Caged: Cellar Door Series (16 page)

Either way, I needed to refocus the convo because Matt looked green and I wasn’t believing it was just from the Kylee foot to nut job he’d gotten. “Look, really doesn’t matter one way or another. Ray needs somebody that Ronnie’s not going to suspect to keep an eye out for anything shady going down. He said something about Ronnie not liking to lean on people, that if she knew Ray had someone watching out for her she’d lose her shit.” Matt groaned and fell further against the couch; his head leaning back as he stared up at the ceiling.

“Great, so if she does find out, she’s gonna be pissed as hell at me. Nice…”

“Look bro, I told Ray we’d help out...”

“No you won’t.” Kylee barged right through my sentence cutting me off.

              “What the fuck Ky? Why wouldn’t I help if I can?” I knew Kylee still harbored some jealousy about Ronnie for some unknown reason because I damn sure didn’t have any interest in Ronnie.

              Kylee’s nose pinched up, her mouth pressing into a tight line as she stared at me like she wanted to slap me. “Haven’t you done enough? You took a knife to your side. I’d say you put in enough help.”

              Before I could answer, Matt jumped in. “Kylee’s right man. One, it’s gonna look real odd if you all of sudden start hanging around Ronnie a whole bunch, especially to Ronnie. She’s not stupid, the girl’s got brains. She knows you’re not Mr. Conversation and she is well aware about you two. “ Matt waved his hand towards Kylee and I.

              “Well it’s not like we can’t spend some time at OverTime. I like the place. Always can say we needed a break from Cellar Door if anyone asks. Besides Ray doesn’t expect a 24/7 detail. Just a look out when we can.” Seemed like a damn fine plan, the farther away I could keep Kylee from run ins with some of the chick’s I’d burnt time with the better too given my hell cat seemed to be very territorial.

              “Yeah, still thinking I’m going to get the shit end of the stick if Ronnie finds out.” Matt sighed heavily. I didn’t have to say it out loud; he knew I agreed with him.

              Kylee left to go to her parents for the family Sunday dinner thing they’d always done until she’d gone off to college. There’d been a time when I had joined in but after we all graduated from high school, my visits had faded. I still checked in with her parents and Matt’s from time to time, especially around the holidays. They would always be family to me.

I’d got showered and dressed, pulling on my tan cargo shorts, a black t-shirt, and my black Diesel boots. I topped it off with a black ball cap that I’d turned around backwards. I’d even gone ahead and put in my eyebrow piercing and lip ring at the corner of my mouth. With the training schedule I normally rocked, it was pointless to put them in but now with some forced time off, I decided to sport them.

I hit the living room and found Matt waiting for me, freshly showered and dressed. A goofy grin passed over his face. “Look at you princess, you even put your jewelry on.”

I flipped him the one finger salute, grabbed the keys to my truck and looked over my shoulder. “Don’t hate the playa bro, hate the game. I rock this shit.” I pocketed my cell and walked out the door, Matt right on my heels.

“You do realize Kylee’s never seen your piercings.” My hand paused in mid air as I reached for the door handle to my truck before I shrugged the comment off.

“Nope, hadn’t really thought about it. She’d better never see yours though.” I pulled open my door and slid behind the wheel, Matt settling in the passenger side. Matt rocked his ink and metal on the down low, hidden beneath his clothes. Kid wasn’t shy about removing his shirt in the gym but absolutely did not want ink lower than where a short sleeved shirt would cover it. It didn’t bother me, to each his own and whatever Kylee thought when she saw my piercings she’d have no problem telling me.

Matt had been able to confirm that Ronnie was pulling a shift and we were heading to OverTime where Kylee was meeting us after her dinner.

The bar was only a few miles from our apartment complex and as I pulled my truck into the parking lot I glanced to Matt. “Which one’s Ronnie’s car?”

Matt pointed out the silver GTI Golf and I maneuvered the truck to a space close to it. It was early but the parking lot was packed. OverTime hosted a lot of sporting event specials and drew good sized crowds on Sundays.

Matt and I scanned the parking lot as we made our way to the front door, looking for anything that might be off but not 100% sure just what the hell that might be. Wasn’t like I expected dudes dressed in black ski masks to milling about.

I pulled on the door and held it open smirking at Matt. “Ladies first.” Matt got ready to plant an elbow in my side and at the last minute checked up.

“Not cool. I owe you one asshole.” I chuckled and followed him inside. It was a good thing he’d remembered the staples in my side or it could have ended up getting ugly. I wouldn’t have thought about it, would have just reacted to the pain and Matt knew that. He was the one that had pointed out the reaction after the fight I almost lost it in a few weeks ago. Once the other contender had drawn blood, I had gone into a fury. Matt didn’t believe it was a coincidence at all.

Doing a slow sweep down the length of the bar that ran one side of OverTime, I didn’t spot Ronnie. “You see her?” When I didn’t get an answer I turned to look at Matt but the lil shit was already gone. After a few seconds I found him nearer one of the larger TV’s, Ronnie Dalton leaning on her elbows on the bar’s top in deep conversation with my boy.

They didn’t even notice my approach and I slammed a palm down on the bar top startling them both. “Whats a guy got to do to get a drink?”

Ronnie took the bar rag she had and snapped it out against my bicep. “Try using your manners that usually helps.” I gave her a cocky grin and accepted the beer she uncapped and passed over to me.

“Yeah but that’s a lot of work for some of us.” Ronnie rolled her eyes and flipped part of her multicolored hair over her shoulder. It was generally several shades of any variety of colors depending on Ronnie’s mood it seemed. Tonight it was pale blonde streaked with black and purple and where some girls couldn’t have pulled it off, it suited Ronnie.

Matt returned to the conversation he and Ronnie were having and I leaned my back to the bar people watching the room.

A few beers in and Matt blew my cover. “Chill out. She’ll be here JD. Damn.”

I scowled and looked over my shoulder at him. “What the hell are you going on about?”

Matt’s lips twisted into a knowing smile. “Your eyes hit the front door about once every 30 seconds. I know you’re waiting on Kylee.”

“Fuck you Mattie…” I tipped my beer up and swallowed down the amber liquid, tapping the empty bottle lightly to the bar and earning a head nod from Ronnie who was already pulling out a replacement for me. He was right of course and it was happening too damn often lately. His head was gonna blow up if he kept being the almighty seer of truth.

“As nice as that invite seems I’m going to have to decline. You’re just not my type man.” Matt turned his attention to the race that was showing on the big screen and I had to laugh. Fucker always called me on my shit.

              I felt someone moving behind the bar at my back and turned to see Ronnie standing there pulling out some glasses and starting to mix up a round of drinks, a smile tugging at her  lips. She cocked her head towards Matt. “He likes to give you hell doesn’t he?”

              “Yeah, that he does but he’s one of the very few that’s allowed too.” Ronnie filled up the glasses with the mixture she’d concocted, a red color liquid pouring out from the strainer.

“I kind of figured that.” Ronnie tipped the shaker she was pouring from towards the front doors. “Believe that’s for you.”

I turned toward the doors; my brows furrowed and felt like the air had been straight jacked from my lungs. Kylee was making her way through, her legs cased in a pair of tight denim Capri’s that were topped off with a sheer black top that moved around her as she walked balancing on a pair of black high heels. Thank fuck there was a small tank top thing beneath her top because I was ready to lose my shit if some dude started casing her out, not that they could have helped it. Her long dark hair hung loose, brushing against her back with each step she took. Shit damn and hell she was hot.

She paused in front of me, her head angling to one side before reaching out to wrap her arms around my waist. I lowered my beer to the bar and folded my arms around her, bringing her up flush against me, wasn’t even trying to hide the evidence of the effect she had on me and there damn sure was evidence in the form of an uncomfortable bulge behind the zipper of my shorts.

Lowering my head, I pressed my lips to hers, her arms coming up to lock behind my neck. “What’s up baby girl?”

Kylee smiled against my lips. “Just wondering who you really are.”

The tone was light; more a statement than a question but something about it was sitting wrong with me. My arms tightened around her as I pulled back to look down into her eyes. “What’s that supposed to fucking mean?”

Kylee held my eyes with her own, moving one hand around to my face, her finger teasing my brow piercing before going to the one in my lip. She wiggled the small hoop back and forth a couple of times before wrapping her arm back around my neck, her tongue slipping out to replace where her finger had been, flicking the small hoop back and forth against my lip, my cock jerking in time to it.

Her lips whispered against mine. “Its not a bad thing JD. You just keep surprising me. Your ink, piercings, fighting, all of it is new for me. Doesn’t make it bad.”  

My mouth swept against Kylee’s brushing my lips to her hers lightly before I threaded my fingers into that dark hair, gripping it tightly and crushed my mouth to hers’ claiming the kiss I wanted before I moved back to smile down at her.

A set of hands clapped several times and I slowly raised one hand, popped a middle finger and flicked Matt the bird, my eyes never leaving Kylee’s.

“You know who I am Kylee. Always have. There might be different parts of me but you know me.” She flashed me a brilliant smile that made me desperately want to throw her over my shoulder so I could show her how well we knew each other. Instead I signaled Ronnie to bring two beers.

Kylee moved to stand beside me, between Matt and me and then reached for her beer, pausing with her hand extended to Ronnie. “Hi. I’m Kylee. I understand you’re a friend of Matt and JD’s. It’s nice to meet you.”

Ronnie had a surprised look that matched mine and Matt’s before putting her hand in Kylee’s, a megawatt smile glowing from her face. “I’m Ronnie. I’m getting to know these two knuckle heads. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Kylee released Ronnie and picked up her beer taking several swallows. “Wow, it stays busy here. This is the second time I’ve come in and for a Sunday this place is rocking.” Kylee had apparently picked up what Matt was putting down even though he’d denied and flat avoided much about the female fighter and what she was to him.

Ronnie shrugged one shoulder, in mid pour of another round of drinks for some other patrons. “My uncle installed the TV’s and turned it into a sports bar. Don’t get me wrong, on Friday and Saturday nights the dance floor rocks, sometimes he brings in live bands to perform but on Sundays it’s all about the drink and food specials. That’s what draws the crowd here. That and all the events we show. He pays a mint for the sports package channels but it’s well worth it.” Ronnie excused herself to deliver the drinks further down the bar.

Kylee turned to look over the place and froze. My line of sight caught up to what had snagged her attention. Some preppy fucker had come in and was waving at her.

“That’s Brett. My ex from college. I wonder what he’s doing here.” Without another word she made her way over to him gifting him with a hug that he was returning with way to much fucking enthusiasm for my liking. He was exactly what I had always pictured Kylee with. All polo and pressed khaki’s, ink free and pissing me the hell off just because he existed, just because at one time he’d been close to my girl. What was really a doing a number on my temper was the fuckers’ hands on Kylee.

Matt grabbed hold of my arm, rooting me to the spot, pure fire burning through my veins. I hadn’t even realized I was in motion until he stopped it. “Shit…come on big man. Let’s take a walk.”

I wanted to walk alright, all over that pretty boy fuckers face and I was wearing the right kind of boots to do just that. Ronnie appeared from behind the bar at my other side, her fingers wrapping around that arm as she and Matt forced me to walk to the back, Matt muttering a series of curse words with each step.

I couldn’t even speak I was so fucking angry. My hands were clenched into tight fists; blood was rushing through my veins so quickly that my ears were ringing. How the hell they got me outside was as much a shock to them as it was to me.

Matt shoved me towards my truck. “I’ll get a ride. Go. Now. Before you do something I can’t undo. Serious bro…not today man. Please. I know there’s no listening to be done right now so I’ll save the you’re being an asshole speech for later. Go.”

Riding shot gun with the anger was straight pain, right in the center of my chest. She had walked away without a word straight into that douche’s arms. I knew that was Kylee’s speed, that type of guy but it still gutted me. I shook off both Matt and Ronnie, jerked my ball cap off, scrubbed a hand over my face and slammed it back on backwards again.

“I’m out.” Matt didn’t even bother to ask where I was going. He knew me well enough to know that the only things that would keep my sanity were fucking, fighting or drinking. I didn’t want to fuck some random chick, fighting was out so that left drinking, I could only hope that the state carried enough alcohol to drown out my anger and return my sanity.

I climbed in my truck as Ronnie asked Matt if I was going to be okay. I cut off hearing his response by slamming the door, firing up the truck and turning the volume on the radio to max.

A short while later I found my ass seated at Cellar Door knocking back bourbon shots. Sadie was pulling a shift and she knew by the look on my face to keep feeding them to me. She also had Matt’s number on standby if I got wasted or out of control. It was a 50-50 shot it could go either way with the mood I was kicking.

I felt fingernails dance over the forearm that was propped on the bar and glanced down at them. Long red tipped nails were tracing the exposed tats on my forearm, nails connected to one Shay O’Brien. She was a decent looking girl I’d gone to high school with, but she had become a Cage Crawler, stalking fighters on the regular. She sat down next to me and gave me what I’m sure she believed was a sexy smile. At least I’d gotten 1 hour under my belt before one she’d felt the need to invade my space. I turned my attention back to my shot.

“Hey JD. I haven’t seen you in ages. How are you?” Her voice was too high pitched, her eyes the wrong color brown and just in general the fact she was breathing my air was annoying the hell out of me.

I grunted a response at her. “Fucking great.” Her eyes widened but it didn’t stop her from touching my ink again. I was contemplating taking my shot glass and smashing it on her fingers but there was one drawback. She was female; I don’t lay hands on them in that kind of way for any reason.

The hairs on the back of my neck tingled and I swung my head to look over my shoulder and ended up with my eyes locked on Kylee Grace Parrish. And she was fuming angry crazy mad. The deep browns were blazing into almost black. Her eyes shifted from me to Shay.