was all her; Kera had done this. He didn’t understand how she had known, or how she had done it, but she had been the one that had fixed his life, and he hadn’t even seen it happening. She had been the one to put the idea in his head that maybe Bob needed some help with Kyle, and because of that suggestion now he felt as if he had his brother back. She had been the one to help him cope with the worst of his withdrawals in Manhattan, and now he realized she was the one who had orchestrated this entire fight, forcing Shannon to see that Weave was healed and ready to fight again. He sought her out with his eyes, and when their gazes met, he mouthed, “Thank you.”
Secured Sparks Page 6