Kept by the Woodsman: An ex-MMA Fighter Mountain Man Romance

by Ambrielle Kirk

  “Then what?”

  “I owe some people some money.”

  “The banks?”

  He shook his head.

  “Who?”

  Peter rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, I’m not going to talk about this right now. And you could have called first to tell me you were coming to the city.”

  I shrugged. “You didn’t give me the same common courtesy when you sent Tyra to find me.”

  “You’re the one who was hiding from me,” he countered.

  “I wasn’t hiding from you. On the other hand, I didn’t exactly want to deal with your bullshit either,” I said. “What type of bullshit are you in exactly?”

  Peter said nothing.

  On a hunch, I leaned forward in my chair. “Don’t tell me you…” I stood up and stared Peter right in the eyes. “You’re still handling accounts for the syndicate, aren’t you?”

  Peter looked away.

  I blew out in frustration and put a couple feet between myself and my brother. “I warned you to cut ties with them before you got too deep. Why do you think I got out, huh?”

  “Well, brother...I actually like money. It’s what I do. I make money.”

  “See where it got you? Money isn’t everything. I learned that real quick.”

  He snorted. “Well, it’s a damn lie. If you’re living out in the woods like a Neanderthal, you don’t get to tell me I don’t need money.”

  “Are your dealings with the syndicate the reason why you’re so hellbent on getting at the trust fund father left us?” I asked.

  He said nothing, so I presumed it was the truth. It wasn't that long ago that I'd been in the same predicament, wanting to cut ties but without the resources to do so. But I worked my ass off until I could cut ties. And then I got the hell out of dodge before the temptation to fight again re-manifested itself.

  It was funny how things came around full circle. Peter was the one who had introduced me to a guy who got me in with the MMA fighting scene when we were just young men. My brother had known at the time that the whole organization was run by the syndicate, but he told me nothing about that. He'd been handling accounts for them back then and thought nothing of his little brother being initiated to do the dirty work. And that was precisely what had happened. I had been initiated to fight in competitions for the legit side of things while going after men for the syndicate on the side. My father never knew a thing about it. He just thought that one son was some kind of finance guru while all the other son knew how to do was fight dirty.

  “There’s one hundred grand in that trust fund. It’s enough,” Peter said.

  “Despite how much of a prick father was, he never intended for this to be a game. Even if that were the case, I’m not interested in playing it,” I told him. “When I get married, it’ll be on my terms.”

  “But it’s not a game. It’s the way things have to be.”

  “I think you’ve got shit backwards, bro. By the way, if you handled those accounts, why do you owe them?” I demanded.

  “I took out a cash loan from them to finance some other ventures. Those didn’t go so well.”

  "You're a dumbass. You have like five degrees and you couldn't use one of them to see that this was a bad idea, huh?"

  Peter slammed a box of electronics down on the floor. “Look, did you come here to berate me? Because if you did, you can get out. I’ll fix this myself.”

  “How much do you owe the syndicate?”

  “That’s none of your fucking business, Saul!”

  “Damn it, Peter!” I pounded my fist on the desk, sending a cloud of dust up in the air. “How much?”

  "Twenty-five grand."

  “Shit,” I cursed under my breath.

  “Like I said, I could’ve paid them, but then things started going sour with the firm,” he exclaimed.

  I pulled out my billfold from my back pocket and pulled a chair up to the desk. I found a couple blank checks and pulled one out.

  “What are you doing?” Peter asked, watching as I made the check out to him for the twenty-five grand.

  "What does it look like? Take care of your business and try not to get yourself in any more hot shit."

  "You just had twenty-five stacks lying around, bro?"

  I thrust the check at him. “Are you going take it or are you going to ask me stupid questions?”

  “Do you make this kind of dough out there on that mountain?” he asked, holding the check up to the light and examining it like it was a counterfeit.

  "No. I just save and spend my money wisely. It doesn't take that much thought either—something you told me I didn't have."

  “That was a long time ago when I said that. We all make mistakes.” Peter folded the check and tucked it into his wallet.

  “If you cash that check, you’re agreeing to get out now before it’s too late.”

  “How?”

  "First, you pay your debt. There's the twenty-five grand right there in your pocket. You don't leave the syndicate with debts. That'll give them a prime reason to hunt you down. They'll find you. They'll kill you. Second, you respect the business. Don't go running off at the mouth. The syndicate exists for a reason. If you try to expose them, they will crush you. Third, you keep your trap shut. That's how I got out and survived. They know I’m no threat and I damn sure don’t owe them one red cent.”

  “Alright.” Peter leaned on the desk and folded his arms across his chest. “I’ll take your advice for once. I’ll do it. I’ll cut ties.”

  I trusted that he would. If he wanted to stay alive, he would. If he truly loved money, he would. Tired of talking, I rose from the chair and said, “Now, you’re going to give me the information I need.”

  Peter’s lips turned upward in a cruel grin. “I know what this is about. Or should I say who…?”

  I put both hands on my waist and waited. I was getting impatient.

  “She’s probably around the city somewhere. I’ve seen her in town too. I’ve been meaning to go see if she wants to have dinner, chat, you know, just like old times.”

  I felt my own lips turning down into a scowl.

  “You know, little brother, I did have her first.”

  I closed the distance between us in a split second and found my fingers wrapped around Peter’s thick throat. He reddened instantly and clawed at my hand.

  “She’s mine,” I growled.

  It looked as if Peter was going to pass out before he gave me what I needed, so I let go of his throat.

  “Fine! Shit!” He panted, doubling over and clutching his neck.

  “Where did you see her?” I asked.

  Peter grabbed a pen and a piece of paper off his desk and scribbled an address on it. He thrust the paper at me. “Here! Good God, bro. Take it.”

  I snatched the paper from his hand. “Now that we’re clear, have a nice life,” I said, and then turned around and headed for the door.

  “Hey, Saul…?”

  I paused but didn’t turn back around.

  My big brother uttered two words that I had never ever heard come from his mouth. “Thank you.”

  I walked out of his office that day with no regrets.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Tyra

  I curled up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and the remote and flipped through a menu of new movie releases. Today had been exciting and tiring all at the same time. A photo shoot at a church had gone well, but now my legs and back were sore. I had been snacking all day at the event and then came straight home and ate a bunch of junk food. I needed to go grocery shopping stat with my appetite multiplying by the day.

  My feet were killing me and I was really looking forward to a day off tomorrow. No events. No client meetings. No training. I was going to take a break. For myself and this baby. I wondered if my instant bouts of fatigue had anything to do with my pregnancy. This was my first time, so I didn't know what to expect. My doctor had prescribed prenatal vitamins, and after running some blood tests, told
me everything looked normal.

  Someone rang the buzzer to the door of the townhouse. I nearly choked on a kernel because I wasn't expecting anyone, especially this time of night. Sometimes the UPS truck came through late in the evenings, but I didn't remember buying anything.

  I shuffled over to the window and guardedly pulled open the drapes. It was dark outside, but there was a figure standing at the door. I couldn't see them from this angle, so I used the peephole on the door to check. Whoever this person was, they were big. This time, the person knocked on the door.

  I pressed the little intercom system near the light switch in the foyer. “You can leave the package on the step.”

  “Tyra? Let me in. It’s Saul.”

  I gasped. My heart pounded as I whisked open the door in an instant.

  I couldn’t believe I was seeing him in the flesh. He was breathtakingly handsome in his jeans and fitted black shirt. His beard was trimmed just an inch or so shorter than I remembered. It was nice, giving him a cleaner look. His sleek, brown hair was also slicked back from his face.

  “Saul,” I whispered. It was all I could say with the way my heartbeat seemed like it was beating in my throat.

  “I want you back with me,” he said. “I need you.”

  My actions were impulsive as I threw myself into his waiting, receiving arms. I didn’t think. I followed the tide of my heart as it drifted to the metaphorical shore that stood before me in the form of Saul. He smelled so safe and familiar that I melted into his arms.

  “I need you, too, Saul. Oh my God, you don’t know how much I’ve missed you,” I breathed.

  "I'm here now," Saul whispered in my ear and caressed my hair and back. "I should've come sooner, but I'm here now."

  “Wait…” I stepped back to look at him again. “You came back to Traverse City to see me? You said you’ve never come back here.”

  He nodded, and his lips curled into an adorable smile. “Took a plane and all. It was my first time flying, but I needed to get here fast. I couldn’t wait another moment.”

  I threw myself back into his embrace. “Come in.”

  He pulled the door closed behind us and glanced around in my townhome. “This looks like you. This is all you. Nice.”

  I chuckled. “It’s okay. Not as scenic as the mountains, but I manage.”

  He turned his attention back to me and stroked my cheek with his enormous and calloused thumb. I missed his tongue. The feel of his skin rubbing mine. The warmth of his body when I lay next to him.

  I rose on the tips of my toes and pressed my open mouth to his. Our tongues joined with a fiery, blinding urgency. His soul-searching kiss set my whole body aflame.

  I parted from the kiss for a moment, but he dropped gentle kisses against my neck and shoulders.

  “Saul, I’m sorry,” I said. “I shouldn’t have told you.”

  “Yes, sweetheart. You should have. I forgive you. I won’t hold it against you.”

  “You have a heart of gold, Saul,” I whispered.

  “Only for you. You’re my woman now. You’re the mother of my child.”

  I swooned as he picked me up and carried me to the couch. He gently set me down and pressed his lips to mine. Tingles of pleasure erupted through my veins.

  “I missed your touch,” I breathed as he felt beneath my shirt. His fingers grazed across my belly, sending spikes of blissful pleasure through my core.

  “Somethings changed,” I began, pushing myself up into a sitting position.

  Saul looked wounded. “Is everything alright?”

  “Well…” I trailed off and cleared my throat, pushing my hair behind my ear. “I actually need to tell you something. It’s big.”

  "What is it? You're not going to tell me that you're not coming back with me, are you?" He asked in a concerned voice. His brow furrowed, and his bottom lip poked out with unease. "I mean because I can try…I can try to live here, but…" He shook his head.

  I took his hand. “No, I’d never ask you to move from those beautiful mountains back to this polluted place. I know how much you love it there. You belong in the mountains, Saul. That’s so you.”

  “But I want you in the mountains with me.”

  “I’ll go back with you.”

  “Then tell me. What’s changed?” He gently cradled my chin in his hand and pushed my head up so that I’d have no choice but to look him in the eye.

  “I’m pregnant,” I confessed in one breath.

  Saul was silent for a moment. His eyes widened as his gaze traveled down to my belly and then back up again.

  “You’re pregnant?” he repeated.

  I nodded. “I thought you’d want nothing to do with me. I was scared. I mean, I still am. I thought you’d take my baby. I—”

  Saul reclaimed my lips, this time with enormous, desperate passion. He held the back of my head and ran his hands through my hair. When we finally came up for air, he was grinning like a euphoric man in paradise.

  “Are you happy?” I chuckled anxiously.

  “I can’t believe my luck,” Saul chimed. “I’m going to be a daddy.”

  “Yes. You’ll be a daddy.”

  He bent down and kissed my belly through the fabric. “You don’t know how happy I am right now,” he exclaimed.

  “Me too. I’m so excited.”

  “And I’d never take your baby away from you. Our baby. This is ours. We're going to raise our baby together." Saul pressed his hand to my stomach that would begin to swell in the next few months. "I'll dedicate my life to you and my baby. Remember the future we talked about?"

  “The one where we get married and have at least six kids?”

  “Yes, that one.”

  I brought his lips down to mine and kissed him. “I want that. Do you know what else I want?”

  “Anything for you, sweetheart.”

  “A white picket fence constructed by my expert woodsman with his big bare hands.” I blushed, letting my gaze settle on his mouth as it turned into a smile.

  “Now that…I can do. Do you know what else this expert woodsman is going to do with his bare hands?” he asked, sliding his hands under my skirt and moving them his palm along my thigh.

  “I can think of a few things.” I parted my thighs, allowing him to settle between my legs. My skirt was bunched up at my hips by the time he lowered his mouth to me.

  “Mmmm, just a few?” He pressed wet roving kisses all over my belly and then moved lower toward my pussy.

  “I’ve been missing you so much…I missed this,” I proclaimed.

  “You and I both. Spread those sexy thighs, sweetheart. You left your man alone in the woods and took all his treats away. Now I’m famished.”

  I giggled and then gasped as he hooked my leg over his shoulder, slid my panties aside, and tongued my clit.

  “Wait,” I called out.

  He glanced up. “More secrets?”

  "No, there aren't any more secrets, Saul. I just want you to know that I love you."

  His whole face warmed. “I love you too, sweetheart.”

  Epilogue

  Saul

  One year and a half later

  I rose my ax high in the air and slammed it down into the tree trunk in front of me. The ground vibrated beneath my boots from the impact. I wiped away the sweat and snowflakes from my brow that had collected there while hacking at the lumber. Our forecasters had predicted another foot of snow for the Arrow Lake repeated and I hated being unprepared. Good thing I had everything I needed out here. I didn’t have to ride to the edge of town to bundles of woods. I collected my own.

  I grabbed the pile of logs beside me and trudged across the snow toward my cabin. I stacked some of them on the back porch against the side of the cabin and then carried a few more inside the house. When I entered my home, a warmness blanketed me. I breathed in the pungent scent of cinnamon and nutmeg, which reminded me that the holidays were right around the corner.

  My twin toddlers were nowhere in sight, so I figu
red they were napping in their rooms. All their toys had been put away, secured neatly in a four-foot long box I made for them with my bare hands. My wife, Tyra, was humming a familiar jingle from the kitchen. I caught a whiff of some other spices and realized that she was baking. Again. My belly rumbled as my appetite roused. I grinned, pulled off my boots, and peeled out of my snowsuit and an outer layer of clothing.

  I picked up and carried the logs over to the fireplace and threw a few pieces into the fire, stoking the flames. As I rose, a picture of our beautiful family sat on the mantle. When we took the photo, Tyra had just given birth to my twin boys and we were newly engaged. One of the kids down at the trading post had snapped the shot for us, using Tyra's equipment. Tyra was an excellent teacher, already showing some of the town's kids how to capture their favorite moments. It meant the world to me that Tyra was happy. She had slowed down a bit with the photography gigs in Arrow Lake after having our twins. I was elated to have her home with me, but I knew she still had the urge to pursue her photography career.

  We turned part of the basement into a studio for her and whenever she wasn't tending to our babies—or me for that matter—she would spend her time down there developing her pictures. She'd made quite a bit of money selling her nature shoots. Apparently, foreigners loved the mountain views and candid shots of animals at play. She captured it all. But what could I say? Tyra was a natural at it. Photography suited her.

  I admired the photo on the mantle thinking about the events that led us here. The words ‘The Krewe Family' were engraved on the left-hand side of the picture, along with the season and year. Both of the babies were asleep. Tyra looked like an angel. I was actually smiling in the picture. Before that, I had never smiled for photos. Heck, I used to hate pictures. Especially from all the tabloids and news reporters before and after fights. But that all seemed like a long time ago—before I met Tyra Dublin, the love of my life.

  I walked into the kitchen just as she was swaying her hips to the slow tune. I wrapped my hands around her waist and pressed a kiss into her shoulder.