Hard Drive Boxed Set

by Tricia Andersen

  Epilogue

  Max stood alone in the locker room. He breathed deeply. However, no amount of meditation was going to get rid of his nerves. He stared at his reflection in the mirror. His trunks were emblazoned with the Hard Drive logo. His gloves hugged his hands tightly.

  In a matter of minutes, he would be stepping inside the octagon. He was just waiting for his trainer to come get him. He chuckled to himself. He had no idea who that would be. He was usually the trainer for Hard Drive.

  He had demanded that Jack change the date of his fight. Doing all this the day after his wedding wasn’t going to help his performance. But he knew why Jack held his ground. He wanted to see Max fight before he left for Tampa. Get beaten down will be more like it. Thanks, Jack.

  Max had set his alarm for a five o’clock run to try to quell the nerves threatening to undo him. It was a suicidal move the morning before a fight. He knew that. But he had no other ideas to ease his tension.

  Thankfully, Chloe had. He loved his wife more than anything in the world. When his alarm went off at five, she had moaned in response then snuggled deeper against his shoulder. He had silenced the alarm as fast as he could then watched her sleep for a while.

  He couldn’t believe she had slept in his bed. That she had trusted him enough to let her guard down. They had made love. There had been no episode. Their friends had dressed up as superheroes at their reception in their honor. Knowing she had that much trust and faith in him made him feel like a superhero. It had destroyed all the tension he had felt for the fight. He had drifted back to sleep, holding her close to him.

  “Max?”

  He looked up from where he was standing. Chloe peeked around the corner of the locker room door.

  “Chloe, baby. What are you doing here?” he questioned.

  She stepped inside the room. She wasn’t in the clothes she wore to the arena. She still had on her blue jeans. Now, she wore a black polo. On one side was embroidered the Hard Drive logo. The other side was stitched with the words “Chloe Thomas.” She smiled at him. “I’m here to get you. It’s time.”

  “The trainer is supposed to get me.”

  “That’s right. That’s why I’m here.”

  “You’re my trainer?”

  She shrugged. “I guess the guys all talked. They said I’ve made enough suggestions lately that I know what I’m doing. And between Jack, Mark, Dan, Rico, and me, you would probably listen to me more than them. You know, being your wife and all.”

  Max shook his head. “Things are pretty brutal down there. I’m not sure I want you that close.”

  “I was there with you when you were training Rico.”

  “But this isn’t Rico. This is me. What if something happens to me?”

  “Then, I’ll be right there to take care of you.”

  Max watched her, then smiled. There was no arguing. She was right. He took her hand the best he could with his gloves. “Okay, then. Let’s do this.”

  The arena was shaking as they walked out of the tunnel toward the octagon. Max glanced down at Chloe. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the chain-link monster in the middle of the room. He pressed a kiss to her lips then let go of her hand. He watched her as he stepped inside the cage. Then he took his focus off his wife and set it on his opponent.

  The next few moments of his life flashed like lightning. He jabbed, he kicked, he blocked. The shots he took weren’t as hard as they could have been. Occasionally, he could hear Chloe’s voice over the crowd, shouting instructions to him. She was right. He was listening to her. He hadn’t realized how much she really knew about mixed martial arts.

  He threw a hook, connecting with his opponent’s chin. Then, he slumped against the chain link, lifting his hands for the counter attack. There was none. His eyes snapped open, finding his opponent lying motionless on the ground. The punch had knocked him out cold. Max spun to look at Chloe. Her eyes met his excitedly as the official called an end to the fight.

  Max closed his eyes as his face rose toward the ceiling in relief. It was over. He had won. His arm was raised in victory. The crowd roared. He heard his name chanted. All he wanted was the door opened so that he could be free. Once it was, he flew down the stairs. In one sweeping motion, he had Chloe tight in his embrace.

  “You won!” she gushed.

  “I won!”

  Dozens of people stepped up to congratulate him. He humbly accepted their praise. If they only knew this fight was minor compared to the wars I’ve been part of the past few months. His eyes met Chloe’s as she curled up against his side. I’m not a warrior. She is. My battles are nothing compared to hers. If I could, I would take the fight in her place.

  He kissed her softly. “You’re the bravest person I know,” he whispered.

  “This coming from the guy who just won in an octagon?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  She smiled. “I do. And I’d still be fighting for my life if it weren’t for you. I love you.”

  “I love you.”

  Max held her close as he maneuvered her through the chaos of the arena to the locker room. It was time for them to be alone. And whatever came their way, they would be together to fight it. Forever.

  Breaking the Silence by Tricia Andersen

  Rico Choate is an MMA bad boy with a love them and leave them attitude. That is until he meets Avery Walker, a deaf Marine who lost her hearing when her transport was destroyed in an I.E.D explosion in Afghanistan. He falls hard for her, even learning sign language from his friend, Chloe, so he can talk to her. However, Avery’s hatred for all celebrities forces Rico to keep his career in mixed martial arts a secret. How long can he keep such huge parts of his life separate? And if she does find out will she leave him or put her stubborn pride aside to stay with the man she loves?

  Acknowledgements

  Keoni Koch and my family at Hard Drive Mixed Martial Arts in Cedar Rapids–thank you for being my second family. Thank you for the laughs. Thank you for the heart to hearts. Most of all, thank you for accepting me for the crazy person I am. I love each and every one of you.

  Molly, Cassandra, and Lisa for being the very best support an author can ask for. I couldn’t have written this story without you. You are incredible and I am lucky to call you my friends.

  Peggy, PJ, and everyone at Operation First Response for all your information, support and encouragement.

  Molly Daniels and Lindsay Downs for helping me create one of my all-time favorite characters–Avery.

  And to Jacquie Cuddeback and Rex Chiles. Thanks for trusting in me. You are both incredible and I love you both.

  Dedication

  Breaking the Silence is dedicated to:

  The men and women of our Armed Forces. Because of the sacrifices you’ve made I am allowed to do what I love. I am eternally grateful to you.

  To Operation First Response. I am honored to be part of this with you. Each and every one of you are incredible. Thank you for going on this journey with me.

  To Dean and Rex. You’ve both been my rock and the calming voice in the storm. Thank you for getting me to where I am and reminding me of the woman I want to be.

  And to Brian–my best friend, my partner in crime, my knight in shining armor, and my dream come true. I love you with all my heart.

  Chapter One

  The brilliant sunlight glaring down on the white pavement of I-494 was nearly blinding. Rico reached across the console of his Jeep until he could grab his sunglasses sitting on the passenger seat. He slid them over his sapphire blue eyes, the speed of his vehicle never slowing. Everything was one fluid motion, just as it was in the octagon. He grinned, and he knew his smile was as dazzling as the summer highway. I am just that incredible.

  He glanced at the clock embedded in the dashboard. He was late. The drywall he had waited on had started the backlog of his day. He had hurried as fast as he could while still doing the best job he could. Of course, his work had been flawless. Like I said. Incredible.

&n
bsp; However, this was not the day to be late to Hard Drive. His sparring partner and one of his best friends, Max, was out of town negotiating their next big fight. Rico growled. Many of the guys at the gym hated fight camp. He and Max loved it. Rico couldn’t wait to get started. He had already begun eating better and had amped his training. When Max got home, they would get ready for war together.

  While Max was gone, he left Chloe, his wife and co-owner of Hard Drive, in charge. Rico had promised them both he would help her when she needed. He was supposed to be there to lead class in ten minutes. The gym was still at least fifteen minutes away. He slid his Jeep between two cars and pressed the gas to the floor.

  He barely glided the vehicle into park and ripped the key from the ignition before he grabbed his bag and jogged inside. He let go a sigh of relief as his eyes fell on Mark warming up the kickboxing class. The big man waved tiredly in Rico’s direction before he turned to correct a student’s cross. Rico tugged off his shoes.

  “About time.”

  Rico spun on his toe to find Chloe behind him, her long, brown ponytail brushing her shoulders. “Hey, Chloe. Sorry. Drywall arrived late.”

  “No worries. I’ve got some messages in the office for you.”

  “I’ll grab them after class.”

  “Including the one from the girl you spent last night with? She says your gloves are at her place.”

  Rico stared at Chloe, puzzled, as he ripped his duffle open. He glanced inside then shut his eyes in disbelief. Yep. The gloves were missing. “I’ll use a pair from the rack today.”

  “I would imagine so. But you’re going to have to play nice with this girl. Those are expensive competition gloves.” Chloe sashayed toward the staircase leading to the upstairs offices.

  Rico watched her as she went. In her capris and stretchy tank top, she was certainly the type of woman who caught his attention. If she weren’t like a sister to him—and his best friend’s wife, of course—he would be all over her in a heartbeat. With a sigh, he crossed the mats to help Mark.

  Rico was lost in his thoughts as he taught. He loved his life. Beautiful women flocked all over him, hoping for one night with an MMA fighter of his caliber. The contact list in his phone was a mile long. He would never have to go to bed alone.

  Yet, there was a part of him that was jealous of Max. Part of him wanted to go home to one woman waiting for him, missing him. He wanted one pair of arms to hold him, one pair of lips kissing his for the rest of his life. Most of all, he wanted to hear one voice tell him she loved him every day.

  He thought he had that with Phoebe, his ex-girlfriend. But she wanted Max more than she wanted him and had done everything in her power to break Max and Chloe up. She would have succeeded had Rico not walked into her apartment to find her modeling Chloe’s engagement ring and accepting imaginary wedding proposals from Max.

  It was then that Rico had sworn off permanent relationships with women. Obviously, settling down wasn’t for him.

  Once class was dismissed, the real fun started. The advanced fighters assembled to grapple, their low voices a rumble as they warmed up. For the next two hours, each would wrestle until they twisted their opponent into submission. They would all be bruised, sore, and dripping in sweat long before then. Rico chuckled. It would be so worth it. And it would take his mind off his love life.

  At the end of the night, Rico limped his way up the stairs to the office. The door was open. Chloe quietly typed away on her computer keyboard. He knocked gently to get her attention. “Hey, Chloe. The guys and I are going out for supper. Come on. My treat.”

  She smiled at him. “It’s all right. You guys go.”

  “I told Max I would keep an eye on you. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I left you here.”

  She grinned at him coyly. “Don’t you have a date?”

  “Only you, sweetheart.”

  Chloe logged off her computer with a laugh. Then, she was suddenly quiet. “Rico?”

  “Yeah, Chloe.”

  She looked at him. “I know Phoebe broke your heart. I do. But this constant sleeping around…it worries me.”

  “It’s my life.”

  “I know it is. But you’re my brother. Maybe not in blood, but you are. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

  “I won’t be.” He strode across the room and tugged her to her feet, wrapping her in a bear hug. “I promise.”

  Her arms embraced him for just a moment before she pulled away. “Ok, you’re gross. What were you guys doing down there?”

  “Jiu jitsu.”

  “Ugh.” She picked up her purse and shooed him out the door. Rico chuckled as he escorted her from the gym, clicking off the multiple light switches as they stepped out.

  After a quick dinner of salad and some conversation with Chloe, Dan, and Mark at their favorite diner, Rico hopped back in his Jeep to go retrieve his gloves. Go up to the door, ask for them, and leave. Rico flashed a dazzling grin to himself in the rearview mirror. It was simple enough.

  Hopping up the outside staircase of the building two steps at a time, he frowned as he stopped at their peak. It took a moment to remember which apartment his bedmate from last night lived in. Then, he ran his hands through his thick, dark brown hair. With a sexy grin and confident swagger, he strode down the hall and knocked.

  A small, curvy redhead wrapped in a silk, emerald green robe that matched her eyes, leaned against it. She fluttered her thick eyelashes as she gazed at him. “Hey, Rico. Just get done at the gym?”

  “Pretty much. Stopped for a bite to eat.”

  The girl moaned softly as her eyes fluttered shut.

  Imagining me hot and sweaty, no doubt, as I spar with my opponent.

  “And you’re here for?”

  “It seems I left my gloves.”

  “Are you sure that’s all?” The redhead slid a stray finger across her chest, revealing a tantalizing amount of cleavage and a small slip of lace that matched her bathrobe.

  “Absolutely.”

  Her eyes popped open in surprise before she smiled slyly again. “You sure you aren’t here for an encore of last night? It was incredible.”

  Rico gently laid his hands on her shoulders. “That it was. But I’m not interested in an encore, sweetheart. All I want are my gloves.”

  She frowned at him. “You’re not interested in me? What about what you said at the club? You told me I was beautiful and that any man would be lucky to have me.”

  “You are beautiful. And I certainly was lucky to have you last night. But one night was all I wanted from you. Would you have had sex with me if I’d told you it was a one night deal?”

  She gasped indignantly. Then, her hand shot across his face like lightning. Rico gripped his chin as he winced. She could hit harder than half the guys he met in the octagon. The slap was followed by a litany of curse words that would make a trucker blush.

  Rico analyzed the furious little creature. Her spitfire was nearly enough to convince him that he should stay for one more night. If he did, it certainly would be interesting.

  The barrage of foul words was finished with the slam of the door. Before Rico could respond, it was opened a crack and the gloves were thrown into the hall. He stooped down to pick them up then hurried back down the stairs to his vehicle.

  »»•««

  The next day didn’t fare much better for Rico. Another late shipment meant another afternoon arriving late at the gym. Fortunately, there was no class for him to teach. It was just a night to workout and answer questions, if need be. And it was the last day he needed to worry. By noon tomorrow, Max would be home and back at the helm of his ship.

  At the off ramp red light Rico noticed a text message. He clicked to open it.

  Can you pick me up a cup of coffee on your way here?

  Rico sighed. Now I’m Chloe’s delivery service? I didn’t agree to this. He quickly typed on the screen.

  From where?

  He waited for a response. As the light turned green, his phone chi
med. He glanced at it before the traffic moved.

  That cute coffee shop down the road. Thank you.

  Rico sighed as he tossed his cell on the passenger seat. Driving past the gym with a growl, he didn’t stop until he reached the strip mall.

  He stepped into the small shop with a gleaming smile. He glanced around. The dark stained shelves were lined with mugs, bags of coffee, and other trinkets. Another set of shelves was lined with books for patrons to read. Sofas and overstuffed recliners were scattered among the tables with mismatched chairs. Sitting on those chairs and sofas were lovely ladies already cooing at his presence. He laughed. I might just have to get a number or two before I leave.

  Rico sauntered to the counter, where a tall, lanky redhead waited to take his order. After paying for a cup of coffee, he stepped back, winking at a girl sipping on a glass of iced tea. His eyes raked over her as she giggled. He grinned then glanced up behind the counter again.

  He lost his breath. He felt his pulse pick up a notch. The last thing on Earth he believed in was love at first sight. But in this moment, he was a true convert.

  The barista barely came to his chest. Her long, blonde hair wisped in curls around her shoulders. Her frame was small, with perfect curves in all the right places. Her lips were a soft, very kissable pink. And when she looked up at him to hand him his drink, her eyes glittered a clear, crystal blue. She smiled then turned to fulfill the next order.

  She never said one word to him. Him. Rico Choate. MMA superstar Rico Choate. His picture was on posters, in magazines.

  And she didn’t say one word.

  He was baffled. He gripped the coffee and rushed out the door. It wasn’t until he parked his Jeep at Hard Drive that he realized he hadn’t gotten one number, not from any of the women in the shop.

  He rubbed his forehead, puzzled. He didn’t want any number. He just wanted the barista’s. But for the first time in his life, a woman wasn’t interested in him. He was still shaking his head when he strode into gym and plopped the paper cup down in front of an equally perplexed Chloe. Before she could even utter a syllable, he stormed out of her office and onto the mats.