by Jessie Cooke
“I don’t know if I can concentrate. I need to see you.”
“I’ll see you tonight, Jacob.” Fuck!
I threw the phone into the floor and threw back the covers. I took my shower and went out to the kitchen to make my protein drink. Ian was there at the table, reading the paper and having his coffee. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
“You look like shit.”
“Thanks.”
“Big fight tonight. Are you nervous?”
“Nope. Never. I’m worried about Cassie.” I blended up my drink mix and threw in some berries and an egg and then I took it and sat down with him.
“I got the impression that Colette didn’t tell Dad she had a daughter. Maybe he’ll dump her for lying and you and Cassie won’t have anything to worry about.”
“You know what an ass he is. Even if he dumps her, he’ll still hold it against Cassie…and me.”
“Probably, but Jake you know that no matter what we do, he’ll find a reason to be angry. So like I said the other day, we both need to stop living to make him happy.”
“I usually don’t. But, what if he goes ahead and marries her. That would make Cassie and I almost related. Wouldn’t that be weird?”
“It won’t make you anymore related than you are right now. The only pressure there will be what other people have to say about it. If you win this fight tonight, that will mean a whole lot more publicity. You just have to decide if you care what the masses say about you or not.”
I took a swig of my drink and said, “I don’t care what they say about me…you know that. It’s Cassie I’m worried about.”
“Well, she’s not used to the feeding frenzy the media can get on when a Wright…especially Jacob Wright is involved. You’ll just have to be sure to warn her ahead of time.”
I nodded. It surprised me how much the thought of losing her scared me. It felt like a truck was sitting on my chest when I even considered it. “Maybe you can come out at the same time and overshadow it all,” I told him with a grin. He was taking a sip of his coffee and with his free hand, he flipped me off. He never took his eyes off the paper.
“I’m going for a long run.”
He looked up then. “On fight day?”
“I can’t sit around here all day. I’ll lose my mind.”
“Don’t overdo it, Jake.”
“I won’t, Mom.”
When I took off for my run, I had no intentions to run towards Cassie’s neighborhood. When I got to her neighborhood, I had no intentions to run by her house. When I ran by her house, I really wasn’t going to stop and knock on the door. When her father pulled it open and I saw his face, I wished that I had kept running.
“Cassie’s not here.”
“Oh, okay…”
“Come in.” I raised an eyebrow. I wasn’t used to being ordered around. I wasn’t going to do anything to make things worse between me and Cassie though, so I did what he told me. I followed him into the living room and he said, “Sit.” I sat. “What do you want with my daughter?”
This was an entirely new experience. Talking to a girl’s father was a new experience. Explaining myself to one was unheard of. I swallowed the lump in my throat and said, “I like Cassie…a lot.”
“She’s not like the women you usually date.” Thank you to the media for that.
“I know.”
“She’s sensitive…she’s been through a lot.”
“I know.”
“Did she tell you about the day her mother left?”
“No.”
He sat down in the chair across from me and took a deep breath. His eyes had a faraway look in them as he said, “Cassie came home from school early one day. She was only ten and usually the school called if she was sick or something…but for some reason that day they let her walk home. When she got here, she found her mother in the midst of an afternoon tryst with one of our local celebrities…He was a headliner here in Vegas in those days. He’s still around, but I think he does piano bars now…But, her mother yelled at her for walking in and told her that she was a stupid girl. When Cassie finally told me about three weeks later her mother and I had a big fight and she ended up leaving. Before she left, she took the time to tell her daughter that she had ruined her life, just by being born.”
“Holy shit!” I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to throw up and I wanted to find Colette and tear her apart with my bare hands. What kind of monster treats their child like that?”
“Yeah…the whole thing made me cynical, I will admit. I don’t necessarily believe in the whole “Happily ever after thing” any longer. I especially don’t believe in it where players are concerned. Cassie’s mother was a stripper. She craved attention and having a man who showered her with whatever she wanted. Apparently, she still does. I don’t want Cassie hurt again, Jacob.”
“I can understand that. I don’t want her hurt either.”
“Are you telling me that you can go from a different woman every night to just one…forever?”
“I’m telling you that I can do that…if Cassie is the one, yes. I love your daughter…” Fuck! Did I just say that? Do I love her?
He looked surprised and said, “Well, that wasn’t what I was expecting.”
I chuckled nervously and said, “Me neither. But I do. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I don’t want to be with another woman…I just want Cassie and I’ll do anything to make her happy.”
“I don’t care if you are built like a damned Mack truck…if you hurt her, I will kill you.”
I grinned. He’d have to work on that right hook if he planned to do it with his fists. I understood how he felt though. That was exactly how I felt about her.
“Dude, you’re wearing a hole in the floor. What is going on with you?” Brock had been watching me pace for twenty minutes in the locker room. I felt like I was going to explode and I almost felt sorry for my opponent tonight. He was defending the title he’d held for five years. I still hadn’t seen Cassie and I felt like I was losing my mind. None of which, I wanted to talk to Brock about.
“Nothing, I’m fine.” Those words were spoken as my father walked into the locker room. I saw flashbulbs going off behind his head as the doors swung closed behind him. The great and powerful Nolan Wright had never been to a single one of my fights.
“Dad? What are you doing here?”
“I came to watch my son fight.” Brock was staring at him like he’d never seen a billionaire before.
“Beat it!” I told him. He took off and I turned back to my dad and said, “Why? You’ve never been here before. You’ve told me more than once that you have no respect for me or what I do.”
“Honestly, I don’t care for the barbarism of all of this and you know it. This was Colette’s idea. She feels like we both need to reach out to our children before they all end up going down the wrong path.”
I think I may puke. “You brought her here?” Poor Cassie. She’ll freak out if she sees her in the audience.
“She’s going to be my wife, son. I’ll be bringing her everywhere. She has a point. I haven’t spent enough time guiding you or your brother…and she feels really bad about her relationship with hers.”
I was dumbfounded. My father was one of the smartest men on the planet. How could he be so easily manipulated? “You’re going to listen to her after last night?”
He furrowed his brow and said, “Because her daughter had a little tantrum and ran off…that should make me not want to marry her? It makes what she’s saying have even more merit. If that girl had any sense or class even, she would have stayed and had a calm discussion with her mother instead of running off half-cocked like she did.”
“Did you know she had a daughter, Dad?” The look on Colette’s face last night told me that he didn’t.
“Not at first, but Colette did tell me about her a couple of weeks ago. I was stunned to say the least…I didn’t know why I’d never heard of her since I talk about you and your brother all the ti
me.” I’ll bet. He can’t stand either of us, yet he will brag about how well we’re both doing, as if he deserves any credit at all. He went on to say, “Colette explained their shaky relationship to me. Apparently Colette has been trying to reach out to her for years, but her father has her completely brainwashed….”
I groaned. “Seriously? She’s lying, Dad. I think that you’re the one who is brainwashed here. She’s manipulating you into marrying her. She’s a gold digger!”
“Watch what you say, son. I’m trying to extend an olive branch here. Not that it’s your business but she is more than willing to sign an extensive pre-nup agreement. This is not about money. There’s something else that I need to tell you. It was my main priority for coming here tonight. I wasn’t sure how to do it, but I’ll just take your lead and say what I believe needs to be said.”
I didn’t want to hear anymore. I just glared at him, hoping he would leave. I did not need this shit right before a title fight. He kept standing there, staring at me until I finally said, “What?” It was one of his intimidation routines.
“How long has Cassandra worked as a cage girl?” He said cage girl with distaste in his mouth, as if he wasn’t about to marry a dried up old stripper.
“Three weeks, why?”
“And that is about the time she began pursuing you, right?”
“I pursued her. What the fuck is this about, Dad?”
“Colette sent an engagement announcement to her daughter three weeks ago. Cassandra was well aware that your father was marrying her mother…Unless of course she lives out underneath one of those rocks in the desert. I think you’ve identified the wrong gold digger here, son.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You want me to believe Cassie is the bad guy here? Like I said, I pursued her!”
“Right, because that’s what you do son. But you only pursue them into the bed. How is it this one managed to make it to girlfriend status? I’m just asking you to give it some thought. It would be a really big coincidence if…”
“Fuck you! Fuck Colette! Get the fuck out of here!”
He gave me his hard look and said, “I’m going to let that slide this once…because I know that you’re upset. I couldn’t let this go and have you get your heart broken.” He turned around then and walked out. I punched the lockers and within five minutes every trainer and manager in the place descended on me. I didn’t care. I sat there while they worked on my hand and lectured me and threatened me…and I wondered….
24
Cassie
“Hey! Are you okay?” I was standing in front of the mirror in the dressing room. I’d been standing there for a long time holding my brush, I guess. Lizzie was looking at me like she was afraid I was ready to jump out a window. I told her about dinner and running out…Like Jacob, she had tried to convince me I had a right to react the way I did. I know that I over-reacted. But now I couldn’t take it back and I was so embarrassed I didn’t know how to face Jacob. Besides…if his Dad and my Mother did get married…he’d be my step-brother. That would just be too weird!
“I’m okay. I just have a lot on my mind. What about you? Are you okay?” I’d been so busy this morning pouring my heart out to her that I hadn’t even caught up on poor Lizzie’s dilemma.
She smiled and said, “I’m good.”
“Lizzie, did you spend the night with Lance Thursday?”
“Yes, but not like you’re thinking. He was way too drunk and he passed out in the car. Brock came down and got him out and I hung out for a while with Brock until I fell asleep. The next day, Brock went to work out and Lance and I spent the morning together. He was really sweet and he made me breakfast and we talked…”
“Did you tell him?”
“No…”
“Lizzie!”
“I started to, okay? He was talking about his sisters and his nieces and nephews and he was so cute…I can tell he loves his family and he’ll probably make a great dad…”
“So why didn’t you tell him?”
“We got interrupted. Someone called him and he had to take off for a while. We’re having dinner tomorrow night. I’ll tell him then.” Oh my poor Lizzie!
“Okay…”
“Girls! You’re on in one!” Micah was beating on the door. My stomach fluttered with anticipation at the thought of seeing Jacob. I took a deep breath as we went out the door and stood behind Lizzie and Sarah. Tonight would be a little different. Since it was a title match, Jacob would be the only one fighting. Brock and Lance were just there as part of his crew. They would stick around for the autograph signing and the press conference later. Lizzie and Sarah would work the crowds and I would work the cage.
The announcer announced each one of us and I looked for Dad as I came down the aisle. He wouldn’t say what prompted him to suddenly decide to come, but he said he and Mike were coming so I left my tickets at Will Call for him. The place was packed and crazy with the roaring crowd and all the cameras. I was trying to forget they were there. The last time I was on YouTube. This time it’s Pay per View which means millions of people are watching. I really had to block that out or I was going to have a total nervous breakdown. I couldn’t find Dad but I’m sure he’ll find me after the event. I took my place in Jacob’s octagon and I waited.
I could hear the change in the tempo of the crowd before I saw the massive bodies of the security crew fill the doorway in the back. The tempo of my stomach and the shaking of my limbs matched the roar of the crowd.
“Five-time Heavyweight Champion Vincent ‘The Menace’ Delgado!” I took a breath and watched the security crew surge forward. When they got close, I could see the giant of a man in green shorts in between them. When he emerged I shivered. He was beyond huge. He was bigger than Jacob…bigger than Lance even. Suddenly I wasn’t so excited about seeing Jacob. I hoped he stayed away. I hated the thought of watching him fight this mountain. The lights dimmed again as Delgado stepped into the octagon and took his corner. “Fighting for the title tonight…let’s welcome his challenger…the undefeated and a hometown Vegas boy…Jacob…The Lion…Wright!” The crowd roared again and I watched as security once again emerged. This time I could see the tops of Lance and Brocks heads and just above those…Jacob’s. They came up the aisle to loud music and the screams and whistles of the crowd. People were calling out his name and reaching out trying to grab a piece of him. I wondered what that felt like…to know that people wanted you that badly.
When the cage doors opened the crew split wide open and I saw his face, I actually felt dizzy. He’s so beautiful and I knew right then and there that nothing my mother did would be able to keep me away from him. Let the whole world make fun of me for being with my step-brother, I don’t care…as long as he doesn’t. His chocolate eyes met mine but instead of the normal flirty, sexy look that he carried in them…he looked at me like I was an intruder. Was it just my imagination? My nerves? He turned his attentions to his task at hand and I felt as if I’d been dismissed…just like that. Maybe he didn’t care.
The announcer did the rest of his thing and then the ref called the fighters into the center of the octagon. He gave them the spiel and they bumped gloves. Jacob looked angry…and his opponent, sure of himself. I was scared to death. They went back to their corners and I could see the trainer and Lance talking to him. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Jacob was nodding. His eyes were back on me again. God, what I wouldn’t give to know what he’s thinking.
I got my cue and took the “Round One” sign out, marching it around the ring with my six-inch heels grabbing at the mat along the way. I could feel Jacob’s eyes on me the whole time…but it felt different tonight and when I got back to my spot I could feel my heart slamming against my chest and sweat was trickling down the sides of my face. The bell rang and Jacob came out like a hurricane. He was throwing punches before Delgado even met him in the middle. Delgado caught one on the chin and then Jacob started aiming for his body, slamming into the other man’s taut body over and o
ver again. Delgado was low, protecting his body and it gave him an advantage as he swept out for Jacob’s legs. Jacob was too quick for him though and moved out of the way before the other man could knock him off his feet. It did catch him off balance a little bit and he hopped back until he regained it and then engaged again with the same fury as before…right, left, right, right, left, left, left…Then just as I thought he was retreating…and I think his opponent thought so too, he brought up his left leg and kicked the man in the upper thigh. Delgado stumbled as Jacob backed off and watched. He came close to going down and I considered yelling out “Timber” just in case…but he stayed on his feet and Jacob came at him again. This time Delgado threw out a punch that caught Jacob on the chin and knocked him backwards. Before he could recover, Delgado had him in a clinch and pushed him back into the mesh. The crowd was screaming at decibels likely unsafe for human ears as the big mountain of a man dug a knee into Jacob’s side. Jacob’s fists were pounding into the other man’s sides and back but it didn’t look like he was fazed by it. He was trying to push Jacob down into that hard knee but as he pulled, Jacob was able to get his fist close to his body and throw an uppercut that seemed to stun Delgado for a few seconds. Jacob took the advantage and spun his opponent around so that he was the one with his back to the mesh now and Jacob was in charge.
That lasted for a few seconds until Delgado threw an elbow that hit Jacob hard on the cheek. I saw him shake his head…it had to hurt like a bitch, but he recovered quickly and came back with a right, left, right to Delgado’s face…or more accurately, the backs of his arms that covered it. Jacob was going in for the clinch when the buzzer sounded. I let out the breath I’d been holding.
I watched Jacob be fussed over and talked to and re-hydrated. Most of that time, he was looking at me. This time, I tried a smile…but in return all I got was a look that felt, empty. What the hell? When it was time, I did my thing with the “Round Two” card and I watched him come flying back out with the sound of the bell. He wanted this fight over…it was easy to see. The crowd was roaring as he deflected some of Delgado’s punches and grabbed the big man around the head, securing him in a clinch and bringing him down hard, letting the man’s face meet the hard pad of his knee. Blood and sweat were flying everywhere and the mat underneath them was becoming slick with it.
