The Fighter

by E. L. Todd

  The doorbell rang.

  Soldier was on his feet, his eyes narrowed and his rigid body prepared for battle. He was usually excited when someone came to the door, but something about tonight made him act strangely.

  “Please be Pepper…” Shirtless and in my sweatpants, I walked to the front door.

  Soldier stopped in the entryway and started to growl.

  “Boy, it’s alright.” I looked through the peephole first.

  It was Brutus.

  Brutus was on the other side of my door.

  Like Soldier could see right through the wall, he continued to growl, taking a stance that showed he was ready to attack.

  I didn’t need to wonder what Brutus wanted. We were both after the same thing—which made us competitors. “Boy, stand down.” It was the first time Brutus would see my face, so I was glad I was shirtless and I’d pumped up at the gym. He would see my pretty face and sculpted body and know he’d met his match. Maybe he had a bigger wallet than I did—but he didn’t know how to fuck like I did.

  I opened the door and looked him in the eye. He was just a smidge shorter than me. With green eyes and a shadow along his jaw, he looked exactly the way he did in photos. He wore an expensive jacket, a shiny watch, and his Bugatti was parked at the curb in front of my house. He clearly wanted to show off.

  If I wanted to show off, all I had to do was drop my pants. “Brutus Hemmingway, can I get an autograph?” Sarcasm dripped from my mouth, like venom from fangs. I smiled just to make it worse. Our relationship became hostile the second he rang my doorbell in the late at night. If I’d met him at the bar and Colton introduced me, I would have shown him respect because he’d done nothing wrong. How could I hate a guy for wanting Pepper? All men wanted Pepper. But he’d crossed a line when he tried to catch me off guard. If he thought he was going to intimidate me, he was wrong. I’d been in battle many times. I’d seen things far scarier than this little rich boy.

  Soldier came closer to the door and growled again.

  “Back, Soldier.” I used my leg to keep him back without taking my eyes off Brutus.

  He hadn’t blinked once since I opened the door. “I have an offer for you.”

  “You’re going to threaten me to leave Pepper alone?” I asked incredulously. “I’m going to cut you some slack because you’ve obviously never fought your own battles before, but you don’t show up on a veteran’s doorstep and make demands.”

  Like Soldier was backing me up, he growled louder.

  Brutus didn’t flinch as he pulled out a check from his pocket. “Cashier’s check.” He held it up so it could be visible under my porch light. “A billion dollars—and you leave Seattle tonight.” He held it out to me as he waited for me to take it.

  A billion dollars dangled in front of me, a check that wouldn’t bounce. It would entice anyone. I pictured myself sailing the Mediterranean on my yacht surrounded by pretty girls. I could do all the volunteer work I wanted and never have to worry about money again. Anyone would take it. Pepper probably wasn’t going to take me back, so I should take it.

  But then I realized how depressed I would be. An endless line of beautiful women would never satisfy me. That yacht wouldn’t be a vacation unless Pepper were there to share it with me. My life would be empty without her…because it was empty now.

  I took the check from his hand.

  “I want you gone tonight,” Brutus said. “If you aren’t gone by tomorrow—”

  I ripped the check in half.

  His jaw snapped shut as he watched the pieces drift to the concrete of the porch. He watched as a billion dollars floated away. He’d been so arrogant to assume I would take the money that he got a cashier’s check…which meant he could never get it back. His eyes moved back to my face, this time full of fury. He was pissed that I’d wasted the money—but he was also pissed that I didn’t take it.

  “She’s worth a lot more. If you think otherwise, you don’t deserve her.”

  15

  Pepper

  We stood at the table in the center of the bar, Brutus with his arm around my waist and Zach with his arm around Stella.

  “I’ve never been to New York,” Stella said. “I’ve always wanted to go, but I never have time to travel. Did you love it?”

  Brutus shrugged. “I’ve been there a lot, so to me it’s just a big city with lots of traffic and grumpy people.”

  “But what about the food?” she asked. “The pizza? The bagels?”

  “The pizza is alright,” he said with a shrug. “But the bagels are really worth their reputation.”

  “Well, there’s no such thing as carbs tasting bad, so I believe it.” Stella held on to her drink like a crutch. She’d already had too much tonight and needed to be cut off soon. But since Zach liked it when she was drunk, he never cut her off.

  “I’m going to use the restroom.” Brutus turned his face toward mine, his lips just a kiss away. “You want another drink?”

  “Yes,” I said. “Always assume my answer is yes.”

  He chuckled. “Alright.” He kissed my cheek before he walked away and headed to the bathroom.

  “Girl, he is so delicious,” Stella blurted. “That ass…that wallet in that back pocket.”

  Zach knew she was drunk, so he just went along with it. “Yeah, he is pretty hot.”

  “He is the perfect way to make Finn pay. I bet when Finn realized who he was, he felt like shit.” She slammed her hand down on the table. “As he should.”

  Stella was a lot more vicious with Finn than anyone else, including Colton. Everyone else kept their distaste bottled inside, but Stella was too loyal to be polite. She had taken shifts at the lingerie shop to keep the place afloat, so she knew better than anyone how much Finn had hurt me. Maybe one day Finn would earn forgiveness from everyone…but probably not her.

  A man appeared at my side, and he placed a drink in front of me. It was a vodka cranberry. “I made it a double.” Finn stood in a black t-shirt and dark jeans, his tattoos matching his somber attire. He stepped out of the shadows like he was born from the darkness. He’d clearly waited until Brutus stepped away before he made his move—which meant he knew he would return.

  Stella immediately narrowed her eyes. “Oh, look who it is. That mother—”

  Zach placed his hand over her mouth. “Stella, chill.”

  She mumbled against his palm.

  I was on alert once I realized Finn was beside me. My entire body went rigid anytime he was near. I was nervous that Brutus and Finn were about to meet, but I was also tense around Finn for other reasons. My heart still soared when he was near. My lungs still ached like I couldn’t get enough air. When he’d first come back to Seattle, I was too angry to give him a second thought. But slowly, my hard walls were softening. He didn’t care if Brutus was here because he wasn’t afraid of anything.

  Finn stared at me like I was his. “I think Soldier wants to stay with you again.”

  “I don’t know. I don’t have a beautiful backyard for him to play in.”

  “But he likes your walks. And he likes going to the store with you.”

  Sometimes I took Soldier to the lingerie shop and let him sit in the corner. Customers loved seeing a dog, and Soldier loved to people-watch.

  “You can borrow him whenever you want.”

  “The change in ownership might confuse him.”

  “He deserves more credit than that.” He had a light beer in front of him instead of his usual scotch.

  I glanced at the bottle. “Change in taste?”

  He shrugged. “I’m trying to cut back. When I came back to Seattle, I was drinking way too much scotch. The liver can regenerate, but not at a fast-enough pace to keep up with my drinking.”

  “I’m glad you’re taking your health seriously.”

  “Well, I need to live a long time. I’ll have a wife and kids someday who will rely on me.”

  I hoped he didn’t think I would be his wife, that I would be the one waddling aroun
d his house with a pregnant belly. I continued to grip my glass without taking a sip, unsure what to say. That used to be my dream.

  Brutus returned, another vodka cranberry in hand. He didn’t react to Finn overtly, but he stood on the other side of me, his arm immediately wrapping around my waist and keeping me close to his side.

  Finn drank his beer and stared at Brutus. He clearly knew who he was because there was hostility in his gaze, like he wanted to slam his head into the table. He took a long drink before he set his bottle down.

  Brutus stared at him too, like he’d deduced his identity.

  “Brutus, right?” Finn asked, standing at his full height.

  Stella glanced back and forth between them. “Oh shit…” she whispered.

  Brutus stared at him for several seconds before he responded, as if he didn’t know what to say.

  “It’s ironic,” Finn said. “Some guy came to my door a couple of nights ago, and he looked just like you.”

  Brutus was still quiet.

  “Yeah.” Finn snapped his fingers. “He was asking for donations for a penis enhancement. I remember now.”

  Brutus naturally looked a little cold, and right now, he looked absolutely frozen. He stared at Finn with a silent stature, like a monster about to come to life.

  I had no idea why Finn said that. He was purposely antagonizing Brutus—and doing a great job.

  Brutus didn’t respond.

  What the hell was going on?

  Finn took another drink of his beer, a smile in his eyes.

  Brutus took the vodka cranberry Finn had gotten for me and dumped it on the floor. Then he slid the glass across the table toward Finn before he set his own drink in front of me.

  Normally, I would cause a scene for him making a mess like that, but right now, it was so tense, I didn’t dare say a word.

  Finn didn’t take his eyes off Brutus, standing his ground with a calm posture.

  Brutus was a strong man, but he was no match for Finn. I’d have to warn him not to throw a punch—because he would get his ass beat. “I buy her drinks. Not you.” With a deep voice and terror in his eyes, he held his ground like he wasn’t the least bit afraid of Finn.

  This was one hell of a pissing contest.

  Finn drank his beer, relaxed like this encounter wasn’t as unnerving for him as it was for everyone else. “You aren’t a man because you can buy her a drink. A fat wallet can’t solve all your problems. It can’t fight your battles. But I’m sure you figured that out recently…”

  Brutus was quiet the entire ride home.

  Even when we arrived at his penthouse, he didn’t say a word. He made himself a drink in the kitchen then downed it like water. As if I didn’t exist and he didn’t want me there, he ignored me.

  I didn’t know how to broach this conversation. It would only end negatively. Finn was a major thorn in our side, and I didn’t know what to do about it. Finn was at the bar because it was a public place and he could do whatever he wanted. I had no control over it. It would be ridiculous for Brutus to be upset with me. “Are you sure you want me to stay?”

  Brutus wiped his mouth with the back of his forearm then came back to me. He stripped off his jacket and tossed it on the couch like he didn’t care in the least. “Yes.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “You seem grumpy.”

  “What gave me away?” He leaned against the edge of the couch, his arms crossed over his large chest. The window behind him gave a breathtaking view of the city, the lights, and the harbor in the distance.

  “What was that about?”

  “What?”

  “The things Finn was saying…have you met him before?” It seemed unlikely because Brutus just got back to town and didn’t even know Finn’s last name. He would have had to hunt Finn down, or vice versa. I didn’t think either of them would be so childish. “I knew it would be awkward once the two of you met, but I didn’t expect it to be a battle.”

  He stared at the floor, ignoring me.

  I told Finn I didn’t want him to come between Brutus and me, but he already was.

  Brutus turned back to me. “If you want us to be together, you need to get rid of Finn.”

  I raised an eyebrow at the order. “Sorry?”

  “You heard me.” He rose to his feet. “If he’s really just part of your past, then he needs to disappear.”

  I didn’t appreciate being told what to do, especially when it came to something I had no control over. “And what do you expect me to do? Tell him to leave the bar?”

  “Yes.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “It’s a public place. I can’t tell him what to do…and he would never listen to me anyway.”

  “Then you need to stop borrowing his dog.”

  “His dog?” I asked incredulously. “Brutus, it’s a dog. It’s harmless.”

  “He’s using it to manipulate you.”

  “You’re being ridiculous. I had a really close connection to that dog, and I’m not going to stop loving him because of Finn. And Colton is my best friend, so there’s no way I could avoid Finn even if I wanted to. You’re just going to have to trust me…which I understand is difficult for you to do. But I’m not a cheater or a liar. I already told Finn not to come between us and he better not try to seduce me.”

  “And what did he say?”

  “That he would never put me in that position anyway…and I believe him.”

  “So, let me get this straight.” He stood up and came toward me. “He wants to get you back, but he doesn’t want to sleep with you?”

  “He doesn’t want to get me back by making me into someone I don’t want to be. He doesn’t want me to undermine my honesty and integrity. He wouldn’t want to start a relationship with me if I were in a relationship with someone else. I understand why you don’t like him, but he’s an honorable man.”

  His eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. “So he’ll just try to get you to leave me?”

  I shrugged. “I guess.”

  “And that’s not going to happen, right?” He looked at me so hard, it seemed like his eyes had frozen in place. We hadn’t been together long, but he’d already become possessive of me, no longer being laid-back and easygoing. Now he was a bit controlling.

  “Brutus, I don’t know what’s going to happen with us. We agreed this was supposed to be casual. But Finn hurt me too much, and I don’t trust him anymore. Even if I wanted to be with him again, I couldn’t allow myself to be in that position again. He really hurt me…more than I can explain.”

  My speech made his eyes soften. His body relaxed too, like I’d just said the magic words.

  “I understand why you don’t like Finn, but I wouldn’t worry about him. He’ll eventually take off like he always does. He’s been living out of a suitcase since he became an adult. I don’t know why he seems so determined right now, but his focus will fade…and then he’ll disappear.” Watching him give up on me again would hurt. But it would also be a relief once he was gone.

  I was standing at the counter in the shop when Finn walked inside.

  Shirtless and in his running shorts.

  Soldier was with him, on his navy blue leash.

  Finn pulled the earbuds out of his ears as he walked inside, his chest glistening with sweat. His muscles shifted and bulged with his movements.

  Abby was hanging up lingerie, and she stopped what she was doing and dropped her jaw as her eyes watched Finn walk across the room. Like a deer in the headlights, she couldn’t move because she was so focused on what she was looking at.

  I couldn’t blame her…because he was so sexy, it was ridiculous.

  I met his look and pretended to be unaffected by his perfection…but I wasn’t very good at it.

  He reached the counter, his eyes locked on to mine like he didn’t care about the other women gawking at him at that very moment. “Hey, baby. You look beautiful today.” He treated me like he owned me, like he still had me on his leash.

  It was easy to melt
at the words, but I stayed frozen. “I told you not to call me that.”

  “And you know I don’t listen.”

  Soldier rose on his back legs and pressed his front paws against the counter so he could look at me.

  One look at him and I really did melt on the spot. “Hey, sweetheart.” I rubbed him on the head.

  “You’re a lot nicer to him than you are to me.”

  I gave him a glare. “Because I actually like him.”

  He set the leash on the counter. “You wanna borrow him for a few days?”

  I eyed the leash before looking at him again. “Are you trying to manipulate me with him?”

  “No. I just know Soldier misses you. And I can tell you miss him. So how about I leave him here? I’ll pick him up in a few days.” He didn’t mention Brutus even though it was so awkward the last time we were all together.

  “Brutus thinks you’re using Soldier to seduce me.”

  A slight smile stretched his mouth. “You know I don’t need a dog to seduce a woman.”

  Memories of our nights together came back to me, when his hand was deep in my hair, and he claimed me like I’d be his forever. “I guess I do know that. Jane does too.”

  Within the snap of a finger, his smile disappeared. Pain moved into his eyes, like the insult really hit him where it hurt. “Baby…”

  “Did you call her that too?” Just when I thought I was indifferent toward him, my anger would flare up. It was a bad sign because it meant that I cared…and I didn’t want him to know how much it bothered me. I convinced myself he meant nothing to me, but imagining him with someone else still made me sick to her stomach.

  “No. You’re my only baby.”

  “But that wasn’t enough to get you to stay, huh?” He said romantic things that made me weak, but then I twisted them around and reminded him what he’d done.

  He watched me with his sad eyes. “I’m sorry that I hurt you…but I’m also relieved that you still care.”

  Shit. “I just want you to leave me alone, Finn.”

  “No, you don’t. Trust me, I would know if you really did.”