by London Casey
Penny stopped walking and looked at me.
I nodded.
She smiled.
As much as I wanted to just go face to face with Erik, I didn’t want to lose Penny. I had to do this thing the right way.
I had to stop thinking like a fighter and start thinking like a mobster.
Chapter 31
(Penny)
I blamed myself. Noah blamed himself. We rode in silence in the car.
I thought we were going to his apartment, but we ended up at the gym. We parked in the back alley behind the gym and Noah stood there, staring at the ground.
“What is it?” I whispered.
“Blood,” he said and pointed. “That’s Dalton’s blood.”
“I’m so sorry. I did this to you.”
I slipped my hand into his.
“No, Penny. I did this to myself. I trusted Seth too much. I fell in love with the wrong person.”
“Maybe you’ll find the right person.”
Noah looked at me. “Maybe I will.”
We went into the gym. There was a trail of blood on the floor, stopping at a wall where Dalton must have sat. Noah crouched down and made fists, biting into them. The anger and guilt was like a thick blanket covering him.
I saw a storage closet and opened it. There was a mop and bucket so I grabbed it. I filled the bucket with soap and water. I didn’t know what else to do for him. I wanted to help him. Make his pain go away. I wanted Noah to fight, win, make money, and be happy.
I stood there with the mop in the water and stared down at the white, bubbly suds. My mind scrambled to think of a way out of this. Erik had power and wasn’t afraid to show it. He had already attacked Andy. He had attacked Dalton. There wasn’t anyone else though, was there? I had no family. Noah had no family. If Erik tried to push up against Noah’s boss, he would be taking on the mob. That was too dangerous.
As I opened the door and walked back with the mop and bucket I heard the thump sound. Followed by another and another. With each thump came the rattle of a chain.
I turned and lost my breath.
Noah was shirtless, standing at a punching bag. His fists barreled forward, gloveless, hitting the bag. The bag groaned and swung as though it wanted to get away from the intense strength of Noah. As the bag swung toward him, his eyes were intense. A right sent the bag flying back again. Slowly, Noah walked left to right, hitting, ducking, growling with each powerful punch.
He finally saw me and stopped. He put his hands to his sides, his knuckles red.
“Training,” he said.
I took the mop out of the bucket and slapped it to the floor. “Cleaning.”
“Let me do that,” he said.
Christ, as if watching Noah shirtless, hitting a punching bag wasn’t sexy enough, I was going to watch Noah mop the floor, shirtless.
He grabbed the mop from me and took care of Dalton’s blood on the floor. Yeah, the reality of how dangerous this all was stirred within me, but watching the way Noah’s arms moved took that away. The cuts of stomach muscle running along the side of his body looked delicious.
I was wetter than the floor by the time he was done.
He then looked at me and asked, “Do you know how to fight?”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“I fought a girl once in high school.”
“Yeah?”
“She spread a rumor that I was a whore. So I fought her.”
“Was the rumor true?”
“No.”
“Did you win the fight?”
“I don’t know.”
“How do you not know if you won a fight?” Noah asked.
“Well, we had each other’s hair and were just spinning in circles. We both got dizzy and fell to our knees. I think I scratched her face.”
Noah grinned. “Come here.”
He handed me a pair of beat up boxing gloves.
They were self-explanatory on how to put them on.
I then stood there and lifted my hands, curling my lip, trying to look tough. I swung at Noah but missed him by a mile.
He raised an eyebrow. “Start with the bag. Hit it. As hard as you can.”
I thought about the way Noah had been hitting it. Making it dance back and forth so easily.
So I faced the bag and brought a fist back. I threw it forward and expected the punching bag to do the same as when Noah hit.
That didn’t happen.
My fist hit the bag and the bag didn’t move. Instead, my hand hit and just stayed there against the punching bag. I punched with my left hand and the same thing happened. So I hit it over and over, gritting my teeth. Even with a fury of punches, I barely got the punching bag to move.
Out of breath, I turned and looked at Noah. “What the fuck are you?”
He smiled. “A fighter.”
“You’re…”
What was I going to say? You’re strong? You’re sexy? You’re amazing?
I looked around the gym.
This was where Noah came to perfect his body. Then he used his strength to fight and survive.
I threw my hands down and the boxing gloves hit the floor. I then lunged forward at Noah, jumping at him.
I needed him… more than ever.
It was time to finish what we started in his apartment.
Chapter 32
(Noah)
I put her against the punching bag, kissing her. Our mouths fought, our tongues wrestled. She tried to overpower me, her hands digging in my hair, clawing at me. My hands cupped her ass as I held her.
I stepped to the left and moved us away from the punching bag. In the corner there were mats on the floor. That’s where I was taking her.
When I put her on her feet, I grabbed her shirt and ripped it up over her head. My hands unsnapped her bra and I cupped her breasts again. She was a drug. The worst kind of drug… yet the best kind of drug.
Her hands grabbed at my jeans and she opened them, sliding them down enough to let my cock pop free. I was thick and heavy already. Ready for her to take me.
She placed both hands to my chest and then looked at me. Her eyes were ravenous and amazing. My hands cupped under her breasts, my thumbs cutting over her nipples. She hissed and jumped when I did so.
Penny then pressed her lips to my chest. Her hands slid down my chest and stomach. Her fingers spread wide as she touched muscle. I could tell she enjoyed touching me, but my muscle wasn’t out of vanity. I wasn’t some punk in a gym trying to get buff to get laid. I needed the muscle to survive. My body needed to be trained so I could take a punch to my ribs without having them shatter.
But hell, if it turned on Penny, then so be it.
The second she inched down my chest and kissed again, I let out a sigh. Her hands were down at my legs, teasing me as she slowly and gently touched my dick. She ran her fingers along my shaft, thumbing playfully at the head of my cock. My body tightened and I felt myself already wanting to explode.
Inch by inch, Penny kissed down my body. The tip of her tongue slid down the ridges of my stomach, tracing the lines of muscle that led right to my dick. I stared at her and watched as she was finally on her knees before me. She looked up at me a second before she opened her mouth.
I gritted my teeth as she approached me.
Feeling her mouth slide over the head of my cock was heaven. Her left hand gripped at the root of my cock and squeezed tight. Her right hand touched one of her breasts, teasing me. Her lips slid down my shaft and she groaned, pulling back. The vibration made me thrust at her, wanting to fucking fill her.
I touched her shoulder and pulled, easing deeper into her mouth. I wanted to see how far I could go.
When I reached her max, she took her hand from her breast and grabbed my leg and pushed. I pulled a little, feeling her warm and tight mouth squeezing against me. My hold on her shoulder increased and I started to work her back and forth.
Then Penny got bold.
She reached for my hand
and moved it away from her. Her eyes looked up at me with her mouth full and she shook her head.
God-fucking-damn.
My hands made fists and watched as she tasted me over and over.
It felt so fucking good, but I wasn’t going to finish like this. She needed it as much as I did. The sex, the pleasure, the connection.
“Fuck,” I groaned as I pushed her away from me.
She leaned back just enough to show me her beautiful breasts. I stepped out of my jeans and nodded to her. Penny fell to her back and lifted her hips off the floor. I stood there and watched as she stripped her lower half naked for me. Then she opened her legs, showing me her delicious sex, her soft folds damp, curled open, waiting for me.
I dropped to my knees and grabbed her by the waist. I pulled her to me and wasted no time in entering her. One hard thrust and I tore her open. Her back arched and she cried out, her voice echoing through the gym.
I started to fuck her, each thrust harder than the previous. Her screams grew louder, mixing with my grunts.
I didn’t give a damn anymore.
I was in love with this woman. And I was going to protect her… or die trying.
Chapter 33
(Penny)
I let out another cry as Noah pressed forward into me again. My ankles were hooked at his lower back. His face was buried in my neck and I bit at his neck and then shoulder, thrusting my hips up at him.
I felt him start to come and my body tensed up, squeezing at him as I started to climax too.
He stayed right there for a long time, on his knees, on the bed in his apartment, holding me tight. I wasn’t sure if he fell asleep or not, but I did.
When I woke up, Noah was sitting on the edge of the bed, just like I had found him before.
It had been a few days since our fun in the gym. Dalton was going to be fine and was already out of the hospital. Noah and I stayed in the apartment, only going to the gym so I could watch him train. That was merely foreplay for my body and we’d finish up with wild sex on the mats. Then we’d come back to his place, fuck in the shower and fuck again before bed.
Nobody had heard from Erik, and I wanted to hope that he was gone.
But I knew better than to bring it up to Noah or actually believe that.
“You’re thinking again,” I said.
Noah looked back at me. “That I am.”
“So talk to me.”
“I want to talk to Andy.”
“What?”
“I want to know where he lives. He wanted to come and kill me. So I’m going to give him the chance.”
I popped up and grabbed the covers. I crawled toward Noah. “You don’t get it. Andy’s been in trouble in the past and Erik is using it against him. Andy wasn’t going to actually kill you.”
“I don’t care,” Noah said. “I want to talk to him.”
“You’re going to hurt him.”
“No. I’m going to offer him protection. He has to know more about Erik than we do. So I can help him. Keep him safe. Maybe I can talk to Nathan too. Maybe a guy like Andy would be useful. Andy reports stories. He’s got a reputation. Nathan could use that to his advantage. Manipulate information as needed.”
“You want Andy to become a liar,” I said.
“Whatever it takes to keep you alive.”
“That’s crazy thinking.”
“No more thinking like a fighter,” he said. “I have to plan this out. Or else more people are going to get hurt.”
It was sexy to hear Noah talking like this.
Why the hell did violence get me excited?
“He won’t be at the office,” I said. “Not all banged up.”
“Apartment. House. Whatever.”
“I’ll show you where it is.”
Noah nodded.
I then had to suffer through the sight of him standing, naked, and watching him get dressed. It made me getting dressed more than uncomfortable. I wanted to just go back to bed with him.
We got to the door and Noah paused. He looked back at me.
“What?” I asked.
Is he going to tell me he loves me? Something romantic…
“I want you to carry a gun. Use it when you need to.”
I nodded. “Do you have an extra gun?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Noah, what happens if Erik is there with Andy?”
His pause gave the answer. But he said it anyway.
“Then I’m going to kill them both.”
I knocked on the door and called for Andy. He lived in a large ranch house with his wife and two kids. It was the middle of the day, so the kids were at school. His wife, Maggie, was a nurse, so chances were she was probably at work.
“I’ll break a window,” Noah said.
“Wait,” I said. I crouched and found the fake rock where Andy hid a spare house key. I stood up and handed the key to Noah. “Don’t go mobster on me so quick.”
“How’d you know about this?”
“Why? Jealous?”
“Let me open the door.”
I had to hide my smile.
Was Noah seriously jealous of me? And Andy?
Trust me, there was never a chance.
I knew where the key was because I had to go to Andy’s house a couple times to feed his damn dog when she was at the end of her life. She died a year ago and I just figured the house key was in the same spot. They lived in a quiet and safe neighborhood. If anything, they could have left their doors unlocked and nothing would happen.
I opened the door and entered the house.
I called for Andy and got no response.
“He’s not here,” I said.
“Let’s check.”
“Noah…”
“If nobody is here then it doesn’t matter.”
Noah moved through the house. I groaned under my breath and hated all of this.
We passed through the kitchen and looked to the key ring hanging at backdoor. There was one set of keys hanging up. A silver A dangled there. I rushed to the window and looked to the garage. Both doors were shut.
“Keys,” I said. “Andy’s keys are hanging up.”
“Maybe he’s napping.” Noah cupped his hands. “Hey! Andy!”
No response.
Noah left the kitchen and pointed to a door. “What’s that room? Bathroom? Closet? Office?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I don’t live here. I can tell you where there used to be dog food and medicine. Okay?”
Noah grinned, satisfied as to why I knew where the damn house key was.
When Noah grabbed the doorknob, he looked back at me. “Keep your hand on your gun. Just in case if something’s wrong. Something feels wrong.”
“Yeah,” I said.
I grabbed the gun.
Noah swung the door open. “Ah, fuck.”
“What’s wrong?”
“No. Penny.”
I hurried to Noah and pushed at him.
I screamed.
Andy sat in his chair… dead.
Chapter 34
(Noah)
A single gunshot wound to the forehead. It sprayed the wall behind Andy’s desk. Pictures of his wife and kids were splattered with blood and brain.
“Don’t touch a thing,” I said. “Don’t even come in here. There’s going to be a shit storm here later.”
“Later?” Penny asked. “Noah…”
“No, Penny,” I said. “We can’t do anything right now. I’m sorry. This was Erik.”
“I know that,” she said. She looked at Andy and then turned her head. “He…”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I know he was a friend. A boss. A colleague.”
Penny backed away. “I’m going to be sick.”
“We’re out of here in a second,” I said.
I surveyed the office. My guess was that Erik came to check up on Andy. Andy hadn’t gotten to me or Penny so he was punished. It was obvious we were both alive. Andy was supposed to come to my apartment a
nd make a kill. He didn’t. That made me wonder if Erik was tailing us. Or maybe using the attack on Dalton to see where we were.
This was getting deeper.
And Nathan wanted nothing to do with it.
My only hope was to win the fight and then demand Nathan step in and end this. If he wanted me to be alive as his moneymaking fighter, then I needed Erik off my ass.
I started to step back when I noticed a notebook on Andy’s desk. It was open and was scribbled with notes. I stepped carefully and made sure not to touch a thing. It wasn’t easy to block out the dead man sitting in a chair, but I did it. I looked at the book and saw my name. I saw Penny’s name. Then there were several lines and notes, trying to connect me to Penny and Penny to Seth. There were so many names, so much information about me, my fights, everything.
My heart raced.
Andy had been creating his own story to tell.
“Oh, shit,” I whispered when I saw another name.
There was an arrow that went from my name and Seth’s name.
Emily.
Andy knew about Emily? Or did Erik know?
Then it hit me.
She was the only other person in the world Erik could hurt to get to me. He had gone after Dalton to make a statement. He had killed Andy to make a statement. And now, assuming Erik had read the notes, he knew about Emily. That would lead him right to his brother’s murder.
I rushed from the office and went to the kitchen. I hurried to grab some cleaning chemicals and made sure to clean up everything Penny and I had touched in the house. I moved fast, ignoring her questions.
I could barely think straight.
We left the house and got into my car. There was a chance that someone could have seen us. I felt foolish for just pulling up to the curb like I had done. But I didn’t know there was a dead guy in the house. I honestly had wanted to talk to Andy. Find out everything he knew about Erik. And, yes, I did want to help him.
“Shit,” I growled as I drove away.
“Noah, what’s happening?”
I shook my head. “You have to wait for me in the apartment again.”
