“You got this, bro. You got this,” Leif said, and then Mateo’s coaches got him ready as they announced for him and Bragan to take the mat.
Marco glanced across the mat to the bleachers and saw Lori holding on to Perrone’s shoulders. It looked like the three guys who had been there before were no longer sitting in the seats. He figured something had happened, but obviously her brothers handled it.
Mateo took the mat, and the match began. Right off the bat, Marco couldn’t believe how dirty of a fighter Bragan was. He made a hit toward the jugular and then the inner groin.
The ref raised his hand to separate them and then warned Bragan about the illegal moves. The people in the stands made their dislike of the cheap shots known, but then the fight continued. Mateo came at Bragan with double shots to the stomach and then a side kick to his shoulder. Just an inch more and he would have hit Mateo’s head, and the match would have been over.
They all cheered every time Mateo got points or a hit in. Bragan was relentless with the cheap shots, and one shot to the eye would leave a black eye on Mateo’s face, but then Mateo retaliated, giving Bragan a double shot. Marco wouldn’t be surprised if he had two black eyes.
The bell rang for the first round, and Bragan was up one point. Round two brought on a wrestling match when Bragan did a sneaky move that caused Mateo to lose his footing and he got brought down to the mat. However, a quick move as the crowd erupted had Mateo whipping Bragan around and over, slamming Bragan down on the mat and then putting him in an armbar. He held it tight, but Bragan wouldn’t tap out, and then he did another cheap shot and struck Mateo in the throat.
Mateo released his hold as the ref blew the whistle, but then Bragan shoved Mateo’s head and punched him in the jaw after the whistle. The ref deducted points, putting Mateo four points in the lead. Marco knew his brother. This was going to piss him off. Not only because if he won Bragan would say it was because of the cheap shot, but also because Bragan kept catching Mateo off guard.
The bell sounded, initiating the final minute in the match, and Mateo came out with a vengeance. He took a shot to the throat, then kicked Bragan’s legs out from underneath him and then punched him in the groin. The ref didn’t blow the whistle but pretended to be looking the other way. Bragan jumped up, and both men began sparring and kicking. Mateo was an animal as he struck Bragan in the nose, breaking it and then turned into a super high kick, hitting Bragan in the jaw and knocking him backward onto his ass. The entire audience all started cheering and yelling and the ref blew the whistle. The match was over. Mateo had knocked Bragan out.
“The winner by knockout, and the new state champion of Texas, Mateo Lawson.”
Everyone was hollering and cheering. Marco watched Bragan get up in a daze and then realize he had been beaten. Instead of shaking Mateo’s hand, he stormed off the mat with his trainers and friends.
“Asshole,” the ref said under his breath, but they all heard him, and Marco chuckled.
“Awesome job, man. Shit, I think you may need some ice,” he said to Mateo as he looked at his eye, which was swelling up good.
“Shit, is it bad? Lori might freak,” Mateo said to them.
“I think Lori will be just fine. Seems our woman has some secrets she hasn’t shared with us,” Leif said.
“Secrets?” Mateo asked, breathing heavy and trying to talk but having a hard time.
“Yeah, her brothers say she knows so much about martial arts and grappling that she could be a coach,” Marco said.
“No shit?”
“No shit,” Leif said.
“Well then, someone is in for some punishment when we get upstairs,” he stated, and they chuckled.
“Mateo!” They heard Lori scream his name, and then she was there smiling from ear to ear. She stopped short when she saw his face, and Marco wondered if he was wrong and maybe she would freak. Her brothers came over and shook Mateo’s hand.
She looked at him.
“No hug? What’s the problem?” he asked.
“Well, I’m just thinking about your training for nationals. We need to work on a few things.”
“Oh really?” he asked.
“Buddy, have you seen your face yet? A black eye, busted lip, and all those dirty shots he caught you in? We have a lot of work to do. This”—she waved her hand like she was saying “from head to toe”—“needs to stay perfect.” She smiled.
Everyone laughed.
“Get your ass over here now, woman.”
She walked toward him and jumped into his arms. He held her under her ass, and she kissed him tenderly.
* * * *
“Are you ready yet? We need to meet them all downstairs,” Leif yelled to her.
Lori looked at herself one last time in the mirror. She wanted to look perfect for her men, and she was glad to find out that people got very dressed up for the after-party. She took a deep breath, slid her hands down the champagne beaded material, and then turned to see her back. It was all open, low cut to the top of her ass. The front dipped low and accentuated her large breasts and toned, muscular body. The sides had a sheer material that went from under her arm straight down to the high slit on one side. If she lifted her arm slightly, the shape of her breast was clear as day, but the sheer skin color still hid it. It was extremely sexy. She wore high heels in the same color that had the toes open. She was glad she not only got a pedicure and manicure but the works at the salon before they left.
When she opened the door, Leif and Marco were waiting for her.
Their mouths gaped. Marco looked like he was going to fall over, and she acted like she was wearing shorts and a T-shirt.
“Okay, I’m all set. Let me just put my lip gloss into—”
Leif snagged her around the waist and let his hand slide down her bare back to her ass. “What the fuck are you wearing?”
She could see the fire in his eyes, and the desire, too.
“It’s a dress, Leif. Stop fooling around and let’s go. Mateo and Kyran are probably wondering where we are.”
“Oh honey, they are going to flip out when they see you in this. Jesus, it’s the sexiest dress I’ve ever seen,” Marco said and then ran his hand along her shoulder, down her back, and over her ass. He then trailed a finger along the sheer material. “I can see too much of you. Other men are going to be looking at you and drooling.”
“Well, they can look at it all they want. They can’t touch me. I’m yours, so let’s go,” she said to him, and he smiled.
“Mateo is going add some smacks to that ass-spanking for sure,” Marco said, and she felt her cheeks blush as they headed out of the hotel room.
She couldn’t help but hope Mateo would. She loved his ass-spankings. They always led to some wild lovemaking afterward.
When they got downstairs, she saw her brothers and father first. Their eyes looked her over, and then they looked at Marco and Leif.
“You let her out looking like this?” Gideon asked them. Her father laughed.
“Quit it, Gideon,” she stated and looked around for Mateo and Kyran.
“If my woman wore a dress like that, there would be a leash on her,” Yorvan said, and she gasped and then shook her head. Then she felt the hand slide from her bare back to under her neck. Marco squeezed it gently.
“Oh, there is going to be. That is for sure.”
She glanced over her shoulder at Marco. “Stop being silly. Where are Mateo and Kyran?”
As Marco released his hold on her, she felt the loss of his touch, and then she felt a funny sensation before she turned to the right. There, by a table with a large group of men, was Bragan, and he was staring dead at her as he downed a shot of alcohol.
She turned away, knowing he was probably staring at her body, but she didn’t care. Let him stare. She didn’t belong to him no matter what he thought or said.
A strong arm wrapped around her waist, and then she felt Kyran’s mouth land on her neck as he kissed her skin and then whispered into her ear.
She giggled and then turned in his arms, and he kissed her deeply, pulling her into an embrace. She felt his hand slide down her bare back to her ass and squeeze her to him.
“Jesus, we are her brothers, you know,” Shohun said, and she laughed, but Kyran was serious.
“That wasn’t for you, but for every guy looking at my woman in this sexy dress.”
“Kyran, no one is looking. Now where is Mateo?”
He released her and took her hand. “He’s talking to some big shots from one of the major equipment dealers and sponsors. They want to pull us in for nationals with advertising and stuff,” Kyran said, sounding like he couldn’t care less.
“Does he need some help dealing with them?” she asked.
“Why? You know about things like that?” Kyran asked.
“Oh shit, more secrets, Lori?” Marco asked, and her brothers laughed.
Shohun gave Kyran’s arm a slap. “Let Lori go over there with Mateo, and she’ll have those corporate guys eating out of her hand and offering double.”
Kyran led her over to Mateo, who stopped talking midsentence and pulled Lori into his arms and kissed her. When he released her slowly, the four men he was talking to smiled.
“This is my girlfriend, Lori. Lori, meet Chester, Flynn, Davie, and Gus from Pro Line.”
Lori immediately started to engage them, and soon she had them laughing and enjoying her company, and she led them to the bar for drinks. She ordered a few crazy things and told the bartender how to make them, and the guys seemed to love that, too. About an hour and a few shots later, she had her men and their dojo hooked up with a meeting in two weeks in Dallas at headquarters and the potential contract for promoting their merchandise that would earn Kyran and Mateo millions. She gave the men hugs good-bye, which she knew would seal the deal since they each told her many times how sweet and knowledgeable she was and how lucky her men were to have her.
When they walked away, Mateo wrapped his arms around her from behind and whispered into her ear, “You were absolutely incredible. This is a side of you I haven’t had the chance to see until tonight, and I love it. You’re sexy, charismatic, charming, sweet, and know how to grab businessmen by the balls and make them open up their wallets. Jesus, I don’t even know if it has sunk in.” He sucked against her skin, and she reached back to caress his hair. Leif stepped forward and kissed her on the mouth. When he released her lips, Leif and Marco were there.
“Okay, so what’s the deal? What was that all about?” Leif asked. He and Marco had remained back as to not interfere in the potential business deal.
She smiled at her brothers and dad, who joined them along with Cesar and the trainers.
“So, how did it go?” Gideon asked.
“Don’t ask any questions right now. That’s impolite. We’ll discuss it all later. Right now, we need to all do shots,” she said and turned to the bartender. “Bev,” she said, and the bartender started pouring shots. Lori handed them out to each of them.
“Not me,” her dad said.
“Bologna, not you. You’re the one who taught me to throw back whiskey. One shot won’t kill ya,” she said, and they chuckled. She made a toast. “To Mateo and Kyran, congratulations on winning state. Nationals here we come,” she said, and they cheered and did the shots.
They were all laughing and having a good time. Mateo was filling everyone in on the conversation and carrying on about how awesome she was in sealing a bigger deal than he and Kyran were even prepared for.
She excused herself to walk to the ladies’ room right by the left of the bar and could still hear them laughing and having a great time. She was shocked. If someone told her she would be at the state finals with her four lovers, their friends, celebrating with her father and five brothers, she would have thought that person had lost their mind. Instead, this was actually happening. She was in love, her men were happy and wanted her right here with them to celebrate every second, and they loved her and kept telling her how much they loved her.
She took care of business and glanced at herself in the mirror. Her updo was still in good shape, and the few stragglers hung but looked like they were supposed to be there. She looked at the dress and couldn’t wait until later when her men took it off and loved her fully.
With a smile and a glow, she exited the bathroom and then gasped as a very angry, battered-looking Bragan stood in front of her. He was seething, his one eye super swollen and the other bloodshot. He teetered, and she knew he was drunk. Bragan drunk was disastrous. She was shaking she felt so scared. No amount of training, of preparation, would prepare anyone to fight Bragan in this state. She opted for a different approach than anger so she could get her men’s attention.
“Bragan, what’s up?” she asked, and he stepped forward. She retreated and the hallway was small, but there was no exit, no way of escaping or running.
“Bragan, what’s wrong? Are you feeling okay? Do you need something?”
“You. I need you back where you belong.” His speech was slurred, and the way his eye zeroed in on her body brought tears to her eyes.
“We can talk about it,” she said, and his one eye widened, and he almost looked like he was calm. “Come on, I’ll buy you a drink at the bar.” She stepped forward, and he reached for her, and she pulled back. He just missed her, and she lost her footing and had started to fall when he grabbed her arm and yanked her up against his chest. She screamed, and he kissed her. He covered her mouth, muffled her cries, and kissed her. She felt his hands on her body. They rubbed over her breasts, and then she felt her dress rip on the slit up the side. She struggled to get a hit in, and then he released her lips and shoved her farther down the hallway. She was yelling for help, and he struck her. She was shocked, angry as flashbacks from that night invaded her head. He wasn’t going to win this time. He wasn’t.
She rammed her palm upward, hitting him in the throat. She lost her footing, looking for a weapon and saw her heel, grabbed it, and smacked him in the face with it. She was screaming at the top of her lungs now, and he struck her in the stomach and ribs, and she kept hitting him and yelling when suddenly he fell backward and the hallway was filled with her men. Mateo first pulling Bragan back and then Cesar and her brothers stopping Mateo from killing him.
“Lori. Oh God, baby.” Kyran was there, Marco and Leif, too, and she turned away from them and huddled in the corner. She was shaking profusely. Her teeth were chattering. She could hardly hear what they were saying to her. She heard them yell for an ambulance and security, and then she was crying and holding her side. The burning pain was terrible. She was having difficulty breathing, and she knew she had bruised ribs. She just knew it.
Kyran went to touch her. “No. Don’t.” She screamed, maybe. She saw his eyes widen and then people were gathering around them, even her brothers. Security was there. It was chaos.
“Honey, let us help you. You’re safe now. Bragan is under arrest. They’re taking him away. You don’t have to look at him,” Kyran said.
Marco caressed her cheek. Then he wiped her mouth. It felt swollen, and she saw blood on Marco’s fingers as he wiped again. Leif ran his hand along his jaw, and Mateo was breathing heavily as he pushed between his brothers and cupped her cheeks and looked her in the eyes.
“He’s done. It’s over. You’re safe. I swear you’re safe.” He hugged her, and she cried. He pulled back, face scrunched up, eyes squinting.
“You’re hurt where?”
“Where?” Leif pushed.
“My ribs. He was punching me,” she said and squeezed her eyes shut tight.
“We’ll get you to the hospital to get checked out,” Marco stated.
“No. No hospital, one of the trainers can look.”
“There’s a medical facility in the building, and we have things set up from the tournament still. There’s x-ray machines and doctors on hand,” one of the managers said.
“Okay, let’s get
her down there,” Kyran said.
“The police need to talk to her,” another manager said.
“They can do it downstairs,” her father stated.
She held on to Leif and couldn’t stop the shaking.
“I can’t walk,” she said, and Leif bent down and scooped her up into his arms. She laid her head against his shoulder, and as they passed by her brothers and their friends, they all caressed her arm. She closed her eyes, and the tears continued to fall. Bragan was going to kill her.
* * * *
Leif carried her into the room and helped her get undressed before laying her down on the bed. He could already see the bruising on her ribs and belly, plus she had hand and finger marks on her arm, too. Her lips were split good, and Kyran was getting ice for her. She was naked as he gently started to lay kisses along her skin. Kyran joined on the other side, climbing onto the bed.
“I have ice for your lips and for the ribs,” he told her. She blinked her teary eyes open. “It’s going to be cold.”
“Of course it is, but you need to ice the bruising. Trust us,” Marco said to her.
Leif saw Mateo and knew he was feeling responsible. They all were. They shouldn’t have let her go to the ladies’ room unattended. They were celebrating so much, thanks to her and all she did for them. He placed the ice bag on her lips, and she held it there. When he began to lay the ice packs along her skin, even with the thin towel she gasped and complained.
“You’ll do it. That’s final,” Mateo ordered, and she looked away from him, and he walked out of the room.
“He blames me, doesn’t he?” she said and sniffled.
Leif was shocked. “No, baby. He doesn’t blame you because it wasn’t your fault. It was ours. He blames himself for not protecting you,” Leif said.
A tear rolled down her cheek, and she looked past him toward the door.
The Battlefield Series 6: The Ties That Bind Us (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 16