She sighed and walked around the place, brought her clothes upstairs to the bedroom, and explored the house. She realized instantly that the deck would be her favorite spot, and more often than not a run along the beach every morning or every night would become habit. Maybe she would be safe here. Maybe life would go on, Benson would track down Duvou, and she would be able to live a normal, safe life with a focus on her and only her from now on.
* * * *
“So who is she really?” Cavanaugh asked them, still in shock at the sexy, gorgeous bombshell that was now living in his cottage.
“She’s a friend of a friend who needs a new start and we’re helping her out,” Darius told him.
Cavanaugh shook his head at him. “I wasn’t born fucking yesterday. This reeks special operations. Being her neighbor and the only one around the cottage, I should know if there’s need to be on the lookout for trouble,” Cavanaugh stated.
“Cavanaugh, we talked about this. You need to accept the little information we gave you. Now we have to head out. We’ll see you around. Maybe at Carlyle’s with Gianna and the gang.”
“Okay, just let me know if you need anything,” he said and got into the Range Rover and drove up the road to his home, his mind flashing back to Precious. What a fucking name, too. She was stunning, sexy, and hiding a great figure behind those baggy clothes. She was holding a red wig. She came here in disguise. Who the fuck does that? Someone in trouble or hiding. Jesus, his gut clenched with a mix of emotions. Who was after her? Did she need protection? Why was he so interested? He didn’t date. Hadn’t dated in years. What would his brothers think of her? Where the fuck did that come from? He shook his head, parked the car in the detached garage, and walked into his house. Women, none whatsoever, could be trusted. He sensed the danger around her, the trouble. Who knew her story? Maybe it was a scam? He didn’t care and he needed to stop thinking about it.
“Fuck,” he said and then moved toward the back patio where there was a pool with a disappearing horizon. He glanced down to the right where he could see just part of the deck of the cottage. Those gorgeous blue eyes, full luscious lips, and angelic face kept popping into his head. He got angry at himself.
“Remember Carla, you asshole. Every woman out there is a Carla. Don’t forget that,” he said and then pushed off the railing and went inside to the home office.
Chapter 2
Two weeks and she was getting antsy. The makeshift boxing bag she created from a stack of outdoor pillows was no longer sufficient. Her long runs and vicious ab work weren’t cutting it, nor was the use of canned foods as weights. She had to venture out. She needed to go to a gym, spar, find a job, and start living a bit. She could do that and still take precautions. After her shower, she got dressed and then looked at her cell phone. She needed to call Caspian. Benson said he was some sort of trainer, boxer, and retired Special Forces or something like that.
She texted him a message and asked if he had a minute to talk. She tapped her nail against the beige marble counter in the kitchen. She needed that jeep.
The phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and saw it was Caspian.
“Hey.”
“Hey, yourself. What’s up? Do you need anything?”
“Well, I’m going insane. Any news on the jeep?”
“Should be here any day now. If you need a ride, I can arrange it. Where do you want to go?”
“Umm, what’s the best workout place around town? You know, where maybe you go and train, like boxing, Tae Kwan Do, Jiu Jitsu and stuff?”
He snickered. “Lady, you called the right guy. I own a dojo, and we do everything here. I have a few main trainers. What’s your area of expertise?”
“Like you and Darius don’t know?” she replied.
He chuckled low. “We got few details. Just tell me and I’ll know if I have got any openings.”
“Well, I have had a lot of training over the years, but I mostly like sparring, working the bag for some cardio, and a bit of self-defense like Muay Thai.”
“I have a class in an hour. Is that good? I can text Darius and he’ll swing by to get you. He’s working in the area.”
“Is the place far from here?” she asked.
“Kind of far to walk.”
“How about run?”
“Are you sure you want to? Once you get out of the sandy street, you hit neighborhoods and then the main street. Maybe try that another day?”
“I’ll be fine. Just give me directions.”
He rambled off points of interest and she felt enthusiastic about the run and the workout. She ended the call and then hurried to pack a backpack with water, a protein bar, the cell phone, and the pepper spray Benson gave her a supply of. She had a gun too—three actually—but she wouldn’t be able to keep it safe once she was in the gym. The mace and her abilities would have to be her protection.
She locked up the door and then headed down the street. It was a quiet area and private. The sun was out, but it was hot already. She wore a light blue windbreaker over her tank top and spandex capris. She kept the hoodie up and her sunglasses on despite the heat, using them as a disguise. She kept her eyes peeled and found her own points of interest and things she might want to explore further as she made her way onto the main street. The streets were busy, but she wasn’t the only one running, and people were biking, skateboarding, even driving mopeds. She wondered if she should get one of those. She nearly smiled at the thought and then saw the bar and restaurant on the corner called Carlyle’s. It looked like a cool place. Very busy and it was early, not even lunchtime yet. She saw the red roped-off area and assumed it must get really busy at night with the bar crowd. That could be the perfect place to get a job if they were hiring.
As she came to the traffic light, she made a right and then a left and the dojo came into view. It was a big place, and right now it looked to be crowded.
She stopped on the sidewalk out front to catch her breath and to case the area. Caspian was outside immediately. He glanced at his watch and then at her and smiled.
“Damn, that’s impressive.”
She shrugged.
“Let me show you around the place and to the women’s locker room and you can catch the last ten minutes of the class you’ll be taking. The instructor is really good. He pushes hard so you’ll get that workout you’re looking for.”
“Great.”
She followed him inside and kept the hooded windbreaker on as he showed her the multiple rooms, the sitting area, the offices, and then pointed out the locker room. She excused herself for five minutes, took care of business, and then came out still wearing the windbreaker but was a little more refreshed. She drank down her bottle of water and Caspian directed her to an area where she could refill it with purified water. He even had a setup where there were different snack bars and drinks catering to athletes to purchase.
“So this class is a combination of boxing, mixed martial arts, and some Jiu Jitsu. Today is Monday, so they usually focus more on the boxing. Wednesday is a combination and Friday has grappling mixed in for the last twenty minutes.”
“Sounds good. Oh, I didn’t bring boxing gloves.”
“Not a problem, we have spare ones. You can get a head start on picking ones you like,” he said and pointed to a shelf with various kinds, even pink ones. She didn’t like pink. She chose a black pair. They were simple and not done up like the other ones with stripes or special designs.
She watched the class through the display window along with a few guys who seemed to be waiting for the next class. When she caught sight of the instructor, she was surprised that he was older looking but in great physical condition.
“That’s Corey Jones, he’s legit and a total badass. He doesn’t like slackers and can be a bit of a prick sometimes, but he’ll take it easy on you. I’ll make sure.”
“No, don’t worry about it. I’ve done this before, remember? Where I trained, there were a lot of different types,” she told him and then thought abou
t the place she worked out at. There were a bunch of street thugs and guys trying to not wind up in jail. She proved herself on the mats and in the ring and had some of the craziest instructors ever. Benson played his part well. She really thought he was some psycho drill sergeant gone loony. He also showed her his compassionate side. Was any of that time they spent together real, or was it all an act to gain her trust and help him to get what he wanted—Duvou and Javier? She felt that sick sensation in her gut, that feeling of betrayal and hurt. Quickly, she shoved it down. She was a different woman now. Trust was never going to come easy, and she was fine with that. She was better off alone.
When the class ended and the people came out, they looked exhausted and talked about how good of a class it was and that they would see one another tomorrow night. The instructor was guzzling down a large bottle of water as Caspian escorted her into the room.
“Hey, Corey, this is Precious,” he introduced her.
“Precious, huh? That’s some name,” he said and eyed her over. “Tell me you weren’t crazy enough to jog here.”
“She did, so keep that in mind for her first class.”
“You know I don’t go light on anyone. They either suck it up and handle it or go home,” he stated firmly. She chuckled and he squinted. She supposed he expected her to look intimidated or maybe panic. The man had no idea the hell she lived and what she was capable of when pushed. She turned as she heard other people come in. A woman and several men. They had gloves and even headgear that they carried and placed on the mats against the wall.
“I’ll grab her headgear. Good luck and see you after,” Caspian said and she nodded.
She walked over to the side and placed her gloves and water bottle down. A moment later, Caspian peeked in and tossed her the headgear. She put it next to the water. She got some looks from the other people there. Not bad looks, more like light smiles or those expressions people give when they don’t know if you can handle something and they’re taking bets on you never taking a class again. She held in her smile.
Corey started the class by greeting everyone and then talked about warming up with a few laps around the room and then some burpees. She joined the others, taking a position in the back of the line in order to follow what the others knew as routine. Once they warmed up, they got on their gloves and took position in front of the punching bags that lined another side of the room. He directed her to one beside the only other woman in the class.
“Hi, I’m Essie,” she introduced herself. She was very pretty, with blonde hair and blue eyes.
“Precious,” she replied.
Essie narrowed her eyes at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Precious realized she misunderstood her and didn’t realize Precious was her name. She chuckled.
“No, my name is Precious,” she told her and then turned red.
“Oh God, sorry. That’s such a beautiful name. For a second there I thought you were being a wiseass to me.”
She smiled. “No problem.”
The class continued with Corey going over some complex combinations and then preparing them for one-on-one contact. He ran it like a round robin so everyone boxed against someone different each round.
It was her and Essie first, who was pretty good but seemed less experienced than Precious. When the time ended, Essie was breathing heavily. “Wow, you’re good. You were taking it easy on me.”
“Not really,” Precious said.
Essie gave her a sideways look. “Yeah right.”
“No grabbing. Now switch and take it up a notch,” Corey yelled. Precious moved down the line and was now facing a big guy. He seemed annoyed at having to face her, and she assumed it was because she was a woman, but when Corey said to box, her opponent found out quickly how skilled she really was. He was a decent sparring partner but sloppy.
“What’s your name?” he asked when the round ended.
“Precious.”
He raised one eyebrow up at her. “That’s different.”
She shrugged and then moved on to the next guy. Corey gave orders to use different combinations of jabs and punches. She was feeling the workout and knew by the looks of things that she was going to be facing the instructor last.
* * * *
“Who is she?” Magnum Mather asked Caspian as he stood by the window and watched the brunette. She was really good at boxing. Her jabs and hooks were fast and her legwork incredible. He couldn’t believe she was wearing the windbreaker. It made him wonder what she was hiding.
“That’s a friend of mine and Darius’s. Her name is Precious.”
“She knows what she’s doing.”
“I can see that. I’m thinking she could probably take your class the next time.”
“I don’t know about that. There’s only four other guys in there—all military.”
“I’ll leave it up to her to try it out. Let’s see how she does against Corey.”
Magnum stared at her body and the motions and techniques she used. It looked to be a combination of military style, marital arts, and something else.
“Oh shit. Did you see that? Damn,” Caspian said as they both watched Corey try to sweep her feet out from underneath her as they boxed, but she jumped and went right into a side kick, then jabbed to his jaw.
He gave her a nod and then the class continued.
“I think Corey likes her,” Caspian said and chuckled.
Magnum couldn’t take his eyes off her either. There was something about her moves that made him stare. When the class was finally done, she took off the windbreaker and his cock immediately hardened. She was built like a Playboy model. Even Corey stole a glance and the other guys were drooling.
“Crap,” Caspian said and he walked into the room. “Hey, Precious. I want you to meet someone,” he said to her.
She grabbed her stuff and then waved goodbye to everyone, even Corey.
“What did you think?” he asked.
“It was pretty good. I’m glad I ran here and have to run back,” she said and then stopped short and stared at Magnum. Apparently, he had the same effect on her that she had on him.
Caspian cleared his throat. “Precious, meet Magnum. He runs a very intense workout class geared toward military personnel. It’s non-stop moves, combinations, and self-defense military techniques.”
“Like hand-to-hand combat stuff?” she asked, looking excited.
Magnum shook her hand. “Nice to meet you,” he said and absorbed her gorgeous blue eyes, those sexy full lips, and, goddamn, one hell of a rack. She had a super body but it was her eyes and that angelic face that caught him off guard.
“You, too. So is that what it’s like, hand-to-hand combat stuff?” she asked him.
“Sort of. It’s a combination and not really for everyone.”
“Yeah, but I think she could handle it and love it. She ran here and has to run back.”
“You ran here? Shoot, I can give you a ride if you need one. Where do you live?” he asked.
“I don’t need a ride. Thanks. So, Caspian, what other classes do you have here? Could we go over them?” she asked, totally dismissing Magnum. It was like she got pissed because he offered her a ride.
“I’ll talk to you later, Magnum. I’m going to show Precious some of the descriptions of each of the classes. She might try yours out tomorrow,” he said and gave a nod.
“Okay, but it’s on you, man,” Magnum said and then turned and walked away. When he got closer to the other room he glanced over his shoulder to catch one more gander at her and she was looking at papers as guys passed by and totally checked her out. His gut clenched and he felt instantly angry. What the fuck was up with that? The thought, “I saw her first, assholes,” went through his mind. It shocked him and pissed him off. Who was this woman and what the hell was he thinking? He went to grab his stuff so he could stop by the store before heading home.
* * * *
Precious thanked Caspian for the information and she decided she woul
d try that guy Magnum’s class tomorrow afternoon. As she headed out of the dojo and began to run back to the cottage, she pulled up the hood on the windbreaker, placed her sunglasses on, and took off running. She would take a long cold shower and then sit out on the deck.
As she made it to the bottom of the sandy road, she heard the rev of a diesel engine and glanced back to see a large black pickup truck all done up with sparkling rims and an American flag hanging off the back. As it got closer and she neared the cottage, the truck stopped and she panicked a moment until the window rolled down.
“Precious? What are you doing running up here? It’s private property,” Magnum snapped at her. Jesus the man was good looking. His hair was brown and wavy in the front and his brown eyes looked dark and menacing.
“What are you doing up here? Following me?” she snapped at him and then started running again.
He revved the engine and kept up with her. “I fucking live up here,” he stated, and she stopped. Her mouth gaped and then she realized.
“Don’t tell me you’re Cavanaugh’s brother.”
“Yeah. How do you fucking know him?” He seemed very pissed off now. He placed the truck in park and then got out. He came around the front of the truck and then stood in front of her. His muscles were bulging under the black T-shirt he wore.
She stepped back. “I’m renting the cottage. He’s my landlord.”
His eyes widened, and then his lips slightly curled at the information. “Our new tenant? Since when?” he asked, sounding surprised and sort of angry at not knowing she lived there. She hoped he and his brother were on good terms.
“A couple of weeks now. Listen, I have to go.” She turned, and he reached out to stop her but didn’t touch her. She immediately retreated, and it appeared to bother him.
Love at Carlyle's [Love on the Rocks 8: Special Edition] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 5
