Linc (A Cocky Cage Fighter Novel Book 3)

by Hart, Lane

  The sound of leaves rustlin’ and a dog whimperin’ have me turnin’ back to the gate. A flustered woman in a fluffy white coat and colorful scarf is runnin’ circles around one of the thick oak trees that lines the front of the cemetery. She’s chasin’ what looks like a small, young and energetic chocolate Pomeranian.

  “Dammit, dog! Please just stop moving for one freaking second!” The muttered curse carries through the chilly air, making me smile in amusement before I head out the gate to try and rescue the poor animal and the owner.

  “Hey, you need some help?” I call out with my approach, so that I don’t scare the shit out of her in the otherwise quiet, vacant area.

  “Linc?”

  I freeze at the sound of my name and the familiar voice that comes from the other side of the tree.

  “Claire?”

  It can’t be, could it? Why would she be here? Then I remember that Mandy was also buried here. Senn or Nate had suggested it to Mace months ago when he was distraught and tryin’ to make the arrangements. Havoc even paid all the funeral and burial costs.

  My heart races in excitement knowin’ I’m about to see the woman I love so much she haunts my days and nights. The overwhelmin’ happiness is quickly snuffed out by guilt that seems to crush my chest. I can’t resist the opportunity though, even if it’s only for a few seconds before she asks me to leave. Like the seconds I sometimes see her walkin’ in and out of work or headin’ to the art studio when I stalk her. I tell myself I just want to make sure she’s okay, and that Vito’s men are leavin’ her alone now that he’s locked away. At least James is dead after takin’ two bullets from Detective Fury, and the assault charge against me was dismissed. Bobby is still unfortunately alive, even though he was in the hospital for weeks before they moved him to the jail. Both he and Vito have been charged with everything from kidnapping to attempted rape.

  The word "attempted" was only a small relief, since I knew Claire had still been through hell with whatever it was that they did to her. Part of me doesn't want to know the truth, because I'm not sure how much more guilt and pain I can take knowin’ she suffered because of me. I'm sure she never wants to see me again. I'm nothin’ but a reminder of what happened to her and her sister. The police haven't been able to prove Vito was involved in Mandy's death, only that James was with her when she overdosed. Since he's no longer alive to pay for what he did, it doesn't look like Vito will, either.

  I can't imagine how hard losin’ Mandy has been on Claire and Mace. Of course I see him practically every day at Havoc, or at least the ones I drag myself in to train a few hours, but the two of us never speak a word to each other. Seein’ him only makes me think of Claire, and miss her even more. Despite how hard I've tried, I can’t stay away from her. I have to see her at least once every few days, even if it's only for a few seconds, just to make sure she's okay. The glimpses grow more painful every week, because I keep expectin’ to see her with someone else. It's only a matter of time, and when it happens it'll be like losin’ her all over again.

  Stepping forward I pick up the puppy that’s only a few months old, and unfasten the leash from its collar. “There,” I say to her, leavin’ the leash around the tree. “Now you can just unwind it.”

  “Thanks,” she exhales a heavy breath. Once the cord is free, she steps around the trunk of the tree, finally comin’ face to face with me for the first time in months. The two of us stare silently at each other, my eyes soakin’ her in for as long as she’ll let me. Up close, she’s even more gorgeous than I remember with the wind whippin’ her chestnut hair in front of her beautiful, sad face, probably my brain’s attempt to make missin’ her a little easier. When I hear panting I’m not sure if it’s me or the dog.

  “What…what are you doing here?” she finally asks.

  “Well, um, this is where Thomas Lincoln Abrams was buried six years ago today.”

  “Oh wow, I’m sorry.”

  “I didn’t know you would be here,” I tell her, so she doesn’t think I’m stalkin’ her. Even though I am stalkin’ her, just not at this particular moment. What a fuckin’ coincidence that the two of us would both end up here at the same time on the same day. Or maybe not. “Did anyone else know you were comin’ by today?” I ask.

  “Ah, just Mason,” she says as she looks around for him. “He said he’d meet me at four, but he’s late.”

  “We’ve been set up,” I tell her. “Because Abby also told me to meet her at four. She just left.”

  “Oh,” Claire says with a blink of surprise.

  “So this is your dog?” I ask, lookin’ for somethin’ to say as I scratch the top of its head.

  “Uh-huh. She’s a bit of a handful, but sweet and a good guard dog. She never fails to alert me when any squirrels, birds, or neighborhood cats get too close to the apartment.”

  “She’s cute.”

  “Yeah she is.”

  “How have you been?” I can’t help but ask the question screamin’ in my mind.

  “I-I…was just wondering the same about you,” she says, glancin’ away and dodgin’ the question.

  “I’m really fuckin’ miserable,” I tell her honestly. “Maybe I should get a dog.”

  “Me, too,” she replies with a sniffle, and I watch as her eyes start to water. I'm such an asshole, because however heartbroken I feel losin’ her, it's nothin’ compared to her loss of a sister. “Why did you leave me?” Claire asks.

  “Leave you?” I exclaim in response to her sudden and unexpected question. “Like I had a choice?”

  “You walked away when I needed you the most,” she says through her tears. My already hollow chest somehow empties a little more after hearin’ those words.

  “I thought you hated me for what happened. I hated myself for hurtin’ you and Mace. How could you ever possibly forgive me?”

  “I hated you because you left without so much as an explanation or a goodbye. You were just gone…and she…she was gone-” When her tears turn to sobs I pull her against my chest with my dog-free arm and hold her like I’ve wanted to do for months, prayin’ she won't push me away. The incredible smell of her, the fresh oranges, hits me like a brick wall. The puppy under my other arm whines seein’ Claire upset and gives her hair a lick.

  “I’m sorry,” I tell her. “For everything. I wanted to be there, more than anything. I love you so damn much and my life has been nothin’ but a livin’ hell after causin’ you so much pain. I was tryin’ to do what you asked, what I thought was best for you, to not be a constant reminder of how much you lost all because I lost control. If I could have one day back to do over...you have no idea how much I regret what I did. Mace even warned me that hurtin’ James would come back on you and Mandy, and he was right.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. It was Vito and James, trying to get what they wanted all along and using you as an excuse. I never blamed you for what they did. Yes, Mace blamed you because he was angry and crushed. But now, even he can admit that Mandy was so lost to the addiction and suicidal…well, it probably didn't take much coercion for her to take more hits until...I just wish we could've saved her, and that you hadn't left me.”

  My entire body sags at hearin’ her say those words. Words I never thought I would hear her say. It doesn’t alleviate the guilt I’ll always have, but it lightens the burden on my soul knowin’ she doesn’t hold me entirely responsible.

  “I’ve missed you so much, to the point that it takes me hours to just get out of bed every mornin’,” I say into her hair. “Without you there’s nothin’ to look forward to. Nothin’ that makes me happy or stops the ache.”

  “I’ve missed you too,” she says against my jacket. “A lot. It’s why I bought Zelda.”

  “Zelda?” When the dog’s ears perk up at its name I can’t help but laugh for the first time since…I can’t even remember.

  “Linc would’ve been too obvious, don’t you think?” Claire asks. Pullin’ back, but not away from me, she swipes her fingers under her eyes
to dry her tears and then reaches up to scratch the puppy’s ear. “And I made sure she was a girl. I was going through an angry, anti-male everything stage. It wasn’t pretty.”

  “It’s a great name,” I tell her. "But I hate to break it to Zelda, if I'm suppose’ to save a princess, it’s gonna be you every single time.” Seein’ her smile up at me, even with her eyes still shimmerin’ with tears, I can’t resist leanin’ forward and brushin’ a quick kiss over her parted lips. When her eyes close and she doesn’t turn her head away, I kiss her again. And again. By the fifth one her arms are around my neck and our tongues are meetin’ for the first time in months. We stand there, lost in a kiss until heavy snowflakes start to rain down on us.

  “Come home with me?” I ask her, and hold my breath for her response.

  “Are you sure?” she asks softly, restin’ her head against my chest. "I may not ever want to leave."

  "Good," I tell her exhalin’ in sweet relief. "Because it's just a house, not a home without you. It’s where you belong."

  "I saw an article about what you're doing with your beach house,” she says, placin’ a kiss on my neck. “If it's possible, I think it made me love you a little more."

  "It was your amazin’ idea that everyone deserved to see the ocean, to feel that serenity in their soul, at least once in their lifetime. Makin’ it happen was the easy part."

  "You're incredibly sweet and kind," she says. "And I know you were behind the unexpected and undocumented 'life insurance' policy that just so happened to come in the mail on the same day as a flyer about a local art studio. Thank you. It took me a few weeks before I could work an entire shift without having a breakdown over someone's food, so I'm not sure what I would have done without it."

  "I told you I'll always take care of you, no matter what."

  "Yeah, but I prefer actually having you around, more than just stalking me. Just so you know, lime green isn't the best color vehicle for trying to be stealthy."

  "Guess not," I agree with a smile.

  Zelda wiggles in my arms and whines to get down.

  "I think she's ready to go see her new home," I tell Claire when she hooks her leash back on, and I sit the dog on the ground.

  "Me, too," she says with a smile before takin’ my hand and shiverin’. "It's freezing out here!"

  "Let's go inside and get warm," I tell her. "Winter just started, but I'm already lookin’ forward to the summer. Maybe a trip to the beach in June?"

  "That would be awesome," she agrees.

  "We could invite all of our family and friends to the beach house," I suggest.

  "Sounds fun."

  "Would you want to exchange some rings and say some vows?"

  She comes to a stop and turns to me, makin’ Zelda bark and yank on the leash tryin’ to keep her movin’ forward, but Claire doesn't budge.

  I already know her answer before she smiles and says the three letter word that makes me the luckiest man in the world.

  Epilogue

  One year later…

  I smile to myself as I wait, still hidden behind the scenes when the first notes of My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark blares through the speakers in the Patriot Center arena. The crowd noise is deafening and humblin’. Just before the first chorus of “Light ‘em up” I step out from the tunnel at the same time red and green pyrotechnic flames go off on either side of me. Usually they’re red, white and blue, but this year I gave Jax and Jude my Fourth of July pay-per-view night since I wasn’t quite ready to leave my new wife to train for a championship fight. After our June wedding, Claire and I have been spendin’ a lot of time at the beach, growin’ our non-profit that now has twenty houses donatin’ weeks of vacation for terminally ill patients.

  So, tonight I’m startin’ a new tradition, hopin’ to win my belt back on Christmas Eve. It’s an emotional time of year, the anniversary of when I lost my son, but it’s also when I got my girl back last year.

  My green Havoc hoodie stays unzipped but pulled up over my head as I walk toward the cage and Fall Out Boy plays on. Jude and my corner coach, Don Briggs, both of whom I’ve been workin’ a helluva lot with over the past six months, are right behind me. Since I’m in the red corner for this fight, I’m wearin’ snug, black and red spandex shorts covered with the ads of various sponsors, and red gloves are taped on tightly around my wrists.

  Of course I search for her, knowin’ she’ll be in the front row right behind my corner. She stands out even in a crowd this huge, practically glowin’, so damn beautiful in a long, red, one-sleeve dress with her bronze hair in beautiful curls that fall over her bare shoulder.

  When I get to her, Claire yells “Good luck!” to be heard over the music as she throws her arms around my neck. I pick her up in a crushin’ bear hug. “If you win, I’ve got a surprise for you,” she tells me, pressin’ her lips against my ear and sendin goosebumps down my spine.

  “Well, fuck. Now I have to win, don’t I?” I tease, like there was ever any other option.

  “Yes! Just, please don’t get hurt,” she says, helpin’ me shrug out of my hoodie.

  “I won’t, baby,” I assure her, kissing the worry off her face. “I love you.”

  “Love you too Linc.”

  Puttin’ my wife down I hug each of my parents, my sister, Hailey, and my new brother-in-law.

  “Show’ em how it’s done,” Mace says with a grin and a fist bump.

  A year ago, Mace might’ve been ready to beat me to a pulp, but before Claire and I even got married we both apologized for lettin’ our emotions take us over, and have been cool ever since.

  Finally, I walk up to the referee waitin’ for me in front of the cage to do the final inspection. I turn to Jude and we share a masculine, one arm embrace. Hard to believe that the last time I officially stepped into a cage for a title fight it was against him. I lost my belt, but gained him and Sadie as good friends, and now he’s even my business partner.

  “Kick some ass,” Jude tells me with a slap to my shoulder.

  “Plannin’ on it,” I assure him.

  Don wishes me luck and hands me my red mouthguard. I shove it into place and hold my arms out for the referee to check me over from head to toe. Once I’m cleared, I run up the steps into the cage ready to do this.

  I finally look across the octagon and notice my opponent, who came into the arena before me. Luis Silva, fightin’ out of Brazil, is currently the fourth ranked welterweight in the world. He’s been on fire, and has never lost a fight. I’ve heard the Vegas odds even have him favored to win tonight because of his wrestlin’ background. There’s been a lot of speculation about whether or not I’ve fully recovered from my broken arm since it’s taken me so long to get back into the cage. What can I say? I’d rather spend my time with my wife than trainin’ all day every day, but you better believe I’ve worked my ass off to get ready for this fight. I’ve spent more time on my ground game with Jude, and have hammered almost every day on Senn and Mace, both heavy strikers that outweigh me by thirty pounds. I’m fuckin’ ready.

  The big, burly referee stands between us, givin’ the final rules. He tells us to touch gloves, my red to his blue, and then with one word the carefully contained beast inside me roars to life.

  “Fight!”

  Right off the bell I’m the aggressor, goin’ after Silva with a right cross that misses but a left jab that lands even as he tries to retreat backwards. He’s too slow. Off balance, he grabs me around the waist and tries to take me down where everyone knows I’ve had weaknesses in the past. Had being the keyword. Instead of resistin’, I let his momentum throw us both to the ground, confusin’ him long enough to wrap my arms around him and flip him so that his back smacks the canvas. I hear the air in his lungs come whooshin’ out on impact.

  Knowin’ he’s likely stunned, I lock my legs around his hips, holdin’ him in place and start pummelin’ his face with both fists. His gloves come up to try and block my swings, so I land some blows to his ribs and gut. As soon as
his hands drop to protect his body I go back to hammerin’ his face. Within seconds his entire body goes limp. The ref jumps between us, shovin’ me off of him and callin’ the fight.

  The crowd I’d tuned out is suddenly roarin’ in my ears again. I get to my feet and pump one of my arms in the air in victory. With a face splittin’ grin, I point a gloved finger at Claire. She’s on her feet cheerin’ and smilin’ brighter than the sun. I shoot her a wink, silently tellin’ her she owes me that surprise. She nods her agreement excitedly.

  Once Silva is examined by a physician and able to get back to his feet, we each stand on either side of the ref. Our gloved hands are both clasped in the refs before mine is raised with the announcer sayin’, “Winning by submission at two minutes and thirty seconds into the first round, presenting the former, and new, undisputed, Welterweight Champion of the World, Linc Abrams!”

  After that the arena becomes so loud I can’t hear a damn thing. Someone fastens the big, gold championship belt around my hips. I hate to say it, but I missed that damn thing and the title after Jude stole it fair and square from me over a year ago.

  The ref continues to raise my arm as the winner, turnin’ me this way and that to face the cameras and the crowd, all of which seem to be on their feet. Damn, I’m pretty sure I’ve never had a standin’ ovation before.

  “Congratulations,” the ref says with a final pat on my back, and then he quickly leaves the cage. That’s when I notice that I’m the only one standin’ in it. Where the hell did everyone go? Where’s Jude and Coach Briggs? Usually they’re allowed into the cage to congratulate me before I’m even named the official winner.

  Ready to head out and celebrate with my wife, I start toward the cage door, but the announcer comes over the speaker from wherever he is and says, “Stay where you are, Linc! Your wife has a little surprise for you.” I’m just ready to wrap her in my arms and get the hell out of here. I want to go home to celebrate in our bed, but I do as he says while seekin’ Claire out again in the crowd.