by Jayne Blue
From then on.
No more running from her health and no more fear.
“I won’t be the cause of anyone else being hurt,” it was a vow Mace said aloud to her but she suspected it was running through his mind all the time. That was what had been haunting him.
He was so scared it could happen again. But Raleigh didn’t see it that way.
“Fine don’t fight. But don’t leave me because you’re afraid. You aren’t fighting. There’s no mafia in Grand City. Trust me, we’re not that interesting. Plus I need to learn how to eat this weird natural diet and I have no idea what it is. So you’re stuck with me.”
“Ketogenic Diet. You need protein and…” She shook her head at him now and waved her hands to dismiss the long food dissertation in French food that she knew was coming.
“Details. See. You’re not going anywhere. You’ve got a mouth to feed.”
Mace put his hands on her face and pulled her in for the tenderest kiss he had ever given her. It was a relief to know they had no secrets between them.
They were both living with a gun pointed at their heads on way or another. So they may as well enjoy the hell out of life until something pulled the trigger.
Chapter Ten
Mace
Mace’s idea of the world had shifted. Could he stay? Should he leave? The idea of leaving Raleigh now scared him just as much as staying had before. She needed him as much as he wanted her.
He was about to pack up and move. He was about to sever ties with Grand City. Now he didn’t know what was next.
He knew one thing. Short term he’d get her on her diet. It was something he could do that she seemed utterly incapable of. He relished it in fact.
But he’d have to call home. That was clear. If it was life and death and food his maman was the one to talk to.
Mace Alois called home once a month, without fail. He called a number to a special phone that his parents had reserved just for him. No one in his hometown knew where he was at any given time.
He hadn’t seen them since Nadya and couldn’t. But not knowing anything at all about whether he was dead or alive would be the same as killing his mother. So he called her. He reassured her and learned about their lives without him. Until Raleigh, it was the only joy he had in life the last few years.
“Mace!” His mother’s warm voice on the phone centered him. It made him remember that he wasn’t rootless or alone. Even though that’s the way, he’d felt for longer than he could remember. But now he had Raleigh too and she felt like home to him.
“Maman!” As always he reassured her of his safety. She updated him on nieces and nephews he’d never seen. And then they talked about the restaurant and food. It was like a lullaby to him.
He told his mother about how he must cook, not why, but how, and she as usual had suggestions on what to prepare. Ingredients that would work and warnings about what could go wrong.
“Mace, I miss you, sweet son. Any change? Could you come home, quietly, just for a small visit?”
“Non, mama, it is not safe. It probably never will be.” He was sad to tell her that and in reality wanted to tell her about Raleigh but didn’t. She suspected though his questions were not for his own health.
“Whoever is eating these foods I told you about, please kiss her for me.” His mother was intuitive, open, and safe, across an ocean because he’d run. It was something.
Later he incorporated his mother’s suggestions in the meal he made for Raleigh. And nudged her toward a gift he’d found. After years alone caring for Raleigh had opened his world and even made him think he could have a different future.
“What’s this?” Raleigh snatched up a small wrapped present he’d gotten for her.
“I thought you needed something chicer,” he had seen the item and knew he had to get it for her. Raleigh tore through the wrapping like a rabid animal. She opened the jewelry shop box and squealed. It hurt his ears and warmed his heart at the same time.
“I love it! Help me take this ugly thing off.” Mace unhooked the clasp of Raleigh’s old-fashioned standard issue medical alert bracelet.
He watched as she wound the new rhinestone studded leather around and around her wrist. It was chic and hip and in the center was a plate of silver that explained her condition just as well as the old dog tag she’d worn.
This one though was beautiful, youthful, and sparkling. It fit Raleigh so much better.
“French do know fashion.” She kissed him hard on the lips and he was contemplating how they’d work off dinner in bed later.
“Let’s walk fashion plate, the farmer’s market is our target today.”
Raleigh and he went to the market together. She was moving away from her comfort zone as she called it and expanding her geographic circle. She even insisted on one walk to the market on her own without the buddy system.
He’d also learned in detail how to give first aid in case she did have a seizure.
“This is why I don’t bike, or even use hot appliances. If I start the stove and the phhtt! I could burn the place down. If Andrew is barking, that’s another sign. He is there to provide early warning. You need to call 911 if he’s freaking out. That’s his job.”
“He needs to teach Estelle something of use. And all this time I thought you didn’t cook because you didn’t know how.”
“That too. My family was not raised in wine country Mace. Mac and Cheese were just fine for dinner in my house.”
He rolled his eyes at the blue boxes in her pantry.
“What? Butter, water, box of stuff. BOOM dinner.” She argued valiantly to keep the blue boxes of instant dinner, something about a zombie apocalypse, but in the end she parted with them and he replaced processed crap with quality ingredients.
Mace got to work on a menu for her day to day and Raleigh insisted he got out of her apartment now and again so she could do her computer work.
“I have bills to pay you know.” He didn’t want to let her out of his sight, but she promised to call if she felt dizzy from her new medicine.
“I am leaving the GWG. No more sparring with pros. It’s too dangerous. I’m going to let Sawyer know and then I’m out of there. It’s too risky. I never want to see you in an MMA gym again okay? We agree?
“But those fighters are all pretty damn sexy. You’re asking a lot.”
“Raleigh Gibson you must promise me. I’m cutting ties with the GWG and you are staying away from MMA.”
“Only if you keep buying me this cheese.” So far she seemed thrilled with the dishes he’d prepared for her. It was good because her new medication was making her dizzy.
Several times he’d steadied her as they walked to the park with the dogs. Or at the market. It was frightening to see, but she seemed to be used to it and take it in stride.
At the very least he could be assured she was nourished. It was the first time he was able to care for someone else besides his little Estelle.
“Mmph. Of course, you like that. It is not from a blue box like the one you are used to and costs ten dollars a pound. Don’t get used to that one.”
“Ooo la la!”
Raleigh then pouted and he decided to kiss the pout off her lips. His body responded to her like no other. It made him more protective, more worried, and in the end unable to resist.
Raleigh blinded him to the reality he’d lived in for years.
He stocked her kitchen and wrote the instructions for each dish he created.
Mace had given her a week’s worth of recipes. He knew his mother had more ideas and next time they spoke he’d pick her brain again.
He headed to the GWG for the last time. If he was going to stay with Raleigh, he couldn’t stay in and MMA gym. It was just too easy for someone to find her. He would miss GWG and the fighters who trained there. They were the best in the U.S. for certain.
Mace worked out one last time and was tempted to explain to Sawyer that he wouldn’t be back, but that was just another complication. It was best
to just disappear from GWG as he had from his gym in Brazil. Mace knew how to drop off the face of the earth.
As he was about to leave the locker room, he heard a door close and a scraping noise.
Two men, who seemed familiar but at the same time, out of place, sat down on each side of him.
“It’s been a long time Mace.” And the voices held the accent he despised. The hard “g” and the pinched double “e” the Russians had found him.
Raleigh
Yuri Dubroff had ten companies for her to check. Her initial payment of $10,000 was safely in the bank and she was eager to get to work.
If she found a flaw, a way in, she’d get bonus money. She liked to think of herself as a cyber-bounty hunter. To her, it sounded good but in reality what she did was type, click, read code, and try again.
At first the job was typical. She found Dubroff had a small social network, a credit check company, an online travel booking agency.
Raleigh was fairly certain the sites were secure as they needed to be. But she felt she owed this job an extra amount of work. The money was good and it could mean more work.
Raleigh dug deeper and as she did it began to scare the hell out of her.
Dubroff’s sites were a mess one layer down. She was sure of it as she kept going. She was peeling the layer off the top of them and finding things that shouldn’t be there. Hidden code was everywhere she searched.
Yuri Dubroff’s sites were infected with every kind of malware she could categorize and some she had never seen before.
She called him up. Raleigh felt like she’d really earned her pay this time and after what she found she was certain the bounty was going to be huge.
She called Dubroff and he agreed. It was time to meet to decide how to proceed and adjust her fees. This was a way bigger job than she imagined.
She felt lucky. This one client could bring enough in to make her year!
She had a smile on her face when Estelle scraped at her door.
“What the heck.”
As usual Mace couldn’t keep the little scamp contained. She let Estelle in and promised Estelle and Andrew that a walk was in the plan. Then she made some calculations.
Based on what she’d already found and the amount of work it would take she knew exactly what to charge Yuri Dubroff.
Raleigh couldn’t wait to tell Mace. Fight or not they’d have enough cash to keep her in expensive cheese for a year!
Mace
“We hear you don’t want to take the fight you were offered?” Alexi was the brains of the two Mace remembered. Leo was the muscle. He’d crossed and ocean to get away, but here they were.
“You fucking know I don’t fight. I won’t.” He kept his eyes on the locker and plotted the moment he’d bolt if they decided to do anything more than talk.
“Well we’ve arranged it so they need a fighter on Friday and so it is perfect fate? Luck? You’ll be able to step in and win!”
“Yeah, luck. Sorry boys you will have to look somewhere else to fix your fights.” Mace got up. He expected both men to do the same.
“Such a waste of talent don’t you think Leo?” Alexi was chewing on a toothpick and Leo nodded in agreement but still hadn’t said a word.
“Why don’t you two find another gym to pollute?” The idea that someone here could be vulnerable to these two and worse made him sick. Another item on his list to feel guilty about.
He walked to the door and soon he’d be getting on a bus. He needed to disappear just like he had planned to do before they found out about Raleigh.
As he pushed the locker door open, Alexi called out to him.
“Hey, did you want us to bring anything to your parents? Their butcher shop is one of our favorites.”
Mace broke out into a run. He needed to warn his parents!
He barely registered it, but the GWG was in a bit of disarray. Mace soon discovered the reason as Sawyer blocked his hasty exit. Sawyer was strong and Mace struggle against him to the door.
“Our guy, he’s missing,” Sawyer told him.
“What do you mean?” The normally calm and commanding biker had an edge to him. There was a tightness in his voice and a level of stress Mace had never seen from the man.
“The fighter we were putting up for tomorrow’s fight is gone. AWOL. I don’t know where he is. Tonight is weigh ins and I have nothing.”
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that. But you must have an alternate.” If it was an important fight, there was always an alternate. Things happened. It was a violent sport, people got hurt, couldn’t make weight, it was natural to have a backup if money was on the line.
“I do.” Sawyer looked him in the eye and Mace knew what was coming next.
“And.”
“It’s you. I discovered you’re still in good standing, despite the time that’s passed and the commission sanctioned you as the backup.”
“I told you I will not fight. I am not interested and will not do it.”
“I figured that, but it was just in a worst case scenario thing. But now we’re in a worst case scenario. I’ve got 21C people, sporting news people, and oddsmakers in for this thing tomorrow and no one to fight.”
“That is your predicament, not mine. I’m sorry for your luck, but I am only here to tell you that I’m out of the gym altogether. Thank you for your time and please do not contact me or put me up for anyone’s sparring partner or back up again.”
Sawyer tightened his grip.
“What is it son? Can I help you with something?”
“I’ve got to go. But you might check the locker room. Maybe slow down the men who are about to come out.”
“Whatever you need Mace. Don’t forget that card I gave you. I’m used to calls in the middle of the night for all kinds of shit. Cleaning up shit is my specialty.”
“No need. I got this.” And Mace left. He needed to be out of Grand City and out of the range of Alexi and Leo but before that he needed to make sure no one paid a price for his refusal to fight.
He got behind the wheel of his car and called Raleigh.
“Hey, baby,” She answered. Thank God. She answered.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m about to meet a client here, work remember?” She was unstressed, clearly not frightened. This was good.
“This is someone you know?”
“Yep, he’s been a client for a bit now and I’ve got some great news to report. I hit the jackpot.”
“Great, Raleigh listen. This is important to me. Lock your door after the client leaves. I’m helping out at the gym late and I need you to do this so I don’t worry.”
“Yes, sir, Estelle and Andrew and I will batten down the hatches. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just don’t like leaving you alone anymore.” Mace ached to tell her what was going on, but she’d try to help. She’d try to tell him to stay with her. He would only bring danger so he lied.
“Au revoir, cherie,” Mace clicked the call off and hit the number for his mother and father.
It was an international call on only a number he used. It rang and rang and went to voicemail.
Merde.
His parents were in danger. That was the threat. That was what Alexi and Leo were there to tell him.
He sped toward Grand City Airport. It wasn’t rational. He knew if there was danger he’d never be in time. The butcher shop was the giveaway.
His parents ran restaurant when he was growing up, to protect him they’d given it to relatives, and then moved to a smaller village. They’d changed their names for him.
It was the only way he could feel safe that his family wouldn’t keep paying for his flight.
He was the only one who knew they owned a butcher shop now and where. Except now Alexi knew. He dialed another person he hadn’t spoken with in years but who he had on speed dial.
“What do you need?” Was the greeting.
“Go to the shop. Check on them. It could be very bad. Hurry.”
Mace was conflicted as he drove. What if they were in danger right now? What if they were hiding? What if they were already dead? He gripped the steering wheel and lowered his foot on the accelerator. His phone stayed frustratingly quiet.
Mace felt every mile away from Raleigh was a knife in his heart.
They hadn’t found her. That was the thought that kept him moving.
The place of mourning for Nadya was now one of longing for Raleigh.
This was better, though. The guilt of leaving her was so much easier to bear than the guilt of Nadya’s death.
This was better. Raleigh would find someone else. She would be hurt that he left her but alive.
Mace didn’t want to think about that, though. He squeezed his eyes shut to try to block out the thought of her in someone else’s arms.
Over an hour after Alexi had dropped threat against his mother and father his phone buzzed.
“Bonjour!” It was his mother. Thank God. Thank God.
“Maman. Are you okay?”
“Why yes! Jacque scared the living daylights out of your father when he burst into the store in the middle of the night, however.” Mace had forgotten what time of day it was there. He eased up a bit on the accelerator and took a breath.
“Mama I need you two to close up the shop for a few days and take a holiday.”
“Why?”
“They know where you are and they told me so.”
“What is it they want from you now? What are they trying to make you do?”
“Same as always.”
“I’m sorry honey, so sorry.”
“It’s okay, just please pack up for a few days. Jacque is going to check things out for me and I’ll call to let you know when it is safe again.”
“Will it ever be for you, son?”
“I am perfectly safe. I just don’t want them to hurt you.”
“Oui, Papa and I will take a little holiday. Do not worry about us Papa and Jacque are both as ornery as ever.”
“Good. I miss you.”
“Cherie.” Not seeing his family or his home for all this time was the penance he had to do for what happened to Nadya.
