Impact (The Fight for Life #2) (23 page)

After market closed for the day, everyone assembled around my desk. I hated being the centre of attention and could feel my cheeks heating when Heath cleared his throat. I really hadn’t been expecting speeches, and I desperately hoped I wouldn’t be expected to say anything.

“What can I say about the best desk assistant I’ve ever had?” I looked up at him and smiled. He never complimented my work, but I knew I was good at my job and he never complained, which was probably as good as a compliment for someone like Heath. He went on for a good five minutes about my work ethic and attention to detail, and I was burning up by the end. “You have big boots to fill,” he said, looking at my replacement. Poor Mark had no idea what he was in for come Monday when I wasn’t there to put out his fires. “Thank you, Juliette. It’s been a pleasure working with you and I’ll miss you.” After a round of applause, Heath piped up again and shocked everyone. “First round of drinks at the Z Bar are on me.”

I was taken aback by his speech. Leaving was absolutely the right thing for me, but I would miss this place. I might’ve fallen into the job, but I’d picked myself up, worked hard and earned the respect of a man who didn’t dish it out lightly.

“Drinks time,” Nicole said, linking arms with me. “I’m totally gutted you’re leaving.”

“Thanks, but I’m really happy.” I bumped shoulders with her. “Feels like the fresh start I really need.”

“Come on ladies,” Evan said, ushering us towards the lifts. “Let’s send Juliette off in style.”

As we left the building, we were laughing at the punchline of Evan’s last joke. Nicole was right in front of me and I wasn’t prepared for her to stop dead in her tracks, so I bumped into her back and nearly lost my footing. I was about to ask why she’d stopped when I glanced up and saw Leo moving towards me with a concerned look on his face.

“Are you okay, babe?” he asked as I pushed my foot back into my heel and smoothed down my skirt. Leo kissed me lightly on the lips and put his arm around my shoulders.

“Holy hotness,” Nicole whispered.

“This is my boyfriend, Leo.” I waved my hand between them. “Leo, meet Nicole and Evan.”

Leo shook hands with both of them and Nicole looked at me and mouthed the word ‘wow’.

I chuckled, completely understanding her reaction to my man. “I didn’t know you were coming,” I said, smiling. “I thought you’d be getting ready for the fight.”

“We’ll see you guys there,” Nicole said, waving. “Really nice to meet you, Leo.” She glanced at me and winked.

“You too,” Leo replied. “I won’t be able to come in, but I’ll drop Jules there soon.”

He turned his attention back to me when Nicole and Evan left. “I wanted to see you before I headed out. How are you feeling now you’re a free agent?”

I considered his question for a moment before answering honestly. “I’m actually really, genuinely happy.”

Leo dropped another kiss on my lips. “That’s awesome, Jules. I wish I didn’t have to leave you now, but I really should get going. I’m meeting Dam out there.” He pulled me in for a hug and I wrapped my arms around him.

I pulled back and met his gaze. “It’s okay. Thank you for coming into the city to see me.”

He held the Jeep’s passenger side door open for me and I climbed in. I watched him jog around the front and climb into the driver’s seat. Before he turned the ignition on, he sat back against his seat and turned to face me, chewing his bottom lip. “My mother called me this afternoon and asked if I’d meet her out at the farmhouse tonight. I told her I couldn’t because I have a fight, but I’d meet her there tomorrow afternoon.”

“What does she want now?” I asked, confused. Leo had managed to come up with the money she wanted without needing the fight prize money by selling his investments. He’d arranged a bank transfer earlier this week. We’d thought that was the end of Gwendolyn, but clearly not.

“It’s the other reason I wanted to see you. I think she’s going to tell me who killed my father.”

“Seriously?” I propped my leg up on the seat and leaned my back against the door so I could give him my full attention. “What did she say?”

“She said she’d received the money and was prepared to give me what I wanted in return. She knew what I wanted was closure.”

I leaned forward. “Do you trust her?”

“No, but I’ll hear her out.” He shrugged. “What have I got to lose? She could’ve just disappeared with the money.”

“Why the farmhouse?”

“I asked her the same thing and she simply said she wanted a little closure herself.”

Something didn’t feel right to me and I could tell Leo was feeling the same. “Do you want me to come with you?”

He shook his head. “This is something I want to do alone. I’ll talk to you about it again in the morning though.”

I shook my head. “Shit, Leo.”

He leaned over the centre console and kissed me. “It’s all going to be okay, Jules.”

Leo dropped me off at the bar and promised he’d be home as soon as he could and in one piece. I stood on the footpath outside the Z bar and watched his Jeep disappear around the corner hoping tomorrow would bring us a big step closer to our happy ever after.

True to his word, Heath shouted a couple of rounds at the bar and I even managed to relax. Little did I know, within twenty-four hours, I would be faced with the possibility I’d lost Leo forever.

I hadn’t been to fight night for months and had actually missed the buzz of driving to a secret location. Tonight’s fight was to be held at a warehouse west of the city in a deserted industrial estate.

“Leo Ashlar.” Reaper greeted me in the passageway just before I entered my change room. “I was hoping you’d be here tonight. I’m ready to show you some manners.”

“Pretty sure I showed
you
some manners last time.” I had no interest in goading him, but I couldn’t resist a little jab.

“I’m looking forward to a little retribution tonight.”

“Good luck with that,” I said casually.

“Not just for me,” he spat. “For my mate.”

I had no idea, nor did I care, who his mate was, so I just shrugged. Everyone who came to the cage consented to the consequences. No one was holding a gun to their head. “So?”

His nostrils flared. “So I’m gonna enjoy a little payback. He was just doing a job when you rearranged his face. All over your little blonde slut.”

The penny dropped. His mate was the hooded dickhead who had attacked Jules at fight night then shown up at the farm with a gun and a message. I saw red, slamming him up against the breeze block wall. “First of all, don’t ever refer to my girlfriend as a slut. And secondly, if your mate is that hooded motherfucker who attacked a woman and put a gun in my face, then I’ll be the one enjoying the retribution.”

He laughed. “See you in the final.” He spat in my face, and it was all I could do to stop myself from headbutting him. I did not want to get thrown out before I had a chance to smear his body parts across the canvas.

I stepped back from him and swiped the back of my arm across my face. “Looking forward to it.”

Moving into my room, I slammed the door and dropped my bag on one of the benches.

“Mate.” Adam, the Ginger Ninja, poked his head around the door. Still reeling from my encounter with Reaper, I let out a breath and crossed the room to shake his hand. “You’re back?”

“I’m back.”

He chuckled. “The girls in the crowd will be happy.”

I shook my head at his ridiculous comment. There was only one girl I cared about, and I was really happy she wasn’t going to be in the crowd. “Glad to be here.”

“Okay, boys.” Derek came in holding a clipboard. He pulled a pencil from its resting place above his ear and scribbled something down before looking up again. “Here’s the line-up.” He glanced at me. “You’re up first, Leo.”

He rattled off the fighter names and I realised I didn’t recognise many of them. There’d obviously been some turnover in the past few months, which wasn’t uncommon given the fact many left in an ambulance.

“Nick Matthews,” Derek said. “Long time no see.”

I was shocked to see him. “What are you doing here, Nick?”

Derek took Nick in a headlock and scruffed his head good naturedly. “This pussy could’ve taken down the mighty Leo Ashlar once upon a time.” He released him and Nick gave him an equally good-natured shove.

“Doubt that.” I chuckled. “Nick likes the gentleman’s sport these days.”

“Watch yourself, pretty boy,” Nick said lightheartedly. “Caged Muay Thai is no longer my bag, but it’s a part of my past. I’m here to support you.”

“See you later, mate,” Derek said as he disappeared out the door.

I returned to my bag and grabbed a bottle of water. Dropping to the bench, I took a swig.

“Stay focused and use that brain of yours.” He tapped the side of his head.

“Hey, Nick. You know how you’re always telling me to leave the past in the past?”

He nodded.

“Well, I got a call from my mother earlier and I’m meeting her out at the farmhouse tomorrow afternoon.” I paused, still finding it hard to wrap my head around the enormity of what I was about to say. “I think she’s going to give me some closure on my father’s death.”

His eyes widened. “You think she knows who killed him?”

I nodded. “I do. Always have. It’s been a long five years.” I stared at my hands. “I just need to know.”

He took a step closer and patted me on the shoulder. “Good luck, Leo. I’ll see you at the end.”

Before he left the room, he turned back. “Jules out there tonight?”

“Nope. I asked her not to come.”

“And she agreed?” He chuckled. “Bit surprised, I have to say.”

A feeling of dread churned in the pit of my stomach. I bloody hoped she kept to her word. “She did.” I focused on wrapping my hands to try to distract my thoughts.

“I’ll keep an eye out, so you just focus on your opponent. Okay?” He winked then disappeared out the door.

Ten minutes later, Derek poked his head around the door and glanced around the room. “Nick was one scary mother fucker in his day.”

“I’ve known him since I was a kid,” I stated. “He’s an incredible boxing coach.”

“You’re up soon,” he said. “Dam just arrived.”

After going through my usual warm-up routine with Dam, who had kindly agreed to come in for the night, I was escorted into the warehouse. Even though I’d distanced myself from this scene, it still made my heart pump faster, sending blood and adrenaline streaming through me at an addictive rate. The music thumped against my chest, making me jog up and down on the spot, expelling the overflow of energy threatening to explode out of me.

As always, the cage was set up in the centre, surrounded by the crowd buzzing with the unique level of excitement this taboo sport could muster. Both cage fighting and boxing were brutal. No doubt about it. The late Mohammed Ali’s quote sprang to mind. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” He was referring to the boxing ring and his imminent fight with George Foreman. There would be no references to butterflies or even bees in the cage. Maybe hornets and wasps, but no butterflies, not even bees. There would be no speaking of beauty or grace. I moved better than my opponents, outsmarting them until victory was mine, but oblivion was the real winner and I’d let it claim me willingly.

Dam wasn’t into pep talks. He had a quiet strength I admired greatly, and it rolled off him in waves. “Sacrifice, dedication, honour and respect.” It was all he needed to say.

I sized up my opponent from the moment I saw him enter the cage. He was introduced as Mr X. He was medium height and build, and his bald head was so shiny, the light from the massive spotters appeared to bounce off it. A large, angry crescent-shaped scar ran over the top. I didn’t know if it the X stood for anything, but I immediately figured he was a tosser based on his name alone. I wouldn’t make the mistake of underestimating him though, as average-height fighters often had a combination of power and speed. The short guys often had the power, and the tall, skinny guys had the speed. Nick told me I was a rare combination of size, speed and power, making me almost unbeatable.
Almost
thanks to the Perth disaster, but I couldn’t think about that.

Mr X was sidestepping around the cage, working the crowd and himself into a frenzy. I jogged on the spot, keeping my muscles warm, but had no intention of wasting any of my energy before the fight started. That’s when I’d give them the real show. Eventually, the bell sounded and we tapped fists. I looked him in the eye and recognised fear flashing through them. It was as if he hadn’t noticed me until that point, and cranking his neck back to look me in the eye was a shock to him.
Dimwit.

We both moved back a few paces and Mr X let out a guttural roar as he beat his fists against his chest.
Whatever works, pal
, I thought to myself.
Not gonna help you though
. As expected, speed was his best asset and he used it to the best of his ability. Unfortunately, what he had in speed, he lacked in skill, and I was able to easily use it against him. The faster you’re travelling, the greater the impact when you slam into a wall. Mr X managed to knock himself unconscious by barrelling into my fist at full speed. All I had to do was plant my feet and time my hit perfectly. It would’ve been almost comical for the crowd, and even I couldn’t constrain a small smile. I left the cage without a mark on me and I hoped for a bigger challenge on the next round.

I headed back to my room out back, but was kept informed of the goings on. A guy called Buck won the next round. His opponent was apparently a bloody mess and was sent to hospital.

Adam poked his head around my door. “I’m up next.” His bloodthirsty excitement was hard to miss. “I’m gonna take out that Reaper fucker.” The guy lived for this, and a large part of me understood why. “Earl just won his fight.”

“Good luck, mate.” I slapped him on the back. “Cut him a new butthole in case I don’t get the chance.”

“Consider it done.”

In a shockingly short period of time, Adam returned to the change rooms with what looked like a broken nose and his arms slung around the shoulders of two officials. His wife was following close behind, dangling her car keys. She glanced at me as she passed my room. “Hospital.” It was all she said, but the resigned look on her face spoke of worry and fear. Unfortunately, Reaper had proved too good for him, and he was clearly gutted. You’d think he’d just been told he had a terminal disease and had months to live. I felt bad for the guy.