Vengeance: MMA/Ink Romance (KO Ink Book 1)

by Harley McRide

  “Brook?” I heard someone say and I turned. Mia was standing in the doorway to the room, looking worried. I snapped my gaze to the rest of the room, everyone was looking at me, they were waiting for news. With a small nod I walked to my best friend and whispered.

  “Sorry,” I said. “I am a bit off. I wasn’t thinking for a second, of course everyone was waiting to hear what the doctor said.”

  “Oh honey,” she sighed and put her arm around my shoulder and led me back into the waiting room. “What did he say?”

  Everyone heard the question and were silent and looking at me with expectations. I really wanted to tell my brother first, but he was in the air right now. I wasn’t comfortable speaking to crowds. In fact, I usually didn’t speak to crowds at all. I was shy, awkward, and no one usually even paid attention to me. In a group of people, I faded away. Not this time though, no they were all staring at me.

  I cleared my throat and then said, “The doctor says Mom was lucky, the bullets didn’t hit anything major; however, the loss of blood was major, and so she is in critical condition in the ICU, but he expects a full recovery.”

  The tension in the room seemed to lift a little at my words. I smiled a little, only so I didn’t break down and cry in front of all these people. Mia squeezed my shoulder and then led me to the chair again and pushed me down. She knew I was about ready to lose it so she took care of the people, letting me sit and stare at the floor trying to compose myself. It wasn’t going to work, as the tears gathered in my eyes. She would be fine, that was what the doctor said, and finally it sunk in.

  Tony

  “She is taking this well,” I whispered to Fin who had been standing with me staring at Brook for the last six hours. We of course had moved in that time, but it was only to move closer to her. For some reason I was drawn to her, and Fin was as well, I could tell, he was my best friend.

  She looked so fragile right now, all I wanted to do was scoop her up and hold her. The need was almost overwhelming. And Fin was as well. This had never happened to the two us, well, without discussing having a threesome first. Years ago while visiting Kink we had seen ménages. Yeah, they were different but it had been something both Fin and I had explored. We found we both enjoyed pleasuring a woman together, we weren’t bi-sexual, and we had never found a woman we would want to be with outside of the bedroom together. But if these vibes were right, there was a possibility Fin and me were going to be having a long talk, and soon.

  “Not sure if that is going to last,” Fin said back, looking worried. I glanced back at Brooklyn, I nodded and watched. It didn’t take long for me to see what he was so worried about; she was holding on by a thread.

  Yeah, he was right, she was going to break and soon. Since we were at the scene Brook had not cried at all. When we got here she was already on the phone with Reese, but she was flustered and wasn’t communicating well. Michael took the phone from her to explain, but Mia arrived and took over before we could comfort her. I felt like I failed her somehow and I didn’t even know her.

  Little Brook, who would have thought she would have grown up so good. “Maybe I should go over and give her a shoulder,” I whisper.

  “Come on,” Fin said and motioned. “She is gonna need both of us I think.”

  When we got to where Brook was sitting, she was breathing deeply and loudly. I leaned over and looked at her. She was barely keeping it together. Silently I took her arm and then led her out of the room with Fin following. I looked around and saw an empty room and shuffled her in. She made it until the door closed and then she collapsed into Fin’s arms sobbing. The sound of it ripped my heart out.

  “Oh honey,” Fin said softly.

  “I was worried that I was late. She hates it when anyone is late, you know? I mean I am never late, but sometimes something comes up. You know her, she always says she could have done ten things while she was waiting if she would have known. I was worried about her being mad and the whole time she was laying on the ground fighting for her life.” Brook sobbed and I looked at Fin who was trying to comfort her. Without even thinking I pushed into the side and wrapped my arms around her as well. Two of us held her as she broke down.

  I really couldn’t have told you how long we stood there holding her. Fin whispered into her ear, trying to get her to calm down while I rubbed her back gently. Nothing consoled her. I couldn’t blame her though.

  Minutes later I felt her quiet, and then I leaned back a little. She was still crying, but she was in control a little more. There was a knock at the door and Fin turned. I gripped Brook a little tighter as he went to answer the door.

  I already knew the police would be coming soon to give an update to the family. I also knew that nothing had been discovered yet, the shooter was in the wind, and the car was found abandoned a few hours ago. No one had a clue why Ms. Maddie was targeted, but I was going to find out.

  Fin turned as Reese pushed his way into the room and saw his sister. I stepped back as Brook cried again and then fell into her brother’s arms. I wanted to be the one who took care of her, as I watched the scene. I looked at Fin and could see he was feeling the same way, if the look on his face was anything to go by. Wow, we were seriously going to need to have a talk, about a lot of shit apparently.

  Fin

  “Ma, we are going to need to set up a few things for Brooklyn and Reese,” I said into the phone. I wanted to get back to Brooklyn but she was with her brother right now, no matter how hard it was to leave, he had her for now.

  They needed to get some other things straight. Ms. Maddie had been shot, and although the police would handle it to a point, all of the brothers and Tony knew they were going to need to step up and help as well. No one in the neighborhood would talk to the police since over the years, their lack of protection as well as the violence that had become a daily occurrence had led to this, damn it. But it was time to take the neighborhood back, and I was going to do what I had to do in order to make it happen.

  “We are already on it,” my mother said into the phone, and I wanted to roll my eyes, yeah she was totally on it. I had already overheard her and Tony’s mom planning. This was what they did best, and that was take care of people who needed it. Right now, Brook and Reese needed it, they were family and therefore they were already on the case.

  “I am sure you are, Mom, but what I meant was that Brooklyn and Reese are both going to be under protection as well as Ms. Maddie. We don’t know yet who shot Ms. Maddie or why, and until we do, we are going to need to make sure they are safe. That means they will be staying somewhere safe. Brooklyn is not going back to her home to get anything.”

  “I said we were on it,” my mother growled into the phone. “That means we are already taking care of things, Fin, you would think we had never done anything like this before. We know what she will need, Reese too, we will take care of it.”

  Chapter Four

  Brooklyn

  Reese and I sat in the family area waiting for the next time they allowed us the whopping ten minutes of visitation. We were only allowed in one at a time so we split the time at five minutes apiece. Outside of the room were two guards Tony had posted, and I knew there was another two outside of my mother’s room. Just the thought of someone trying to hurt my mother or brother made me sick to my stomach, none of this made sense to me.

  When we were first allowed to see our mom, I thought I was ready, but nope, nothing could have prepared me. She was pale. I’d never seen my mother look so small as she laid in the bed with the tubes running out of her chest. Never her, she’d always been larger than life. How was she going to cope during the recovery she had facing her? And where were we going to take her when she was released from the hospital? The police already said that her home wasn’t safe right now, at least until they figured out why she was shot. Whoever it was could try again, they said.

  Reese squeezed my shoulder, bringing me out of my head and back into the room. We may be alone right now, but we hadn’t been alone throu
gh all of this. The O’Malleys and the Roarks had both been here. Mia and her mom had brought clothes to change into, food to eat, and had taken time to make sure that we were coping well. It had been nice; we were going to need to make sure we sent the families a thank you gift. Our mother would, of course, insist.

  “Sis, are you having the same problem as me, wrapping your head around the fact our mother was shot and we damn near lost her? Fuck, we still could if complications set in. Jesus, who the hell would want to shoot her? She has given this community her heart and soul.”

  “There is no logic to it, Reese. She has helped so many around the area, no one ever has a bad thing to say about her. We have to believe she will make her way back a hundred percent, because she won’t accept anything less.”

  We sat quietly, each of us reflecting with our own thoughts. The time sitting around was wearing on us. I looked at Reese out of the corner of my eye, between the travel time and the waiting and worrying, he looked tired to the point of exhaustion. I know I was.

  I’d been exhausted since pulling myself together after I completely broke down in first Fin’s arms, then Reese’s. Fin O’Malley and Anthony Roark. They’d been handsome to a shy teenage girl; now, as grown men, they had to be every woman’s fantasy. When they’d had me between them, giving me comfort, I’d felt safe in their arms as though nothing else could touch me if I just stayed there. Even in the state of mind I was in when Fin had turned to open the door for Reese, I’d felt the loss of his warmth.

  Fin’s and Anthony’s lanky young men bodies sure had changed into the ultimate specimen of well-developed men. Fin with his close cut red hair, green eyes and broad shoulders, to Anthony’s dark brown hair and matching eyes. His body was muscular all over where Fin’s was more defined, which was probably a testament to the workouts of his previous profession. Both men were in shape no doubt. And how sweet they had been to take pity on a once awkward teenage who turned into an awkward adult.

  They had handled the police, well Reese had as well, but he had been more worried about seeing Mom. But afterward, Reese had demanded to know what was going on. I had as well but they hadn’t told me much, instead they had said the investigation was moving forward, the shooter was still not found, although they thought it had been gang related, which of course made sense because of what my mother did. The police had asked me questions about Mom—if someone had been bothering her, or if she had mentioned something or someone bothering her. She hadn’t. While this had gone on, I noticed both Fin, Tony, and Michael talking to Reese quietly in the corner. So far, my brother hadn’t told me what they had been talking about.

  “Visiting time,” the nurse’s voice caused both Reese and I to jump. Him from dozing, me out of my thoughts.

  “You go first, sis, then I will.”

  “Okay,” was all I had left in me to respond, the adrenaline was wearing off and I was going to be crashing soon.

  Waiting for her to wake up had worn on me to the point I had no idea what time it was or if it was a new day. Watching her chest rise and fall with each breath, I didn’t realize for a couple minutes that I was being watched until the hand I was holding squeezed mine ever so slightly. When I raised my eyes to my mother’s face she was staring at me. That was the moment I knew it may be a long recovery but she was going to make it.

  Something must have alerted the nurses because one walked up and began checking the machines still attached to my mom.

  “Ms. Maddie, you are awake. Good. The doctor has already been informed and is on the way. Welcome back,” the nurse spoke to my mom and I watched her eyes follow the nurse as she began turning off some of the machines.

  Tears pooled in my eyes and started to run down my cheeks, which drew my mom’s attention. She squeezed my hand again and tried to speak.

  “Ms. Maddie, don’t try to talk yet. Just relax and when the doctor gets here we will get you settled into a regular room if he gives the okay. Your body has been through a major trauma and needs time to bounce back.”

  The doctor walked in just as the nurse finished talking and I knew I was probably going to get kicked out of the room while they looked my mom over.

  “Ms. Macaroy, you’re going to have to step out while we check your mother over. If you will go back to the waiting area, we will notify you when we are done.” The doctor turned back to my mother and I left the room, following his orders.

  Reese was looking out the window when I walked back in the room but turned when I entered. I couldn’t talk so I smiled at him and I watched his face as the realization came to him.

  “Oh God, is she awake, Brook?”

  “Yeah, she hasn’t spoken but the doctor and nurse are checking her over and will come let us know when they are finished,” I heard the relief in my voice.

  “Thank fuck,” Reese said and ran his hands over his head, then walked forward and embraced me in his arms.

  Fin

  I stood and watched Xavier punch and kick the bag for the last fifteen minutes without taking a step from my spot. It had been one hellava of a night and I was back in my gym at six a.m. to open so my early guys could get in.

  Tony and I left the hospital after Brooklyn and Reese were sequestered to the family waiting area outside of ICU for their short visit time with Ms. Maddie, while trusted guards stood watch. The woman had gone through hours of surgery and placed in the ICU for monitoring until she woke up. We hung around until daybreak and left to open our businesses. Thank God I kept a change of clothes in the office because the hot shower I took before I unlocked the doors had felt fucking fantastic.

  “How you holding up, Fin?” When Xavier spoke, he pulled me out of my trance. I hadn’t even noticed he had stopped using the bag.

  “Yeah, just a long night. Franco was strapping on the gear; he should be ready for you. You’ve had a good workout this morning so no more than thirty minutes in the ring. Got me? Don’t push yourself. If you overexert the muscles, then you defeat the purpose of building them. That is when injures occur.”

  “I know, just excited. I can’t believe I am actually going to have an official title fight. Winning that last bout last month was… I got no words.” Xavier was an up and coming fighter who was looking toward his first major fight. It had taken me three years to get one of my guys trained and ready but it had been worth the time. They had local and some out of state tournament experiences but in MMA, getting the chance to fight for a title was huge. Everyone training and competing yet few get the chance. As I looked at Xavier now, compared to the first day he walked in, yeah, coming back opening up the gym and giving the young men in the neighborhoods a safe place to train or even get out some of their aggressions in structured atmosphere, my choice had been right.

  “Xavier, you remember the first day you came in here?”

  “Sure do. It was right after my mom died and I’d drove by on my way back from the hospital, the lights in the place caught my eye. Didn’t know what I was going to do without her, it had only been her and me after my dad walked out years before. Twenty-three then and working a menial job barely getting by and then suddenly left alone with no other family.” Xavier looked off and I knew he thought back to that day. So I gave him time to gather his thoughts before he continued.

  “Didn’t know how I was going to survive. The next day Ms. Maddie stopped by the apartment my mom and I lived in with food, and the offer to go with me to make the arrangements for my mom. In her way she got me talking about my future and what expectations I had then. After I told her I would have to look for a cheaper place to live now that I was by myself and didn’t make enough money to stay where I was, she spoke of Mr. Roark’s business and maybe I should apply there. Then she started reminiscing about the first time I was a teenager and my mom brought me by the Haven to talk with her about the trouble I had been getting into at school, fighting and shit. That was when Ms. Maddie hit me with You should check out the gym too. She informed me the guys worked out here and some had employment through
Tony’s security business. Took me a week to get here but every minute has been worth Ms. Maddie’s prodding. She has helped a lot of us over the years.”

  Just as Xavier finished speaking Tony walked up to us. “Franco’s in the ring, man. Go finish your workout. I will catch you later.”

  “Sure thing.” He walked off after giving Tony a head nod.

  “You ready to head back to the hospital and check in?” Tony looked as tired as I felt.

  “Yeah, let me inform Jamison he’s in charge until I get back.”

  “Okay, meet you at the truck.”

  Tony

  “They took her down to a regular room a few hours ago,” one of my guys said as Fin and I both looked worried when we discovered Ms. Maddie was gone. Damn, it sucked the first thing that ran through my mind was Ms. Maddie had taken a bad turn. Thank God I was wrong.

  Fin and I went down to the floor where Ms. Maddie had been moved and saw the men guarding the doorway like they should. Jet and Reed were two of my best. Both had come with me when I moved.

  “So far so good,” Jet said as I neared the door.

  I nodded and then Reed said, “Man, her daughter is like hot.”

  Fin almost growled, which of course reminded me we had not had a chance to talk yet. Shit.

  “Reed,” I said warningly and my employee just grinned.

  “Sorry, boss, just calling them like I see them. Hell, we aren’t the only ones who noticed. So far, an EMT who brought Ms. Maddie in and one of the policemen who is investigating have stopped by to talk to her. Trust me, they didn’t really come here for an update, they came here for that chick. She didn’t even blink twice at them.”