by Jayne Blue
Another figure emerged from Zeke’s bus and it was a damn gorgeous figure at that. Plus, a familiar one.
“Craddock you know Sunny here right?” Sunny Metcalf walked down the steps from The Preacher’s Son’s bus. She was the marketing social media chick from Tough to the Top and one of the reasons Craddock was turning into a household name in the MMA world.
She was built like a Victoria’s Secret model, but she earned her dough as a social media guru.
“I’m sending Sunny along, my dime, to keep you all what’s it? Trending?” Thompson may not be into Facebook and Twitter but he knew the power. He made sure Sunny was there to get the fans whipped up into a frenzy wherever they went.
Craddock hoped that maybe Zeke would focus his religion on Sunny so he would stop obsessing over Cassidy. Although Sunny’s blonde sex bomb appeal probably did not fly with the church crowd. Craddock saw The Preacher himself, Daddy Powell, give an unmistakable look of disapproval Sunny’s way. Maybe short skirts were a sin?
“Trending boss, you got it.” Sunny bounded over to Craddock, wrapped her hands around his neck, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She was always touchy with him. It did not bother him but now with Cassidy around he had better put the clamp down on that shit. Craddock did not need Cassidy thinking there was anyone else. They had had enough of that jealous bullshit to last a lifetime.
“Flynn here’s my social media superstar. He has over 2-million followers now. Let’s see if we can get Zeke in the game too, Sunny.” Meyer said.
Zeke’s dad stepped into the conversation.
“Well I’ve got my congregation following Zeke and you tell us what to hashtag. Hashtag, right? We’ll do it! I’ll get all my affiliated churches in on it too!” It was no small offer, Zeke’s dad, the most popular preacher in Western Michigan, probably had thousands of people doing his bidding.
Sheep, Craddock thought. Whatever.
Craddock got a look at Zeke. They hated each other straight up at this point. Zeke was traveling with his own coach. Craddock and G-Man shared Coach Boggs, splitting his salary even. He would share with G-Man but fuck sharing with Zeke. No doubt, Zeke’s rich daddy was helping to pay for Zeke’s staff.
Craddock broke signing records with his 21C deal and knew Zeke was making nowhere near the money he was. It did not look like he was suffering though. The Preacher would make sure of it.
Craddock had a big money contract, that was true, but he was not stupid. He had spent his money to get Cassidy here, now, he would be careful with it until his first big endorsement deal. That is why he couldn’t totally blow off Sunny, she was key to getting those followers up.
Zeke stepped up and ignored the hostile look Craddock gave him.
“This is my Coach, Hal Roy.” The guy was little and had a bit of the crazy-eye about him. Craddock had heard of him and knew he had trained some big names in the sport. Craddock wondered if they had passed the collection plate around to hire Coach Roy. Someone like Hal Roy could do a lot for Zeke’s skills.
Roy shook hands all around, including Craddock’s; he had nothing against the coach. It was just his fighter that Craddock hated.
Next to emerge from the heavenly bus was a not-so-heavenly looking son of a bitch. Craddock thought the huge guy looked familiar. He had a shaved head all around except for floppy long hair at the top. That is what clicked into place - that hair. Shit, it was Mace Alois.
“And you probably already figured out this is my sparring partner, Mace Alois.” The fighter did not reach out a hand in friendship; he just nodded. That worked for Craddock. Zeke had better watch out, Mace looked like he could rip Zeke limb from limb. Craddock tried to remember Mace’s story. He was ranked at some point, coming up in Europe Craddock remembered, and then nothing. He had dropped off the face of the earth.
Oh well, it didn’t matter. The less time thinking about Zeke’s tent revival, the better. His only goal was to keep The Preacher’s Son away from Cassidy and maybe keep a huge lead of damn Twitter followers over Zeke just for fucking fun.
“Well now that we’re all formerly introduced let’s get this shit going!” G-Man clapped his hands.
Dylan and Jessie planned to watch some movie for the first leg so they were all crowding in G-Man’s bus to start.
As the all dispersed, Cassidy walked down the steps of the bus. He smelled her sweet scent in the air.
She had missed Meyer’s introduction but she did not miss a trick and she waved a hello in Zeke’s direction. Craddock could see the surprise on Zeke’s face to see Cassidy here, on Craddock’s bus no less. Take that asshole, Craddock thought.
A breeze caught her hair and it floated away from her face. It mesmerized Craddock and he saw it did the same for Zeke. The hell of it was they both had it bad for her. Craddock smiled at Cassidy and decided it was his turn to make an introduction.
“You all know Cassidy? She’s helping with Dylan.” That was all the explanation Zeke was going to get. Let him wonder what was going on in Craddock’s bus. That part might actually be enjoyable.
Dylan piped in and added his two cents.
“And I’m the merch guy!” It was a phrase Dylan had learned from his guitar star video game.
Meyer Thompson actually agreed; Dylan would sell merchandise at the events, 21C swag and t-shirts from the tour.
“That’s right Dylan, you’re merch guy.” Thompson’s limo driver had pulled up.
“Also I can help with gear, seeing as I’m bigger and stronger than all you.” That was a fact. Dylan might actually be a real contributor to the tour if he kept his shit together. Of course, that was what Cassidy would help with.
Other than Zeke’s surprised addition to the wagon train Craddock was excited to begin.
“Good luck men, The Staples Center or bust.” G-Man’s title fight would be in Los Angeles. They had a lot of road to cover until then. Meyer Thompson and The Preacher took off in Thompson’s limo and left them on their own. Good, Craddock did not need billionaires hovering over him.
“Miss Parker, after you.” He saw Cassidy give a pleading type of look toward the G-Man bus. They had piled in without a look back.
“You sure I shouldn’t be in that one with Dylan?”
“Afraid to be alone with me?” She matched his challenge with a gorgeous and determined stare. Did she know what she was doing to him when she looked at him like that? It was going to be torture if her will held.
“No. Just trying to accept the fact we’re going to be the boring bus.” She turned around and popped back into his bus. His eyes involuntarily checked out her ass in her short shorts.
They had two hours on the road until their first fuel stop. Craddock planned to make the most of it
Cassidy
First, she hated that blonde. Sunny? She practically licked Craddock’s face when she saw him. Cassidy would have to keep an eye out for her.
No! No. She stopped herself. If Craddock and Sunny wanted to do it like rabbits that would be so much the better. Cassidy had no claim, wanted no claim on Craddock Flynn. She shook it off and went through a replay of the meet and great that just went down.
Cassidy sifted through the cast of characters for their MMA road trip. Zeke’s surprising arrival had her feeling guilty and worried all over again. The last time he had been in the ring he had declared war on Craddock and claimed her as his own. That was in the heat of the moment for Zeke and probably for show. She had made it clear she wanted to be friends with Zeke and nothing more.
She had explained it that way to Zeke and he seemed to accept it the last time they talked. She did not feel hostility from him toward her when Craddock introduced her as part of his team. Still. Things had gotten weird between her and Zeke and she desperately wanted to take back the times she’d made him think they had a future as more than friends.
As Sawyer had put it best, she had rebounded hard with Zeke. If things were awkward before, trapped with Craddock, the weird factor had just increased times ten with Zeke’s
arrival.
Craddock climbed aboard the very empty bus and knocked on a little window that separated the front seats from the rest of the bus.
“All set Ted.” Ted! Maybe she could ride up front with him?
Craddock turned to her and she lost her balance a bit, as the bus lurched forward to begin their journey. Craddock reached out and steadied her.
“Best have a seat.” Damn if her body did not immediately react to any contact with him. He was right, sit down, and reduce the chances she would fall face first into him again.
She sat down on the long couch and regretted it. She should have gone for one of the bucket seats across from them. Craddock sat next her, his legs stretched, looking like a jungle cat, just toying with her, unquestionably the mouse. She shook off the image. She was no mouse, dammit.
She was doing what she had to do to help Dr. Showers. Craddock may have had evil motives for donating to her school but she knew the good it could do. The good Dr. Showers could do.
“Did you know that Zeke was going on this trip?” She asked him.
“Nope, just thought I would be the only one singing back up for G-Man. Makes sense I suppose the way Meyer explained it.” Craddock clenched his jaw at the mention of Zeke and then he turned the question against her.
“You happy about Zeke being here?” The second part came out as a growl. His jealousy was palpable. One of the reasons they had not survived the first go round was because of Craddock’s lack of trust. That should have been a red flag to her then. She got it now.
“I have no opinion.” She was not going to bite, nor be baited into a fight with him. If he wanted to get in a fight over Zeke, she was not going to play.
The king wanted to amuse himself with a little duel. No way.
What was obvious about the way he checked in with Ted, dictated the bus assignment and strode up the stairs was that this was his rolling lair. It he was the big cat she was a mouse, nervous as hell, and afraid of her own responses.
How in the world was she going to essentially live here with him? She really wished Dylan and Jessie were here in this bus. Just to start at least. That would diffuse some of this.
“You seem on edge?” You did not have to be a psychic to see it. She was sitting ramrod straight and had her hands fisted in the couch fabric. As much as she knew what she wanted, to resist, to stay away, she also knew Craddock was very good at convincing her to do what he wanted. Because it was honestly what part of her wanted too.
“I’m fine.” Sharing her actual emotions was like opening a door for Craddock. She needed to shift the focus from Craddock to something else. She let her eyes wander around the bus; it was beautiful. She wondered how much this thing cost Meyer Thompson.
“It used to be Jason Aldean’s.”
“What?”
“The bus.”
“The country star?”
“Yeah they just take the wrapper off the outside and bam, The Fighting Flynn Mobile.”
“Impressive.” She said it with the coldest edge she could muster. He was trying to be nice. This was just as dangerous as when he was being bossy, sexy, or really, just name the emotion.
Craddock went from lounging back away from her to leaning up to her within half-an-inch of her face. She jerked backwards into the seat, an involuntary response and reaction to his sudden invasion of her space. Though, on this bus, she did not have any space that was hers. That was part of the problem.
Craddock leaned over her. His face inches from her. His eyes locked on her lips.
“You can coat your voice in ice but it’s still sexy as hell to me. You can grab this couch to stay away from me but all I can see is you grabbing fists of my hair. I know you want me just like I want you.” Craddock’s eyes roved from her mouth down. It sparked heat in her and she felt her body betray her brain.
Cassidy knew her breasts were straining at her blouse as she breathed deep to control herself with him so close. He finally finished taking in his fill of her body and looked her in the eyes. She struggled to slam down her attraction and stop playing the frightened mouse in this little trap.
She tapped in to the strength she knew she had.
“You’re my boss now. It would not be appropriate. Oh, also, you’re a cheating asshole.” As she said it, she felt every cell ache to have him on top of her. He was not going to get her. He did not deserve her. She purposely conjured up images of Craddock with the blondes and on television flirting his face off.
“I am an asshole but I haven’t cheated. You’ll see. Just like I learned that you did not cheat with Zeke, you will learn trust me. And I can wait.” With that, he broke the spell and leaned back to his previous lounging position.
She felt relief that he had moved away. She had survived this little attempt to get her to crawl into bed in the first two hours. The more she resisted him the more it would become a habit. It would get easier. She knew it. It had to be true.
Cassidy stood up and found her laptop bag. She ignored Craddock and opened it. She would distract herself from him with work.
“What’s the wifi password?”
“Rearnakedchoke, all one word,” Craddock bit his lip and then settled in for what looked like a nap.
“Of course it is.” She mumbled and thought she caught a smile on his lips as he covered his eyes with a pillow. She wanted to kiss that smirk right off his mouth.
The busses rolled toward Milwaukee, she buried her head in her computer and did her classes while Craddock Flynn wrapped himself in an arrogant confidence that she found infuriating. It was going to be a long tense trip to L.A. with Craddock Flynn in the driver’s seat. 'Are we there yet' played in her mind as they rolled along.
Chapter Two
Craddock
He watched her from under the pillow. She was intent, focused on her lesson, oblivious to him. Just her presence at once calmed him and fired him up.
Knowing she was right here was good. Knowing she was safe with him calmed him. Knowing what was happening in her day, was something he missed when he was away. Maybe it was why he dreamt about her all the time. The wanting of her though, that was getting worse every time she slid out of his grasp. He knew how to hold on, and he would.
Craddock wanted to fold her into the space under his arm and feel her burrow into him during this nap he was trying to take. For now, he would be content knowing it was just a matter of time.
When he thought about it he could barely stand how proud of her he was for doing all the things she did, school, the GWG, and her way with Dylan. When she stopped being angry with him he would let her know.
The miles rolled by and Milwaukee was in their sites. They would circle back around to Chicago later on the trip but for now, he was happy they had made it around Chicago traffic.
They were headed for their first fuel stop. It was good to get out of the vehicles and walk around. In fact, the trainers had suggested no more than two hours a pop for driving. They had to stay in fighting shape on the road.
Craddock let Cassidy exit first and was working hard on all the “gentleman” things his mom used to nag at him about. God he missed his mom. Her no-bullshit approach always helped him figure things out.
He worried without mom it was going to be hard to manage Dylan’s future. She was right when she said, “I won’t be around forever.” But he sure wished that she had been around longer than 55 years.
He watched as Dylan bounded out of G-Man’s bus and was, at least right now, happy as hell.
“They’ve got a way better movie selection Craddock. I don’t want to hurt your feeling but it’s just true.”
“I’m not hurt.” Craddock was amazed at how well G-Man and Jessie had taken to Dylan. It made him realize again that at least some of the GWG fighters were really his family.
Cassidy piped up to try to lure Dylan over to her side, “Don’t forget I got Netflix and ALL your Nickelodeon shows on the computer.” He knew she wished Dylan was in their bus to keep things from getting p
ersonal between them.
He had confided in Dylan that he was working on getting Cassidy back. Since it was no secret Craddock didn’t worry that Dylan would blow it. Craddock had also made sure G-Man and Jessie had Dylan’s favorite movies in their bus.
“Oh I know. I will be watching those two. But we need to finish our movies on G-Man’s bus, 'kay?”
“Okay. Let’s be sure you have all the snacks you like.” Cassidy walked Dylan into the rest stop to peruse the aisles. Craddock watched as Cassidy listened to Dylan explain why he did not like oil and vinegar chips. Ever. Never. A million times no.
She was patient, smiled, and even guided him to an apple or two along with the sweets he favored. It tore at his heart to see them. Again, he thought of his mom. In some ways, Cassidy was so like her, strong, little, and unafraid. Cassidy however was much more patient than his mom was. The Irish temper Craddock sported did not just come from his dad’s side. His mom had one tiny little fuse too.
Craddock stayed away from Zeke’s team. He wasn’t in the mood for a fight at every stop and thankfully, Zeke kept to his own crew too. Dylan proudly displayed his bag of goodies from their first rest stop. He had purchased a “Welcome to Wisconsin” t-shirt; Dylan liked to collect stuff, lots of stuff.
“You know we’re going to run out of space in the bus if you buy a souvenir from every gas station?” Craddock did not really mind.
“What if I do a smaller one at the next one? Like a pencil?” Dylan asked.
“Sure. That’s good thinking.” Dylan put an arm around Craddock’s shoulders and squeezed. Man, his brother was strong as hell. That ran in the family too just like the Irish temper.
“What are you doing?” Cassidy said in a tone that set off an alarm bell. He whipped around to see Cassidy with a defiant look in her eyes staring at Sunny, who as always, had her phone out.
“Excuse me?” Sunny was no push over and he thought it best to make his way toward the two women who appeared to be squaring off unexpectedly.
“You snapped a pic of Dylan and now you’re putting it up. Is that right?” It was an accusation for sure. What was unclear was why Cassidy was pissed.
