Brooklyn's Baddest: A Bad Boy Fighter Romance

by Susan Westwood

  “Got you when you least expected it, didn’t I? Yeah… you’re going to get that again, and then this match is going to be mine, and that title is going to be mine, and that woman over there… Lisa… she will be mine, too.” He gloated gleefully in his hit, and Jake was silent, waiting and watching again.

  Corbin began to circle, and Jake decided to change things up. He stopped circling and stood perfectly still in place. He knew that the best way to defeat Corbin was to let him get so frustrated that he came to Jake, and the best way to do that, he decided, was to stand still and let him come. That was exactly what Corbin did. A look of confusion came over the other man’s face as Jake stood there stock still, poised, waiting silently and watchfully. Corbin made a couple of faux moves to see if Jake would flinch or move, but Jake was as still as a statue, as still as one in deep meditation.

  Corbin grew restless and finally became agitated, commenting on anything he could think of to insult Jake, to annoy and anger him, to enrage him, but Jake stood still and silent, and everything passed around him and over him. Nothing touched him. Nothing fazed him. At long last, Corbin growled in outrage again and vaulted for Jake, aiming for his ribs once more.

  It was all like slow motion to Jake. He ducked down instantly when Corbin neared him, almost in a squat on one leg while the other leg shot up and he jammed his heel into Corbin’s chest once more, following him again like a shadow, and the moment Corbin hit the floor, Jake landed both fists, hardened and positioned side by side, directly into Corbin’s chest. There was another crack and pain shot across Corbin’s face as he howled in agony, but that was the last thing he did.

  A moment later the pain was too much for Corbin to take and he passed out. Jake rose slowly and quietly, and stood over Corbin, looking down at his nemesis and feeling overwhelming peace. The entire arena had been dead silent, but as Jake closed his palms together in front of his chest and made a bow to the unconscious loser at his feet, the entire audience erupted in shouts of joy and it wasn’t until that moment that Jake looked up and gazed around him, and the truth sunk into his mind.

  He had won the competition. He had defeated Corbin, and it was over. The referees hurried over and one of them lifted Jake’s hand high in the air while the others tended to Corbin. A minute later he was presented with a trophy and given a championship belt.

  Masahiro and Koichi rose up from their seats and Lisa rushed toward him, wrapping her arms around him when she reached him, holding him tightly.

  “Congratulations!” she cried out happily. “You did it! I’m so proud of you! You did it!” She laughed and cried, and together they made their way through the crowds and reporters and flashing cameras to Masahiro and Koichi.

  Jake handed his trophy and belt to Lisa, and bowed humbly to both of his Masters, who each bowed to him in return.

  Masahiro looked at him proudly. “Congratulations on your win, Jake Allen, and thank you for bringing such a great honor to our dojo.”

  Jake shook his head. “I never could have done without you, Master Masahiro, and you, Master Koichi,” he said, looking at them both earnestly. Then he turned toward Lisa. “I never would have had the chance without you. Thank you, all three of you, so much. It was all three of you who made this possible.”

  Koichi grinned. “Well, we made it possible, but you are the one who made it happen. Well done, Jake. You have reached your goals. You are the champion. Congratulations!”

  Muldoon and Evan were both waiting to offer their heartfelt happiness as well, and Jake introduced both of them to his friends from the dojo. Evan was especially glad to finally meet Lisa. Bonnie made her way through the crowd and more introductions were made as she met Jake and his friends. It was a truly joyous group, but the group was growing.

  Reporters and businessmen in suits began to pull Jake’s attention away from his friends and he finally gave them what they were after. Seemingly endless photographs and conversations, requests for interviews and meetings, and then one of the sponsors of the competition gave Jake a check for his win, and he stared at it as it was put into his hands. It was made out to him in the amount of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

  None of it seemed real to him, even after they finally left the arena and were riding on the quiet train back to Brooklyn. Jake sat still most of the way, letting it all soak in, and both of the older men seemed to know that he needed the quiet time. They left him to his own thoughts, and Lisa slept on his shoulder, her hand closed in his.

  Jake stared out of the window and wondered at the incredible changes that his life had taken.

  When Lisa and Jake made it home that night, they only talked a little, and he told her about all of the offers he had received from businessmen at the event. They wanted him to endorse things for them and do commercials and television shows and interviews. He hadn’t realized that there would be so much publicity, but he understood that he had become the underdog champion against a much loathed jackass, and the rewards and celebrity status he had achieved were going to change everything in his life.

  He laid beside Lisa that night and thought about everything until sleep stole him away finally.

  *

  When Jake awoke in the morning, he discovered that he was alone in bed, and he got up, walking through the house looking for Lisa. He didn’t find her right away, but he was surprised when he did. She was out near the water garden in her backyard, sitting with a cup of tea in her hands, gazing at the koi fish swimming lazily before her. He walked over to her and sat down beside her.

  Lisa looked up at him and knew that it was time to tell him. He smiled at her and leaned over, giving her a kiss, and making it that much more difficult for her to say what she needed to say to him. “Jake…” she began, hoping she could find the courage to speak the words in her heart. “We have to talk.”

  Looking at her expectantly, he smiled a little and shrugged. “Okay, so talk,” he said simply. “What’s going on?”

  She drew in a long slow breath and let it out gradually. “Well, you’ve proven yourself to Masahiro and to Koichi, and the rest of the world,” she grinned and then continued, “so… if you want to call off the engagement, you could.”

  Jake frowned. He hadn’t thought of that at all, and hearing her say it left a cold hole in his chest. “Well…. I uh… we don’t have to call anything off right away, I mean… yeah, I proved myself to them, but… this is working out alright like this… isn’t it? I mean, unless you want to call it off. If you want your house back and you want me out of here, well… I can go, but it seems like things are going pretty well. Do you want me to leave?” he asked cautiously, his eyes locked on hers, almost afraid to hear her answer.

  She sighed and shook her head. “It’s not that, Jake. It’s not that at all. I love having you here, in fact… I love having you here so much that I don’t want you to leave. I love… I love you, Jake. I can’t help it. I have fallen in love with you and there’s no getting over that for me.”

  He looked at her in amazement, eyes wide, and a grin began to spread over his face. “You love me? You do?” he laughed happily and reached up to touch her cheek softly. “I love you too. I have for a while. I just didn’t think you felt like that about me.” He leaned toward her to kiss her, but she turned her face away from him.

  He stopped short and looked at her in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

  Biting her lower lip, she told herself that it was time. Lisa looked back at him and furrowed her brow slightly. “It’s not just me, here, Jake. I’m… I’m pregnant.” She waited in silence. There were birds chirping and the fountain at the other end of the water garden bubbled, but there was no sound nor movement between her and Jake for a long moment.

  He blinked, finally, and gave his head a shake. “What? What did you say?”

  Taking a deep breath, she spoke the words again. “I’m… well, we’re pregnant.” She needed to make him see that it wasn’t just her.

  Jake pushed himself up to a standing posit
ion in an instant, and stared down at her in horror. His heart pounded in his chest and a rush of blood flooded his ears so that he couldn’t hear anything but his own heartbeat.

  “No…” he whispered.

  She nodded and watched him. He shook his head and took a few steps backward before turning and bolting from the garden, and then from the house, grabbing his car keys on the way. He raced out to his car and in no time at all he was driving toward his old neighborhood.

  Jake’s mind was a tangle of confusion and fear. She couldn’t be pregnant, he told himself. Thoughts of his own father leaving him ripped at the edges of his heart. Thoughts of his mother dying tore at him and his heart bled for her all over again. His parents… the loss of his parents had made him vow to himself that he would never have children. He wasn’t ready to settle down. He was just beginning his fighting career. He was just beginning his whole life… the good part of his life, he told himself. This was no time for a kid and a relationship with a woman.

  Waiting at a stoplight, he grabbed his cell phone and sent a text to Evan, asking him to meet him at his house. Evan texted back that he would be there. The light turned green and Jake floored it to the driveway beside his rented home. He parked the car and got out of it, slamming the door behind him and swearing.

  The old woman sitting in her rocking chair on her front porch next door to him shot him a dirty look and he turned away from her, gasping and wheezing. Panic flooded through him and he bent at the waist and planted his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

  A minute later, Evan pulled up in his car and hurried out of it over to Jake, closing his arm over Jake’s back. “Hey man, what’s going on? Are you okay?” he asked Jake worriedly.

  Jake held his hands over his stomach and heart and slowly stood back up, trying to breathe. Evan walked him carefully to the front steps leading off the porch, and they sat side by side. “No…” Jake gasped as he tried to steady his heartbeat and his breathing. “I’m not okay.”

  Evan looked panicked as well. “What is it? Do you need me to call someone? You need an ambulance or something?”

  Jake shook his head, still holding his hand over his heart. “No… I just… damn it!” he swore again and then buried his face in his hands. He took long slow breaths and made himself find some balance. It was all he knew how to do in moments without control. Gradually, he calmed himself and sat up, lowering his hands from his face. Evan was watching him closely, waiting for him.

  “Lisa’s pregnant with my kid.” Jake finally managed to say. The words sounded alien to him as they crossed his lips, and he couldn’t believe the truth of them, even out of his own mouth.

  Evan’s jaw dropped open. “What? Are you serious? You’re… you’re going to be a dad? Holy crap.” A small smile began to curl on Evan’s mouth and he clapped his hand on Jake’s shoulder. “That’s amazing bro, congrats. I can’t believe it.” Evan shook his head and turned away from Jake for a moment, pushing his hands down into his pockets and then turning to face his best friend with a wide grin. “That’s the best news ever bro! I’m so happy for you!”

  Jake frowned and stared up at Evan, standing before him. “How can you say that? What in the hell are you talking about? I was never going to have kids! I don’t want to be a dad! What in the hell am I going to do with a kid?”

  Evan blinked, and realization came over his face, but he shook his head. “You’re an idiot, Jake.” He finally said, reaching forward and closing his hand around Jake’s arm. “Get up. Get your ass up off that step and come with me.” He pulled Jake to his feet, and Jake followed Evan into the house. Evan unlocked it with the key he had as a spare.

  They stepped into the living room and Evan turned to face Jake. “You idiot. What in the hell are you going to do here? Are you going to keep living here? Are you going to stay here for the rest of your life? Living in this dump? Working at the garage? Going to fights now and then? NO. You are not. Your life is changing, brother. Look around you. This isn’t your place anymore. This is not where you belong anymore. You belong in that dojo, learning karate.

  You belong with those two old Japanese guys. You belong with that lady of yours…. The one you told me that you’re engaged to? Yeah, you belong with her. She loves you, bro, I saw it. She really loves you. You don’t even know how good you have it. You’re on top of the world! You have Lisa, and now you’re going to have a kid. You’re going to have a family! Damn it Jake! Think about that!”

  Evan walked around the room and waved his arm around him, indicating the sparse walls and furniture. Jake had taken nearly everything he owned out of it when he had moved in with Lisa. “Dude, you don’t even live here anymore! You live with her. You have a chance at a life, Jake, at a real life. A good life. Hell, I’d give my right arm to have what you have! You’re a champion now, you have money, and you have a career in fighting!

  You have a gorgeous woman who loves you and you have a kid on the way! What the hell else could you possibly ask for, huh? It doesn’t get any better than that! What… are you going to come back here and live like a miserable rat for the rest of your life, or are you going to grab that amazing life you’ve found and hold on tight to it? Both hands, you son of a bitch, you better grab onto her and that kid of yours, and that unbelievable life that’s waiting for you and don’t you ever let go of it, or I’ll beat your ass myself!” Evan was shouting by that point.

  Jake stared at him and every word that his best friend spoke found its way into his head and into his heart. Swallowing his tears back, he shook his head. “I just… I didn’t expect any of that, Evan. I didn’t. Now look what I have!”

  Evan glared at him. “You have it all, Jake! You have the whole dream, right in your hands, and what are you going to do, walk away from all of that? Don’t be a jerk!”

  Shaking his head, Jake’s voice was quiet as he spoke. “What if I screw it up?”

  Evan knew just what he was talking about. His best friend walked toward him and looked him straight in the eye. “Jake, you are not your father. You are not a low life failure, unless you walk out on Lisa, just like your old man walked out on you. You have a chance to make your whole life and everything about yourself different from him, from that dirt bag who left you and your mom. Don’t you dare do what he did and leave Lisa.

  You have a choice to make. You can chicken out and be just like your father, or you can be the man I know you really are, and you can own up to the incredible opportunities that your life is offering you. I know if it was me, there would be no question. I’d take everything you have in a second, but that choice isn’t mine.”

  He turned then, and walked toward the door. “You know what, why you don’t have a look around here, Jake. Take a long close look at your life here and you decide what’s right for you. You call me and let me know what you decide. I’ll be waiting, just like everyone else, for you to make up your mind about who you really are and what is really most important to you.”

  With that, Evan turned and walked out of the door, letting it slam behind him. Jake heard him get in his car, and he heard the car pull away and drive down the street. He looked around him slowly at the room he was in, and then he walked from that room into the other rooms of the house, really looking at them and considering what his life had been while he had lived here, and he compared it to what his life had become.

  He realized that there was no comparison. He had no life before. He had nothing before, and Lisa had changed that. Lisa had given him everything. Now she was going to give him a child, and he had the choice to turn that opportunity into a real family. His own family, and it could be a future that he had never allowed himself to imagine. It was real, and it was in his hands, if he didn’t screw up and lose it.

  Panic washed through him again as he thought of how he had reacted to her news, and how he had left her, just like his father had left his mother and him. With a sickening groan, he bolted from the house and hurried into his car, calling Evan as he pulled out of t
he driveway and turned his car toward Lisa’s house.

  Evan answered after a few rings. “Yeah? So what are you doing?” he asked sharply.

  “Well, first I’m going to need you to forgive me for being so selfish and stupid, and I’m going to need you to do it soon, because I’m going to need a best man,” Jake told him as a wave of warmth washed over him and a smile began to spread across his face.

  There was a soft chuckle on the other end of the line. “Done. You’re forgiven. Just let me know when the wedding is, brother. I’ll be right by your side, and Jake…”

  “Yeah?” Jake asked in budding excitement.

  “Congrats bro, you deserve all the happiness you can get,” Evan said with a kind tone. “Now go get that girl.”

  They said goodbye and Jake rushed to Lisa’s house, practically leaping from his car the moment it was parked. He found her in her bed, her face wet with tears. His heart nearly stopped when he saw how much pain he had put her in.

  Jake went right to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly, hugging her and then taking her face in his hands and looking into her dark eyes. “Lisa, I’m so sorry. I’m so very sorry. Please forgive me. I just… I got scared. I didn’t think I was ever going to be a dad. You surprised me and I wasn’t ready for it, but I thought about it, and I know without a doubt in my mind that you are what I want, and that baby of ours is what I want. Marry me. Okay? Please? Marry me for real, and let’s make this family happen.” He stared at her with his heart in his chest. “Say yes…” he whispered, watching her.

  She grinned at him in relief and utter happiness as her every fear began to subside. “Yes, Jake. I will marry you, and we will be a family. I love you.” She said, reaching her hand up to his cheek.