by Jessica Ashe
“Let’s use Riker’s office,” I said. Nora and I often hung out in there. We probably spent more time in there than he did. Being in the office meant doing paperwork, and Riker much preferred having a dumbbell in his hand than a pen.
Elliot followed me into the office and closed the door.
“You should have told me.”
“Why? You’ve not told me every detail about your past.”
I didn’t want to know. A summary of all Elliot’s past sexual encounters would last the entire plane journey from here to London.
“I told you why I became a fighter, and that I got my revenge on a bully. I told you I ended up in prison.”
“Oh please,” I said dismissively. “You couldn’t have been much more vague about it if you’d tried. I told you I’d had a bad meeting with a patient. I just didn’t give you his name. I had no idea Tim Norton was the real name of Tyler Young.”
“Whatever. You should have told me the second you realized.”
“Why? So you can go and kill him? The man doesn’t deserve to live, but that doesn’t give you the right to kill him.”
“Yes, it does. You can’t stop me doing this.”
“I thought you weren’t all about the violence. Just last night you told me that there was more to you than just fighting. You almost had me convinced.”
Elliot shook his head. “I guess I was wrong. I’m a violent man. I always have been.”
“No, you’re not,” I insisted. “You’re a fighter, but that’s not the same as being a violent man.”
“We’ll see.”
“So that’s it? You’re just going to go out there and kill him? Do you really think it’s that easy?”
“I’ve done it before.”
I froze. I’d been angry, upset, and frustrated. Now I could add shocked to the list of emotions coursing through my body.
Elliot told me he’d got revenge against his bully and that he’d gone to prison, but he couldn’t have killed anyone. He’d still be in prison if that were the case.
“I don’t believe you,” I said quietly. I didn’t want to believe him, but I did. I could read his eyes. I knew his tells. He wasn’t lying. He wasn’t bluffing.
“Well it’s true. That’s the kind of man I am. It’s about time you realized that.”
He wasn’t that kind of man. He wasn’t a murderer. Was he?
“If you go after Tyler, that’s it for us. Whatever ‘thing’ we have going here is over.”
Elliot opened his mouth but then shut it again. We locked eyes for a few moments, but then Elliot shook his head and walked out of the office and out of the gym.
Was that it? Was that how this ended? It had started with such passion. It couldn’t end on a whimper. Could it?
I kept staring at the door in the vain hope that Elliot might come back and apologize. No such luck.
Nora knocked on the door before opening it and poking her head through. “Is everything okay?”
I shook my head vigorously. “I was right all along.”
“What do you mean?”
“I said fighters were trouble. No good can come from getting involved with them.”
“What’s he done?”
“Nothing. Yet. I’ll talk to you about it later.”
“Okay,” Nora said. “In the meantime, you want to go get brunch?”
My stomach rumbled in response. I’d left the apartment in such a hurry I hadn’t had time for breakfast. I never could make it to lunch without eating. I wouldn’t be much company for Nora, but I needed to eat.
“Sounds great,” I replied. “Let’s go.”
As we were heading to the door, a scared young girl came in with a man about Elliot’s size close behind her.
“Give me a minute,” Nora said. “Riker’s out back, so I’d better take care of these two.”
“Is Riker around?” the large man asked, after Nora had introduced herself. “He said to come here about this time.”
“We can leave if he’s busy,” the girl said quietly. She looked like she’d rather be anywhere but here.
“No, it’s fine,” Nora said. “I’ll be right back.”
I smiled at the girl, and she gave me one in return, but it looked a little awkward and forced. On closer inspection, the girl must have been in her early twenties, although she was thin and looked a little younger.
She looked scared, but she calmed down slightly when the man put his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. That meant she must be scared of this place. I’d never gotten overly familiar with any one gym, but I wasn’t scared of them.
Finally, Riker came out and shook hands with the man.
“You must be Denton,” Riker said.
“Yes. Thank you for agreeing to meet with us. This is Kara, the girl I told you about.”
“Hi Kara,” Riker said, in a softer tone of voice than he usually used. “Come with me. I’ll give you a tour.”
“What was that about?” I asked Nora, as the three of them walked off.
“I’ve no idea. Riker wouldn’t say. All seems rather mysterious. Anyway, let’s go eat. I’m famished.”
Nora trusted Riker implicitly, and I realized I might never have that level of trust with Elliot. He’d looked at my diary, and now he wanted to go off and kill someone, despite me pleading with him not to.
We had the passion, but without the trust, what hope was there?
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Elliot
I should tell her, I thought. I should tell Alison everything.
I’d kept the information to myself before in case she hated me, but now she hated me anyway. What did I have to lose?
We hadn’t spoken in a week, and yet she was on my mind for every waking minute of every day. As was Tyler Young.
He’d raped her. Or perhaps it was ‘just’ considered sexual assault. Or normal assault. Whatever, I didn’t care. The words in her diary had told me more than enough about what had happened in her office that day.
I couldn’t let Tyler do that and live. Men like him didn’t deserve to live. They certainly didn’t deserve to be UFC champions, and enjoy the glamor, fortune, and fame that came with it.
He had to die. Not just as revenge for what he’d done to Alison, but for what he’d done to plenty of other women, and would do to plenty more. Men like him didn’t change.
I knew that all too well.
There were only two weeks to go until the big fight. I should have been training at maximum intensity. Instead I’d been coasting along in the gym, and spending more and more time trying to track Tyler down.
He wasn’t an easy man to find.
I’d tried pretending to be from a national newspaper requesting an interview, but he hadn’t taken the bait. Over the course of just three days, he’d been photographed in four different states, with three different women, and rumor had it that he’d already boarded a plane for England.
If he’d gone to England, I wouldn’t be able to see him until the fight. I couldn’t claim to be an expert assassin, but even I knew that if you wanted to kill someone, doing it live on television with millions watching wasn’t a good idea.
Occasionally I wondered whether I was doing the right thing. Then I read the page I’d ripped out of Alison’s diary again, and it all came flooding back. She’d managed to escape his grasp, but if she hadn’t…. I couldn’t even bring myself to contemplate that.
I knew if Tyler had attacked one woman he would have attacked others. Men like him never did that just once. There would be others. Unfortunately, he also earned a lot of money and that meant he could pay to keep people quiet. However, no matter how much you earned, you couldn’t silence the Internet.
Sure enough, after a bit of digging around, I found women accusing Tyler Young of abuse that ranged from verbal intimidation to… much worse.
I reached out to them, and some got back to me. All that did was confirm my suspicious; Tyler Young was scum of the earth, but he was hard to track. Apparently,
he rarely went anywhere without armed security surrounding him.
That wouldn’t be so easy in England. He’d still have security, but guns were largely illegal, and they might not go to the effort of acquiring any just for a short visit. That’s what I hoped at least.
It’d have to be England then. Rather appropriate really. Maybe I’d even kill Tyler in the same way I’d killed my last victim: face-to-face.
He’d be vulnerable after the fight. If he won, he’d go out celebrating. If he lost, he’d go out and get pissed. Either way, that would be my opportunity. It meant I’d have to go through with the fight, but it was a small price to pay.
With Tyler in England, there was no point delaying the trip any more. I booked a ticket in business class, and then figured ‘fuck it’ and upgraded to first class. This was a huge payday for me, so I might as well travel in style.
Then I considered buying a second ticket.
She probably wouldn’t come, but I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t invite her. It wouldn’t be the same without Alison. And not just because I’d have to bring in a new doctor at the last minute, who was bound to be an ugly, old dude I wouldn’t want giving me a sponge bath.
If Alison did come, she’d have to see Tyler again. Most women would stay as far away as possible, but my instincts told me Alison might relish the opportunity. She was no shrinking violet, and she’d moved on from what he’d done to her. What better way to show him, than by being the doctor for the guy who would kick his ass and then end him?
I hit the button to purchase the ticket for the seat next to me, and then forwarded the email confirmation to Alison with just a short message.
I’d love for you to come.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Alison
“You should go,” Nora said.
“We haven’t spoken in a week,” I replied. “And the last time we did speak, we didn’t exactly end on the best of terms.”
“I agree with Nora,” Riker said. “And not just because I have to.”
Nora had invited me for dinner, and hadn’t taken no for an answer. I wasn’t exactly the best company at the moment, but given that I was also a crappy cook, it seemed like a good idea to take her up on the offer.”
“These potatoes are wonderful,” I said, after finishing a mouthful. “What did you cook them with?”
“Just butter, garlic, and chives. Stop trying to change the subject.”
“Elliot will find another doctor,” I insisted.
“He doesn’t want just another doctor,” Nora replied. “He wants you.”
“What was this big fight about anyway?” Riker asked.
“Secrets,” I replied after a short pause. “He found out one of mine and didn’t like it. And he’s still keeping one from me.”
“Why must men insist on keeping their pasts so secretive?” Nora said, glancing at Riker. “Secrets cause far more problems in the long run; might as well come out with the truth.”
“Sometimes women blow the truth out of all proportion,” Riker replied.
“Am I missing something here?” I asked.
“Riker’s being all secretive about that Kara girl we met the other day.”
“It’s not my secret to tell,” he replied.
“It doesn’t matter,” Nora said. “Look, you’ve just had a minor fight. It’s nothing you can’t work out. The fact that you’re still mad at him, means you care for him.”
“I wish I didn’t,” I replied. “I never should have let you talk me into this. We’re just not right for each other.”
“I had nothing to do with it,” Nora insisted. “Okay, maybe a little bit. But I wasn’t there when you were giving him a sponge bath and then… helping him relax after the fight.”
Riker laughed. “Ah, I do miss fighting sometimes. Women love a fighter.”
“At least be there for him after the fight,” Nora said to me. “He’s going to need you then. And not just for sex. This fight’s going to be tough. Did you warn him about Tyler?”
I nodded. “I tried, but I’m not sure how much he listened. He’s so ready to take Tyler on, that I don’t think there’s anything I can do to stop him.”
“He can’t possibly hate Tyler as much as I do,” Riker said. “And even I would think twice before taking him on.”
“Trust me, he hates Tyler even more than you.”
Riker frowned. “That’s new. Why?”
“I… I can’t say. But he has his reasons. Good reasons.”
Reasons I should understand better than anyone. I didn’t blame Elliot for being mad. I blamed him for not listening to me. He was such a typical guy. Just going off at one hundred miles an hour and not stopping to think things through.
“You want more wine?” Nora asked.
I looked down at my glass, surprised to see I’d finished it already. I hadn’t even noticed I’d been drinking.
“I guess I’ll have some more. Thanks.”
The bottle was empty, so Nora headed to the kitchen to get some more.
“Can you get me a beer while you’re up?” Riker asked.
“We don’t have any beer.”
“Shit. Didn’t you say you needed to pop out to grab ice cream for dessert?”
“Yes,” Nora replied. “But I thought my tone made it clear that I would actually like you to pop out and get it.”
“I’ve got a bad leg,” Riker said, massaging his right quad. “It won’t take long.”
“Fine,” Nora said with a sigh, as she grabbed her keys and headed out.
Riker and Elliot had a lot in common, and one thing they definitely wouldn’t do is send their lady out at night to get beer without good reason.
“What is it?” I asked Riker.
“What is what?”
“You want to talk to me about something.”
“How did you—never mind. Okay, yes I do.”
“Out with it, then,” I demanded.
“You need to go to London with Elliot.”
“You’ve already said that.”
“I know, but I didn’t tell you why. Before I do, you have to promise not to tell Nora what I’m about to say.”
“This isn’t something seedy is it?”
Nora was pretty chill about Riker’s life before the two of them had gotten together, but that didn’t mean I wanted to hear all the details about his escapades with other women. He’d been quite the player, and so was Elliot. If Riker told me what he had been like, I’d project that story onto Elliot, and I didn’t want those thoughts going through my head.
“No, nothing like that. Look, Elliot’s fight against Tyler is going to be the toughest of his life.” I nodded in agreement. It would be especially tough given that Elliot wanted to kill the man. “He needs to be able to concentrate and he won’t be able to do that if he’s worried about his relationship with you.”
“Maybe he’s not worried about it,” I replied. “He hasn’t been in touch.”
“Yeah, that’s a man thing. Doesn’t mean he isn’t worried. When he steps into that cage, he needs to be able to focus. When I fought Elliot, my mind wasn’t in the right place, and look what happened to me.”
“Is that your excuse for him knocking you out?” I teased.
“Actually, no. That’s not it. This is the bit you can’t tell Nora.” I nodded to confirm that I could keep a secret from my best friend. “I saw her in the crowd. She wasn’t supposed to be there, but she’d come to support me. When I saw her… well, you know the rest.”
“Sounds to me like I shouldn’t be there at all.”
“Maybe. But you’re his doctor. If you’re not there, he’s just going to think about you every time he looks at your replacement.”
“Okay,” I agreed. “I’ll go.”
“Never tell Nora that, okay?”
“Of course not. She’d blame herself, and then neither of us would ever hear the end of it.”
“Yeah,” Riker said with a smile. “She’s tough enough to
live with at the best of times, but that’s love for you.”
Was it? I didn’t know. Maybe I never would.
At least I knew one thing now; I had to go to the fight. Not just because of what Riker had said, although he did have a point. I had to be there to stop Elliot doing something stupid.
I could forgive violence when it was consensual, but I couldn’t forgive cold-blooded murder.
Not even if the victim deserved it.
* * *
I spotted him immediately in the almost empty first class lounge. He was sitting at a table nursing a whiskey, even though he shouldn’t be touching alcohol with a big fight coming up.
A smile spread across his lips, as he saw me approach. “I wasn’t sure you’d come.”
“I couldn’t turn down the chance to fly first class. Besides, I’ve never been to London before.”
“It’s a cool city. We can take a little visit to my home town as well if you’d like.”
“Let’s just see how things go,” I replied.
We won’t be doing much traveling at all, if you end up being arrested for murder.
“There’s something I need to tell you before you get on the plane,” Elliot said softly. “After I tell you, you might not want to come.”
“It can’t be as bad as telling me you’re going to kill someone,” I said, after looking around to make sure we had some privacy.
“Actually….”
Had he already attacked Tyler? No, that couldn’t be it. I’d have heard, and we wouldn’t still be traveling to London for the fight if that were the case.
“Spit it out,” I said quickly, even though I didn’t think I wanted to hear whatever he had to say.
“I told you how I got revenge on my bully,” Elliot said. “I didn’t tell you everything.”
“I kind of gathered as much.”
“First, I want you to know that this guy wasn’t just a bully. We’re not talking about some guy who gets a bit violent after a few drinks. We’re talking about a man so bad that his own family lived in fear of him. He regularly beat his wife and son.”
