Hard Drive Boxed Set

by Tricia Andersen

  “Thanks,” Chloe replied again as she hopped out and ran to the service door. She threw in open and sprinted inside. She could hear Avery’s footsteps behind her. The sounds of cursing and fists hitting the panel of a car echoed inside. There weren’t many corners to take until they reached the inside. Chairs were set up for the fights the next night. In the center, the octagon sat waiting to house those who chose to fight inside it.

  Chloe didn’t hesitate. She hurried to the chain link cage. Taking the steps two at a time, she didn’t stop until she was inside. Avery was breathless as she joined her.

  “We’re trapped,” Avery said harshly.

  “We’re bait,” Chloe answered as calmly as she could. She clenched her fists closed as she faced the door, just like her husband did at his fights as he waited for his opponents. It wasn’t long before Derek and his friends appeared from the tunnel.

  “Well, well. Look what we found, boys,” Derek chuckled, an evil tinge to his voice. He led them to the cage and climbed the stairs to step inside. “You girls thought you could outrun us?”

  “We didn’t care if you outran us. Just leave Lexi alone,” Chloe warned. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Avery bouncing from the ball of one foot to the other.

  “What I do with Lexi is none of your business. Stay away from us. She belongs to me,” Derek warned.

  “She’s with Mark. Why would she want to be with an abusive psychopath like you?” Chloe countered.

  Derek’s hand slapped across her face like lightning, sending her to the canvas. She put an arm out to stop Avery before the blonde Marine jumped to her defense. “Do you have any idea who we are?” Chloe questioned as she rubbed at the warm welt on her cheek.

  “Ask if I care,” Derek snapped as he took a step closer. “I’m a psychopath? Well, little girl. You’re about to see how unstable I can really be.”

  She pushed up to her feet. Rolling her shoulders back, she stood toe to toe with him. “My name is Chloe Thomas. My friend here is Avery Choate.”

  “Ask if I care. You’re just a couple of dumbass bitches like my ex. Lexi belongs to me, divorce or no divorce. I’ll dispose of anyone who stands in my way whether it be you or that doctor she’s dating.”

  “You should care.” Chloe pointed to the ceiling of the arena. Derek and his buddies’ gazes followed. Above them the marquee flashed an advertisement for the fights the next night. A photo of Max and Rico dressed for competition accompanied the advertisement. Their names were listed beneath each image. “The fact that our last names are the same as theirs isn’t a coincidence.”

  Derek chuckled. It was laced with violence. “So you married a couple of MMA fighters. So what? They can’t help you now, can they? And baby, you’re gonna need help. Believe me, you’re gonna need help.”

  Chloe shuddered at his words as he closed the distance between them. Avery stiffened as his friends prowled closer to her.

  “I wouldn’t be too sure about that, Derek.”

  Chloe’s heart leapt in her throat at the sound of her husband’s voice. The three men turned around to find Max, Rico, and Mark at the cage door. Their eyes grew wide as their mouths gaped open. Behind them in the aisle were Dan and Lexi, his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders. Each of the fighters slowly climbed the stairs and stepped inside the octagon. Chloe studied their faces. Max and Rico were ready for a fight. By the rage in those blue eyes, Mark wanted a war.

  ∙•∙

  Lexi startled at the harshness of Rico’s voice. “Chloe. Avery. Get out,” he demanded, the rest of his body stone still as he barked out the order.

  Without a word the two women scurried past the other occupants of the cage and flew down the steps. Once they cleared the canvas, Rico laced his fingers through the fence and closed the door behind them. The women didn’t stop until they also had flocked around Lexi.

  “Dan, lock the door,” Mark directed.

  Dan nodded and took a step. He stopped when Lexi pressed her palm against his chest and shook her head silently. She glanced at Derek, then at Mark standing in the cage. Spinning on her toe, she strode to the chain link structure instead of Dan.

  Derek shoved past the fighters as an evil smirk spread across his face. None of them moved. He leaned against the chain link and glared at Lexi. “Open the door, Lexi,” he coaxed. “You don’t want to leave me in here with these lunatics, do you? I’m your child’s father. I was your husband. Let me out, baby.”

  Lexi stared at him as she reached up for the door. There he was. The man she loved at one time. They had shared so much together. They had a son. Had there been good times? She couldn’t remember one. She intertwined her fingers in the fence. She looked at Mark. The look on his face broke her heart. He looked confused and hurt. She studied the man who had been by her side over the past few months. He made her feel wanted, needed, loved. Every moment with him was incredible.

  It made this decision so easy to make.

  In one fluid motion Lexi grabbed the lock and flipped it closed, trapping Derek inside. A grin slipped across her lips as horror filled Derek’s face. She backed away several steps as he started to panic.

  “Lexi, get back here and open this door!” Derek shouted as he shook the octagon wall. “I’ll make you regret this!”

  Chloe took one of Lexi’s hands in hers. Lexi smiled as Avery took the other. They turned as Dan motioned toward the tunnel. “Ladies,” he offered.

  The three women strode hand in hand from the arena with Dan following. The last thing Lexi saw was Max, Rico and Mark in motion as they stalked toward Derek and his friends. Derek screamed for Lexi. His voice faded away as the women stepped out into the sunshine and the door closed behind them.

  Chapter Ten

  Mark strolled down the corridor of the mall weaving between the other shoppers while whistling to himself. He watched amazed at the bizarre crowd that gathered around him outside the mall bookstore. The large backdrop showing Lexi’s book behind the stage was still there from the day before. With the event being cancelled yesterday, he figured no one would come. Instead he was surrounded again by strange creatures and crazed fans. From what Lexi had told him as they cuddled the night before after his weigh in, the message boards were on fire with the rescheduled date. There was big news coming. When he asked her what it was, she wouldn’t answer. She just gave him a sad smile.

  It was the first time she had been sad since the chaos had calmed down at the arena. They didn’t beat Derek and his friends too badly. He, Max, and Rico waited for the others to throw the first punches. He wasn’t sure if it was Dan and the girls or a concerned janitor who noticed the main event started early that called the police. The authorities arrived before things were over. Derek was arrested for not only arson but attempted murder for trapping the girls in the gym before he set the fire outside. He would probably be locked up for quite a while. Lexi had looked relieved even though she was still on edge.

  He felt a hand tug on his shirt. He turned around to find a guy in his twenties behind him. He wore a headset and waved a clipboard frantically. “Are you Mark Jacobsen?”

  “Yes,” Mark answered.

  “You’re needed backstage. Follow me.”

  Mark followed him past the curtain. There were twice as many people in this small area than there were on the other side. Some bumped into each other. It was almost organized chaos.

  “Mark!”

  He turned to find Lexi behind him. He grinned as she wove around those between them. She still had the same sad look on her face. He pulled her to him and kissed her.

  “Baby, smile. You’re going to be fantastic,” he encouraged.

  “It’s not that. I need to talk to you before all this starts.”

  “About what?”

  She took a deep breath. Before she could speak, a well dressed man strode past. Mark knew his mouth had to be on the floor. “That’s Tom Nash.”

  Lexi’s voice was soft. “Yes it is.”

  “He just wo
n an Oscar for best actor.”

  “Yep.”

  “What’s he doing here?”

  Lexi was quiet for a moment. “He’s going to star in the film adaptation of ‘Then There Was One’.”

  “Really? They’re making your book into a movie? That’s amazing.”

  “Yes. I wrote the screen play a year ago for fun. My publicist looked at it. I had no idea she actually sold it to a movie studio. They want me to be on set to help with the filming. That’s what I need to talk to you about, Mark. They’re filming outside of Las Vegas. I’m leaving.”

  Mark felt his heart fall into the pit of his stomach. “When are you leaving?”

  “We start shooting next week so we have meetings. We fly out right after this.”

  “You waited until now to tell me?”

  “I wanted to tell you but I thought Derek would scare you off. Then there was the fire and…” Her voice trailed off to silence.

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “A couple of months. Mark, I’m sorry. Maybe you can come visit me.”

  “Lexi, it’s hard to get time off. I work in an ER. They need me.”

  “So do I.”

  “Lexi, it’s time to go!” One of the crew called to her.

  She looked at Mark. “We can talk later?”

  “I thought you were leaving right after.” Mark turned on his toe and made his way through the backstage to the curtains. He fought back tears. The woman he loved, the one he hoped to build a future with, was leaving to chase her dreams. What possibly could I offer now?

  “So, why exactly was this rescheduled?” Mark turned when he heard Max’s voice to find Max, Rico and Dan approaching. Behind them Chloe and Avery stopped outside a store front pointing at something in the window. Mark forced a smile on his face. “About the time you took off running, security found a back pack lying on the floor without its owner. They shut the event down and evacuated the mall. Lexi’s agent demanded they reschedule for another day. She was spooked. Turns out some kid left it with a friend to go to the restroom and the friend left it there on the floor.” He nodded toward the girls. “How are you guys?”

  Max glanced at his wife. “I yelled. She cried. I cried. Then I held her so tight she almost couldn’t breathe for the rest of the night.”

  Rico nodded. “The same with us. Except she yelled back.”

  Max frowned. “How are you? It looks like you just got some bad news.”

  “You could say that,” Mark answered.

  Dan cocked his head toward the stage. “What is going on? Why are there so many people here?”

  “Hush,” Rico chided. “It’s about to start.”

  A roll of automated thunder growled from the speakers on the stage followed by the high pitched squeaks and beeps of lasers. The four men gathered together as they were pressed together by ecstatic fans. The sound effects were accompanied by flashing lights and fog. Mark shook his head as he sighed. They’re going all out…

  The place erupted in cheers when Lexi stepped out onto the stage. She was followed by a popular talk show host and several top name movie stars. Mark frowned as even his friends gasped and awed. The talk show host picked up a microphone and faced the crowd.

  “Hello, Minneapolis! I’m Sam Lyon and as you know, you can always believe me because I’m not Lyon!” The mass of fans chanted his catchphrase with him and then cheered. Mark couldn’t hold back his eye roll. He crossed his arms over his massive chest.

  Sam continued as he animatedly paced the stage. “I’m excited to be invited to make the announcement that Then There Was One will hit the silver screen next summer. Filming begins a week from tomorrow.” He motioned to the movie stars. “These talented men and women will bring the story to life for you. And…” Sam wrapped a dramatic arm around Lexi’s shoulders. “The lovely Lexi Mills will be on set overseeing the project herself!”

  The crowd roared so loud the floor shook. Mark’s heart dropped in his chest again. He felt a couple of hands on his shoulder for support.

  “Did you know?” Rico’s voice cut through the noise.

  “I just found out a little bit ago,” Mark shouted back.

  “So who would like their book signed by the future Oscar winning screenwriter Lexi Mills? Start a line to the left of the stage. Orderly now!” Sam pointed to the side of the stage. Mark watched Lexi scan the crowd. Just as their eyes met, her publicist nudged her toward the waiting table and chair. Mark huffed as he wove through the crowd and took a seat on a bench to watch. His friends found spots on other benches to wait with him.

  It took forever for the line to pass by Lexi so she could sign their books. As her fans dispersed she disappeared behind the curtain. Mark checked his phone for a text. Nothing. He sighed then stood to leave. The others followed his lead. Before he could go, the curtain was flung open and Lexi stepped out, followed by a security guard. She hurried across the corridor to him.

  “Mark, please don’t go,” she started, her words tumbling over each other.

  “So I won’t see you and Logan for months.”

  “Logan isn’t going. I can’t watch over him and work. He’s staying with my mom and dad.”

  Mark felt someone brush up against him. “But if you would like to help us, we’d be happy to have it.” Lexi’s father grinned at him as he held Logan. “Logan loves you. And my grandson needs a good man to look up to.”

  “Dad, I just dropped this news on Mark before the event. He may not even want to stay together,” Lexi protested.

  Mark forced a smile on his face even though his heart felt shattered in his chest. “I would be honored to help, Mr. Mills. We can make our relationship work long distance. People do it all the time.”

  “No worries, Lexi.” Dan clapped him on the shoulder. Mark glanced around to see his friends gathered around him. “We’ll keep him busy. If we beat on him enough he’ll be too tired to miss you.”

  Lexi’s eyes grew wide. “I have to fly out tonight with everyone else. We have a couple of meetings before filming starts. I’m going to miss your fight.”

  “It’s all right, sweetheart.” Mark took her hand in his. “Someone at the event will livestream it. They usually do.”

  “It’s probably for the best. I’m not sure I could handle the crowd.”

  “Yeah. That’s true.”

  “Will you come out to see me?”

  “I’ll try. I’m an emergency room doctor. It’s hard to get more than one day off at a time. I better get home to get my gear. I need to get to the arena to warm up.” He kissed her on the cheek.

  “All right. I’ll see you soon,” she murmured.

  “Yeah. Bye.”

  The awkward good-bye clawed at Mark as he strode away toward the exit leaving Lexi and his friends behind. He could see his truck three rows over and quickened his pace. At that moment he didn’t want to talk to anyone. He wanted time alone.

  His thoughts swirled in his brain as he drove down the interstate but none of them made sense. He didn’t try to sort them out. All he wanted was to get home safe. He stepped inside his townhouse and popped Kinnick’s kennel open and then he sunk into the couch. Minutes passed in silence before he dug in his pocket. First he pulled out his cell. Then he pulled out the small felt-covered box and sat it on the coffee table. He fired off a text and set the phone beside the box.

  “I won’t need that anymore,” he muttered. With a huff he stood. “Come on, Kinnick. Let’s go get my stuff together.”

  The pup followed loyally behind him as Mark stalked down the hall, leaving the ring behind.

  Mark couldn’t concentrate as he stuffed his things into his bag. He had to check three times to see if his trunks were inside. Glancing at his bedside clock, he zipped it closed and stroked the top of Kinnick’s head. The pup whimpered in response.

  “Yeah, you get it. Don’t you, boy? I’m not locking you up in your kennel tonight. You can have free reign. Just don’t tear up my stuff. Okay?” Mark spoke.


  Kinnick licked him affectionately in response. He chuckled. “Good. Glad we agree. Let’s go outside then I’ll take off for the arena.”

  He strode from the room with the dog on his heels. Opening the back door of his townhouse, Kinnick scooted outside before Mark could take a step. Mark tossed his tennis ball to him a couple times. The crazy pup raced around the small yard to chase it. Ten quiet minutes passed before Mark shepherded the dog back inside, grabbed his things, and made his way to the truck.

  The locker room of the arena was quiet when Mark strode in. The only sound was the light thud of canvas on canvas. A couple of guys held mitts for Rico and Dan as they threw punches to warm up. This wasn’t the typical arrangement. Normally the team had a light warm up session at Hard Drive before they headed to the arena. But since the gym was a wreck from the fire, the promoter gave them the largest locker room to double as their gym for the day.

  Mark kicked off his shoes and dug his wraps out of his bag. He methodically twisted the fabric around his fingers. He almost unraveled his work when Rico nudged him.

  “Thanks for the table at ringside, dude,” Rico said with a grin. “Best seats in the house, a waitress for drinks and no rowdy crowd to get in the way. A bunch of the guys from my old gym in Chicago are coming up. They’ll love it.”

  Mark forced a smile on his face. “You’re welcome. No sense for it to go to waste.”

  “How much do I owe you?”

  “Nothing. I got it for Lexi to keep her away from the crowd. I’m glad your friends can use it since she won’t be here.”

  “I’m sorry she won’t be.”

  Mark shrugged. “Maybe it’s for the best. She has such a promising future. I don’t want to hold her back.”

  “Why don’t you get your gloves on and we’ll light spar.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Mark finished wrapping his hands then tugged on his gloves. He sparred gently with Rico and then switched to trading punches with Dan. Somewhere in the mix, Max appeared. They traded partners until their muscles were loose. Mark took a step away to take a sip of water. He glanced at the time on his phone. It was four o’clock. Lexi’s plane was about to take off. He heaved a sigh and went back to warming up.