by Raeden West
He presented her with a beautiful but simple diamond ring. “In that case Abigail, will you marry me? For real and forever?”
She slipped the ring onto her finger. It was too big, but she did not care. “Mrs. Clayton Wright” she said with a smile “I like that, because I finally found ‘Mister Right’.”
Epilogue
At ten o’clock there was a knock on Abigail’s door. She was dressed and almost ready to go. Betty was fixing a last stray lock of her hair with a pin.
“Come in,” Abigail said. Simon was standing there with the same faded suit he wore on the day they met.
“Simon! Come in, please. What are you doing here?”
“Sorry for the intrusion, Miss Abigail, but I was just thinking that you don’t have to walk down the aisle alone. If you will have me, I would be honored to walk you to Clayton’s side.”
Abigail hugged him tightly. “Oh, Simon, yes! But you’re wrong. It’s me who will be honored. I cannot think of anyone I would rather have but you!”
Betty beamed at Simon with tears rolling down her cheek.
Abigail took Betty’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Ma Betty, you better get downstairs before the bride runs you over!”
The name did not escape Betty’s attention and she burst out in tears again as she hugged Abigail tightly. “Welcome home my child, welcome home!”
Simon presented his arm to her after Betty left. She took it and as they made their way downstairs, Abigail felt how she was literally walking into a new life. She felt so happy. Nothing would ever be wrong again. Not here, on the ranch.
THE END
Taken by the Cage Fighter
Chapter one
“You can’t be serious, Sky. That’s predominately a man’s world and you should not be interfering in such a dangerous sport. I know that you have a mind of your own, but sometimes your stubbornness can get you into trouble. What makes you think anybody’s going to take you seriously, as a promoter and a gym owner? Don’t get me wrong, I think that breaking those glass ceilings is a good thing. I just don’t know if it’s right to gamble with your life savings.”
I was glad that Owen could speak his mind. It allowed me to weigh the pros and cons and try to come up with a viable option. I’d already convinced the bank to give me a small loan. It wasn’t nearly enough, but it was a start.
“I know that it’s a risk, but it’s a risk that I’m willing to take. Owen, I know that you’re trying to be the voice of reason and give me an idea that maybe I should rethink this decision. Ever since I lost my job selling cars, I’ve been drifting and wondering what I was going to do with the rest of my life.”
After seeing Rhonda Rousey kick ass in the ring, I was beginning to see that maybe there was room for a new contender. I didn’t just want to compete, I wanted to bring girls—and guys—into the arena together to train to fight in competition.
“I’m glad to hear you say that, Sky. I just wanted to lay out the odds. I knew that you would never back down or surrender. It’s just not in your DNA and sometimes I think that you should’ve been born a man. You have the attitude, the fire to back it up and you have no problem swinging your fist when you need to.”
I could fight dirty with the best of them, but I wanted to learn to do it the right way. I wanted to be able to take down an opponent without hurting them too badly. It was a fascinating sport, not unlike boxing and the way that opponents would look at each other across the ring and know that one of them was going to get knocked out.
But, MMA was different than boxing in that it was more primal. Instincts ran wild in the cage to push you to victory. It took a lot of training and development of skills and instincts. I was ready to throw myself into this and I had a gym in mind that I was going to buy. It was one of those old style ones with an old man as the owner, which made it easier to approach him with an offer that he couldn’t refuse. He told me that when I had the finances together I should come and talk to him. Well, today was that day.
I may not have the stature of a fighter, but underneath this 5’3 frame was a firecracker ready to get it on with just about anyone. My parents lived in Florida and I had come up North to make my mark, only to fall flat on my face. It was time to start a new chapter in my life. It wasn’t going to be easy, but anything that is worthwhile is never easy.
“I’m putting everything I have into this and I would love for your support,” I told Owen.
When I mentioned support, I was talking about a necessary influx of cash. I didn’t want to ask him, but he was the only one that knew of my expectations. I was what most people would call a perfectionist. Someone who would not give up until I had it exactly the way that I wanted it. Some people saw that as a positive attribute. Most people saw me as a bad investment.
He gritted his teeth and I had this feeling that the influx of cash wasn’t going to come from my best friend.
“I would love to help you and you know that, Sky. It’s just that my brother just borrowed twenty grand from me. I know what you’re going to say. I’m probably never going to see it again, but he is family and blood has always been thicker than water. He has a bit of a gambling problem but every time that he gets in over his head, he always finds a way to survive. Either way I really don’t have anything to give you. I do have an idea for you, though. I just read in the paper that Brandon Summer is in town looking to promote his fight with Hannibal Wright.”
I had heard of that fight and I knew that Brandon was looking for investments. He was one of the few MMA fighters who understood he couldn’t do this forever. He needed something to fall back on.
“Getting him on board is a great idea. I see only one problem with that scenario. I really don’t have anybody that can make the necessary introductions.” This was when I got that telltale smirk that told me that Owen had something up his sleeve.
“You know that I would never have mentioned it, if I didn’t have a way to get you a face-to-face meeting. I know for sure that he’s going to be at a certain restaurant at a certain time tomorrow. I’ll give you the name of that restaurant and time and you can accidentally bump into him on purpose.”
Owen was known for having the pulse of the city at his fingertips. He was always getting favors in return for other favors. It was a vicious cycle, but it allowed him to live without working a single day in his life.
“I’m really quite interested in making my proposition in person.” He smiled and gave me the name of the restaurant and the time that Brandon was going to show up.
I finalized the deal with the old owner, but not until after I had an inspection of the entire place from top to bottom. It needed some minor renovations and even though it looked like it was falling apart, it was mostly just cosmetics. I don’t think the owner was very happy about leaving this behind, but that money was going to show him that retirement could be fun and not just sitting around waiting for death to tap you on the shoulder.
I stood at the doorway, wearing a pair of blue jeans and a denim shirt tied at the waist. I showed a healthy amount of midrift. I was now in charge of my own little corner of the MMA lifestyle.
“I’ve talked to those that have membership here. I told them that the new owner was going to be a girl and they scoffed at the idea. I made sure to let them know that you have my blessing. That seemed to sway them and now the rest is up to you. To be honest, I wish that I could stick around to see how things play out. I’ve always wanted to bring girls into this place. I just never thought for a moment that the guys would go along with it. They had a place that they could work out in private and not have to worry about the girls ogling them and making them feel like they were supposed to put on a show.” The old man was short, wiry and I could tell, just by looking at him, that his words came from experience in the ring.
“I will do this place proud,” I told him. “Come back in six months. I’ll show you what I have done. You won’t believe what you see. This place is going to be the hot spot of the MMA world. The one place
in Boston where everybody goes. Mark my words, a new day has arrived.”
He liked my style, and my confidence, and I think that he probably could’ve gotten a whole lot more money for this place. He sold to me for his own reasons.
As I walked him out of what was now my gym, I let him in on my secret. “I’ve already thrown my hat into the ring for a fight at the next pay-per-view. It’s amateur hour, but I wanted to make a good showing and then go on to bigger and better things.”
“Sky, your aspirations are admirable. I just hope that you’re not reaching too high. You know what they say about Icarus and getting too close to the sun.”
I minored in Greek mythology in college, but even without that…yeah. I know what he means.
Chapter two
I arrived at the restaurant dressed to kill with a slinky red dress that immediately got the attention of every man in the place. Even the maître d’ had his mouth hanging open, as I sashayed through the lounge. I saw my target and I zeroed in on him.
I walked up to his table with a confidence that I really didn’t feel. He was eating a steak that was medium well done, the light pink in the middle oozing juices as he cut through it was like butter. It made my mouth water, but it wasn’t just the food that had me salivating. This guy was young, clean shaven and had the kind of chiseled good looks that would make any woman crawl on their hands and knees to do…things to him.
“I’m not saying that I’m not enjoying the view, but are you just going to stand there all day, or are you going to ask me for my autograph?”
Apparently, he had quite a fan base and being famous had afforded him the opportunity to invest some of his high earnings into something that was going to stand up to the test of time. I blinked, and tried to remember my well-rehearsed lines.
“If you don’t mind me saying so, that dress should be registered as a lethal weapon. If you wanted to get my attention, then you’ve succeeded.” I saw the muscles underneath his very nicely tailored suit flex as he shifted in his seat. Guy’s physical strength and good looks had gone to his head, but I wasn’t here to fawn over him.
“My name is Sky Williams,” I told him. “I have a proposition that you would be a fool not to take. I have been watching your rise to fame. I’ve seen you go from a young kid that was looking to make his mark to the man that you are today.” In actuality, I really didn’t follow him that obsessively. Thank God for the internet. “If you have a few moments, I think that I can make it worth your while.”
He was about to send me packing when I bent over the chair on my side of his table and gave him a bird’s eye view of my cleavage. He had his fork up to his mouth and it stopped there, his eyes now glued to the abundance of flesh that I was showing him.
“I see. Well. You have until I finish this meal to make your pitch or whatever you’re going to do. I wouldn’t normally give you the time of day, but you’ve certainly made it difficult to say no. It didn’t help that you’re not wearing underwear.”
I didn’t know how he could possibly know that, but then he pointed and I looked down to see that the light above was showing off my assets a little too much. I put my hand over my breasts with embarrassment. He only laughed and pushed out the chair with his foot. “I don’t like to eat alone.” The intention was clear and the Maître d’ came over with a menu in hand as I sat.
I looked at the prices and my eyes went wide and then I felt a hand pushing down the menu. “Everything looks so good, I just can’t decide.”
“Marcel, she’ll have the same that I’m having and put it on my bill. Do bring back a bottle of wine and use your judgment on the year.”
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be in business with a man that was this bourgeois. No, wait. Yes I did. The fact that he had money to throw around was why I chose him in the first place. The bling on him looked like a muggers dream come true. He probably felt secure that if anybody tried to step up to him, he could make them pay for it.
Looking at him, I watched the tight muscles of his chest and arms stretch the fabric of his silk shirt again. I licked my lips with appreciation. Then, back to business.
“I want you to look at this and tell me what you think.” I had made this prospectus and a preliminary financial prediction of where this gym was going to go. I had resources that could plug my gym as the place to be. Google would bring up my gym first in the list of a search. It wasn’t even going to cost me anything, except for some very sought after tickets to some of the fights that I was going to put on.
“I think that you’ll agree that my numbers are conservative at best. I do believe that I will triple that prediction by the end of the third year. I’m in the process of convincing those that are putting on the pay-per-view to give us a chance to promote and televise the semifinals.”
“Why would they give this small town operation of yours any kind of attention? I know the place you’re talking about. It’s not exactly up to standards. It’s a guys only kind of place. You’re telling me that it’s going to be both sexes. I understand that Rhonda is really making a name for herself. It’s making a lot of women think that they can fight, when they’re just going to get themselves hurt.”
That stung, and I longed to rebuke him, but business sense prevailed and I kept my mouth shut as he went on.
“With that being said, I see some real promise to this proposition. It’s not gonna hurt me any to throw some cash your way and see what happens.” The money was important, but it wasn’t the main reason why I was here.
This was just my way of getting in the door and now the real work was going to begin. “Before you decide one way or the other, I need to tell you that there is a caveat.”
He looked at me with suspicion, putting down his fork and wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I want to have you train someone of the opposite sex,” I told him. “A woman. And I want you to put her through her paces and make her regret even taking you on as a trainer. She needs a firm hand and somebody that is willing to push her beyond her boundaries.”
“Ah, I see. I suppose you have a prospect in mind?”
This was the moment of truth. “Yes. I’m that woman.”
He almost choked on his wine. “Oh, you’re serious. I thought that you were joking. If you really want to do this, then I have no problem tossing you around and making you quit on the first day. I’m a bit of a tyrant in the ring. I’ve only trained one other and he left to do the Indy circuit overseas.”
He wasn’t going to put me off that easy. “I’m ready to start any time you are. Let’s say we make this interesting. If you can make me quit, I will give you twenty per cent of the profits, instead of the ten I’ve proposed. But if I’m able to go the distance and actually have my first MMA fight in less than two months, then you have to take your percentage down to five per cent. Are you willing to put your money where your mouth is, Mister Summer?”
“You drive a hard bargain, Miss Williams. If it’s all the same to you, I would rather you call me by my first name. If we’re going to be business partners and training in the ring together, then being on a first name basis is probably a better idea. I’ll be there at six tomorrow morning and I would be ready to get a beating like you’ve never had before. I really hate to put black and blue marks on that sexy little body of yours, but you asked for it.”
When he stood up, I saw how tight his pants were across his private area. A cup…it had to be. That could not all be him.
I was biting my bottom lip. He walked by me and put his hand in my hair. He pulled it back and made me look at him. “You’re just like any other woman. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to experience what they have.”
I gasped as he let go and kept my face turned away. He was a pretty package, but underneath that there was something ugly seeping through to the other side. “I would suggest that you come back to my hotel room and we can seal this deal with more than just a kiss. However, since you want to put yourself in my hands for training, then sex is off the table. Just until af
ter the training and then you can have your way with me.”
I wanted to slap the taste out of his mouth and wipe that smug look off his face. Maybe I’d get my chance in the ring, and maybe he’d be the one to teach me how.
Still, I could barely take my eyes off of his posterior as he took that walk up to the counter to pay for our meal. I tried to get up, but my legs felt like jelly. I had to stay there and drink that wine and try to compose myself. The deal was struck. Now I had to live up to it.
I was soon able to leave here underneath my own power. No man had ever gotten to me like that. More often than not, I was the one that was calling the shots. He had this forceful demeanor, something that I was not used to and that I hadn’t even know that I craved it.
It was not the way that I wanted this meeting to end, but I could honestly say that it went better than expected. He had already agreed that he would train me and would invest, and had even agreed to our wager to take less profit if I could make it into my first MMA fight.
My phone buzzed with an e-mail message as I left the restaurant. It was from the promotors of our upcoming pay-per-views. According to the text message, they were quite taken by my proposal. They were on their way here to take a meeting with me in two days. They dictated their terms and everything seemed to be a reasonable, including the thirty per cent take at the door. It was a small price to pay to get this place on the map.
Chapter three
“I can’t believe that you not only convinced them to come here for a meeting, but you got Brandon standing over there acting like the big shot. The guys are going crazy seeing him and they all want to see you get into the ring and show your stuff.”
Owen was still my biggest supporter. I didn’t know what kind of stuff I had but we would soon see. Brandon Summer had just finished telling me that it wasn’t about technique. He wanted to see spirit and fire in my belly, even in defeat. One thing that he didn’t know was that I wasn’t used to failing. Failure was not an option.
