by Jessie Cooke
“Don’t good morning me, you little faggot!”
Jacob made a noise that sounded like a growl and he stepped in between his father and Ian. I saw Ian try and push him out of the way…but I can see he has about as much luck with that as I do. “Do not talk to my brother like that.”
“I’m his father. I’ll talk to him however I want to talk to him.” Jacob took another step towards him. Ian put his hand on his brother’s shoulder and Jacob shook it off. I could see the veins in his neck standing out from where I stood.
“You are our father in name and genetics only, old man. You sent us away and let us fend for ourselves for years and when we came back you bullied us incessantly until you were able to manipulate whatever it was you wanted from us. No more! Do you hear me old man! No fucking more! We don’t want your fucking money. You can give it all to your gold-digging fiancé over there and we don’t give a shit.” I saw my mother try and pull off a righteously indignant look…it didn’t work. Jacob’s dad had taken a step back from his son. His eyes looked like he feared that he’d finally taken it too far. “Ian has bent over backwards to please you and worse yet, he’s refused to live his own life the way he wanted to live it for years in order to “protect” this family. I don’t need to be protected from who my brother is…and if you do, then you’re no longer welcome to be a part of our family. We love you but you give us nothing in return. We don’t come when you call for your fucking money. We do it because we love you.” His Dad started to say something, but Jacob wasn’t finished yet. “One more thing…You keep that lying bitch there away from me and Cassie. She is not welcome in my home or anywhere that my girl and I are going to be.” Jacob’s father didn’t say anything. There was a long silence and my dear mother stood up at last and said,
“Nolan! Are you going to let him talk about me like that?”
“I-I-Everything I’ve done in my life has been for the two of you…the business, the money, the houses, the investments…all for you two and your children.” He gave Ian a sad look when he said that. Mother looked appalled that he was still not defending her.
Ian spoke up then. “I don’t care about the money. I don’t care about the property or the investments and I don’t care what you do, Dad. This is who I am and Jake is right, I’m not going to hide it any longer for you or anyone else. He’s also right about something else…I love you. That’s why I tried so hard for so long to please you. Jake loves you. That’s why he worked so hard to make all of this money and buy all of this stuff…he was hoping you would finally be proud of him. Nothing worked though, for either of us. So here I am, your gay son, Dad…like it or not and there is Jacob with a heavyweight title and pretty little Cassie who outclasses her mother on any given day of the week…like it or not. If you want to be done with us, be done. We don’t need you. We have each other and you have nothing left to threaten us with.”
Nolan Wright looked like he was in shock. I was afraid for a second that he was going to have a stroke right there. I didn’t know I planned on speaking up until I heard myself say, “I’m sorry…can I say something?” They all looked at me and Jacob smiled and winked.
“Whatever you want to say, baby.”
“I was just hoping that my mother was honest with Mr. Wright about things because I believe that relationships should begin with honesty. Did you tell him that you left me when I was ten after I found you in bed with that singer…what was his name, Mom? You know the one that headlined at Caesars for so long.” Jacob’s dad looked at her with wide eyes. “You’d told him you were separated from your husband and you didn’t have any kids…then in walks your ten-year-old right in the middle of him driving his…”
“Stop it, Cassie.”
“Why mother? Is it not true? Did you not go to the tabloids after he left you and tell them all his dirty secrets in exchange for a big payoff? And really, mother…an engagement announcement? You don’t even look at me when you see me in public. That lie was to get me away from Jacob and out of your life once again, wasn’t it? Thank goodness that Jacob had more faith in me than that.” She just stood there, not saying a word. She didn’t confirm or deny any of it. Jacob’s father looked mortified and eventually, breaking the silence in the room he said,
“Colette? Is she telling the truth?”
“It’s not like she says. She’s exaggerating.”
“What part?” he said.
“I didn’t walk out on her. I offered to take her…”
“I can show you copies of the paperwork she had drawn up a week after she left. She gave my dad full custody…he didn’t ask for it or fight for it…although he would have. He didn’t have to because she didn’t want me. I got in the way of her finding a new, richer husband than my father.”
“Colette? What about the tabloids?”
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “I have a headache Nolan…take me home.”
“I have copies of those too.”
“You little bitch!” she snarled, finally showing her true colors. She realized as soon as she spat the words out that she shouldn’t have. “My head is pounding, Nolan! Let’s go!”
“No.” Everyone turned to look at him then. The tone of his response was so final.
“Excuse me?”
“Call a cab. I’m tired Colette. I’ve discovered one lie after the other about you since this relationship started. These are just the final straws. My boys are right…I suck as a father. I wish that I would have realized it sooner. But to allow your child to walk in on something like that and then leave her? Did you even pause to consider what that would do to her psyche? To think I would marry a woman who would sell a man’s secrets to the press…that’s how you planned to get around the prenup you so willingly signed isn’t it?” Nolan Wright was standing up for me. Jacob and Ian were the ones who looked like they were in shock now. Mother now looked like she might have a stroke. “Go, Colette. My son says you’re not welcome in his house.” He dismissed her and turned to Jacob then and said, “I didn’t approve of your lifestyle son. It was never you personally. I should have told you that.” Then he looked at Ian. “Now I’m going to have to say the same about you. I don’t approve of your lifestyle…but damn it I love both of you and when your mother died I just had no idea how to cope with the grief and two young boys. I did everything wrong and I deserve for you to hate me…yet you don’t.” He looked perplexed by that and then he went on to say, “You both stand here today with every reason to hate me and tell me you still love me. That confuses me…and pleases me at the same time. I’m going home and I probably won’t be in touch for a few days.” He started for the door. The looks on Jacob and Ian’s faces were almost comical. My mother had already pushed by me without a look and slammed out the door, phone in hand. She didn’t look at me when she left, but that was okay, I was used to it. Nolan Wright stopped when he got to me and he said,
“I told my son that you were after his money. All it took for him to believe you weren’t was a look. I saw that pass between you last night after he won his fight. You had the odds against you, Cassandra and you rose above them. I hope my son makes you happy.”
I smiled with tears in my eyes and said, “He does. He makes me deliriously happy.”
“Very well then,” he said. I almost giggled. He was so formal. He stepped out the front door and Ian and Jacob looked at each other.
“What the hell just happened here?” Jacob said.
Ian chuckled. “I have no clue, but I think we came out on top.” Jacob started to smile and then he picked up the paper his father had been waving around and handed it to Ian. Ian looked at it and pulled his brows together. “I guess I should go find him.”
“Yeah, probably a good idea.” Jacob clapped him on the back before he went. Then he came over and wrapped me up in his arms and said,
“You want to go back to bed with me?”
I laughed. “I’d love to. What was in the paper?”
“A photo of my brother and Lance in an eleva
tor at the Nugget.”
“Oh damn!”
“Yeah. It had to come from security and I will deal with them…but in the meantime, I hope Lance holds up.”
“And Lizzie.”
Jacob kissed my head. “I love you, Cassie. Thanks for not being complicated.”
I giggled. Me, not complicated? That was funny. “No problem,” I said, laughing again. “I love you too.”
The next book in the series is Brock.
Here’s an Excerpt from Brock…
Excerpt from Brock
Chapter One
The arena is standing room only and the crowd is going crazy. Tonight is my night. I’m ambivalent about that for reasons that have nothing to do with what I want to do to this guy tonight. I want to drop this punk and I want to do it in one punch…This big ass fighter has a big ass mouth to match and he’s been running it to the media all week about how he’s got discipline and I’ve just got rage. I can’t wait to show the fucker some rage. That part is going to be sweet. The part I’m worried about is that once I do that, the only opponent left for me to beat is one of my best friends. Jacob has had the heavyweight belt for a month. He worked his ass off for it. He’s the best fighter that I’ve ever known. But since he won that title, he’s settled down with Cassie and he’s happy which is great. But, that also means that he’s not as focused and driven as he was in the past. He’s let go of a lot of that anger he’d been holding onto his whole life and a lot of that was what drove him in the ring. I still have mine. This punk I’m fighting tonight got that much right. I am driven by my rage. He was wrong about the discipline though. The discipline is what keeps me from using it outside of the octagon.
I feel like at this point in my life I could take on “The Lion” and beat him. But how the hell do I step into an octagon and take on a guy who is like a brother to me? He and Lance are the closest things I have to brothers since mine stepped into that Humvee in Afghanistan and became a statistic. That was three years ago…I still haven’t forgiven him.
“Let’s go, guys.” The ref is calling us to the center. I put those thoughts away for now and looked over at Lizzie, my “ring girl” for the night. For me being in the octagon was usually all about the fight. I love the adrenaline and the sweat and the burn of my muscles…but I’ve discovered recently that I also love any excuse to be close to her. She’s got the round one card in her hand. Her long dark hair is pulled back into a slick ponytail tonight and it shimmers underneath the lights. Her eyes are huge…it’s the first thing I ever noticed about her. She reminded me of one of those “Big Eyes” paintings that my grandmother used to have all over her house. They’re as dark as her hair and surrounded by these long, thick, sexy black eyelashes. She looks gorgeous, but sad. She’s had a hard time of it lately. Finding out that Lance was gay shocked us all…but I got the feeling Lizzie was falling for him so it was bad for her. I asked Lance about it and he told me they spent one night together…the night of his birthday party. Since then, they’d spent a lot of time together but he swore to me they hadn’t slept together since. I didn’t give a shit that he was gay. He was still Lance. But for some reason it really bothered me that he’d led Lizzie on. I was worried about her…she just doesn’t look healthy lately…When I told Lance that he said it sounded like maybe I was the one with the feelings. I punched him in the gut.
She smiled at me and winked. That’s better. That’s the Lizzie I know, always flirty and full of spunk. I winked back and thought about how sexy her lips looked with that shiny pink stuff she put on them. I had to shake that thought off or I’d be the one getting knocked on my ass tonight. I tore my eyes off her face and went to the center of the octagon. I’d have to worry later what to do about Jacob. Every time I looked at this guy’s face I saw red. I’m knocking him out…in the first round. We tap gloves…a little harder than necessary and “The Leach” snarled. I used to have a kitten that looked scarier when it hissed. I grinned at him…judging from the look I got back, I’m not so sure his rage is all that well controlled.
This crowd is rowdy tonight, and they’re probably about to be pissed at me. This punk is hitting the mat with his back in under a minute and he ain’t getting back up. I’m not in the mood to screw around tonight. Some days, all I want to do is fight. That’s why I get in this octagon…otherwise I’d be in a different kind of cage, I’m sure. But not tonight…I think maybe Lizzie needs some cheering up. I looked at her again as she did her little strut by with the card. She looks like she put on a little bit of weight since the last time she was in the cage with me. Her ass looks damned good with those shimmery green shorts stretched across it. I like my women with something on them that I can grab on to. I don’t care much for the skinny ones. I’ve always been an ass man.
The bell rang and I put up my fists and met Gregorio “The Leach” Saldivar in the center. Yeah, there’s no mistaking it. That’s definitely rage I see there in his eyes. Come on you big mouth pussy, throw a punch…just one and then I’m taking you down. The crowd is screaming for someone to throw a punch as we circle around each other. The Leach is playing to them, trying to look tough. It’s not working. I was already tired of looking at him. I exploded from my right shoulder and my fist landed squarely between his eyes. His feet actually came up off the ground as he flew back, arms and legs splayed in the air…and he slammed down into the mat. I’m sure they felt tremors in the hotel rooms above us. The fucker was out cold.
There was a dead silence in the packed arena for just a few seconds until the ref finished checking that The Leach was still breathing. Then he held up my arm and said,
“The winner by knockout…Brock ‘The Rock’ Carter!”
The crowd was no doubt bemoaning the fact that some of them had paid over a hundred dollars for their seat tonight…for one punch. I didn’t care. That punch felt phenomenal. I looked over at Lizzie again. She gave me another wink and then suddenly she was obscured from my view as I was surrounded by Lance and Jacob and my trainer Derek and…What the fuck is Micah doing in here? I hate that guy! I got back slaps and high fives and knuckle bumps. My trainer gave me shit as I knew he would for not at least putting on a show for the sold-out crowd. I’m not a performer. I’m a fighter. If they don’t like it, fuck ‘em.
I wanted out of the cage now. I was done. All I wanted to do now was hit the locker room, take my shower and get the hell out of here and find Lizzie. I didn’t even get a chance to ask her if she was going to the after party. That’s okay, I know Cassie will be with Jacob and she’ll know.
I had to answer a few questions from the media and Bradley Stanton, the guy who actually owns us wanted to congratulate me.
“Brock the Rock! That was amazing! Not so fast next time though or these fans might stop buying tickets. Then my wife might not be able to go shopping so often and she’ll leave me for a younger, richer man…and it’ll be all your fault.”
I maintained a neutral facial expressing when he mentioned his wife. Years of practice had perfected it. I met Bradley’s wife once. She gave me a blow job in the bathroom at Senor Frogs before she told me who she was. I think she likes to do a lot more than shop.
“Thanks Brad. I’ll see what I can do to string the next one out.” And your wife has some wicked fat lips.
“The next one will be for the title…you ready for that?” Am I ready to face Jacob in the ring? Hell if I know.
I told him what he wanted to hear. “I’m always ready.” I grinned at him and he seemed convinced. He left finally with an,
“I’ll see you at the party,” thrown over his shoulder.
I took my shower and then I text Jacob…. “Hey! Are you guys going to the party?”
I got one back a few seconds later…. “Nah, not tonight, I need some time with my girl.” I rolled my eyes. It wasn’t really disgust…it was jealousy. All I’ve ever wanted was what Jacob and Cassie have. So far, I haven’t been able to find a woman that stuck. From the outside looking in, I’m a player. In all hones
ty, I want to be a one-woman guy…I just have yet to meet the woman that fit the idea I’ve had in my head for so long. I thought I’d met her once…but then she’d done something unforgivable. I shuddered at that thought and I text Lance next…
“You going to the party?”
“Nah, meeting Ian.”
Jesus! I’m surrounded by nothing but a bunch of pussies in love. I searched my contacts until I found Lizzie’s number. She was the one I really wanted to see anyways. I’m not sure why I didn’t just text her in the first place. I’m not a shy guy. Just the thought of it made me chuckle. I started hitting on girls when I was thirteen years old. I’m famous in Vegas for that first kiss, most of the time before I even know her name. I see a girl that I want and I go for it. Nudge her gently up against a wall, whisper up against her ear how beautiful she is and then kiss her like she’s never been kissed. Most of them can’t let you walk away after that. Girls love kissing. Most of them. I got kneed in the groin once but that was back in middle school and I’ve been slapped a few times and punched once…but it usually worked.
I’ve never tried it with Lizzie. I’d only really started to notice her about the time she and Lance got drunk and spent the night together. I’d wanted to kiss her that night…but she was all over Lance and him her…After she left with him I’d gone home alone. I never go home alone. Never. But there wasn’t a single other girl in that bar that I wanted after fantasizing about ripping the little dress she’d worn to the party off her that night. When I found out that her and Lance had sex that night…I put the thought out of my mind…well, not out, completely…but somewhere way in the back. It resurfaced now that Lance has Ian…and a whole lot of other headaches. There’s really nothing standing in the way…unless she really is hung up on Lance.
