Long Shot: An MMA Stepbrother Romance (27 page)

Don’t do this, Natalie. This is stupid. You know better than this. Even Josh told you it was a bad idea. There is nothing that is not
bad
about this idea.
 

“Fuck,” I say and ram my hand into the steering wheel. “Fuck, fuckity fuck.” As the last syllable leaves my mouth, Frank storms out of the gym and makes his way to the blue pick-up. The truck starts and pulls away from the gym, heading back toward the hospital. “Oh thank God,” I say.
 

My hands are still shaking when I turn my car back on, but I’m able to drive back across the street without killing myself, just barely. Even though the day is cool and crisp, my body feels like it’s been set on fire and like I’ve drunk ten coffees all at once. I go to open the door, but it’s locked. I shake the handle and bang on the door. “Katy, come on! Let’s get moving!” I estimate I have about twenty minutes before Frank figures out that Cole’s not at the hospital. “Katy, let me the hell in!” I see movement inside and finally, Katy strides toward the door, her movements unhurried. She unlocks the door and I nearly come crashing into her.

“Easy there, Natalie.” There’s a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “Frank’s freaked the fuck out. He’s not coming back here until he knows for sure that Cole ain’t at the hospital.”

“Okay fine. But we need the shit from the lock box, and like now.” She takes me by the arm, like I did to her when we first met.
 

“What the hell’s in the lock box, Nat?”
 

“Shit that shows that Frank’s a criminal, that his business is set up to launder money. That he’s using underage kids. It’s all in one place. Josh has collected it over the past three years. And he needs it to make his move on Frank.”
 

Katy grips my wrist hard and turns me toward her. “And where does that leave me? I know you’re all concerned about your stepbrother boyfriend back home, but I’m not
invested
in his pro fighting career.”
 

“Well, if it lands Frank in jail—or if it scares him out of town—it leaves you wherever you want to be, Katy.” I shrug, trying not to panic and jerk her over to Frank’s desk. “And Josh is starting a new gym. He’ll need a receptionist. He’ll need staff. And you know this game better than anyone.”

Katy pauses for a moment, looking me over with darkly skeptical eyes. “Dammit. Fine.” She leads me over to Frank’s desk and sits down behind it while I stand and watch. “I don’t have the key to get in the desk, shoulda told you that. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to get it open.” She jiggles the top drawer and then hits it hard. There’s a sharp clank, and I watch as she pulls the large bottom drawer open. “This motherfucker should have a safe, but he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed if you ask me. Just the meanest.”

“Can you open the lock box?”
 

“I can. I think.” Her voice wavers a little bit. “Like I said, he’s not the brightest.” She pulls out the lock box and sits it on the desk. She sits back and closes her eyes, then knits her eyebrows together.
 

“Katy, I thought you knew the combination. Fuck.” I don’t hide my frustration, and her eyes flicker open.
 

She rolls her eyes dramatically. “Did I
say
I knew the combination?”

“No, but—”

“No, I don’t know it. But I can probably guess it.” She fiddles with the lock and tries one combination, then another.
 

“Hurry up,” I say. My leg is starting to shake, and there’s a nagging nausea starting in the pit of my stomach.

“Hold the fuck on. I’m trying the date the gym opened. I just tried his birthday and the numbers of his favorite football players. It’s some combination of these…” Her voice trails off and she starts working on the box again, smashing her hand against it in frustration. “Let me try this one more time.”

“Seriously, please. Just get the damn thing open.” I look around to see if there are any other fighters lurking in the gym. There might be a couple in the locker room, and if I listen hard enough, I think the shower might be running. My stomach flips, and I put my hands over it. I’ve been through fear in the emergency room a million times, but it’s much worse when you’re on the wrong side of the knife. And that’s what Frank is—he’s the threat behind the curtain.

“I’m trying. Dammit. If this thing won’t open, I fucking swear—this is the last time I put my neck out for Miss Perfect over here.” Her gaze meets mine and she smirks at me, jostling the box. There’s a satisfying click, and the top of the box pops open and falls against the old metal desk.

“Oh, thank fuck,” I say. I breathe again and step around to see the contents of the box. Just like I saw when I was here before, the manila folder with all of Josh’s information sits at the top of the box, piled on top of fake identification for young fighters.
 

“There’s more shit in here,” Katy says, glancing at me.
 

“I just need the folder.” I yank it away from the box and stuff it into my purse. There’s a humming noise outside and then the distinct roar of an engine.
 

“Hey don’t take it—”

“Katy...” I say the word carefully, my eyes moving over to the door. I can’t see who’s parked outside, but there’s the unmistakable sound of a door closing, followed by boots falling on pavement. Nausea hits me hard, and I almost swoon with fear. Frank is the man who hurt me before, the one who’s not afraid to fuck with a woman.

I should have known better than this. I’ve done some stupid shit, but this is by far the worst.
I taste salt and metal at the back of my throat, and my breath comes in shorter and shorter gasps.
 

“What?” She looks over to the door, and we both see Frank walk by the window. She looks at me, and I see my own fear reflected in her face. This man has tangoed with her before, and we both know that we’re standing here just like targets. “Oh shit.” In a flurry of movement, Katy slams the box closed and shoves it in the bottom drawer where it was. She pushes me to the side and gets up from the desk, slamming the top drawer shut.
 

“What the fuck are we going to do?” My throat tightens more, and I swallow hard.
 

“Okay, okay. Let’s just act like we’re chatting.” Katy leans in and whispers in my ear. “You got the fucking files in your purse right?” I nod slowly, gulping again as I watch the door open, followed by Frank’s lumbering body walking inside.
 

“Looks like we’re having a little family reunion, Missy. Katy, I didn’t know you hung around with the likes of her.” Frank steps over to us, his body filling up the space around us. His black hair is perfectly coifed, as usual, a bit out of place next to his sweatpants and the Frank’s Gym shirt that he’s wearing. My face grows hot, and I feel like grabbing on to Katy for support. His gaze moves between the two of us. The guilt must be apparent on my face. The fear stirs inside of me again, creeping through my body, overtaking me.
 

“We were just chatting,” Katy says. “I’ve been staying at Josh’s place, and she wants me to get the hell out. Isn’t that right, Nat?”

“Yep.” I swallow hard. “That’s exactly right. She needs to get out since we know Josh isn’t welcome here anymore.”
 

“Oh, she talks,” says Frank. I look him directly in the eye, trying to read whether or not I see fear there. I don’t think I do, but that doesn’t mean he won’t guess that I’ve got the files. He looks down to my purse, and I feel like the air might be entirely sucked out of the room. “Is that really why you’re here?”

“Well...” Katy starts and glances over at me. “She told me that you’re not welcome at Josh’s fight. He’s been training hard, and he’s planning to win.” I freeze. Katy doesn’t know about Josh’s injuries. Sure, Josh is planning to win. But he and I both know he might not.
Fuck
.

“Oh is that right?” Frank looks at me, his black eyes filling up with anger.

“Yep,” I say again.
Christ, I sound like a fucking idiot. Think. Think
. “His hand has healed at like, lightning speed. He’s been training behind your back, with your trainer, and he’s going to show everyone how pathetic you are. He doesn’t need anything else but his talent to do that. He’ll show the world what you’re losing, and when he opens his own gym, every one of your boys will go along with him.”

“Sweetheart, I think you’re sadly mistaken if you think all that’s going to happen. I know the kid he’s fighting, and that kid is
not
injured, and he currently stands undefeated. I wouldn’t miss this shit for the world. And Josh ain’t got nothing on me, beautiful. There’s no way my boys will abandon me.”
 

“You’ve been warned,” I say. I grip the leather of my purse and hope his eyes aren’t drawn there again. “He doesn’t want you there. And he’ll... He’ll fuck you up if you are.”

“It ain’t like that boy to send his little woman to do his dirty work for him. I’m guessing you came by yourself, didn’t you sweetheart?”

“Yeah, I—like I said, I was just telling Katie when she had to leave.” I raise my chin. “Even if he doesn’t win, he’s—”

“Nat, stop. You’re pissing him off.” Katy steps in front of me and puts her hand up. She looks back at me, and when she does, Frank moves faster than I would have thought possible for a man Josh claims is “weak.” Frank moves in and catches Katy by the arm, flipping her down on the hard concrete floor. Before I can react, he grabs me by the shoulder, and an icy anger creeps through my body. I try to stomp down on his foot, but he moves back, laughing.
 

“Get your fucking hands off me, you creep.” I swing my leg up and aim for his balls. At the last second, he moves again, and my foot meets only air. The whole time, his hand has been on my shoulder, gripping me, holding me still like it’s an iron vise. He steps back, lining his body up with mine, and delivers a punch that lands squarely on my eye, followed by another. Katy screams and climbs to her feet, trying to pull Frank away from me. I’ve seen a lot of black eyes in my time—on patients, on Josh, on my daddy. But I’ve never had one, not for real, and I’ve never been punched with a man’s full force. The pain is searing hot, setting every nerve in my body on fire, taking my breath completely.

“I’m fucking done, don’t worry about your
friend
here, Katy.” Frank pushes me away and my back hits the cinder block wall. I slump down and raise my hand to my tender eye. Frank turns to Katy, and I barely comprehend what’s happening through the pain singing in my body. “I think you’d better get her out of here. Both of you can tell Josh that that nice black eye is a message of bigger things to come.” Katy stares at him, wide-eyed. “Go on. Get the fuck out.” He waves his hand in her face and steps toward her again. She shudders and then falls into action, helping me to my feet and stumbling toward the door and out into the parking lot.
 

“I’ll drive you home,” she says. I nod and let her help me into my car. She starts driving out to the island, tears in her eyes. I’m guessing she’s seen Frank hit a lot of people, but she’s really starting to realize who he is. I only speak to offer directions, and I lean my head against the coolness of the window, staring out until she pulls up into my driveway.
 

The rest of the day happens in a blur, but it all revolves around Katy keeping her shit together—and me completely losing mine. I lie on the couch crying for a long time, watching as Katy makes me an ice pack contraption out of old pantyhose she finds in my room, listening as she calls the hospital to say I won’t be in. The fear and shock mix together with the crazy pain that envelops my head. She even presses a Vicodin into my hand and gets me to take it. After that, I sleep.
 

When I wake, the sun is going down, and Katy’s arguing with Josh in the background. Ash and Summer are here too, and I open one eye to watch the spectacle. For once in the past month, the drama is happening without me in it, and I’m pretty fucking grateful for the relief.
 

“I’m going to kill that fucker,” Josh says. His voice comes out in a growl that I don’t like, but I don’t want to sit up. The ice pack is mostly melted, but it’s still cool and soft against my face. Katy’s made it so that it stays in place with the waistband of the hose.
 

“That’s what he
wants
you to do. Don’t you know anything? He’s probably waiting for you right now,” Katy says. Josh tries to storm out of the door, but Ash and Summer both hold him back. I have to say something. I open my mouth, but it doesn’t feel like I can form the words.
 

“And why the hell are you here, Katy?” Josh snarls.

“Frank kicked me out too—and in case you’re interested, I was helping your girlfriend over there. I don’t care how you feel about me, but she’s got a plan that will get us all out of Frank’s shit.”

“What are you talking about?” Josh tries to pull free of Ash again, but the older man holds him tight.

“The files,” I croak. “Katy helped me get them.”

“What?” Josh rushes over to me and helps me sit up, putting his arm around me possessively and pulling me into his body. “You got the files!”

“Katy figured out how to open the lock box. And she’s right. Frank’s not going to let you get out of dodge this time. You gotta make weight tomorrow, and you’ve gotta fight, no matter what.” My words are slurring together, but Josh nods and kisses me on the cheek. Even in the hazy glow of painkillers, I can see him thinking.
 

He turns to Katy and nods at her. “Thanks, Katy. You can stay here for the night if you need to. We’ll make sure you have a place to be.” Katy nods, and I start to drift off on Josh’s shoulder. He still holds me fiercely, protectively.
 

I hear the lilt of Ash and Summer’s conversation in the background, the sounds of Katy cleaning up the kitchen and then the gentle hum of the dishwasher. For the first time, the sounds of home seem comforting.
 

I guess that’s what home is—a place with people in it, doing human things, making human sounds. Josh pulls me in tighter, and I fall down into sleep, waking in my bed many hours later.