Undefeated: Bad Boy Fighter Romance (Fighting For Gisele #4) (7 page)

Chapter 8

That night Micah slept in Gisele’s bed, holding her close. The next couple of days were going to move fast, so he had to be ready. After a few hours of sleep, he woke up, staring out the window at darkness. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was time to get moving.

For a minute longer, Micah nuzzled with Gisele, wishing life was such that he could stay in bed with her. But he was on a mission to save her mother, and that drew him from the warmth of the woman beside him. He kissed the top of her head and slid out of the covers.

Gisele woke up. “What time is it?”

“Nearly two. Go back to sleep, honey.”

Gisele stretched, then sat up. “Be careful today,” she said, reaching for his arm and pulling him close for a kiss. “I’ll be anxious to hear from you.”

Micah touched her cheek, then kissed her again. Gisele’s soft lips tempted him to stay. Steeling his inner strength, he pulled away so he could prepare to go. Timing was important, and he didn’t want to be late. When Micah stepped out onto the street later, it still looked like the middle of the night.

He walked a few blocks down to an all-night coffee shop, and wolfed down a breakfast sandwich with coffee. When he tossed his cup in the trash and glanced out the window, Zeke pulled up to the curb. Shoving open the glass door, Micah jogged to the car and hopped into the front seat.

Glancing at the back seat, Micah took a look at the Russian. “Good morning.” The passenger sat stoically, apparently not one for social amenities.

As he pulled out into the street, Zeke motioned toward the back. “Micah, this is Dimitry.” The Russian stuck out his hand, so Micah shook it. The guy had a firm grip, and was strongly built.

Looking back at his bodyguard, Micah said, “He knows what to do?”

“Yes, he does, and he speaks fluent Russian,” Zeke said. “He was born in the Mother Country.”

That was even better. Micah was anxious to get this job done. With Gisele’s permission, he’d filled Zeke in on the situation, including the predicament they were in because of the stolen diamond. They needed him as an ally, not just a personal bodyguard. And Zeke had proven to be trustworthy. Since they needed him, they had no choice but to include him in the action.

On the way, Micah caught glimpses of barren desert, illuminated by the headlights as they rolled along. The drive was quick, since there was no traffic. It was still dark out when they neared the property where Catarina was being held captive.

“Yesterday, Gisele’s brother told me that there are only two permanent guards here,” Micah said. “I’m counting on that.”

The car stopped, and Micah got in the back with Zeke to hide behind the seat. The Russian switched places and took the wheel. If the guard at the compound saw anyone other than a Russian comrade, it would arouse suspicion. With the headlights low, the car rolled up to the gate.

The Russian narrated as he approached, speaking in heavily accented English. A high chain-link fence enclosed the grounds. “The gate is locked, and I see one guard by the house. I’ll get out and put him at ease. When I get inside and distract him, you can follow me in.”

Micah prayed this would work. The idea had seemed brilliant when he’d thought of it, but faced with a couple of armed Russian guards, he questioned the soundness of his reasoning. Yet there was no alternative.

Dimitry got out and began calling out in Russian. From his tone, he sounded friendly, even a little bored. It was only a job, after all. Micah didn’t speak Russian, so couldn’t vouch for what he was saying, but the plan was for him to tell the guard that he’d been sent to relieve him.

While the interaction continued, Micah’s pulse pounded, as if he was about to get into the ring. This had to work. There was no way he was leaving here without Gisele’s mother. When it was quiet for a beat, Zeke stuck his head up then flagged Micah. “Now!”

Micah leapt stealthily from the car and slipped inside the gate, with Zeke at his side. The compound guard had his back to them, and Dimitry was talking with him. Out of the corner of his eye, when Micah saw Zeke lunge for the guard, he sprinted to the house and stepped inside.

The interior was dim, and it was anyone’s guess where the other guard was. Micah stepped silently down the hallway, staying close to the wall. Then he spotted an open bedroom door. Peeking inside, he saw the other guard holding the curtain aside, looking out the window.

The bed was a mess, so Micah assumed the outside noise had awakened him. Quickly he approached from behind, noting the gun that was on the side table, within reach. The guard spun around, and, seeing Micah, made a swift move toward the gun.

In a split second, Micah landed a heavy punch to the side of the guy’s head. The blow was aimed for effectiveness; plus the element of surprise had been an advantage. It was a one-punch knockout. The guy hadn’t seen it coming, and the angle had been good. Micah’s fist didn’t even hurt. If only knockouts in the ring were as easy.

Zeke showed up in the doorway. “Okay, the other guard is tied up.” He glanced at the unconscious man. “I see you took care of this one.”

Micah took the cuffs Zeke handed him, and locked them around the guard’s wrists. “I’ll take it from here,” the bodyguard said, dragging the man toward the door. “We’ll secure both guards in the same room, so Dimitry can keep watch over them.”

“I’ll find Catarina.” Quickly, Micah searched the house. In a small bedroom, he found Gisele’s mother. The noise hadn’t disturbed her, as she slept soundly. Standing over her, Micah shook her shoulder.

When Catarina’s eyes opened, she gasped. “Who are you?” She pulled the covers up to her chin, as if the sheets might protect her.

“Gisele sent me to rescue you. The guards are locked up. We need to get out of here, right away.”

Catarina seemed to understand. She got out of bed and dressed in the bathroom, faster than Micah would have thought possible. Then she stuffed a few items in a small bag and followed him out of the room.

Zeke waited by the front door. The instant he spotted them, he said, “Let’s go.”

Rushing out of the house, the three of them got in the car, leaving Dimitry on watch to make sure the guards didn’t escape, or worse, contact their boss to report the escape. As Zeke drove away from the property, Micah spoke to Catarina, who was in the front passenger seat.

“I know this is sudden. I apologize for startling you,” Micah said. “I didn’t know any other way.”

Catarina’s eyes were wide. “I can’t believe you found me.” She looked worried. “But won’t they kill Gisele?”

“We had to get you out of there, but I’m not going to let anything happen to your daughter.”

Catarina may or may not have believed him. He knew that the mob had threatened to kill Gisele if her mother escaped. All these years, fear had prevented her from attempting to get free of her captors. Now she had defied them, and would surely be afraid of the consequences.

“Please try not to worry,” Micah said, realizing the words sounded hollow. “It is dangerous. I won’t deny that. But we do have a plan, and for the next couple of days you will be at a safe location.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about.”

“I know that. You’ll have to trust us for now.”

Catarina looked out at the passing landscape, and it occurred to Micah that she hadn’t seen outside the compound for many years. It had to be quite a shock. But that could be dealt with later. Right now, he just had to get her to safety.

“We only have a couple of days at best,” Micah said to Zeke.

“That’s all we need. Since Gisele was recently there to see her mother, Yuri has no reason to call the compound. And if another guard shows up, Dimitry will take care of him.”

“It was a smart move on your part to hire a man who speaks Russian. I hadn’t thought of that.”

Zeke glanced over at him. “Yeah, and Dimitry confiscated their phones. If anyone calls, he can fake it, give them the cover story we came up with.”

“It’s unlikely that Yuri will discover the escape immediately.” Micah felt a sense of satisfaction. “Especially since he is focused on tomorrow’s fight and all the money he stands to make.”

“Yes, all eyes will be on
you
.” Zeke kept his attention on the road. Dawn began to light the scenery. It wouldn’t be long until they were back in Vegas.

Catarina appeared wide awake, and gazed out the windows as they made their way back. After a while, she said, “Where are you taking me?”

“Gisele has a good friend named Abby, who will take care of you over the weekend. Unfortunately, you will have to stay inside, as you can’t risk being seen. And her apartment is small,” Micah said. “But it won’t be for long.”

“I won’t mind, as long as Gisele is safe. And it’s certainly better than being a prisoner.” Catarina smiled at Micah. “Thank you for coming after me. I didn’t expect that.” She held back tears. “I’m very grateful.”

“I’m just glad that you’re okay,” Micah said.

When the city came into view, Micah directed Zeke to Abby’s apartment. Once they parked, Micah got out and assisted Catarina. She didn’t seem frail, despite her confinement. But in an effort to reassure her, he took her arm.

“I’m nervous,” Catarina said.

“Of course, that’s natural. But Abby is the only one who will be at the apartment, and I’m sure you’ll get to know her quickly.” Micah smiled at her. “She’s that kind of person.”

When Zeke rang the bell, Abby opened the door. She was in jeans and a casual shirt, with her blond hair in a ponytail. “Come in,” she said, standing aside so they could enter. Then she smiled. “You must be Catarina.”

Gisele’s mother started to cry, and Abby wrapped her arms around her. “I’m so glad you made it. Let’s sit down and get to know each other. I’ll tell you more about Gisele, and put your mind at ease.”

Abby kept her arm around Catarina, but looked up at Micah. “I took the weekend off. Gisele called me from a public phone to let me know to expect you.”

Micah stood next to Zeke, unsure whether he should stay or leave.

Catarina wiped at her tears with both hands, and Abby looked up at the men. “You guys can go. I’ve got her. She’ll be fine.”

“Thanks, Abby.”

Micah left with Zeke, relieved that the situation was in Abby’s capable hands. One issue was temporarily resolved; now for the next. He had to get to the gym to train, despite the fact that he’d had so little sleep the night before.

The big fight was only a day away, and Micah had to make the most of these last few hours. “Drop me at the gym.”

Zeke didn’t say much on the way. He stopped in front, and Micah opened his door. “You can coordinate with Gisele,” he said. “I have to focus on my technique. A lot depends on tomorrow night’s fight.”

When the car pulled away, Micah jogged up to the door and entered the gym. It was early, but Harlan was already there. After changing, he joined his coach on the floor and put all of his focus into the workout.

What they’d done in the days leading up to the fight had to pay off tomorrow. Most of the hard work had already been done, so in this final session, Micah worked on technique. The coach had studied Max Fromer’s fighting and provided crucial insight into the man’s style.

No matter how brutal a fighter was, there was a way to beat him. Each fighter was vulnerable to something. It was more than just looking for weaknesses, as an opponent might train to improve those before the next fight. It was about observing an opponent’s habits, even his good habits, as that made him predictable.

Micah knew more about Fromer this time. He’d been in the ring with him, and he’d learned from hard-won experience how the guy fought. The German machine would resort to any tactic to win, but early on he preferred to show off.

If Micah’s opponent won the match too fast, he wouldn’t look like much of a stud. It was better to duke it out for a while, and gain some glory before taking the other guy down. That was what Micah was counting on.

Before Micah went to shower, the coach had a few words of inspiration. He studied Micah before speaking. “Not all fighters have the heart of a champion,” he said. “Only a few fighters don’t take no for an answer.” He paused. “You have what it takes, Micah. You can battle through the toughest moments and still come out on top.”

Micah’s confidence and determination was high. Not every coach could develop a fighter’s skill and hone him into a champion, without burning him out. But Harlan could, and Micah was ready.

“Fighting is what I do,” Micah said, feeling his passion for the ring. “Fromer’s head and his ego will be crushed before I’m done with him. I promise you that.”

“Remember your training, the techniques we’ve practiced,” Harlan said. “And in the clutch moment…when you need it most…find that magic.” The coach slapped his clipboard against his thigh, and headed toward his office. “I’ll see you at the fight tomorrow night.”

Micah showered and dressed, looking forward to seeing Gisele. His day had been challenging, but he knew that she’d been just as busy, handling her end of things. It would be good to get out of the city, if only briefly.

Since he didn’t have time to rent a car, Micah grabbed a cab and picked up Gisele at her condo. It was still afternoon, and within twenty minutes they were at Red Rock Canyon. The scenic view and natural environment were rejuvenating.