The first fighter in the final match made it to the cage with his team. Things proceeded the same as before. Avery glanced at Lindsay. He shook his head. Not this guy.
The camera turned back to the tunnel for the opponent. As he stepped into view, Avery gasped.
It was Rico.
Tears burned her eyes as she shook her head confused. By the upheaval of the cushion, she could tell that Lindsay was on his feet and furious. She forced herself to look up at the screen. She couldn’t believe what she saw. The man who had held her so gently at the lake before was now hitting another so hard that he was bleeding.
It couldn’t be true.
She looked up at Lindsay through swollen eyes. His face was red with rage. I knew I recognized him. When I get my hands on that son—
Avery turned her gaze back to the television in time to see Rico’s hand raised in victory. The tears started again. Lindsay sat beside her and wrapped his large arms around her as she sobbed. Tomorrow, she would confront Rico and his lies. Tonight, she would just let the rest of her heart break.
»»•««
Rico walked into Hard Drive with his customary swagger. It was certainly a facade. His body ached from the night before just as he had expected it would. He may have won, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t worked for it. He had taken a few hard shots to the ribs. And that arm bar could have changed the decision of the fight in a matter of seconds if Rico hadn’t fought out of it. Still, it hadn’t been the hardest battle he had been in. And there were far worse to come. He felt every moment of it in his sore muscles.
His heart wasn’t in much better shape. He had texted Avery after the fight, but she hadn’t answered. That hadn’t troubled him. She had probably been asleep. However, she wasn’t texting him back this morning, either. That bothered him. She always responded.
He shrugged to himself. He’d get a quick workout in then spend the rest of the day with her. He couldn’t wait to see her. He had never missed someone so much in his life.
Rico found Max in the office wearing a T-shirt and jeans. Max looked at him, puzzled. “What’s up?”
Rico laughed. “I’m training. What are you doing?”
“Resting. We had a fight last night, remember?”
“We have another in a few weeks, remember?”
“Point made. But I’m still resting. If you want to workout, you’ll have to do it alone.”
“All right.” Rico gave a short wave before he descended the stairs to the mats. He kicked off his tennis shoes and tugged on his gloves. He approached a punching bag, dropped into stance, and then fired off a kick.
The glass door banging open overpowered the sound of Rico’s leg hitting the bag. He scowled as he turned to see the source of the noise.
His heart seized in his chest. He didn’t even think to sign.
“Avery,” he breathed.
He could see the rage in her face. He had never seen her that way before, and it terrified him. Her fingers flew so fast he could barely make out what she was saying. You lied to me.
Rico pulled his gloves off. “I am so, so sorry, Avery. You have to understand.”
Understand what? You had a good reason to lie to me?
“I didn’t lie. That kid you work with at the coffee shop, Cody, told me not to tell you or you wouldn’t go out with me.”
And you listened to him?
“Avery, would you have dated me if I told you about my professional career in mixed martial arts? That I’ve had fifteen fights? That I’m on track for a world championship?”
He watched her eyes suddenly fill with tears. I’m not dating you now.
“What do you mean by that?”
We are over, Rico.
“No, Avery. Do not do this. I love you.”
You lied to me. You are one of them.
“What has changed about me? I’m still the same man I was before you saw me on television. I’m still the same Rico. I don’t transform when I step in the cage.”
It sure seemed like you did to me.
Rico rubbed his eyes, frustrated. “You watched my fight.”
On cable. Yes.
“Avery, please. Let me get my things. We’ll go talk. I’ll tell you everything.”
It’s too late. Goodbye, Rico. She spun on her toes and rushed for the door.
Rico dashed after her. He couldn’t let her get away. If he could just get in front of her, he could sign something. But he didn’t know what. His mind was spinning out of control.
As he stepped out the door, Avery was climbing into Lindsay’s truck. The icy glare in Lindsay’s eyes warned Rico to steer clear of his sister. Rico shook his head in stunned disbelief as he watched the vehicle speed away and disappear around the corner.
Rico stood outside of Hard Drive staring at the empty corner where the truck had once been. He rubbed his eyes to fight back the sudden rush of tears as he spun on his toe and hurried back inside the gym. Storming to the bag, he dropped into stance and launched punch after punch. When his arms were too heavy to throw even one more, he switched to kicks.
He didn’t know how long he continued, but he didn’t stop until his body screamed in pain. His legs collapsed, dropping him to the mat. Burying his face in his hands, he felt lost. What just happened? Exactly what I knew would, once she found out the truth about me. I screwed up royal. I lost her. It’s over.
»»•««
Rico scrubbed his hand over his face as he sat on the couch. The television was the only light in the room. His entire body ached. He had tapped out to nearly every guy in the gym. He couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t anticipate their hold and how to counter it. All he could think about was Avery and why she left him. He rushed out of Hard Drive with his shoes in his hands, not wanting to talk to Mark, Dan, or Max.
He had seen their looks of concern all night. He just didn’t need their grief.
At this point, Chloe could make him tap out. And he was pretty sure she didn’t even know Jiu jitsu.
He hadn’t slept for two days. Avery walking away from him replayed in his mind constantly. Hadn’t he proved to her that he wasn’t the cold, soulless asshole she made celebrities out to be? Hadn’t he proved he was different? It didn’t matter. Her prejudices had overruled how she felt.
And he had never hurt this much in his life.
He turned as his cell phone lit up, chiming excitedly that he had a call. He scooped it up and answered, “Rico.”
“Hey, baby.”
His eyes opened wide as his heart sank in his chest. It couldn’t be who he thought it was. “Who’s this?”
“It’s Phoebe, silly.”
“Phoebe, you may have forgotten, but the restraining order applies to phone calls, too.”
“The restraining order expired two days ago, lover. I checked with my lawyer.”
Rico pinched his eyes shut. Crap. Better warn Max. “Well, if you’re looking for Max, don’t bother. He and Chloe are very happily married.”
“I don’t care about Max. It’s you I want.”
“Right.”
“Rico, I was an idiot chasing after Max. I had the real man all along. I miss you. I know you miss me too, especially after breaking up with your little girlfriend.”
Rico shot upright. “How do you know about Avery?”
“I keep tabs on you, Rico.”
“You mean you’re stalking me.” He felt his veins turn to ice.
“I keep tabs on you. Baby, let me help you mend your broken heart.”
He chuckled uneasily. “How do you plan to do that?”
“Let’s go get a couple drinks and catch up on things. Then we’ll go back to my place. By the time you wake up the next morning, you won’t even remember her name. Rico, you’re a great man. You’re a champion. Invincible. You need a great woman at your side, not some poor little thing who can’t hear. Let me be that woman. Let me do that for you.”
Rico sat in silence. The fact that Phoebe knew so much creeped him out. The girl was u
nstable. “Thanks for offer, Phoebe. But no. I’m not going through the hell you put me through ever again. Goodbye.”
“Rico, baby, sweetheart, wait…”
Rico hit the end call button on his phone then dropped the cell on the cushion. His heart seized in his chest as the phone lit up announcing a call from the same number. He snatched it up and stuffed it under a pillow. With a deep rooted uneasy feeling he shuffled off to bed.
It was another sleepless night. His thoughts of Avery were now peppered with memories of his nights with Phoebe. If he did doze off, it was only for a few moments. His restless contemplations woke him quickly.
He groaned as the morning sun flooded his room. He could feel his nerves quake from the anxiety. He had to figure out some way to sleep. His thoughts shot momentarily to his dreams of Phoebe. One hot night of sex with her would make him the scum of the earth, but at least he would sleep.
He shook himself to his senses. I’m not that desperate. Yet.
The workday started off on a sour note with a half hour lecture about the quality of his work. He stood, hands clenched to his hips, as his boss turned six shades of red from shouting so loud that the entire work area heard him.
Rico huffed a defeated sigh. His work was suffering. He couldn’t fight. Sleep was a distant memory. All because of one woman. What the hell is happening to me?
He couldn’t wait for the day to be over and the night to start. Maybe he could finally get his life back on track. He was going to make himself his favorite comfort food, homemade baked macaroni and cheese. Screw fight camp. Hopefully the heavy food would make him sleepy.
The grocery aisles were foreign to him as he strolled up and down them looking for ingredients. His main staples were meat and vegetables. He bought rice occasionally but he got that from the health food area. He rarely ate pasta or cheese. And in this store he had no idea where they were.
The click of heels on the tile floor reached his ears before the voice that greeted him did. “Fancy running into you here, baby.”
Rico’s head snapped up to find Phoebe in front of him. Her thin frame managed to block the aisle. Her smile was evil as she wound a blonde lock around her finger. “Buying something to make me dinner? I have ways to tell you thank you, Rico. Ways that will curl your toes.”
“Don’t you have other men to torture, Phoebe?” Rico questioned.
“I called you thirteen times last night. Why didn’t you answer?”
“Because I told you to leave me alone. Don’t make me call Chloe’s stepdad, Al. I’ll have him slap another restraining order on you.”
“Oh, lover. You wouldn’t do that.”
“Try me.” Rico spun on his toe and stormed out of the aisle. He didn’t stop until he reached his Jeep. The mood for macaroni and cheese was replaced by a knot in his stomach. He wasn’t afraid of anyone, but Phoebe’s erratic, stalker behavior made him anxious. There was no telling what she was capable of.
Rico skipped practice the next day to stay home and relax, turning his phone off the second he stepped into his apartment. He chuckled. He knew he was back in fight camp. He knew he had to prepare for his fight in Florida. But what was the sense of getting beaten down once again? And although he knew his friends meant well, he was tired of their condescending stares.
The day dragged on. As the sunset flooded his apartment in gold, he got up. If he hated himself for considering sleeping with Phoebe, he would be downright disgusted with his next idea. He showered, slipped into a black, silk shirt and black slacks, and then tugged on a blood red tie. An evil grin skated across his face as he glanced at his reflection in the mirror. He grabbed his keys and headed for the door.
As the city lights of Minneapolis whirled past him, his heart begged him to turn around and go back. He didn’t want this. This one turn destroyed his life when he was a child. He shook his head free of the thought. He needed this. It was his only hope to recover the life he had lost. He was desperate to have his normal life back. No, he corrected himself. He was desperate to have Avery back. But that would never happen. He pulled into a parking spot outside his favorite club. He once brought girls here to spoil them, loosen them up and tell them they were beautiful. It was a sure fire way to get in their bed. Tonight he was going to drown his broken heart instead.
He frowned in confusion as he approached the building. News vans lined the street. The place was packed. He wove his way through the crowd until he was sitting on a barstool. A bartender, a guy about his age and build, came up to him. “Where’s your date?”
Rico shook his head. “No date.”
“Huh. You could probably have the pick of the litter tonight. Your usual? Ginger ale?”
Rico held his breath before he answered. “Nope. Jack and Coke. Double.”
“Dude, you’ve never ordered alcohol here.”
“Well, times are changing, my friend. What the hell is going on here?”
“Some big socialite from the West Coast dropped by. One of those that grace the covers of the tabloids. I’ll get your drink.” The bartender hurried off to pour Rico’s drink.
Rico barely took a sip before he noticed someone approaching in the reflection of the mirror behind the bar. He groaned. “No, please. No.”
He turned to confirm what he saw. Phoebe was here and had her eyes locked on him. As she sauntered across the bar in a tight fitting, black, strapless dress that left nothing to the imagination, his mind kept chanting “unstable.”
“Hey, baby,” she greeted as she sat on the stool beside him.
“Phoebe, seriously. Go away.”
“Never, lover. Its fate that we belong together. It brought me here to this bar. It brought me to you.”
“No, it’s not fate. You know I come here. I brought you here.”
“Yes, you did. The first night you slept with me.”
“Thanks for reminding me.”
“Finally. Here, I’ve got you,” she cooed over the music. She reached out and caressed his tie, brushing her fingertips against his shirt hard enough to rake the skin beneath.
“I suppose you do.”
“Now what should I do with you?”
“I have no idea.”
“I do. It’s time to brand you as mine.” She rose to her feet. Using the tie as a leash, she drew him to her and drove her lips against his. He melted into the kiss, his mouth opening obediently to accept hers. Phoebe wasn’t kidding about claiming him. Her tongue wrestled with his as she wove her fingers in hair.
Rico felt his heart sink in his chest. He struggled free then held Phoebe away to put space between them. “I can’t do this,” he breathed.
“Yes, you can, lover.” She reached out to pull herself closer.
His strong arms stopped her. “No, I can’t. I love Avery. It’s her or no one.”
Phoebe laughed. “Are you saying you’d rather be with that poor, deaf wretch than…” She sensually ran her hands down her figure. “This?”
Rico reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He plucked a few bills out and laid them on the bar. He glanced up at the bartender. “That should cover the drink. Thanks.”
He turned toward the door, only to be yanked back viciously by his tie. Phoebe’s eyes were full of fire as she glared at him. Her voice was ice cold. “You belong to me, Rico Choate. You are mine. I will not let you slip through my fingers again. Do you understand me?”
Rico shuddered as he tugged his tie from her grip then retreated to the door as fast as he could, weaving in and out of the crowd so she couldn’t follow. He heaved a sigh as he pulled out his phone and powered it on. He had better call Max. And in the morning, he would have to contact his lawyer. The bitch was back and crazier than ever.
He spent the entire trip home on the phone with Max and then a couple hours after that. They plotted out a game plan to keep Phoebe away from them and the gym. A joint call to the lawyer for restraining orders would be first on their to-do list in the morning.
Then, Max s
tarted in. Rico tried to listen. He knew his best friend was concerned about him. But Max just didn’t understand. He had gotten his happily ever after with the woman he loved. Rico’s had walked out of his life.
Once he hung up with Max, his cell rang. It was Phoebe. He silenced the call. It rang again. He muted the speaker. It buzzed relentlessly. He groaned. Hopefully, she would give up before morning came. Of course, she didn’t. The battery died as dawn streaked the sky. Rico hadn’t slept a wink. At least it was Saturday. He could possibly catch a nap later. He rose and dug through his drawer, looking for clothes for the gym.
Max was waiting for Rico as he stepped inside Hard Drive. Silently, they climbed the stairs to the office to call Al, Chloe’s new stepfather and Max’s lawyer. Rico cringed as Max explained the situation to Al over the speakerphone. He could hear the disapproval in the older man’s voice. Even Al knew Phoebe was bad news. Al promised to file the restraining orders first thing Monday. After a quick goodbye, Max hung up.
Rico sighed as he followed Max downstairs to spar.
Slowly, people filtered in to workout. By the exhaustion etched in Mark’s face, he wouldn’t last long. He must have just gotten off his shift at the emergency room. Dan bounced in with far more energy than his best friend. Mark growled then popped him one playfully, out of spite.
They each paired up to fight. Rico concentrated on Max, dropping into stance to begin. Out of nowhere, a bare fist plowed into his nose, dropping him to the ground. It definitely wasn’t Max’s. He was about as stunned as Rico was.
A split second later Max, Mark, and Dan had restrained the large body.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, you son of a bitch? Get out of my gym!” Max demanded.
Rico looked up at his attacker through the blinding pain. He sighed then wiped at the blood dripping from his nose. “Guys, relax. It’s okay. I deserved it, I’m sure.”
“You sure as hell did!” Lindsay shouted as he struggled against the three men holding him back. “Dumping my baby sister and breaking her heart. Then, you’re out a couple days later getting hot and heavy with some bimbo blonde!”
Breaking the Silence (Hard Drive Book 2) Page 11
