by Lola Taylor
Erika stared at everything. The thought of her in his living space made his skin crawl. He had to get her out of here, fast. Going into his bathroom, he opened up his “extras” drawer and retrieved common items he always kept extras of in stock, just so he wouldn’t be without them: shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a comb.
He walked back out to the living room. “I’m going to get the place set up and make sure everything is fine. I’ll only be gone a minute. Stay here and don’t touch anything.”
“Wait.” Erika glanced at the clock on his wall. “It’s almost eight.”
“So?”
“So Ghost told me he needed an answer by then.”
“Jesus, Erika. Why didn’t you tell me that sooner?”
“I don’t know! I guess I forgot!” She hugged herself. “Stop yelling at me!”
He threw his head back. Just shoot me. “Well, I don’t have an answer right now.”
A buzzing emanated from Erika’s purse. Fishing through it, she produced her cell phone. It looked like a prepaid phone. The calling number was blocked. “Well, you need to come up with one now, because I think this is Ghost calling.”
He went cold all over.
When he didn’t move to take the phone, Erika pressed it into his chest, nearly dropping it. “Are you an idiot? Don’t make Ghost have to call twice!”
Ah hell, she was right. Swallowing, he lifted the phone to his ear. “You have some nerve.”
“Oh, now is that any way to treat someone who just bailed you out of jail?” came Ghost’s cultured voice. “I would at least expect a thank-you.”
“Thanks.”
“You sound appreciative as ever,” Ghost drawled. “Did she explain my terms to you?”
“No,” he ground out, casting a glare at Erika.
“Of course she didn’t. Then again, I didn’t expect much from that bumbling idiot.”
“Get to the point.”
“Ah, there’s the Lion I remember! So demanding, as to be expected of the king of the jungle. Very well. Look, I know our reunion was a bit rough, and I wanted to patch things over by helping you out.”
“You never help anyone out, not without a price.”
“True,” Ghost purred. “But you already know my price, which is to pay me what is owed of Erika’s debts. Except, of course, you must also now pay me back the bond money.”
“Or come be your slave and get the shit beat out of me again in the ring so you’ll forgive all debt.”
“That’s really the gist of it. Oh, but don’t forget about how lovely Amy plays into all of this. We wouldn’t want to get her tangled up in my web, would we?”
“She already is. And don’t you dare come after her, or I’ll—”
“Or you’ll what?”
Truth was, he couldn’t do shit. He literally had nothing, and Ghost had a freaking empire of thugs at his disposal. His pockets ran deep.
But perhaps not as deep as he’d thought…
“Why are you doing this?” Scott asked.
“Hmmm?”
“Why are you so desperate to get me back? Why do you need the money so badly?”
“I told you. I’ve had a few bad investments of late, and I need to bounce back quickly.”
“Why? What happened to that pile of money you were sitting on?”
Silence met him.
“Unless,” Scott said slowly, fishing for information, “that big pile of money has run out, and you fell in deep with some people worse than you?”
Ghost cleared his throat. “It’s none of your concern. Leave the business to me, as I have always left the fighting to you. You have until noon to make your decision.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then I guess I’ll be talking to Amy next.”
The call ended abruptly. Ghost’s threat echoed through Scott’s head.
With a lump in his throat the size of Texas, he handed the phone back to Erika. “I’ll be right back,” he said, his voice raspy. “Stay here.”
Thoughts racing faster than ever, he left and quickly went to the unoccupied apartment.
He needed to come up with a plan—and fast.
Erika couldn’t believe it. If someone had told her a month ago that she’d be standing in Scott’s apartment, talking to him, she’d have laughed and told them they were high.
Being here reminded her so much of what she loved about him. His rebel streak hadn’t died; that much was evident in the beer cans that littered the coffee table and the spiky rock-and-roll memorabilia that decorated most of the room.
Glancing at the front door, she tiptoed down the hallway to his bedroom. She had no idea why she was tiptoeing, considering she was alone, but she felt the need to be discreet. If he came in, she’d pretend she’d been looking for the bathroom, which wouldn’t be a total lie. She needed to pee and wash off her feet. They felt icky from walking along the sidewalks.
She let her eyes sweep over his bedroom. Her gaze rested on his bed. It had the same old wooden headboard; it even wore the same threadbare sheets. She remembered spending many nights tangled up in those sheets and his arms. She’d missed those nights. Still did.
Had he meant what he’d said about believing in her? Her chest tightened. No one had ever told her that before, except him. Not her family, who’d only cut her down with scathing remarks that she wasn’t pretty enough, smart enough, or ambitious enough to be of any use to them.
Not her friends, who always stabbed her in the back.
Not the men who were only interested in sex and then left her.
No, Scott was different. He was so much better than all of them.
And within her grasp…
An Eric Clapton song blared from the living room. Heart leaping to her throat, she thought maybe he’d come back and had turned on the radio or something. Only, she discovered as she padded back out to the living room, it wasn’t Scott.
It was his phone.
He must have been so rattled by Ghost that he’d left it when he’d set his things down.
Curious, she picked it up and peered at the display.
A low growl went up her throat. It was that Amy woman.
So, she thought she could steal Scott away from her so easily, huh?
Like hell.
Erika hit the Talk button and pressed the phone to her ear. “What the hell do you want?”
IF ERIKA HAD slapped her, Amy wouldn’t have been more surprised.
She stood there, stunned. A car honked at her. She had stopped walking in the middle of crossing the street.
Waving to the driver, she hurried along. He sped past, yelling, “Watch what you’re doing, crazy bitch!”
And this is why my faith in humanity has yet to be restored.
“Hello?” called Erika from the phone. “Did you hear me?”
“Yes,” Amy snapped. “I heard you.”
“Well?”
“Well what?”
She sighed loudly, as if having to repeat herself was too much of an inconvenience. “What the hell do you want?”
Oh no, she didn’t. “First of all, I want to know what you’re doing with Scott’s phone.”
“He left it behind,” she said flippantly. “I’m at his apartment.”
“His apartment?”
She heard a door open in the background. “Hey, is that my phone?” Scott said.
“Um…” Erika said nervously.
“Son of a—give me that!”
Wrestling ensued. Scott must have won, because a few seconds later, he said, “Amy?”
“Hi,” she said tersely.
“It’s not what it seems.”
She sighed. “You keep saying that.”
“I know, I know. I don’t know why this random shit keeps happening to me.”
“Tell me about it,” she ground out.
Erika whined in the background about not having any toilet paper. Ugh. How on earth did he stand her long enough to actually date her?
She was like a bratty little kid trying to get his attention.
“Can it! Check the closet!” he yelled. “Sorry, Amy. I promise I’ll explain everything when I see you. You need me to come pick you up?”
“Uh…” Suddenly, given these new, surprising circumstances, she wasn’t so sure that was a good idea.
“Amy, please,” Scott said, his voice gentle. “There is nothing going on between Erika and me. You have nothing to worry about. Now, tell me where you are.”
She pressed her lips together. “Okay—but on one condition.”
“Name it.”
“You tell me the truth, Scott Johnathan Meyers. All of it, without a detail left out.” She took a deep breath. Might as well take the plunge. “And I’ll do the same for you.”
It took him a fraction of a second to answer. “Deal.”
Scott was one lucky son of a bitch.
Thank God Amy had agreed to do anything with him, given that little stunt Erika had pulled. After he tugged her ass into the spare apartment with some food and any other necessities, he’d locked her in, gone down the street to an ATM, and then hailed a cab to pick up Amy. She didn’t say much as the cab driver drove them to the wood-surrounded inn to pick up the rental car so he could actually get his car back. She sat on the opposite side of the backseat, arms folded, facing away from him. Her eyes scanned the woods.
He couldn’t stop looking at her; how the sun brought out hints of gold in her hair, or how the silky material of her shirt pulled at her breasts. He wanted to strip it off her and make love, to show her how he really felt. But that would have to wait.
First, he had a lot to account for.
After he paid the cab driver and got in the rental car, he drove them out to his favorite spot in the countryside. Shadow Lake was remote, plus it wasn’t exactly a lake. More like a pond, he supposed, but hell if he cared. Surrounded by a green meadow with dainty purple and white wildflowers, it was one of his favorite places to think.
“So is this the part where you tell me I know too much and now you have to kill me?” Amy gave him a teasing smile as he put the rental car into park beside the lake.
He chuckled and relaxed a bit. Maybe she wasn’t too pissed at him.
Yet.
“Nah. I’d never hurt you. Not intentionally, anyway,” he added with a grimace. “Though I guess I’ve already done that.” He turned to her and took her hands, looking her in the eyes. “I know there aren’t enough ways to say it, but I’m so sorry for pulling you into this. It was the last thing I wanted. I knew you were too good for me the moment I saw you, but I couldn’t stay away from you. You drew me in, like a magnet.” He brushed some of that sunshine-yellow hair away from her face, reveling in its softness. He smiled sadly. “I guess what they say is true—opposites do attract.”
She raised a brow. “Opposites? We’re pretty similar.”
“No, we’re not,” he said softly. “You’re a much better person than I am. My soul has been washed with darkness and blood, and I’m afraid it’s going to stain yours.”
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous.” She took his hands and covered them in her own. “I’ve seen how good you are. I know how honest, kind, and caring a person you are.” She pressed her lips together.
He braced himself. Here comes the “but.” He sat back with a sigh. “Go ahead and ask. I know you’ve got to be dying to.”
Her eyes shone with understanding. And a bit of apprehension, though he could tell she was trying to hide it.
His stomach twisted into knots. You knew this was coming. Are you honestly surprised she’s reacting this way? I’d be afraid of you, too.
Amy stared thoughtfully at her lap. “I had a whole list, and now I can’t remember a single question.”
Scott smiled tightly. “I know the feeling.” He needed some answers, too. Starting with what happened to Michael Lewis, and why she was so afraid to talk about her past.
She finally looked at him. “How did you meet Ghost?”
Scott paused, thinking. “I frequented a lot of bars in my younger years. Thanks to my temper, I also tended to get into a lot of fights. One night, Ghost was there with some of his men, and he saw me fight. That’s when he approached me.”
“And made you an offer you couldn’t refuse?”
“Something to that effect,” he said grimly. “He said ‘I’d have riches beyond my wildest dreams. I’d have girls, fame, fortune—everything a man could want.’” He chuckled darkly. “It still amazes me to this day, how stupid and naive I was. I thought I was ‘street smart.’ But no, I was swimming in the kiddie pool. I thought Ghost was a god. At one point, I’d dare say I thought of him as a father figure. It wasn’t until I met Erika and everything went down with her that I got a slap in the face and woke up to what kind of man Ghost was, and I found out exactly what he thought of me—as his property.”
“So that’s how you met Erika,” Amy murmured. “Through Ghost.”
Scott nodded. “We met after one of my fights.” He shifted in the leather seat, mumbling the next part and looking away briefly. “Ghost, as promised, usually brought women—or ‘fans,’ as he called them—up to my room after a fight. One night, it happened to be Erika.”
Amy’s lips only tightened slightly, pinching at the corners of her mouth. “And the rest is history.”
“More or less. She was as reckless as I was. I thought I’d found a soul mate, that I knew what real love was. Then I found out Ghost had been bribing her with drugs to seduce me, to ensure I stayed in the circuit.” He sighed hard and leaned back in the seat. “One day, Ghost decided that he had been generous enough, and that she had to pay back the cost of the drugs. Out of the blue, all up front, not a penny spared. Erika, naturally, didn’t have a dime to her name, but Ghost didn’t care. He only sees people as objects to be exploited for his personal gain. He knew Erika had a drug addiction she couldn’t control. So he funded it in order to use her to reel me in tighter.”
“What would happen if she didn’t pay?”
Scott’s mouth formed a thin line. “Then he said he’d find other ways of using her to earn back the money.”
“Oh my God,” Amy breathed. Her face went white, as if she was going to be sick. “So you stepped in to defend her.”
“Just like Ghost knew I would. He knew I cared for Erika and would do anything for her. She was so frightened of him that she left me after I’d practically signed my soul over to him.”
“Bitch,” Amy spat, eyes glittering with anger.
“I can think of a few other words, but that about sums her up.”
Amy took a deep breath and let it out. “Okay, so how much is left of the debt?”
Scott inwardly winced. “About five hundred thousand.”
“Five hundred thousand?” Amy screeched.
“That’s low, compared to what it used to be,” Scott said grimly.
Amy’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “How high was it?”
“You don’t want to know.”
Amy stared at the dashboard as she processed all this. “Did you know the circuit was going to be at the inn?”
The question took him by surprise. “What? No! If I did, I never would have taken you there.”
Amy searched his face. Sadness settled in her features. “I saw the look in your eyes when you gazed at the ring. You longed for it. You wanted to fight.”
“Amy”—he took her hands and looked into her eyes—“I’m not going to lie that I enjoyed fighting. It’s always been a part of my life, and I think, in a small way, it always will be. Fighting is in my blood. But I don’t want it. I’m not going to suddenly snap like some seventy-year-old pro wrestler trying to relive the glory days. I’ve found something I want a hell of a lot more than fighting, and I’m looking right at her.”
Amy stared back at him. “I can’t bear to lose you,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I can’t go through that again.”
“And you won’t.” He cupped her cheek in his h
and. “I promise. I’ll never leave your side.”
The uncertainty and fear in her eyes briefly vanished as she touched his hand and leaned into him. She closed her eyes, a slight, contented smile on her mouth.
His eyes lowered to her lips, and all thoughts of asking about Michael Lewis vanished. Hunger built in him as he leaned forward and kissed her. She opened her mouth eagerly, her tongue slipping out to slide along his.
He needed to be with her, to feel her in his arms and know she was real. Mostly, he just wanted to hold on to her and never let go—at a time when he felt the rest of his life was falling apart.
He reached up and slipped his hand beneath her bra to cup her breast; the hard nub of her nipple caressed his palm as he pressed her against the door. Her answering moan only made him harder.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. With all brain function essentially shut off, he promptly ignored it—for the first four times.
About the fifth time it buzzed, Amy broke the kiss and said breathlessly, “Shouldn’t you get that? It might be important.”
“I’d rather finish taking your shirt off.” He eyed her full breasts.
She demurely pulled her shirt back down and ran her fingers through her mussed hair. “I would, too, but what if something’s wrong?”
“When is nothing ever wrong with Erika? Because I can almost bet money that’s who it is.” Sure enough, he had about a bajillion texts from her.
Are you coming home?
Ghost wants you to call him. Soon.
It’ll be noon in an hour. Where r u?
Irritated, he texted back. Give me Ghost’s number.
Can’t, she replied two seconds later. I don’t know it.
Of course she didn’t. Ghost couldn’t make himself too accessible.
Fine. I’ll be there. Stall him if he calls early.
“I’m guessing whatever it is, it isn’t good.” Amy studied him.
“Yeah. Ghost is supposed to call Erika’s phone at noon, and I need to be there to give him my answer.”
Her brows furrowed. “You saw Ghost again?”
He quickly relayed to her how Erika had come to bail him out and about Ghost’s subsequent offer/threat. “It wouldn’t surprise me if the bust was staged, too, in order to get me arrested so he could bail me out and I’d owe him a favor. I know for a fact Ghost owns the chief of police, along with most of the cops, at that station.”
