by K J Ellis
“Well obviously there's a fucking blind spot or they wouldn't have got pictures—pictures of my girl completely fucking naked at her most vulnerable,” he growls out through his teeth.
Everyone is standing still in shock at Isaak’s sudden outburst, even if it is warranted.
I take the phone from Devon again and find myself investigating the photos myself, fully concentrating on the details most people won't be looking at. That's when I spot the black sarong lying on the sun lounger. My eyes widen like saucers, and I'm running over to the altercation between Isaak and Saxon.
“Isaak, stop. This isn't Saxon's fault.” It's like he’s not even here in the room. He can't hear me; his focus is solely on Saxon and his eyes are blank, dark pits full of murderous savagery.
“Isaak,” I shout louder, hoping he'll listen. “Isaak, look at me.” That does it: it breaks him from the darkness. He swings his head around, his eyes now on me, the blackness dispersing slightly.
“Put Saxon down; it's not his fault.”
He doesn't believe me.
“This photo was taken months ago, Isaak.” I know everyone can hear what I'm saying, but I need him to understand. “Really look at it. My boobs haven't grown in size, and the black sarong I was wearing is from the day I had you doing laps of the pool…” I proceed to show him the images on Devon phone again.
The moment he looks at them he relaxes, withdrawing from Saxon, wincing as he looks back at his friend apologetically.
“Isaak, taken months ago or not, the boys will find any blind spots. This will not be happening again. Not on my watch anyway,” Saxon confidently states, seemingly still not affected by the way Isaak just had hold of him.
“See, baby, it’s no one's fault here,” I coo at him, pulling him closer to me, trying to calm him somewhat. I’ve shocked myself with how relaxed I am about the whole situation.
“I’m sorry, Remme, but no one gets to see what’s mine. Only me.” He doesn’t care who is listening. In fact, I think he wants everyone to know he is staking his claim on me, and to be honest, I love it. It’s such a turn on that I feel the licks of desire creeping down to my core. The thought makes me blush as the heat rises to my cheeks. Isaak, seeming to be calm again, spots my red cheeks like he knows what I’m thinking, and growls in my ear.
“Damn, baby, your dirty mind already wants my cock in that pretty pussy again.”
I can’t stop the tiny whimper that leaves my mouth. It’s small enough for only him to hear. Like we are suddenly aware of our surroundings again, Isaak pulls away from me, leaving his hand at the base of my back and me clenching my thighs together.
“Unfortunately, Sweetcheeks, I have some things I now need to sort out. I’m not letting this go. I’ll talk to Kenny and get him on the case. I will sue the newspaper company if that’s what it takes to get them to take the whole article down.”
Just like that, my arousal vanishes and puts me on a downer.
“Will you be long?” I give him my best sad eyes, sticking out my bottom lip.
“Don’t do that, baby, please. All I wanna do is make love to you all day,” he says, winking at me. I go to tease him back, but my phone chimes in my back pocket. I hold my hand up to Isaak, silently asking him to give a minute in case it’s my mum calling me back.
When I see it’s Charlotte, I mouth her name to Isaak. I’ve told him briefly about how Charlotte and I had been really close when she started working at Proflex and that I missed seeing her face brightening up my days. The fact she’s ringing me now, has me curious and worried. I’m just glad she’s ringing me, full stop.
Accepting the call, I say a timid hello to her and wait for her reply, not knowing why she’s calling.
“Hey, Rem. Are you okay?” She sounds relieved that I’ve answered her.
“Yeah, I’m fine but could be better. You?” I move out of earshot so I can hear her.
“Oh, thank God. I was really worried about you. I’ve just seen the pictures of you and Isaak online. I wanted to check and make sure you were okay. I don’t want you stressing. It’s not good for you or the baby.”
This is one of the reasons I felt drawn to Charlotte in the first place. She’s got a heart of gold and she’s the most caring person I know. When I told her briefly about being pregnant one day when she was on her dinner break. She was so happy for me. She really was rooting for me, like she said she was.
“Yeah, it is what it is. No point stressing over it when there’s nothing I can do about it.” I say, shrugging my shoulders, even though she can’t see me. She goes quiet on me, to the point I think she has hung up on me.
“I’m so glad you’re ok... I miss you, Remme.” she whispers.
“I miss you, too.” I tell her almost as soon as she’s finished speaking.
“Work isn’t the same without you.” I can hear the disappointment in her voice.
Just then, an idea pops in my head. “You busy, Charl?” I ask with a huge smile.
“Nope, just sitting in my car. I’ve managed to finish work early, for a change, why?”
“Good. You’re coming over to mine.” I quickly roll Isaak’s address off to her so she can enter it into her satnav, and I end the call telling her I’ll see her soon, heading back over to Isaak with a skip in my step.
“Everything okay?” he asks, looking concerned.
“Fine.” I always seem to be reassuring him lately. “Charlotte’s on her way over to our place. I hope that’s okay?”
“Of course. I know how upset you’ve been with not seeing her. I’ll see if Saxon is ready to take you home.” With that, he kisses my lips, unhurried, and nods his head in Saxon’s direction—their way of silently communicating.
Ten minutes later, I’m sitting in Saxon’s car and heading home.
He has been working for us for just over two months, and I’ve just realised I don’t know a single thing about the guy who is protecting me, other than the fact that he knows Isaak and that Isaak trusts him to be the one to protect me at all costs. I wanna know what makes a guy willing to do the things he does.
Now seems as good a time as any.
“How long have you known Isaak, Sax?” I blurt out.
He looks across at me out the corner of his eye. “About six years now. We used to train together at Isaak’s father’s gym. We both would have been around nineteen, I think.”
“Wow, I didn’t know you fought, too.” This news surprises me.
“Did.”
“Sorry?”
“I did fight. Not anymore.”
I see a sadness on his face that I’ve never seen before. I can tell this is a sore subject, but my mouth starts working of its own accord.
“How come?”
“I was just about to turn pro, training more excessively than ever before to gain the muscle I needed for the weight I wanted. One day at training, I suffered a massive heart attack.”
My hand flies up to my mouth as a gasp slips pasts my lips. “Oh, God. I’m so sorry, Sax. But you’re okay now?”
“I’m all good now. At the time, I needed a heart transplant as mine wasn’t taking in enough blood. There was a blockage somewhere—unbeknown to me and my trainers—which caused a blood clot. With me overdoing my training, it was too much strain on my heart. So, I had to give up my dream of becoming a professional fighter,” he explains. “I was really lucky when I think back to it. There was a heart that was a match for me, so I got the transplant pretty much straight away.”
“Oh wow, I’m glad.”
“Yeah, like I say I was lucky. If it hadn’t been for that heart, I wouldn’t be here today. I feel like I owe it to the family of the donor to thank them and tell them how grateful I am. One day…”
I can see the hope in his eyes, and I somehow know he will fulfil that quest of his at some point in the future.
I don’t know what else to say to him, so I don’t say anything at all, and the rest of the journey home
is driven in a comfortable silence.
The minute we hit the gates outside of the house, a car pulls up behind us.
Saxon is on high alert.
“It’s okay. It’s just my friend, Charlotte.”
Giving me a stern nod, he types the four-digit code in on the post and the gates start to open. Charlotte drives through them straight after us, and as soon as we’ve parked, I jump out of the car and power walk as fast as I can to Charlotte.
“Whoa, whoa, Missus! The baby!” she yells, holding her arms out to stop me from crashing into her. I slow down and come to a standstill in front of her. Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her in close and embrace her tight.
“Hello there, Mr tall, dark and handsome. Who is that broody looking man?” She must spot Saxon standing, keeping guard behind me in the distance.
“That would be Saxon,” I say, laughing at her over-enthusiastic lusting session.
“Are you like a flipping God magnet or what?” she jokes.
I slap her arm playfully.
“I’m serious. First Isaak, then Owen and now...Saxon.” She plays around with the way she says his name, causing me to laugh harder.
“Come on, Man-eater. Let’s head inside.” I link my arm in the crook of hers and head back the way I came.
“He’s like a walking wet dream. Please tell me he’s single?” Looking up at Saxon, I see the grin that pulls at his lips and the little shake of his head as we pass by him. Clearly, he’s heard what she said.
This is going to be a long night. Fun, but long.
Chapter Forty
Isaak
The past two weeks have been pretty stressful. Not only have I been training around the clock, I’ve been working to get the fucking photos of Remme and me removed from the public eye. Kenny has tried his best but still hasn’t had any joy. I’d even spoke to Saxon to see if he could do anything about them. Remme has come around to the fact they are out there and has told me to leave it be, saying that by now everyone will have seen them anyway.
But I just can’t let it go.
Starting my twenty-week training camp just after we found out Peanut was a boy has also been hard because it has meant a twenty-week celibacy spell, too. If it were up to me, I'd be having as much sex with Remme as possible. The more her pregnancy progresses, the more I can't keep my hands of her. It doesn't help the fact that she is doing absolutely anything to try and grab my attention. She thinks I haven't noticed, but what she's forgetting is that when it comes to her, I notice everything. I've had to get more creative in ways to keep her satisfied, which, in all fairness has been fun and has sparked a whole new and kinkier side to our sex life. You name it, we’ve done it, apart from actually doing the deed since the day of her twenty-week scan.
My team is set in their old ways, stating that apparently sex reduces my aggression levels and will therefore weaken my temperament. They want me more aggressive in this rematch than in any of my other fights.
On top of all that, I have my first press conference today, which means I'll be seeing Alexander again.
“Isaak, you ready?” Kenny announces, breaking my reminiscing.
“Yeah, give me a sec.” I get my head on straight, ready to enter the conference room. Once I'm sorted, I take Remme’s outstretched hand in mine and head to the door. I let her go ahead of me and she bumps straight into a woman's back, causing me to collide with Remme’s back.
“Oh, I'm so sorry,” Remme say’s apologetically.
The minute the woman turns around, Remme flies at her and cracks her a new one, straight on the cheekbone.
“Remme, Jesus.” I’m not quick enough to stop her. Luckily, Saxon is already outside the door waiting for us. He pulls Remme off to the other side of him, being as gentle as he can with my precious cargo.
“You stupid bitch!” Shantel screams out, covering her cheek where Remme’s fist has connected with bone.
“You're lucky that's the only punch you get, you psychotic tramp!” Remme struggles in Saxon's arms, trying to free herself.
Through the mad chaos, I happen to spot Alexander coming this way.
“Who you calling a tramp, whore?”
Oh no she didn't.
I swing my gaze back to Shantel and her insult of Remme. She goes to make headway for Remme but I can see what Shantel is thinking. Before she has the chance to move, I step in between them as Alex approaches us.
“She walked into me, Alex, then the whore punched me in the face. My agent is going flip,” Shantel whines like a petulant child.
“It’s a big improvement, I’d say,” Remme spits back.
“I see you all started without me,” Alex smirks. “Ah, Remme, I caught those pictures online. You know, a girl with a rack like yours is wasted on a joker like him.”
The fucker has the nerve to look Remme up and down then he throws me a sly, dirty smirk. Now I want to drive my fist into his face.
I see nothing but red.
My feet move before I have a chance to think about what I’m doing, but Saxon’s arm flies out, stopping me in my tracks inches from starting world war three right here, right now. It's Kenny who speaks next.
“Let’s leave the smack talk for the press conference, ay boys?”
Taking a step back, I hold out my hand to Remme, who takes it without question.
“Let's leave Alex and his sloppy seconds to it. I don’t want to be late for the press.” It’s a low blow bringing up that I had Shantel first, but I know Remme will see I’m just trying to get under Alexander's skin, and by the look on his face as we all walk off, it’s worked. I squeeze Remme’s hand in silent solidarity and sneak a look at her.
She’s smiling up at me like she just watched me win my belts back already. It’s going to happen. I just have to get this boring shit out of the way first—starting with talking to the vultures.
Leaving Remme in Saxon's care, myself and Kenny take our seats at the microphone filled table. I can still see her from where I’m sitting, but to my horror Shantel makes a beeline for her and stands on the other side of Saxon.
“Keep your head on straight for the next half hour, Isaak. Saxon will take care of Remme,” Kenny whispers to me. I look back up, and Saxon gives me a small nod, letting me know he is on the case. I watch as Alex and his manager take their seats on the other end of the table. No sooner has he sat down do the questions start flying at us all at once.
Kenny hushes them, asking for one question at a time, pointing to a man in the first row.
“Mr Brookes, you lost the last fight against Alexander. What have you been doing differently in your training to prepare for this rematch? And do you feel ready after the injuries from the last fight?”
“I don’t want to give all my secrets away.” I give a light chuckle. “Training for any fight requires a tailor-made regime. Going into a fight unprepared is reckless, so I do what every great fighter does and I study my opponents to find their weakness. As for being ready, I have never felt better. I'm ready to take this sucker down. He got a lucky punch last time, but I’m better this time round. I’m stronger, more determined.” I give them textbook answers—just enough to keep them dangling. Alexander’s manager points to someone next, who asks Alex a question. We go back and forth like this, answering the best we can.
After a while, I’m itching to get out of here and back to Remme’s side. I don’t trust Shantel being that close to her one little bit.
The next question angers me to my core.
“Isaak, we recently saw pictures of you and your girlfriend in a compromising position, shall we say, in your pool? The girlfriend that is now pregnant. May we suggest Aqua for a girl’s name? Care to make a comment?”
The room erupts into laughter at the reporter’s witty question. I can feel my blood pressure rising. Looking up, I lock eyes with Remme, silently asking what I should say. She tells me everything I need to know with a single look.
“Thos
e photos were taken at our private residence by unknown reporters. What we do in our home is of no concern to you all. The pictures were leaked, and there is nothing Remme or I can do about them now. I just hope whoever took them got a thrill out of them in the same way Remme and I did because you won’t be getting pictures like that again. You can count on it. Clearly, they had nothing better to do with their time. I do ask that, if said reporter is here or listening, they no longer trespass on my property and also respect our private life.”
I keep my cool but it does nothing to alleviate the rage I hold inside.
“We have reason to believe that at the time the photo was taken, you were Miss Rivers’ client and that you were cheating on Shantel Matthews, with your physiotherapist?”
I shoot my gaze at Shantel at the back, knowing this is all her doing, spouting her poison because she hasn’t got what she wants.
What she wants is me—plain and simple.
She has the nerve to smile up at me, full of cockiness.
Abruptly standing from my seat, I send the chair cruising into the back wall behind me. Kenny lays a hand on my arm, silently asking me to calm down. Movement makes my eyes connect to Remme. She worriedly takes a few steps forwards, hands holding her bump protectively, which instantly has me calming down somewhat.
“Any relations I had with Miss Matthews were over long before my relationship with Remme got underway. Yes, I was Remme’s client, and yes, those pictures were of us in private. Now, is this a press conference about the fight happening in a few weeks or not? I thought you'd be more interested in that than what I get up to in my free time. I won't be answering any more questions involving the photos or Remme, so don't bother asking them.” My voice is sharp and to the point, and I mean what I say. If someone asks me questions unrelated to this fight, I'll just up and leave. Simple as that.
Kenny gives my arm a squeeze then places it back in front of him. Picking up my chair and sitting back on it, I begin to relax when there are no more questions regarding me and Remme. Choosing to let Kenny handle any more questions that are thrown my way, I stare intently into the eyes of the only woman to ever own my heart.