Fight

by Nicole Dykes

  He shakes his head, surprising me. “Don’t, kid. Just fucking don’t.”

  I see red and my voice is a growl. “You were the one that told me to do this in the first place.”

  “Not for her I didn’t. And…” He looks pained as he drags his hand over his face, looking tired. “You just shouldn’t.”

  “What about me ending up back here anyway after my contract is done?”

  He shakes his head. “I think you’d be a lot happier not coming back and I didn’t say I would want you to. You shouldn’t be in this life. Finish your contract, collect your money, and get the hell out.”

  I shake my head from side to side. “No. I won’t leave her trapped.”

  “No one is trapped.” His eyes lock with mine. “No one.”

  I have no idea what the hell he’s talking about because it sure feels like we are all trapped. “She is. She doesn’t want to be with him.”

  “She’s with him.” He sighs deeply. “Listen to me for once, he will grow tired of her. Guys like that, they want a shiny prize. Probably likes the fight and then they get bored.”

  I feel my hands clench at my side, not liking that description of the hell Shaw has been stuck in for so long. “I’m just supposed to sit around and wait for him to get bored? Would you do that shit?”

  He grits his teeth. “One thing I got from Dane is that Shaw isn’t the type of woman who needs to be rescued. And she’s not stupid either.”

  My jaw ticks with frustration knowing how stubborn Shaw is. She is even stronger and more noble than she realizes. “She thinks she owes him.”

  “Or she wants to.”

  I take a step closer to him, snarling. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

  He gives me a look telling me to step back, but I don’t. I don’t advance either. “It means, you need to let her fight this battle on her own and it’s shitty. And I’m sure it’s the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do, but if you show up with money and tell her that you bought her freedom, do you think for one second you have a chance in hell at making it work?”

  No.

  I know damn well that she won’t take my money. She won’t let me help her.

  She wants to feel like my equal.

  “I just want her safe and happy.”

  He places a hand on my shoulder. “I know. Believe me, I know. We don’t get to choose what the people we love do.”

  My head drops, and I try like hell to will away the ache in my chest before lifting my eyes to his. “You warned him, didn’t you? That he was in trouble?”

  He gives a clipped nod. “It was too late. I heard that someone was coming for him. I told him to get out. But it was all too late.”

  “Someone?”

  “They don’t matter now.” He says it with cold calculation, and I know without a doubt that neither I, nor anyone else, will ever find whoever killed Dane. Because they’ve already been dealt with.

  “Dane would kick my ass if I didn’t at least try.”

  “I don’t think he would really want you in this life any longer than you had to be. Be patient.”

  “Couldn’t you get in trouble for talking me out of what they want?”

  He grins and slings an arm over my shoulder. “Who’s going to tell them?” I shake my head and chuckle. “They’ll find a new hotshot soon enough. Get out of this life, kid.”

  I agree to think about it, but even if I trust Will, I’m not sure I can just let her go on living like this with him.

  How can I have a life when she doesn’t?

  I stare at the empty bedroom that used to be my mother’s and a cold chill runs though my body. Aiden has plans for us tonight.

  He told me to expect a new dress to be delivered for a special occasion tonight and to be ready when he got home. No doubt, he wants to share me again.

  It’s been a month since I buried my mother and he’s gone fairly easy on me, but as I stare at the empty space where my mother once laid, I can’t help the feeling of shame washing over me.

  Fight.

  She would want me to. Dane would want me to. Carter wants me to.

  But do I want to?

  Can I really give up at nineteen and just accept fate?

  I hear the door to the guest house open and can smell his expensive cologne right before I feel his arm on my shoulder. “Shaw. You aren’t dressed.”

  “No.” I don’t turn to face him. “You’re early.”

  “I am, but I thought you would be ready like I expected.”

  Because I’m his doll. “I’m leaving.” I turn around to look at him now as he studies me, looking at me like I must be joking. I’m not.

  “No, you aren’t.”

  “Yes. I am.”

  He laughs humorlessly. “Where the hell do you think you’re going to go? You’ll be on the streets in no time.”

  I shrug my shoulders. “Maybe. Maybe not. But I’m tired of being your whore.”

  “An expensive whore.” He grips my bicep, digging his fingers into the skin and I let him. “Do you even know how high your tab has reached? Your pussy hasn’t even come close to paying off that debt and it will be worn out long before it will.”

  “I don’t owe you a goddamn thing. For the record I never asked you for anything.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  I pull out of his weak grasp and glare up at him. “No. I didn’t and let this be very clear, I was here because I wanted to be here. It was a choice I made.”

  He sneers down at me, “You’re not leaving.”

  His hand goes back to my arm and I don’t jerk it away. “I took the abuse because maybe I felt like I deserved it. Hell, maybe even a twisted part of me liked it. But I will never just lay down and take it without a fight when I don’t want it.”

  He pulls my body flush to his. “You do want me. I feel how wet you are when I enter you. You’re a whore and you’ve enjoyed every moment.”

  I don’t let his words bother me. “I don’t. My mother is gone and I’ll find a way to pay for college.”

  He scoffs, “You’re trash. You’ll never be able to afford the life I could give you.”

  “I don’t want it. I’d rather work at the diner and live in a shitty, rundown house than ever feel your touch again.” I eye his hand on my bicep. “Now let go.”

  He doesn’t and I’m growing tired of this.

  I’m not too tired to fight. I’m not too weak for this battle.

  I think about Dane and his smile. The way he always made me feel precious to him. I think about Carter and the way Dane could make him laugh. The way he’s held me close since the first day we met. And I think about my mother, who never had a damn thing for herself, but loved me fiercely until the day she died.

  Because that’s love.

  Real love. All three of them gave me that my whole life and I do owe them. I can’t give up.

  “I’ll give you one more chance.”

  He laughs, but the joke’s on him. I bring my palm up and break his nose, sending blood pouring from his nose for the second time since we’ve known each other.

  But I’m not done even if he released me. I knee him hard in the groin just as I was instructed by both Dane and Carter many times, and then land a perfectly timed and accurate punch right to his throat.

  He drops to his knees gasping for air, bleeding and holding his crotch. “I’m not your fucking property. I’ll send you payment in check or cash form, but we’re done.” I turn away from him. “If you come near me again, you better be ready for the fight because I will be.”

  I go to the door where my bag is already packed and waiting, and I walk out without looking back.

  I have no idea what is in store for the future or what I’m going to do next, but I know it’s time to start the next chapter.

  For Dane and my mom.

  And for the man who loves me, and I love back.

  For Carter.

  This guy has absolutely no chance with me. Sure, he has a good thirty pound
s on me, but I’m faster.

  Much faster.

  He swings and I duck, landing a quick uppercut that sends his head backward and blood from his mouth, but then something catches my eye in the crowd.

  Shaw?

  I grunt when I’m caught with a direct hit to the ribs and watch Shaw’s eyes widen with fear.

  What the hell is she doing here?

  I haven’t heard from her in a month. Not one word and now she’s here for the fight. Her little boyfriend better not be here too or there’s going to be a bloodbath. The big motherfucker I’m supposed to be busy fighting hits me in the stomach and I groan, and I can see Shaw mouthing a word to me.

  What the fuck is she saying?

  I watch her lips as she cups her hands over her mouth. “Fight!”

  She’s screaming fight at me and I move out of the way just as the fucker tries for my face. I block his next hit and now he’s fucked because he’s exhausted.

  I finish the fight with one hit, a right hook that drops him.

  He’s down and I’m declared the winner, but I couldn’t care less because Shaw is here. I dart out of the ring, sweaty and bloody and go right to her. “What are you doing here? It’s dangerous here.”

  She laughs, and it almost sounds like the one I remember. “It’s no worse than anywhere I’ve been.”

  I smile. “Are you okay?”

  She nods her head, “I’m okay. I left Aiden.”

  I stare at her in shock. “You what? He let you leave.”

  She shrugs her shoulders. “I wouldn’t say he let me, but I didn’t give him a chance. I got a job at the campus coffee shop.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “Is that so? Shaw in a fancy coffee place?”

  She laughs and it is definitely the sound I remember. “Yup, and I applied for financial aid. I did really well last semester so even got a couple of grants.”

  Fuck, she’s amazing. “Where are you staying?”

  She eyes me with flirty suspicion. “Are you asking me to stay in your bed?”

  I laugh. “You can stay in my bed for the rest of our lives.”

  She smiles, but doesn’t argue with me. “I had some money saved so I’ve been staying in a shitty hotel close to school. I plan to send Aiden payments.” She laughs, “Probably for the rest of my life, but who cares?”

  I do, but I don’t say anything. I still don’t think she owes him a thing.

  “You don’t have to stay in a hotel. I have an apartment.” I grasp her hips lightly. “I want you in my bed, but mostly I just want you.”

  She smiles at that. “You love me, Carter?”

  “Yes.” I say it without hesitation and almost laugh at how eager I am to tell her that now. Dane is laughing his ass off wherever he is.

  “I love you.”

  “I’m sorry it took me so long.”

  She shakes her head. “Just take me home.”

  I don’t waste any time, dragging her to the locker room and really wanting to take her right there, but know Will wouldn’t appreciate it.

  For some reason I respect that motherfucker.

  I take her to my apartment and strip her out of her clothes, taking a moment to kiss the bruise on her bicep. “I’d really like to kill him.”

  She smiles and shakes her head. “He’s not worth homicide.”

  I brush my finger over her bare arm. “No one gets to touch you anymore.”

  She laughs and tugs my shirt over my head and then pushes my sweats and briefs down, making me just as naked as her. “Is that a direct order?”

  My hands wrap around her waist and my cock presses against her stomach as we stand near my bed. “Do you want anyone else to touch you?”

  She shakes her head and pulls me down to kiss her. “No one. Never again.”

  I nod my head and lay her down on the bed, entering her in one thrust, just needing to be inside her again. “Never.”

  I can feel her smile as her legs wrap around me as she pulls me deeper inside her. “I love you, Carter.”

  “I love you, Shaw. I always have.”

  She laughs, a deep throaty beautiful laugh and kisses me, “I know.”

  I push into her, kissing over her pulse that’s rapidly flickering in her neck and then kiss over her chest, soaking in every single second with her.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful.”

  She smiles, her fingers in my hair, pulling my mouth back up to hers like she can’t get enough of kissing me, and I’m grateful, because I’ll never tire of her lips.

  I don’t worry about the past and all that’s happened.

  Our future is this.

  I start my fall semester tomorrow and smile when I wake up with Carter’s heavy, tattooed arms hanging over my naked waist. I missed sharing a bed with him more than I realized.

  Nothing is perfect, but ever since the night I went to his fight, it’s sure felt like it.

  Of course, it would be even better if mom and Dane were here with us…well not right now…but still, alive. We go to their graves a lot. Leaving purple roses on both and catching them up on our lives.

  Carter’s contract is up soon and even if he isn’t sure what he’s going to do, he’s decided not to extend his contract. He told me that he had considered making a deal to get me out of a life with Aiden, but I couldn’t have been happier than he didn’t go through with it.

  I wouldn’t have accepted his help anyway and he knew it. Aiden hasn’t bothered with me. I have no idea what he’s doing now or if he’s found someone else, but I don’t care. I don’t worry about it. Although Will has assured Carter that we’re safe.

  For whatever reason, we both trust him. Probably because we know Dane did.

  Cooper and Ben ended up in foster care, which at first was terrifying to us until we found out they were being placed with a fifty-year-old widow in the neighborhood. We all knew her, and she always had hot cocoa and cookies when she saw the neighborhood kids out playing.

  She allows us to check in on the boys often, and I feel like Dane would be happy with the outcome for his little brothers.

  “I should really get up. I need to go get my textbooks, since I start school tomorrow.” I say it with a smile, and even though Carter’s eyes are closed, I see the sly grin forming on his handsome face.

  “Okay,” he turns to his side and props his head up on his hand, “But first, I really think you should marry me.”

  I gape at him, he’s never mentioned marriage before. “Are you still asleep?”

  He chuckles and shakes his head, turning to pull out the drawer of the table next to the bed, grabbing a black box and placing it between our bodies. “No. I want you to marry me.” He opens the box and I smile at the simple diamond engagement ring.

  “Carter…” The smile is still on my lips. “That was a terrible proposal and I start school tomorrow.”

  He laughs and takes the ring out of the box, sitting up and grabbing my hand, his eyes drifting to my naked breasts before finally settling on my eyes. “We can go today and it wasn’t awful, it was perfect because it’s real and it’s us.” He slides the ring onto my left ring finger.

  “You’re right.”

  “And it doesn’t hurt that you’re naked.”

  I laugh and shove his chest but he just wraps his arms around me and pulls me down to the bed with him.

  I lay my head on his chest over his heart and stare at the beautiful ring.

  I’d always believed in the fairy tale of all those movies I used to watch, but it wasn’t real. Not like us.

  And those relationships in real life probably wouldn’t have lasted, but we will. I know that without a doubt.

  “I never believed in love.” Carter kisses my forehead and sighs with a laugh. “Dane told me that you did though and that would be enough.”

  I look up at him curiously. “You and Dane talked about this?”

  He laughs again. “Always, but right before he died he said that. That you believed in love and that would be enough. I
knew you would be enough, but I didn’t think I would be.” He smiles. “But that’s not what he meant. He meant that your love would be enough for us to make it. I didn’t believe, but you’ve always known.”

  I feel tears form in my eyes, but for once they’re happy ones. “I’ve always loved you.”

  He nods, “You’re so damn brave, Shaw. You’ll walk straight into hell knowing just how bad it will be, because you know it will be worth it.”

  I smile, and he kisses my lips. “You’re worth everything to me.”

  “You’re going to be my wife, and I’m going to make sure your life is a happy one.”

  I believe him. “You make me happy.”

  He smiles and holds me to his hard chest. “You’ve always made me as happy as I could be.”

  Every bit of hell I’ve walked through was all to lead me right to here.

  We’re married. We didn’t do it before I started school because despite how badly I wanted to be his wife, and the fact that we don’t have many other people close to us that are still alive, I wanted a wedding.

  So, we had one in Will’s back yard with a pastor, Will and his wife, his children and Cooper and Ben. And a bouquet of purple roses with a matching boutonniere on his tux.

  And it was perfect.

  It was everything I could have imagined minus Dane and my mom, but I think they were here.

  After my first dance with Carter, Will asks if I’ll dance with him and I agree. I’m still not a fan of who Carter works for, but his contract is up in mere months and Will seems like a nice guy.

  I really like his wife, even if I feel awkward around her knowing there was something between Dane and Will while they were married.

  “She knows, you know?”

  I look up into Will’s eyes and it’s like he was reading my mind. “What?”

  He nods to where Carter and his wife are dancing. “She knows about Dane. She forgave me.”

  “Wow.” It’s all I can muster and lay my head on his shoulder. “Did he ever ask you to leave her?”

  It seems so strange that I didn’t know everything about Dane. “No, he never did. I don’t think he would have.” I feel his hand on my back, way above my ass. “I love my wife.”