Meant for Me (A Second Chance standalone)

by L. P. Dover

  “It’s going good, but my brother tried to take it all away from me. It was a huge clusterfuck.” Not only did my brother go mentally crazy when he got in trouble for stealing his client’s money and kidnapping Melissa, he also tried to steal our family’s land out from under me. After our mother died, he sent me on a trip to England, saying he wanted me to relax while he handled all of the things at home. What I didn’t know was that he took a copy of our mother’s will and destroyed it just to forge another one stating that she left the land to him instead of me. He failed to realize that I had several copies of the will that were hidden.

  Wade’s eyes went wide. “Wait … what? What happened with your brother?” He seemed really interested at first, keeping his attention on me when I started to explain, but then something caught his eye over my shoulder and I completely lost him after that.

  “Um … It’s a really long story, I guess since you’re not even listening,” I began slowly, trying to get his attention. I waved my hand in front of his face before turning around to see what he was looking at. He was staring at Mason, except that wasn’t the only thing; Erick was with him as well.

  “What the hell is he doing here?” Wade growled.

  Quickly, I glanced from him to Mason and back, trying to play it coolly. “Who are you talking about? Your agent? I thought you would want him here,” I questioned curiously.

  His whole demeanor swiftly changed from playful to downright angry in a single second. “No,” he snapped. “I’m talking about Mason Bradley. I saw him at the club and now he’s here. I know I didn’t invite him.”

  “How do you know him anyway?”

  He scoffed. “I don’t know him, but I heard a lot about him through some friends. Erick told me he used to be one of the best fighters a few years ago, and now that he’s back everybody’s been talking about the big fight next Friday night between him and Matt Reynolds.”

  If I didn’t know any better I’d say he was jealous, but there was something more to it. “So … what are you so pissed about? He’s fighting Matt Reynolds, big deal. Can’t your agent talk to him? It’s not like Erick’s going to replace you, right?”

  Fuming, Wade hissed under his breath as Mason and Erick started to walk off toward another room. Where were they going? I wondered.

  “Fuck, this isn’t good,” Wade growled, running his hands nervously through his dark, mussed hair. “Claire, I have to go. I’ll be back.”

  He stalked off through the room and out the back door, but not before Mason had a chance to see our interaction with a concerned look on his face. Erick had just disappeared through the doorway so Mason took a quick second to glance at me to make sure I was all right. I nodded and gave him a small smile before he, too, disappeared through the door.

  What the hell was going on?

  I didn’t know where Mason or Wade went, so I settled on sitting at the kitchen table. The room was filled with people, but I appeared to be the only one not having a good time. I knew better than to go traipsing off by myself with a bunch of drunken people I didn’t know. Especially, in a house the size of Wade’s with a gazillion rooms to get lost in. I had a friend in high school who had been raped at a party by a guy at our school and no one heard her screams because the music was up too damn loud. It was then that I vowed I would never be a victim. I wasn’t the type of female to cry over every sad thing in movies or to beg a guy to take her back. I also wasn’t the type to be afraid.

  I wasn’t afraid to jump out of an airplane because I’d already done it … twice. I’m not afraid to try new things and be adventurous. I tried to impress Mason and all of his police buddies by jumping off of my brother’s roof into the pool one year when I first met him. I liked feeling fearless, but there was one thing that had me terrified. Mason was my weakness and with him off with Erick somewhere I had that unsettling and panicky feeling eating away at my gut.

  Or maybe that panicky feeling came from the voice that spoke in my ear, making the sickening stench of beer, bad breath, and liquor waft across my nose. Cringing, I tried to move away, but his arms came around my chair and locked me into place.

  “Well, aren’t you a pretty thing,” he sputtered, slurring his words. “I can tell you aren’t from around here.” I immediately recognized his voice along with the tattoos decorating his whole left arm. It was Chase Benfield … Mason’s number one rival.

  Holy shit, this isn’t going to be good. What the hell am I going to do?

  He leaned in closer, putting his nose in my hair and taking a deep breath. “Damn, you smell so fucking good, too … so sweet. Mason always got the good ones. I think it’s about time he shares, don’t you? After all, he did fuck my wife behind my back.”

  “Get away from me, Chase,” I hissed through clenched teeth. “It’s not his fault your wife chose to screw around behind your back. Just get over yourself already and leave me alone.”

  There was one girl in the room who actually noticed my uneasiness and ran out of the kitchen. I could only hope she was getting someone to help.

  “Or what?” Chase retorted. “What are you going to do, get Mason to kick my ass? He’s probably off somewhere in this house fucking another bitch while you sit here alone. Let’s say we go find him, huh?”

  He grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the chair. That was his first and last mistake.

  Watching Claire with Wade was fucking torture. It took every ounce of strength to keep to myself and let her get as much information out of him as possible without me hindering her. I wanted to rip his fingers off one by one each time he touched her and put his arms around her. There was no way a guy and girl could be friends with each other, especially after they’ve already had a past of hooking up. It just wasn’t humanly possible, and anyone who said otherwise were fooling themselves.

  During my session of trying to rein in my self-control, I was approached by Erick who pushed my buttons even more. I didn’t want to leave Claire, but he insisted that we talk in private. However, seeing the look on Wade’s face as I talked to Erick was priceless. He was about to shit his pants and I knew why.

  I followed Erick out of the kitchen, through the foyer, and up one side of the double staircase. There was an office off to the right with its doors wide open so he motioned for me to go in and sit. Shutting the door behind him, he strolled over and took a seat at the leather topped mahogany desk that probably cost at least a couple grand.

  “So what’s so important you had to talk to me in private?” I inquired, taking in the room. It was almost completely bare except for the desk, which would make sense since Wade just recently moved in.

  Erick steepled his fingers beneath his chin and grinned. “I heard you’re fighting Matt Reynolds this Friday night. You know he’s one of the best UFC fighters in the circuit, don’t you?”

  I nodded. “Yes, I do. I’ve watched him fight many times.”

  “And you’re not nervous?” he wondered.

  “Not really,” I admitted honestly with a shrug of my shoulders. “He’s just a guy, right?”

  I wasn’t exactly nervous per se, but fighting against someone who could seriously kick my ass was a little daunting. Any time you fight, you face the chance of getting beat, but it’s the risk you take. I never got the chance to fight against the best for a title so this fight was going to be my one chance of closure, to feel as if I actually made it to the top.

  Erick guffawed and shook his head. “Either you are seriously fearless or severely delusional. I like that about you. Have you thought about fighting professionally again?”

  I thought about it every day since the time I left it all behind, but I didn’t want him knowing that. In a noncommittal way, I said, “Yeah, I’ve thought about it, I guess, but I’ve been away from it for so long that I thought it would be nearly impossible to get started again.”

  Erick scoffed. “You’ve got to be shitting me. You’ve been here all of one week and look how far you’ve come. I didn’t get to watch you fight Chase
Benfield, but I sure saw the damage to his face tonight when he showed up. You stuck it to him hard.”

  Yes, I did, and it felt fucking amazing.

  He leaned forward in his chair and rested his arms across the desk, a sly smile spreading across his face. “So with that being said what would you say if I told you I could get you a sponsorship with MMA Pride? Would you be interested?”

  “What about Wade? I thought you took him on,” I inquired, narrowing my gaze.

  “Oh, I did, but it’s not set in stone just yet,” he noted. “I thought I had made my decision until you came strolling in. Where are you living at now? What do you do?”

  I had a strange feeling he had already tried to find out that information, and since my life had been temporarily erased he wouldn’t find much. Theoretically, I was actually living in Las Vegas at the moment until the case was solved, and then after that I was going to move to California. I’d stayed in one place for so long—leading the same life—that it seemed almost surreal to be doing something else … something I loved doing and finally finding someone to share it with. I never thought it would be possible.

  “I’m kind of floating around at the moment. I plan on moving to California as soon as my time here is up,” I told him.

  “Ah, isn’t Claire from California?” Erick asked, grinning mischievously. “Are you two moving in together?”

  “I don’t think that’s any of your business. How about we stick to the topic at hand,” I suggested dryly. The last thing I wanted was for Claire to end up on his radar. I feared it was already too late, but he had no business knowing anything about our personal lives, especially hers.

  Erick lifted his hands in surrender and chuckled. “Okay, sorry. I won’t talk anymore about Claire. I don’t think she likes me too much anyway from the way she acted toward me this morning. So, again, back to the topic. I’m looking for the best and you are one of the best. I just need to know how much you want it.”

  Here we go, we’re finally getting somewhere. It was time to play the game.

  “What exactly do you mean by that? Of course, I would want to fight again. I’d give my left nut to get back in the cage professionally. What do I have to do?”

  Lowering his voice, he leaned closer and smiled. “First off, do you think you stand a chance at winning against Matt Reynolds?”

  Shrugging a shoulder, I said, “I think it’s a fifty-fifty chance. The guy’s solid, but as far as strength I would say we handle about the same. Why?”

  “Well, like I said, I want the best. If you can beat Matt Reynolds like you did Chase Benfield then I think you deserve the chance to try for the sponsorship,” he replied with a leer.

  Try for the sponsorship?

  I scoffed incredulously, “So you’re not going to give me the sponsorship if I beat Matt? What else would I have to do to prove that I want it? I think that’s proving a shit ton if I can beat him.”

  “Oh it does, but this decision isn’t completely up to just me. There are others that play a part in the decision as well. I’m just the main one who scouts out the talent. Okay, so this is what I’m going to do. On Friday night, I’m going to come to the fight and watch you. If you win I’ll find you afterwards and tell you what your next step is. If you don’t, then I wish you luck in your endeavors.”

  Standing from his chair, he extended his hand as he came around the desk. “Do we have a deal?”

  Without hesitation, I took his hand and shook it, sealing my fate. His grasp was hard and firm, but mine was harder. “I don’t remember there being a next step when I was a part of the Pride. Is that something new?”

  Releasing my hand, he chuckled and waved me off. “Trust me, you’ll be able to handle it. Besides, just think of all we could do for you. You never got the chance to make it to the top and I can get you there. If you desire fame, it’s yours … money, it’s yours. All you have to do is show me that you’re worth it. Can you do that?”

  “You’re damn right I can,” I promised. “I accept the challenge.”

  I had to give it to the man, he was a smooth talker. Any rookie fighter would fall hard for it, but not me. I grinned, even though what I really wanted to do was punch the motherfucker in the face, but restraint was necessary.

  “Good, I’m glad …” he started to say, but then stopped when his phone rang. He answered the call and I could hear a frantic voice shouting on the other end. Erick’s smile immediately faded, and as soon as he ended the call he rushed past me toward the door.

  What the hell is going on?

  “We have a problem downstairs,” he exclaimed.

  “What kind of problem?” I asked, following him out of the office toward the staircase.

  “It’s Claire … something’s happened.”

  The moment her name slipped out of his mouth I almost lost every single ounce of sanity I had left in my body. Deep down I knew I shouldn’t have left her alone. Even to get closer to figuring out the case I knew it was a mistake. I ran down the steps as fast as I could, following behind Erick who headed through the kitchen to the back door.

  I didn’t like the feeling that crept over my skin, nor did I like the fact that everyone was crowded around in a circle out on the back lawn. There were angry shouts coming from everywhere, but I couldn’t concentrate on what they were saying. All I wanted was to find Claire before the panic that crept up my spine turned into full mode panic.

  Not caring who I trampled over to get to her, I pushed through the people and shouted, “Get out of the fucking way!” When I finally got through and saw what had transpired, I knew one thing and one thing only … someone was going to die.

  Everything moved so fast and it was kind of like I was in a dream. I never expected Chase to grab my arm like he did, nor try to pull me out the back door into the dark. He was drunk and obviously high on something, and thankfully, I didn’t give him the chance to do whatever he was going to do. Hence, the reason he was being held back by two of his friends with tiny shards of glass stuck in his head. The broken bottle neck in my hand was evidence as to what I did.

  One thing that really pissed me off was when Chase pulled me out the door, I was clearly struggling, but no one tried to stop him. It was like they were too afraid to mess with him. Well, I wasn’t. Mason was nowhere to be seen and neither was Wade. Chase was a scary looking guy, and for a moment the fear clouded my judgment and I couldn’t think of anything else other than what was about to happen to me. The farther he led me away from everyone, my survival instincts kicked into overdrive and I reacted, not caring about the consequences.

  “Claire!”

  Out of all the roaring and screaming, I heard his voice … Mason’s voice. When he pushed his way through the crowd and saw me with the bloody bottle in my hand, his face turned into a mask of confusion. However, when he saw Chase being held back by a couple of other men his confusion turned into rage.

  Fuming, he stalked toward me, took the broken bottle away, and flung it across the yard. His warm hands grasped my face, holding tight, to keep my gaze on his. “What the hell happened?” he demanded, shaking in anger.

  The girl standing behind me had been in the kitchen and saw everything. She was the one who got someone to help me, eventually. Hesitantly, she came up to me and Mason, and when he acknowledged her, she muttered nervously, “Um … Chase had gotten a little rough with her, and I watched him pull her out of the house to out here. I don’t know where he was planning on taking her. Anyway, she hit him over the head with a bottle that was sitting on one of the patio tables. He completely deserved it, especially since everyone was too scared of him to help her. My boyfriend was somewhere in the house so I texted him and he came to help.”

  The moment she said that I knew it was over. Slowly, he turned his head to me, his green gaze turning as black as night. “Claire, is that true? Did he try to hurt you?”

  Knowing I had no other option, and regretting what was about to happen, I closed my eyes and nodded once. That nod w
as all it took before his hands left my face and I felt the rush of air from his immediate absence. I didn’t want to open my eyes, but I did. Mason charged toward Chase and as he did everyone backed out of his way, even Chase’s friends who were holding him back from me. His fists flew once, twice, over and over with the sickening sound of flesh hitting flesh. Bones were broken because I could hear the crunching sound echo in the night air as Mason pounded against Chase’s face.

  Wanting him to stop, I yelled out his name, but nothing came out. I was frozen in time while everyone else moved in slow motion. It wasn’t until Wade finally made his appearance and put an end to the brutal beating. He grabbed Mason around the waist and jerked him away, off of Chase. Breathing hard, Mason pushed him off and backed away toward me, keeping his gaze on Wade as he approached. Slowly, Chase got his feet with an evil sneer, which showed off his bloody teeth.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Wade shouted, glaring at Mason. “Get out! Now!”

  “Oh, I plan on it,” Mason hissed, spitting on the ground toward Chase. “I was teaching your friend a lesson. He better be glad I didn’t rip out his goddamned arms. If my knowledge is correct, he could be charged with assault and attempted rape from what I hear.”

  Wade’s eyes grew wide, panicked. “You have got to be kidding me! Where’s the girl? Is she all right?”

  Mason stepped out of the way and glanced at me over his shoulder before replying back to Wade, “Why don’t you ask her yourself since she happens to be one of your closest friends.”

  Wade’s confusion only lasted for a second before his gaze landed on me. Shaking his head back and forth, he fisted his hands in his hair and rushed over to me. “No, no, no … Claire, please tell me you’re okay,” he pleaded, placing his hands on my arms.

  Wriggling out of his grasp, I said, “I’ll be fine. It’s just a couple of bruises. Besides, I shattered a really large bottle of beer over his head.”

  Angrily, Wade growled and immediately stalked over to Chase, grabbing him by the shirt and hitting him straight in the nose. Chase’s head snapped back and a new wave of blood started flowing out of his nose. Keeping a firm hold on Chase’s shirt, and even though the two were almost the same size, Wade threw him around as if he were nothing.