by Dover, L. P.
Jake was in his early fifties and always pristine in his blue power suits and salt and peppered hair perfectly slicked back on his head. Most night club owners I knew were worthless douche bags who only cared about themselves and making money, but he actually cared about his employees. We were all he had as far as family.
After he met my father and found out about my MMA fighting, he started holding fights at the club because he knew it would help get me noticed. I owed him so much.
Taking one last look at the empty club, Jake picked up his brown leather suitcase and opened the door. “I’ll be back Sunday night,” he warned, pointing a finger at me. “And no fighting for you this weekend. I’m sure once you see the list you’re going to want to partake, but it’s your job to run the club.”
Incredulously, I gasped and slapped him on the back. “Please, I have a little more restraint than that, old man.”
“Whatever you say, son,” he chuckled. “Call me if you need me.”
Opening the door, he looked back once and smiled before the door slammed shut. Immediately, I went to the list he left on the bar and searched down each line. Halfway down the list there was his name . . . Paxton Emerson. No wonder Jake told me I couldn’t fight.
I promised Gabriella I wouldn’t go after him, and if he didn’t stop, there was no way in hell I was going to keep my mouth shut. She might not be mine, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to be his.
Reluctantly, I put my big boy pants on, and matched Paxton up against another fighter, even though I really wanted to put my name beside it. I’d kicked his ass a few months ago when he was fighting in the Heavyweight division. Sadly, he moved down a division this season, which meant he’d no longer be fighting against me.
It didn’t matter though. I was going to make sure he left Gabriella alone. If I happened to throw a few punches here and there to get it through his head . . . it wouldn’t be that bad. I could control myself.
The club was packed to the brim, with even more people waiting in line outside. Friday and Saturday nights were always busy at the club, but Fridays were the best. In just a couple of weeks, the last half of the UFC season would start and I’d be one step closer to putting my nemesis out of commission and earning the title. It’s a shame Kyle’s not in town this weekend.
“Did you put me down to fight tonight?” a voice behind me called out.
Without turning around, I chuckled and kept my gaze on the newbie fighters warming up. “Actually, I did,” I replied. “You’re up against, Beckett Miller.”
Ryley stepped in front of me, blocking my line of sight. His hair was still dyed dark brown, after coloring it so no one would get him and his twin mixed up. Of course, his usual smirk was still in place.
“And who the hell is that? I’ve never heard of him,” he retorted. He was already in his blue and white fighting shorts and blue gloves, itching to fight.
His opponent, Beck, was a local guy who started training at my gym. He wasn’t even in the UFC, but he was one hell of a fighter. Tonight was his first fight and I would rather see him go against one of my friends than one of the other douche bags in the crowd.
“That’s because he’s never fought before,” I told him. “He’ll be a good opponent. Just go easy on him, it’s his first time.”
Ryley’s twin, Camden, came up to my side all dressed in his signature red and black fighting gear. “Did you put me down tonight too?” he asked.
Smiling, I pointed over at one of the top upcoming Middleweight fighters in his division. He was about six foot tall, shaved brown hair and a hundred and eighty-five pounds—the ideal weight and height for his class. Never once had I seen the guy smile.
“Landon Baker. From what I hear, he’s going to give you and your brother hell this season.”
Camden barked out a laugh. “We’ll see about that. Have you even talked to the guy? He’s like a fucking mute.”
“Yeah, when I told him he’s fighting you. He just nodded, that’s it. All I know is that he’s relentless in the ring.”
Tilting his neck to both sides, his bones cracked as he stretched. “Not like me,” Camden gloated. “I’ll take him down.”
Before heading over to the ring, he fist-bumped Ryley and watched Landon from across the room—sizing him up. I had no doubt Camden would win, but Landon had the determination. He had the same look in his eyes I had when I first started.
“So I guess you’re not fighting tonight?” Ryley asked.
About that time, Paxton walked into the arena. He was by himself, which shocked me, considering he was always surrounded by Kyle’s groupies. I hated the fucknut.
“No,” I growled, “I’m not.”
When Ryley realized who I was looking at, he bumped me in the shoulder. “I take it Gabriella told you about him?”
I nodded.
“I wouldn’t worry about it, man. She has Bradley protecting her. I offered to help her out, but she said no. I swear that girl attracts every single cocksucker in a thousand mile radius.”
Yes, I know.
“Have you talked to her recently?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Yeah, she told me about you and her calling it quits. Honestly, it’s probably for the best. She’s left to go visit you know who in Aspen. I’m surprised her brother let her go with the kind of schedule he put her on. I think she trains more than I do.”
With a coach like Matt, it didn’t surprise me. “What about Ashleigh? Have you talked to her?”
His jaw tensed for a split second, and then he shook his head. “No, and I don’t plan on it. She’s probably off planning a fucking wedding with her lame ass boyfriend.”
If only he knew the truth.
I wanted to tell him, but I respected Gabriella’s wishes and kept my mouth shut. “All right, I need to make my rounds. I’ll catch up with you after the fights are over.”
Ryley shook my outstretched hand and nodded. “Sounds good. Just do yourself a favor and try not to kick Paxton’s ass. The last thing you want to do is cause problems for Gabriella.”
“Trust me, I don’t plan on it. That’s what I have Tex for.”
Paxton’s opponent for the evening was Tex Montross, a Texan who spent his time fighting and raising cattle on his farm. His real name was Blaine, but only a handful of people knew.
Tex was about six foot two with curly, blond hair he always kept covered with a cowboy hat. I met him about a year ago when I was in Texas for a fight. Needless to say, it wasn’t exactly a warm greeting. It was early in the morning and I was in the hotel gym working out when he noticed me, smirking the entire time. It pissed me off. He then proceeded to challenge me and I was more than willing to kick his ass.
We made a bet. He told me I wouldn’t be able to handle his workout regime and I bet him that I could. Several of the other fighters in the hotel went along with us to Tex’s barn to see if they could handle it too. Luckily, I won the bet–and his money–but even to this day, I considered his makeshift gym to be one of the hardest workouts I’d ever done.
Tex was off in the corner wrapping his hands and putting on his gloves.
“It’s not exactly the prairie here is it? Miss your cows?” I teased.
“Ya’ll can keep your fancy lights, city boy,” Tex jested. “Ya’ll don’t know what you’re missing.”
I slapped him on the back and laughed. “Actually, I do and you’re more than welcome to keep the cow shit. Hey, listen, I need you to do a favor for me.”
Tex’s brown eyes lit up. “Oh? And what exactly would that be?”
Moving a little closer, I smiled and nodded over at Paxton. “The guy you’re fighting is Paxton Emerson. Since I’m not allowed to fight tonight, I need you to send him a message.”
Devilishly, he smiled. “You mean like a physical type of message?”
I nodded. “He seems to have a problem with listening. I need to make sure he stays away from this girl I know.”
“She your lady friend?”
“No,
but we’re good friends,” I said, keeping my eyes locked on Paxton. “The last thing she needs is to get involved with him.”
“Don’t worry, city. I’m fixin’ to make sure he gets the message loud and clear.”
“Good, but I think it’ll be fun to give him the message myself. Just get him ready for me.”
Tex guffawed. “With pleasure.”
Once the club closed, I was free. I could do whatever the hell I wanted.
WORD OF MY afterhours fight with Paxton got back to Gabriella pretty quickly. I woke up the next morning to a slew of text messages, and let’s just say the ignore button was my friend. Why bring it up, if she didn’t want me to fix the problem?
My plan had worked. First, he was pissed because of Tex’s message, which provoked him to come after me. When he came up to me, he said he wasn’t going to leave Gabriella alone—that she would ‘give in’ to him eventually. Well, the moment those words left his mouth, I reacted instantly. There were no rules, just full on street fighting out in the parking lot. I think more people enjoyed that than the actual fights inside.
“Do you want to talk about last night?” my father asked. “You know Jake is going to be pissed as hell.”
Huffing, I pounded my fists into the bag, sweat dripping down my face and into my eyes. “I didn’t do anything wrong,” I snapped. “It was after hours.”
“On his property, son. What if Paxton pressed charges? You could lose your spot in the UFC.”
“That’s not going to happen. If you knew the real story, you’d know he was the one who started it all . . . I just happened to finish it.”
My father glared at me, his jaw tense. “Either way, you should compose yourself like a normal human being. You may fight for a living, but that doesn’t mean you handle real life situations like you’re in the ring. I expect better from you.”
“Oh, Steven, give the boy a break,” my mother chided as she walked into the gym. “I heard what happened and the other guy deserved it. Lighten up on him, sweetheart.”
My mother knew what she was doing because my father finally got off my back and started in on her, following her to the front desk. “That’s not the point, Mary,” I heard him hiss. “The boy needs to learn to control his temper.”
“I wonder where he gets it from?” she teased, winking slyly at me over her shoulder.
Since our receptionist left for nursing school, my mother had been taking the day shift answering the phones. She seemed to enjoy it, but it was actually my job to find a replacement. Unfortunately, I hadn’t found anyone I liked.
Now that my father’s attention was diverted, it was time to put in my hours of training. I had a Heavyweight title to work for.
“HOW IS YOUR grandma doing today?” Bree asked as I got into her little silver car.
I didn’t think I was being so obvious, but she must have noticed my sadness as I walked out of my grandmother’s house. As always, I smiled and tried to stay hopeful, even though I knew there wasn’t going to be much time left. “Well, her nurse showed up about an hour ago and we talked for a little while, discussing what the plan was for when . . .” Closing my eyes, I bit my lip and blew out a shaky breath, hoping I wouldn’t break into tears. I couldn’t even finish what I wanted to say.
Bree reached over and took my hand, squeezing it tight as she pulled out of the driveway. We were headed to the gym to work out because she was a good friend and thought I should get out of the house and spend some time in an environment where I could let my mind go free. I knew she was right, I just needed someone to drag my ass there.
When I came to take care of Nana, I knew it would be difficult when her health went downhill. Knowing, and seeing it actually happen, are two completely different things. At first, she was so full of life, but then the cancer started to spread and slowly took over.
My family, a.k.a. my mother and my older brother, had wanted to put her in a nursing home. This way, they wouldn’t have to worry about her. But I couldn’t bear to see that happen, so I moved to Las Vegas over a year ago, specifically to take care of her. I had no clue what I was going to do after the cancer took her from this world. Would I stay here or move back home to California? I just didn’t know.
For the past year, Cindy James—my grandmother’s nurse—always worked the afternoon and night shift, leaving me free to get my errands done before going to work. Nana needed full-time care and it was getting to the point where I couldn’t handle it on my own anymore.
Turning to Bree, I saw her chocolate brown hair was pulled off of her face into a low ponytail, and she already had her black yoga pants and pink tank top on. I looked similar in a pair of dark purple yoga capris and a teal tank top. It was just easier to head over in our workout clothes, than changing in the locker room at the gym.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked nervously. “You know you don’t have to hide your feelings from me.”
“I know, Bree. I just want to stay strong for her, even though it’s a battle every day to convince myself I can handle it. She’s the closest family I have, and without her, I’ll be alone.”
She technically wasn’t the only family I had, but she might as well have been. Bree Sanderson was my friend and we’d been inseparable since I started working with her in the Venetian Las Vegas resort at the AquaKnox. We were both twenty-five-year-olds, working as baristas until we could earn enough money to get out on our own.
Sometimes I think fate brought us together. Even though we’d only been friends for a year, I considered her family . . . more so than my own mother and older brother.
“What about your family, Kacey? Have you talked to them? Do they know how fast her health is fading?” She was being cautious.
She knew I didn’t like talking about my family, nor did she know the specifics of why I wanted to leave them. I figured it was best keeping the details of my dysfunctional family a secret for as long as I could.
“No, I haven’t talked to them, and neither has my grandmother.”
My grandmother was my father’s mother, so my mom didn’t give a shit what happened to her. Her worthless ass was too busy using her rich son as a meal ticket. My brother still tried to keep in my life by sending checks every month, but every time one would come, I’d shred it. I didn’t need his handout, or anyone else’s for that matter.
Money can’t buy forgiveness . . . or redemption.
Wanting to change the subject, I blew out a frustrated breath and sighed. I needed something to keep my mind off of my dying grandmother and my worthless family. “Okay, so what’s this gym you’re taking me to? Are there any cute guys?” I asked, trying to plaster a smile on my face.
Bree chuckled and winked, knowing very well that I needed her optimism. “Of course there are! Why do you think I go there? It’s hard to meet guys when we’re busy working. What better way than to meet them at the gym? I’ve met some pretty nice ones there too, but you already know about them. Now that the owners renovated the whole place, it’s even better.”
I didn’t have time to date anyone with my schedule the way it was, which often times made it kind of lonely. So far, I hadn’t found anyone worth dating anyway. Still, there was nothing wrong with looking.
“All right, we’re almost there,” Bree mentioned excitedly. “I figured we could work out for an hour and then rush to my apartment to take showers and change before our shift starts. Sound good?”
I nodded. “Yeah, that sounds great.” Pulling into the parking lot, I couldn’t believe all of the cars. The place was packed.
Laughing, Bree bumped her shoulder into mine and opened her car door. “Trust me, Kace, the place is a lot bigger than you think. This is nothing. Besides, some of the people aren’t even here to work out.”
Getting out of the car, I narrowed my gaze in confusion. That made no sense. I followed alongside until we were almost to the door. “Why would people come here if they weren’t planning on working out?”
With her hand on the door,
she smiled and bit her lip. “You’ll see,” she sang. “Follow me and enjoy, sweetheart.”
Intrigued and excited, I followed her inside and took one good look around the massive establishment before I wanted to scream. I’d just stepped into my own personal nightmare—a hell which haunted me from years ago. Will I never get away from my past? It wasn’t her fault, Bree had no idea about my past life.
“Come on, girl,” she said, taking my arm and pulling me toward the welcome desk. “Let’s get you signed up to be a member, shall we?”
Blowing out a nervous breath, I nodded quickly and plastered a smile on my face. I’d sign up for her, but I had no plans on ever coming back.
Please, God, don’t let anyone recognize me.
I WANTED TO turn and walk out the door, but I couldn’t let Bree down, she was only trying to help me out. I would have to suck this up.
There were fighters everywhere.
My eyes drifted to some guys surrounding a ring on the left side of the gym. It was the same ring my brother fought in, just a couple of weeks ago. I’d also seen Gabriella Reynolds fighting that night. Before then, I had no idea she was a trained MMA fighter. Her brother, Matt, had taken the Heavyweight title away from my brother a couple of years ago.
I’d been involved behind the scenes in the fighting world and wanted nothing to do with it. I left California to get away from this life, and it was all because of my deceptive brother who liked to cheat his way to the top. His friends were exactly the same, and from my experience I’d never met one who fought fair . . . or was honorable for that matter. Well, except for my friend, Pax.
My brother had a lot of enemies and I prayed no one recognized me as his sister. Not that they would, considering I pretty much kept to myself. I’d hate to have to face persecution from those who were victims of his heinous schemes.
It was pretty easy to see that all of the guys around the ring had a bloated ego and a leer of arrogance. If their reputations were the same as those I knew before, then they only had two things on their mind . . . fighting and women.