Trigger: An Alpha Bad Boy MMA Romance (24 page)

Chapter Sixty Three

Roxy

“Hun, you looked like you were gonna cry earlier.”

It was baking hot in the parking lot of X-AMERICA, and already my tank top was clinging with sweat.

Did Travis really want to have this conversation now?

But I turned to him, as Red’s Cadillac convoy disappeared off into the distance, and saw that my lover’s face was filled with genuine concern.

I gulped, and blinked tears from my eyes.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Yeah, I nearly did.”

I took a deep, rasping breath and grabbed the handle of my suitcase. Together, we walked towards my old Ford truck, ready for me to drop Travis back at his dad’s.

“It’s just…” I struggled to find the words. “It’s just… as soon as Red’s truck came around the corner, and I saw this place…”

I indicated the faded frontage of the crumbling karate school – with the sun-bleached signage, and the dirty windows and doors.

“I’ve come to work here every day for as long as I can remember,” I breathed. “Shit, how many years now?”

Closing my eyes, and shuddered.

“But this was the first time I’d been away… and coming back? It was like seeing it for the first time all over again.”

Travis reached over and squeezed my hand.

“Whadd’ya mean?”

Opening my eyes, I looked up at him, and confessed:

“I… I never realized it
looked this bad
.”

Travis’ eyes widened. He was as clearly shocked to hear that as I was to actually say it.

“Shit,” I cursed, kicking the dusty asphalt underfoot. “I can’t believe I’m saying this.”

But I looked up at the faded karate school, and admitted: “It’s a shithole.”

God, it almost felt like a weight off my chest, to admit that.

“I’ve been wondering for years why enrollment’s down. Why I can’t keep students.” Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. “But now I look at it…?”

I laughed.

“I’m actually surprised the place is still open at all.”

Travis was silent as I said this.

Part of me expected him to launch into a defense of the place – plead with me: “It’s not that bad, Roxy.”

Part of me felt betrayed that he didn’t.

But after what seemed like an eternity, Travis finally opened his mouth, and confessed:

“That’s why I left.”

I blinked, feeling tears well into my eyes.

“What the fuck do you mean by
that
?”

“That’s why I left, Roxy,” he told me, reaching down to grab my other hand. Staring at me with those intense blue eyes, Travis murmured: “I saw the writing on the wall four years ago. I know your dad poured his heart and soul into this place… But I knew it didn’t have a future.”

“Why, you…”

“Don’t be
mad
,” Travis snapped, stopping my rage in its tracks. “
Look
at this place. You said it yourself: It’s a miracle it’s still open.”

He snorted.

“Shit, you’ve been beating yourself up for four years about letting your dad’s dream die… But you kept it alive long after this place should have gone under.”

I staggered back, reeling as he said this.

“You did the impossible, Roxy. You kept a shit-box karate school going in a dead-end town. If you dad was still alive? He’d be
fucking proud of you
.”

And then he paused, and pulled me into an embrace.

I buried my face in Travis’ broad, powerful chest, and felt tears stream down my cheek.

“But it’s time to give it up, Roxy,” he stroked my hair. “It’s time to stop trying to keep your dad alive through this place.”

Pulling me away, Travis looked down into my tear-filled eyes, and murmured:

“Your dad owned this place. But now,
it owns you
.”

And that’s when the tears came. I started sobbing, as the realization of what Travis was saying hit home.

Fuck, he was
right
.

“Oh, God, Travis…” I buried my face in his chest again. “B-but… But what do I
do
? What do I do if I don’t have this place?”

And Travis squeezed me, hard.

“You already have the answer to that,” he told me.

I looked up, and Travis tightened his embrace.

“Dan Blanc said it in London: You can be a trainer.”

I blinked. Sure, it was nice to call myself Travis’ ‘trainer’ during that trip to London, but it wasn’t real…

…was it?

“The press love you, Roxy. And Dan’s ready to hook you up with an up-and-coming fighter. Shit, you can make a career of it –
tomorrow
.”

I blinked the tears away.

Was he serious? Give up the school?

But that was my
life
.

More than that – it was
the only life I’d ever known
.

But then I thought about it.

The lonely night in that creaking house – the one that still smelt of my father’s Parliament cigarettes.

The 5am classes at X-AMERICA – with one or two participants, if I was lucky.

The bills. The chores. The sweaty clothes and the endless routine.

There I was, claiming this was ‘the only life I’d ever known.’

But this wasn’t living. Not anymore.

I sniffed, and blinked back tears.

“O-okay,” I stammered. “So… now what?”

“Now?” Travis crushed me to his chest. “Now we go and see my dad. And after that, we call Dan Blanc. And then you pack yourself a fucking suitcase, Roxy – because the only place you’re going next,
is with me
.”

Chapter Sixty Four

Travis

“Well, shit, son.”

Walter Oates padded down the pathway from his trailer, and held out his hand.

His bare hand – trembling and bruised, but no longer wrapped in bandages.

I shook it, firmly – and he winced as my fingers closed around his mitt.

“I’m proud of you, son.” Walt grinned, as he led the way into the doublewide. As I ducked my head under the doorway, I realized the place smelt better than it had for weeks – and, shit, there was even a tablecloth on the breakfast nook.

“Jesus, pop,” I wheeled around in shock, as I discovered the place had been transformed since I’d been gone. There was fruit in the fruit bowl, bread in the bread rack – shit, even an empty case of Miller Lite, suggesting twelve cans were hidden away in the old refrigerator.

“You’re gonna kill me, son,” Walt grinned, as he welcomed me and Roxy inside. “The night I heard about your fight, I called up Red and I bet him the truck on you.”

“You did
what
?”

Walt laughed dryly.

“Relax,” he grinned. “I won, didn’t I?”

And that was true enough. The old Chevy was still parked in the driveway.

“I got enough for groceries and beer – and the doctor says I’ll be back at work next week, if I’m lucky.”

Walt gestured for us to sit down in the nook.

“And I promise you, son – my bettin’ days are over.”

I eased my bulk into the cramped breakfast nook, and looked up at my old man.

Walter Oates was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a liar. If he said he was done gambling, I was inclined to believe him. And, at least, he ended his streak on a high note.

The fridge door rattled as he opened it. He hauled out three Miller Lites, and a moment later I was gulping down an ice-cold taste of America they couldn’t replicate in London.

“So, all’s well that ends well,” Walt grinned, joining us in the seat opposite. “You’re back, son. Back in the league. Back in the black.” He reached over and squeezed my hand. “I’m damned proud of you, boy.”

I snorted.

“It was a long time coming.”

Slurping his beer, Walt turned to Roxy, and asked:

“And what about you, sweetheart? What’s
your
plan?” Giving me a wink, dad followed up with: “This numb-nuts left without you four years ago. I wouldn’t be much of a dad if I let him make that same mistake again.”

“Jesus, dad.” I rolled my eyes.

“I mean it, son,” dad pointed a bruised, but accusing finger at me. “I don’t care about those strippers, models and film stars you dated up in New York…”

“Oh,
my
,” Roxy raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to have to tell me about
them
some time.”

Dad ignored her.

“…this girl here? She’s one in a million. Not many guys get a second chance with a girl like that – so don’t blow it.”

I snorted.

“
Thanks
, dad,” I hissed – but when he opened his mouth to defend himself, I shut him up by grabbing Roxy’s hand, and holding it tight in front of him.

“As a matter of fact,” I growled, “Roxy’s coming with me next week. Back to New York.”

Dad’s eyes widened.

“She
is
?”

“Dan Blanc offered me a training job, and I figured…”

She didn’t end that sentence. She didn’t need to. Even my dad knew what she meant.

Roxy had figured that Freeport had given her everything it could – and now it was time to move on.

And, thank God, I was the lucky bastard she was moving on with.

“But…” Walt’s eyes widened. “But what about the
school
? About your
house
?”

“I’m closing the school,” Roxy explained. “I should have done it years ago. I couldn’t even make this month’s rent – so it’s long overdue.”

She sipped her beer.

“And the house? The realtor says it’s not even worth the tax I owe on it, so I’m giving it to Joe.”

Old Joe Santos – the Native American who’d been cleaning floors and scrubbing mats at X-AMERICA since before I could remember.

“He and his wife need somewhere to live, and I can’t sell the damned place – so why not?”

My dad’s eyes widened, and he nodded his head in appreciation.

“Damn. They always go on about having to ‘tie up loose ends.’ I guess in a place like Freeport, there aren’t as many of them as you’d imagine.”

“It works out great, dad,” I grinned. “My buddy Nico’s moving out anyway – he’s getting married. So Roxy’s gonna move in with me. We’ll get her the training job. I’ll get my next fight scheduled…”

I couldn’t believe it. I’d come to Freeport with nothing. Now I was leaving with everything I could have hoped for – and more.

My dad raised his beer, and the three of us chinked bottles in celebration.

“Well, here’s to you. To you
both
.”

Beneath the table, I squeezed Roxy’s hand tightly.

*              *              *

Later that night, Roxy and I sat on the scrub, overlooking the gulf.

Behind us, the lights of the trailer park twinkled, and shone.

In a weird, white-trash Texas way, it was kind of beautiful, and romantic – and it felt right for me to have my arm around Roxy’s shoulders, as we stared out into the rippling green sea.

“I love you, Roxy,” I told her, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

She looked up, surprised.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Her eyes were twinkling in the moonlight. “Is that so hard to believe?”

“No,” she admitted. “Or, at least, it
used
not to be. But the last time you said that to me was four years ago, Travis.” She sniffed bitterly. “Just before you left, I seem to remember.”

Ouch.

“Well, I’m a goddamned fool,” I hissed.

“It’s okay.” Roxy laid her head on my arm. “So, when did you feel that way about me again? When we were in London? Before?”

And then it was my turn to look at her like she was crazy.

“What the hell do you mean, Roxy?” When she looked confused, I explained: “I never
stopped
loving you. Not four years ago. Not all the time in between. Not
now
.”

And then I leaned down to kiss her, hard and wetly on the mouth.

“I was a damn fool, walking away from you all those years ago…”

“No,” Roxy pressed her finger against my lips. “I was a damn fool for letting you.”

So I kissed her again, and I lost myself in her embrace.

After what seemed like an eternity, as we peeled ourselves apart, I took Roxy’s hand and squeezed it tightly.

We gazed out together, across the rippling water.

Sometimes love hits the right people at the wrong times. Sometimes, you need to be apart for a while, before you can be together again.

But one thing was true – one thing I’d never allow myself to forget.

Now fate had thrown Roxy Rockatansky back into my life, I was never going to let her go again.

The End