Tyler's Undoing (Gloves Off Book 3)

by Dover, L. P.

  “What did you tell him?” I asked, eyes wide.

  She shrugged and unlocked the car doors. “I told him you had a lot going on in your life right now. He’s actually a decent guy. You should try hanging out with him some time.”

  “I don’t think so. I have no desire to date any of those guys in there,” I replied, opening my door and getting into the seat.

  Bree started up the car and we headed on our way to her apartment. “Well, maybe you’ll change your mind one day,” she suggested.

  Not going to happen.

  Once we got to her apartment and freshened up, we were on our way to the restaurant. It was good money, especially with the tips. Although, working a night job where men hit on you constantly, wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Even if I never earned enough money to open up my own restaurant, I still didn’t imagine myself working in a bar any longer than absolutely necessary.

  “Only two more hours,” I groaned, looking at the clock.

  Bree chuckled and handed me the limes for my gin and tonics. “It’s not that bad tonight. Just be thankful we don’t have to work the late shift. Then you really have to deal with the drunk assholes and shitty tips. I did it once, when David couldn’t come in for his shift, and regretted every minute of it.”

  Laughing, I finished pouring up the drinks and turned to her. “Yeah, I remember that. It’s a shame he quit to go to medical school. I really liked him. Damn people and their dreams.”

  “We’ll be at that point someday, Kace. Our time will come soon.” More patrons started flooding into the bar so Bree quickly smiled at me before strolling to the end of the counter to take more orders.

  Grabbing some napkins, I carried my gin and tonics to the two men who ordered them. They were dressed in business suits; one with perfect, combed-over midnight colored hair and green eyes, while the other had really short, dirty blond hair and brown eyes. Both were very attractive and most likely gay, knowing my luck.

  “Here you go, gentlemen. Do you want to open a tab?”

  “Not for me,” the guy with the blond hair said, passing me a twenty dollar bill.

  The one with the dark hair smiled and sat down. “I will. I’m meeting one of my clients here shortly.” He handed me his card.

  “All right, I’ll get you set up,” I told him.

  He stayed at the bar drinking his gin and tonic, while his friend finished his off and left. Once Bree and I caught up on everyone’s orders, I was finally able to relax and get a glass of water. Every so often, the guy in the suit would make eye contact with me and smile. Maybe he’s not gay.

  “Would you like another gin and tonic while you wait on your client?” I asked him.

  “That’d be great. He must be running a little late.” Pulling out his phone, he looked down at it and sighed. “Never mind, he just sent a text saying he’s not going to make it. His flight got cancelled.”

  “Oh no,” I replied. “I hate that you’ve sat here this whole time for nothing.” After I finished making his drink, I slid it to him.

  “I wouldn’t say it was for nothing. At least I got to sit here and talk to you.” He held out his hand. “My name’s Liam, Liam Harris.”

  Taking his hand, I shook it and smiled. “I’m Kacey. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise.”

  Bree noticed the interaction and grinned from ear to ear. When a trio of girls came up to the bar, she winked and waved me off, nodding toward Liam. By the look in Liam’s eyes and the smirk on his face, he’d cracked her code.

  “She’s not very subtle is she?” he asked.

  Chuckling, I shook my head. “Not at all. She’s just happy I’m actually talking to someone of the opposite sex.”

  That caught his attention. “Do you usually not? I’d think a woman like you would be surrounded by men, especially in a place like this.”

  “Oh, she is,” Bree cut in. “She just doesn’t give them the time of day.”

  Liam laughed. “Well, then I guess I should feel privileged she’s talking to me.”

  My face blushed bright crimson and I could feel the heat flooding to my cheeks. Turning around, I faced the register and ran Liam’s card. “Thanks, Bree,” I grumbled, glaring over at her.

  When I faced him again, he finished his drink and signed off on the receipt, leaving me a three figure tip. Holy shit! I closed my eyes and looked at it again . . . yep, three figures.

  “So I guess this means you’re not seeing anyone?” Liam asked, getting to his feet.

  I closed my gaping mouth and cleared my throat.

  Bree was the one who replied, “No, she’s not seeing anyone.”

  Liam’s brows lifted, waiting on my answer.

  “I’m single,” I said.

  Pulling out his wallet, he grabbed the pen off the counter and wrote his number down on the back of one of his cards. “I’m going to leave you my cell number. If you’re not busy Saturday night, I’d love to take you out to dinner.”

  Bree nudged me in the side when all I did was stand there like an idiot. “Answer him,” she mumbled under her breath.

  “Yes,” I blurted out. “Dinner would be nice. I’ll give you my number as well.” Grabbing a napkin from the bar, I scribbled my phone number on it and handed it to him before taking his card.

  “Feel free to call me anytime, Kacey.”

  Looking down at the card, I nodded then looked back up at him. “I will . . . thanks. Have a good night.”

  “You do the same.” Turning on his heel, he made his way out, looking back once before disappearing out the door.

  “I must say, you sure do know how to snag the good looking ones,” Bree teased. “At least he’s not gay.”

  His card only had his name on it and a phone number which must’ve been the one for his work. There was no description of who he was or what he did as far as business. He was a mystery.

  “Or so you think,” I chuckled, putting his card in my pocket. “He could be gay and just want to pick my brain on the newest fashions.”

  Bree snorted. “I don’t think so, babe. Not with the way he was checking you out all evening.”

  Rolling my eyes, I peered up at the clock and breathed a sigh of relief. We only had fifteen minutes left until the end of our shift.

  “Are you going to call him?” she asked.

  Shrugging my shoulders, I pulled out his card again and bit my lip. “I don’t know. He could be a complete ass for all I know.”

  “True, but he could also be pretty cool too.” Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Pulling it out, she tapped away, smiling from ear to ear. It had to be Cole.

  “I’m assuming that’s Cole. Are you two going out tonight?”

  Finishing up her text, she nodded and put her phone in her back pocket. “Yeah, he wants to see me later. For a guy, he’s actually been taking it kind of slow. I never thought he’d be like that, given the reputation some of the fighters have.”

  “Which is exactly why I stay away from them,” I remarked dryly. “The last thing I want is to be just another fling for a day.”

  “That’s not how Cole is, Kacey. Tyler might be a little different, but he’s still a good guy. I think you need to give him a chance, or better yet, just be friends with him. He’s actually pretty cool to hang around with and he’s funny as hell. It’d be great to have us all go out together some time.”

  Clasping her hands in front of her, Bree pouted her lips and whimpered pleadingly. She was the only friend I had and I would do anything for her because I knew she would do the same for me.

  “Okay, let me think about it, Bree. Just because I’m considering it doesn’t mean I want to have anything to do with Tyler. I can tolerate just about anyone, but if he gets in my space, it’s not going to be pretty.”

  Bree snickered and shook her head. “Um . . . you know he’s a lot bigger than you, right?”

  “I don’t care,” I exclaimed. “I’m a lot stronger than I look. Besides, there’s one
thing he doesn’t have that I do.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “My refreshingly charming wit. He won’t even know what hit him.”

  “I’d like to see that,” she teased.

  I wouldn’t, because then that’d mean I was actually going to be around him. I just had to hope and pray he didn’t want to have anything to do with me after our time at the gym today.

  AFTER COLE AND I sparred, he left to get ready for his date with Bree while I continued my training. Much to my surprise, my father had basically been leaving me in charge for the past couple of months. The only time he was really in the gym was during my training sessions, which happened to be starting right now.

  “All right, son, let’s see what you got,” my father called out. “Make sure to concentrate.”

  Anticipating another fighter’s moves was one of the most important things you needed to learn in the ring. If you could anticipate their moves, you could hit them in their weakest spots. I was good at everything but that, and it pissed my father off more than anything. He was an expert at it. Every time I failed his approval, I had to hear how unfocused I was and how I would never win the title.

  Padded up with his boxing gloves, my father circled the ring and I countered him, trying my best to concentrate on his movements. He was good at psyching people out, including me. I would give anything to move like him, but I had strengths he didn’t possess. Sometimes, I wondered if he even realized that.

  Once his posture shifted I knew his strike was coming to my left. When I dodged, he smiled and nodded his head. “Good, son,” he praised.

  He struck again and again, each time I deflected his attacks. “See, I’m not so bad?” I remarked excitedly. It was the first time I’d thwarted every single attack.

  The second I let my excitement get the better of me, my father swung and snapped my head to the right side with a hard punch. Out of every single fighter I’d fought against, my father had the hardest hit. Head ringing, I rolled my neck and cracked it, massaging my jaw.

  “Maybe I spoke too soon,” I grumbled.

  Sighing, my father slipped off his gloves. “That’s your problem, son. You get too cocky and it gets to your head. Stop letting it control you.”

  “It was only one hit,” I challenged. “I’ve taken plenty of hits and still came out on top.”

  “Yeah, but it only takes one to make all the difference. You fight Kyle in three weeks for the title. He’s gotten ruthless with his fighting. I just want you to be ready.”

  “I will be,” I promised.

  “I sure hope so, son. The last thing the league needs is Kyle taking the title again. Everyone’s counting on you.”

  Yes, I know. I wasn’t going to let anyone down.

  Once I closed up the gym, I started on my way home and called Bree. She was on a date with Cole, but he knew I was going to call.

  “Why hello, Tyler,” she answered the phone.

  “Hey, Bree. Are you still with Cole?”

  “Yes, I’m here cocksucker,” Cole called out. “You’re on the speakerphone.”

  “Okay, I’ll make this quick so you two can get back to . . . well, whatever it is you were doing. Anyway, I wanted to see if there was anything you could tell me about Kacey. Something that’ll help me out.”

  “Honestly, I don’t know if anything will,” Bree confessed. “She was pretty adamant on keeping her distance. She did, however, say she would maybe hang out with all of us one day. Knowing her, she’d still try to avoid it if I asked her to go.”

  “That’s a start though. Make sure not to tell her about Friday.”

  “I won’t.”

  “What about hobbies? What does she like to do?”

  “She likes to play golf. Her father taught her when she was a little girl. She talks about it all the time, but I don’t play. I usually just go with her and drive her around in the golf cart. Do you play?” she asked.

  “Of course,” I lied. “Maybe I’ll see if she’ll do that with me.”

  “That would be amazing,” Bree squealed. “She’ll love to play with someone.”

  I had never even set foot on a golf course before, other than the local putt-putt when I was a kid. I mean, how hard could golf be?

  “What else does she like to do?” I inquired.

  “Um . . . she likes to go running every morning. If I could get up early enough, I’d go with her, but she always goes at like six in the morning. That’s too much for me.”

  Now that was something I honestly did as well. I just usually went running around my neighborhood. “Where does she run?”

  “She goes to the local high school by her house, to run on their track. If you show up there tomorrow, you better not mention I had anything to do with it,” she warned.

  “I won’t.” I chuckled. “Just tell me which school she goes to and I’ll pretend this phone call never happened.”

  She sang like a canary and we hung up. Kacey was going to be pissed.

  BREE HAD DROPPED me off a little after ten o’clock last night and I was up again at half past five for my morning run. It was my daily routine: run, take care of Nana, eat, work, and sleep. By the time I got out of the house at six, the sky was already pink and gold with the rising sun. It was beautiful.

  Cindy’s shift ended at seven, giving me just enough time to wake up, put on my black workout shorts and bright yellow T-shirt, and get my running done before my grandmother woke up. Sitting at the kitchen table in her scrubs and her auburn hair pulled in a low bun, Cindy was busy documenting my grandmother’s chart when I walked past.

  “Be careful, sweetheart,” she murmured.

  Grabbing my iPod off of the kitchen counter, I slipped it into the holder on my arm and placed the ear buds in my ears. “I will. I’ll be back in about forty-five minutes.”

  Time to run.

  The local high school was only a quarter of a mile away, so it never took long to get there. It was the end of the school year, but there were always a couple teachers who did their morning runs there as well. I was never alone, which was comforting.

  Before taking off on the track, I scrolled through my albums and picked one of my favorite bands, Avenged Sevenfold. Usually, I listened to pop, classical, nineties music, and even songs from the sixties, but when I ran I wanted something harder, more untamed.

  Once my favorite song came on, I took off running, enjoying the tension release of just letting go. Other than playing golf on the delicate green grass of a golf course, running was my other secret pleasure. It gave me time to think, to pretend I was somewhere else, where I didn’t have responsibilities weighing me down.

  I wasn’t exactly a fast runner, but I could get at least three miles done in thirty minutes. I thought that was pretty good. With one lap down, I made sure to keep my pace steady so I wouldn’t lose my momentum—which was promptly thrown out the window when I felt a presence close behind me. A little too close.

  Quickly, I glanced over my shoulder and lost my footing. Before I could fall on my face, Tyler scooped me up and twisted me around so that he took the blow when we landed on the ground. Breathing hard, I lied on top of him while my mind caught up with what just happened.

  “What the hell are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?” I snarled, smacking him in the arm so he’d let me go.

  Guffawing, Tyler let me go and got to his feet just as I did, his face alit with humor. “You’re welcome for taking the fall, beautiful. I can’t help it you’re clumsy.”

  Humiliated, my face turned blood red, cheeks burning. “I am not clumsy,” I shouted. “I can’t help it you snuck up on me like some creeper.” Brushing off my legs, I huffed and started back on the track, hoping to get away from him. It didn’t work.

  “Okay, so you’re not clumsy,” he gave in a little. “It must’ve been the sheer pleasure of seeing me again.”

  Picking up my pace, I gritted my teeth and kept on running. I didn’t care if my lungs burned like fire. “Can you plea
se go bother someone else? I’m going to call the police and tell them you’re stalking me if you don’t.”

  The only people who knew I ran at the high school in the mornings were my grandmother, Cindy, and Bree. I was pretty sure I knew which one had told him.

  “Ooh . . . I’ve never been in handcuffs. I might like it,” he teased.

  “I am so going to kill Bree for this. You have a lot of balls coming here, knowing I have no interest in you.”

  He kept up his pace beside me, not even breaking a sweat. I envied his stamina because I felt like I was about to pass out.

  “You may not have interest in me, but I’m interested in you. I’m not going to leave you alone until you give in.”

  “Then be prepared for disappointment, Tyler. I told you before, you’re not my type and I sure as hell am not yours. See, I’m a real person, not just some whore who’ll ride your cock and leave when you’re bored. I’m better than that. So do us both a favor and stay away from me. I don’t want to be one of your many conquests.”

  His pace slowed and eventually he fell back, letting me go. I hadn’t finished my laps, but I needed to get out of there. Especially after I saw his disheartened face just before he dropped back; he was genuinely upset with what I’d said. In my heart, I wanted to turn around and apologize. Maybe he wasn’t what I accused him of, but in my experience, almost all of the fighters were complete asshats. I couldn’t be sucked into that trap.

  Besides, he wouldn’t even be talking to me if he knew my brother was Kyle Andrews.

  IT WAS FRIDAY—two days had passed since my encounter with Tyler—and I hadn’t heard a word from him. Either I’d spoke the truth and he gave up on me, or I’d really hit a nerve. I was hoping he gave up on me, because if I really hurt him, I’d feel bad about it.

  “Girl, what’s wrong with you?” Bree asked. “You’ve been moping around here all day. Cheer up, our shift’s about to end.”

  “I know. I guess I just have a lot on my mind,” I replied.

  “Yeah, I’ll bet. I heard what you said to Tyler. Cole told me he’s been in a shitty mood ever since. You were right when you said your words would knock him down. Do you feel good about your win?”