Fighting to Start

by S. L. Ziegler

  “You can show me your tits whenever you’re ready—you know, to pay me back.”

  “Reed.”

  “Damn, thought I would try. Can I at least get the money shot later?”

  I laugh at him. He’s certainly all boy! “You can have your money shot if it means that much to you. Only because this has been the best day ever, baby. I mean, the best.”

  We sit cuddled in the corner, watching Atlanta in the background.

  “Are you sure it’s okay if Lucy comes over? I don’t want Loki to get pissed. Has he even been around cats? Oh no, what if he attacks her?” Reed convinced me to bring Lucy over to his house and I didn’t want her to be alone anymore, so it made perfect sense. But now my visions of them playing with each other are clouded with a vision of a sixty-pound dog licking his lips after eating my sweet cat.

  “When I take him to the vet, he always likes them.”

  Somehow, that doesn’t keep me from freaking out. Lucy is all I had for a long time and I don’t want anything to happen to her. Reed pets Lucy under her chin and she crawls, melting into his lap.

  “See, she loves me already!”

  “I don’t know how you did it. It’s crazy, she hates everyone but me. She used to chase Courtney around the house if she got close to her, but you pet her once and she forgets all about her mommy. Just you wait, Lucy will come over to my side.” And she will, even if I have to break out the catnip and her favorite treats. Damn traitor. Then again, I would crawl in his lap if I could.

  I pull on the bill of his hat, reminding me of something. “Do you still wear that red hat? I haven’t watched a fight since that crotch rot thing.”

  “Sure do, every fucking fight. You were wrong, though—it doesn’t bring me luck. That’s always been you.”

  I take his hat off and start rubbing his shaved head. “Why, I haven’t been to a fight since Columbus. So how could I bring you luck?”

  “Babe, it’s always been you, fucking always. Every single damn fight, I hit my chest two times, for you, fucking twice for us. Because those birds are us. You were always there with me, even if I didn’t fucking know it. Hadley, you’re my good-luck charm, my rabbit’s foot, my four-leaf clover. You’re my fucking juju. You are. Not a fucking red hat. You!”

  My chest ached every single time I’d watched. I felt him, felt us. “So, I’m your juju?”

  Reed laughs. “Yep, you’re my fucking juju, babe.”

  “Reed, please!”

  The moment I am about to explode, we both turn our head to the closed door at the sound of a cat hissing and a dog barking.

  “Damn cock-blocking animals,” Reed mumbles against my back. “So…where were we at? Oh yes, I think I was just about to make you come.” Sounds of the animals fades in the background as I explode over and over and Reed gets his money shot.

  When he is finally done with me, he opens the door and Loki and Lucy come into his room. Loki goes to his bed on the floor and Lucy climbs on him, snuggling into the side of his neck. They quickly fall to sleep.

  “See, babe? I’m always fucking right, they get along,” Reed says, pulling me into him while I lay my head on his chest and throw my leg over his body.

  “I wouldn’t go that far. But I could get used to this, Reed. I love you.”

  “Me too, babe. And that’s the plan, Hads. That’s always been the plan.”

  I kiss Reed’s tattoo and drift off to a peaceful sleep, safe in his arms.

  Chapter 21

  Reed

  “Thanks, Matt, but why the fuck didn’t she tell me? That’s bullshit. He was there in your parents’ kitchen, alone with my girl. Hadley dropped about thirty plates on the ground. Bastard had her shaking like a leaf. The fucker was saying something about making good on his promises. Hads’ whole body tensed when she saw him, and her ass lied to me about it. I can fucking protect her.” I’m fuming. I knew I should have pushed her harder.

  “Your reaction is probably why she didn’t say anything. She knows you would do something to him. Or, hell, maybe she doesn’t trust you yet. You thought about that? Been together for what, a week and you think Hadley will just open right back up to you? She’s closed off and no matter what she says, you are going to have to earn everything you get from her. And don’t you dare go and get pissed at her for telling me instead of you. If you push her, she will push you back and it won’t help anything.”

  “But, Matt, she’s gotta trust me with this. She went to you and Bennett’s friend with this shit instead of the person she’s with. It’s fucked up.” Hadley confirmed everything to Matt and it hits my fucking balls.

  “You’re pissed because she came to us about it, not you. I get it, but don’t lie to yourself—it’s your pride that’s hurt the most. You’ve been gone for a while and she only had Courtney and me to help her, and now she has James. Just be glad she is going to someone because for a long time, she wouldn’t even do that. Bennett changed her—he manipulated her against all of us for a long time. She only started pushing back when Mom got cancer. We tried to talk to her about it, but she would close herself off again if we ever brought it up, so we let it go. He never really cared about her so it has to be something else, but I don’t understand what. Hell, maybe he wanted her money now that we know he’s broke.”

  “Matt, we will do something about this. He laid his hands on my fucking girl.”

  “And we will, but we just have to be patient and find all the stuff out. Hadley made it clear that he will ruin you.”

  “I don’t give a fuck about any of it. He wants my career, he can fucking take it. He won’t hold that shit over her. That’s mine and mine alone.” Fucking asshole making Hadley scared about what would happen to me.

  “And if you do that, it will kill Hadley, you know it. Just hold off for a couple of weeks. We will find out everything we need to know and deal with it. If this isn’t good enough for you, I won’t tell you anything else she comes to me with.” Fucking Matt and him being right.

  “Okay, but you have two weeks to get your shit in order or I’m going after him.”

  “Reed, think about this before you do anything. I’ll let you know if she tells me something new and you make those calls to find out if they heard anything else about him.” Matt hangs up on me.

  “Shit, you’re telling me Bennett knew what you really did to your face? How? This makes no sense to me. Yeah, he wants to be a controlling dick toward Hadley, but I don’t know. I can’t put my finger on it…something’s not right.”

  “Dude, Lance, I know and I can’t seem to shake any of this shit, either. Hadley not telling me fucks with me, but I get it. She’s dealing with this because the ass is holding my shit over her head. Matt made me fucking promise I wouldn’t go after him till we have all the facts, but it’s fucking killing me, man. I feel like less of a man not doing at least something to him. If I just let the fucking cops handle all this shit with Corey…I could do something. He messed with my girl. Laid his fucking hands on her. He backhanded her—that’s a bitch-ass move for a bitch-ass so-called man. I should be over there right now beating him senseless, having him beg me to stop instead of taking this out on this fucking bag. He is a lucky son of a bitch that I love Hadley more than I hate him.”

  I swing my arm up to the speed bag, going as fast as I can. I’ve been hitting anything and everything at the gym since Matt told me two days ago what happened between Hadley and Bennett. I have to control every piece of anger I have inside me when I get around her because she doesn’t need to deal with any other shit. Hadley has enough to deal with and it takes about everything in my power to not go and kill that fucker. Something is up since there’s no way he would know where I was or that Hadley helped me, unless he has some kind of tail on us, but even that seems so out there I haven’t given that idea much thought. He came over to her place and laid his hands on her because of me. Fucking piece of shit coward couldn’t come to me with his problem…no, that fucker had to hit my girl to prove to himself his dic
k is bigger. He’s got another thing coming if he really thinks I’m going to let him get away with this. I will give up anything for Hadley—fighting, every cent I have to my name, anything to protect her.

  What would he even have to gain? I know nothing about him, and maybe that’s the problem. Bennett seems to know everything about me. I have to one-up him if I even want to come close to playing this game with him.

  “Lance, can you call Bash? See if he found out anything new? I want him to pull everything he knows on the good Bennett Norton and I want everything about him. I’m talking from his fucking shoe size to how he takes his damn coffee. I will pay him double than what I have been if he gets it here within the week.” I gave him a call the first time Matt talked to me but, somehow, Bennett is one step ahead. Not anymore.

  “On it, Reed.” Lance gets his phone out and steps out of my private gym that I made for my training. I’m on fire. With all the shit going on, I swear, I have never been more ready for a fight than I am right now. Between my three-a-days and the pure anger wanting to kill Bennett with my bare hands, I have never been so sure about winning in my life. I’m going to sweep the floor with Redman and love every damn minute of it.

  “Hey, sexy baby, what are you doing up there looking so damn hot?” I stop mid-punch at the annoying sound that is wafting through my gym like a bad odor, her voice like nails on a fucking chalkboard. How the hell did I ever carry on a conversation with her, let alone have sex with that noise?

  “What the fuck are you doing here, Krystal? Weren’t you suppose to go back to Vegas to screw someone else with money and leave me the hell alone?”

  She looks hurt, but this bitch can’t fool me, any feelings Krystal had, she buried long ago with the first set of boobs. “Riker, you sound almost jealous of other guys touching me. I like that, it’s hot. I knew you would be bored with that homely-looking girl. It shouldn’t be too much longer till you come running back to be between my legs. I’ll stay here so when you call, I will be right there. I know when you get horny you like me ready. I have no clue what you see in her anyway—she looks so… I don’t know how to say it somewhat nice… Oh, I know, so plain.”

  I’ve had enough of this shit from her. I jump down the stairs and go straight to Krystal, getting in her face. “Listen to me, Hadley has more on you in one of her real fucking boobs than you will ever have in both your fake tits combined. Just fucking leave, I won’t be calling you again. I promise you that.”

  Krystal’s evil smile comes out. “Whatever you say, Riker baby. You should know about my chest anyway, you were the one that paid for them after all. What was it that you said last time we were together? Oh, I remember, that you could fuck my tits all day long, the best you ever had, right before you came all over them. Does she even know about us? I mean, really know about us?”

  Oh, hell, three years ago and one fucking huge mistake. “No, she doesn’t and you won’t tell her. She has enough to deal with right now, and so help me God, if you say one fucking word or get within hundred feet of Hadley, I will tell Daily everything you told me about what he does on the side to make extra money.”

  Krystal’s eyes bug out of her head. Bitch totally forgot she opened her fucking mouth about Daily and the bets he makes on the fights. It would ruin him and her at the same time. “You wouldn’t do that to him. You look up to him. I know you, Riker.”

  “Do you really want to fucking try me? If you so much as get in the same room as Hadley, nothing you can do or say will stop me from singing like a fucking bird to anyone that will listen. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have more important things to do than dealing with you. I’m dead serious—don’t you dare tell her anything. Now leave, and I hope the door hits your ass on the way out.”

  “Whatever, Riker.” Krystal stomps out of my gym, throwing a temper tantrum any four-year-old would be jealous of. How did I ever get close to that bitch?

  Hadley

  “Hey, Daddy, where are you at?” I yell out in my parents’ foyer. My dad has been doing okay, as well as he can be after losing his soul mate. But I need to make sure he stays away from the scotch that he’s been turning to. Like father like daughter I guess.

  “In here, baby girl.”

  I walk toward his voice and find my dad sitting in the movie room, watching old movies of my mom. I sit right next to him and lean into his side.

  I point up to the screen where a much younger version of my mom is walking around our house in Vail the day my dad first surprised her with it. “I remember that day like it was yesterday. She was so excited and said most girls get surprised with flowers, but you always had to one-up all of them and give Mom her dream house. Gosh, she loved going there, didn’t she?”

  I give my dad’s leg a squeeze. I can’t imagine what he must going through, they were supposed to grow old together, watch their grandkids play outside while they sat there, and pass away together while holding hands. But life had another idea, and here my dad is alone, left only with memoires. I’m missing her more and more each day.

  “I loved how she was always happy about anything, just life. She just took everything bad and made it into something good. You know, Hadley, I miss her so much, but I am glad she is gone.”

  I turn and give my dad a strange look.

  “No, baby girl, not like that. I am just glad she isn’t in any pain. I am sure your mom hid a lot of how bad she was feeling from us because that’s who she was, didn’t want us to worry about her. At the end, I would just sit by her and couldn’t even touch her because the pain had gotten so bad. It broke me because it was breaking her. I could see it in her eyes. So now it’s nice to know that she will never have that kind of pain again.” Dad lifts his arm and pulls me tightly into the side of him. We sit there quietly, watching home movie after home movie of my mom.

  “Dad, do you know where the pictures of me when I was first adopted are?”

  I feel him go stiff. “Hadley, you may hate me, but they were lost when we moved down here. But they may be in the house in Vail. We had some boxes shipped there when we sold the house in Columbus.”

  I feel a stab in my heart and the thought of those pictures being lost. I never saw them and Mom always said that when I get older, she would show them to me. I know it’s because my birth parents must be in some of them. “Hopefully, I can go out there and look for them.”

  “Hopefully.” My dad nods. “You and Reed, huh?” What a great subject change. I really hoped I wouldn’t have to go over this with him yet.

  “Yep, I guess. I don’t know really. With everything these two weeks have brought, he held me together and was so strong for me when I couldn’t be. Let me break down and he never said anything about it. I love him, Daddy, so much, but with our past, I feel like the other shoe is going to drop anytime. If that makes sense.”

  “Yes, I do know, baby girl, better than you think. I am glad he was there for you when you needed him, when the rest of us were wrapped up in our own grief. Just promise me you will be careful with him. You both need to be a hundred percent honest with each other from now on. Can’t have this new part of your relationship being ruined by your past relationships while you were apart.”

  I should tell him what happened, what I’m holding on to, but I can’t—it would change everything between us. I feel something happening between Reed and me, and it’s stronger than I could ever imagine. I just don’t understand any of it yet. The love we have is stronger than any reason inside me, and stepping back into us scares the living shit out of me. But maybe, just maybe, in a good way.

  We turn off the home movies and decide to turn on some old classic film that my dad wants to watch. Two hours later, after making my dad dinner and eating with him, it was time for me leave. It was nice to see my dad beginning to heal, even if it’s slow. One step at a time for him, for all of us.

  I pull into my driveway only to see Courtney on my front steps, crying her eyes out. I throw my car in park and run straight to her. I think I have only seen
Court cry a total of ten times since we have been friends, and I know this has to be bad.

  “What’s wrong, Court?”

  She looks up at me and her eyes are so swollen from the tears that my heart instantly hurts for her. “Can we just go inside? I need to talk to you about something and I may need your help.”

  “Of course, girl. Come on.”

  I offer her my hand to help her up and lead her into my living room. She sits down on my couch and has even more tears in her eyes than before. I walk away and get her some tissues, and as soon as my back is turned, Courtney says, “I think I’m pregnant.” I stop mid-stride—that was the last thing I would have thought to be the reason for all of this. She has been basically a nun since we moved here and has always been super responsible when it came to sex.

  “How? I mean, I know how, but…. What? You were always so careful.”

  Courtney stands up and starts walking toward her purse, pulling a pregnancy test out of it. “I know, but with Lance back…we went crazy. I don’t know, we just changed from what we were before. I can’t explain it, but I love him and he says he loves me. The whole thing is all happening so fast. We only officially became a couple the night of the gala. Before that, let’s say we gave into what’s between our legs more than what’s in our skulls and weren’t very careful a couple of times. I got off birth control because I wasn’t having sex with anyone so I figured, why take it? God, I’m so stupid. What the hell? Lance is going to think I did this on purpose to trap him. This baby will be doomed before it’s even born.” A distant, sad look crosses Courtney’s eyes.

  I grab both her arms so she can only focus on me. “Okay, stop all this. Take the test. Then—and only then—we can talk about what may or may not be in your belly. Court, even if you are, Lance loves you. You guys will figure it all out together. I know.”

  Courtney gives me a small smile and goes into my guest bathroom.