The Combative

by Mike Ryan

  The Combative

  The Eliminator Series Book 10

  Mike Ryan

  www.mikeryanbooks.com

  Copyright © 2020 by Mike Ryan

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover Design: BZN Studios

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  About the Author

  Also by Mike Ryan

  1

  Jacobs was throwing a tennis ball across the yard with Gunner retrieving it. In between throws, Jacobs moved his arm around and leaned over to stretch out his side. It’d been two months since the last incident with Ames’ crew at the apartment complex. He was basically healed, but had been keeping a low profile since then. Besides taking the time to heal, he also didn’t want to re-engage with Ames’ bunch until he was a hundred percent. Or at least close to it.

  Jacobs had just thrown another ball and was waiting for Gunner to come back with it, when Tiffany appeared by the back door. Their relationship had grown over the past couple of months, with the two of them getting closer, though they hadn’t really taken the next step. With Ames knowing where she lived and where she worked, Jacobs was worried about her going back to her apartment alone. So when he proposed that she stayed with him for a while, at least until he was sure it was safe for her to live by herself again, it didn’t really take a lot to convince her. And Jacobs didn’t even mind taking her to and from work every day. It almost made them feel like a real couple, even though they hadn’t reached that step yet.

  Tiffany went into the backyard, and Gunner ran up to her with the ball. She took it out of his mouth and threw it again. Her staying there was also helped by the fact that Gunner really took to her.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Good,” Jacobs replied.

  “I was watching you from the window, and I saw you moving your arm.”

  “It’s fine. I was just making sure my motion was still good. It wasn’t because I was in pain.”

  “OK. I’ll trust you.”

  They stood there for a few more minutes, alternating between who was throwing the ball to Gunner. Finally, Tiffany said what was on her mind.

  “You know, not that I’ve minded being here with you, because I haven’t. It’s been really great.”

  “I feel a but coming on.”

  “But I can’t stay here forever. I’m eventually going to have to go back to my own place. Or find a new one.”

  The truth was that Jacobs was starting to get used to her being around. Even though they hadn’t taken that next step, he really didn’t want her to leave.

  “Um, you don’t have to leave anytime soon if you don’t want to. I mean, I’m not kicking you out or anything.”

  Tiffany smiled. “I know. And believe me, I’ve enjoyed staying here. You’re great. I love Gunner. But this isn’t my home. And nothing’s happened in the last two months.”

  “Doesn’t mean nothing won’t.”

  “Brett, you can’t protect me forever.”

  “Why not?”

  Tiffany huffed. “Brett, you can’t do this to yourself.”

  “Do what?”

  “Beat yourself up. What happened to me wasn’t your fault.”

  “It was. Everything has always been my fault. The decisions I’ve made have put other people’s lives in danger. Including yours. I knew being around you was a mistake. I knew it was dangerous for you. And I let it happen anyway.”

  Tiffany looked down. She wasn’t able to hide the disappointment in his words. “Being around me was a mistake, huh?”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Well, maybe I should just mistake my way out of your life. You can pretend I never existed.”

  Tiffany turned around swiftly and began storming off. Jacobs quickly raced in front of her to stop her. He put his hands on her arms and looked into her eyes. “Hey. You know that’s not what I meant.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  “No. It’s not. Being around you, when I’m with you, I feel like I can be the person I used to be. Like I’m not carrying around fifty pounds of guilt on my back.” Jacobs looked away from her for a second and wiped one of his eyes to prevent them from tearing up. “But I can’t let that interfere with the fact that bad things happen to people who know me. Some people, like Eddie, are willing to accept those risks.”

  “And what makes you think I’m not?”

  “Because you shouldn’t have to. What happened to you is something that should have never happened. And it’s not something you should ever have to worry about.”

  “So why do I have to?”

  “What?”

  “Brett, there’s nothing keeping you here.” Jacobs tilted his head back, trying to understand what she was getting at. It didn’t take long for her to make it crystal clear. “You’re here because you choose to be. You don’t have to stay here and worry about any of this. You could move somewhere else, start a new life, and not have to worry about any of this ever again. But you stay here and constantly put yourself in danger.”

  Jacobs didn’t really have an answer for her. At least not a good one. “I don’t know. Maybe because my family’s here. This is where I’m from. I’ve always been here.”

  “That doesn’t mean you have to be glued here no matter what. And your family will be with you no matter where you go. You don’t have to give up their memories. They’ll always be with you.”

  “I know, but…”

  “You’ve got this notion inside of you that you can never be happy again. That you don’t deserve to be. But you can. You can move on. I’m not asking you to forget. But you can choose to be happy again. But you have to let yourself.”

  Jacobs tried to smile, but it wasn’t much of one. “I guess it’s just hard to let go.”

  “You have to want to. And so far, you haven’t. Maybe I’m not the right person to help you with that. But somewhere out there, someone is. And I hope you find them.”

  Tiffany tried to walk past him again, but he grabbed her arm once more, spinning her around to face him.

  Jacobs gently held her arm. “Don’t go.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t want you to.”

  “Brett, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.”

  “I hate that saying.”

  “But it’s true. You know what I want. It’s the same thing I’ve wanted since I met you. But you’re not ready for that. And that’s fine. I understand. I’m not mad. But being here with you for the past two months has been…”

  “What?”

  Tiffany looked away for a second. “It’s been nice. And it’s only reinforced that I can’t have what I want. And that’s you.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “And I wish things were different. I wish you were ready. But you’re not. Or maybe you are. Maybe I’m just not the one who can help you get there.”

  Jacobs turned and looked at Gunner for a second, who was lying on the grass, watching the two of them argue. With his concentration elsewhere, Tiffany was finally able to slip by him. Jacobs t
urned back around and saw Tiffany heading inside the house again. He quickly ran after her. As she entered the kitchen, Jacobs grabbed her arm again.

  “What is it that you want from me?”

  Tiffany stared into his eyes. “Do you really need to ask that question?”

  “I’m just supposed to pick up and leave and go somewhere else? And do what?”

  Tiffany threw her arms up. “I don’t know. You can do anything you want. You could get a regular job. You could start your own business. You could work in security. You could do just about anything you wanted. You have experience. You could make it work if you tried.”

  “And if I went to Cleveland, or Detroit, or Atlanta, or wherever, you would just come with me? Just like that?”

  “If it was what you really wanted.”

  “You would just follow me?”

  “Well, I’m not gonna follow you around like a little lost puppy, hoping that you eventually throw me a bone. But if you truly wanted to make a new life, something that we could create together, and you actually wanted me, then yes, I would go with you. But Brett, I’m not Valerie. I can never be. And I can’t replace her. And I would never try. All I can do is be me. And hope that that’s enough.” Her eyes started tearing up again.

  “It is.”

  Tears fell down both her cheeks. She wiped them away. “But it’s not. Not yet. You still carry that pain around. You’re not ready to let someone in yet. And I’m not gonna try to force you. And I’m not gonna try to pressure you. I told you when we met that I’d never do that.”

  Gunner came into the room and barked. Jacobs looked at him. “Stay out of it.” He looked back at Tiffany. “Say I did decide to go somewhere else. What would you do about your job? You love those kids.”

  Tiffany got her tears under control again. “I do. And I would never leave them in the middle of a school year or anything. But there are teaching jobs available in other places. I could put my name in. And if there’s nothing available right away, I could always get put on the sub list first and work my way in. There are options. But it’s not about me. If we decided it was the right thing to do, we could figure out a way to make it work. We can plan. We can figure it out. But you have to decide it’s what you really want.”

  “I’m just not sure I can leave yet.”

  “Why? What else is holding you here? It’s not just your family.”

  Jacobs sighed and ran his hand over his head, scratching and rubbing it. “With Ames running around…”

  “Stop. Just stop. Why does that even matter to you?”

  “Why? I can’t just let him do what he did and let him get away with it. I’m supposed to just walk away from it?”

  Tiffany nodded. “Yeah. Just walk away. Why do you need to get revenge on him? Why do you need to be the one who brings him down? You’re not a cop anymore. He’s not your problem. Let the police worry about him.”

  “I’m not sure I can do that.”

  “You can. You just won’t. Brett, he’s not the one who murdered your family. He had nothing to do with that. You choosing to stay here and fight him has nothing to do with your past or not being able to let go. That’s just you staying here because you want to. Not because you feel you have to. He didn’t kill your family.”

  “But he tried to hurt you.”

  “If I can let it go and move on, then so should you.” Jacobs made a face that indicated he wasn’t sure what else to say. “It’s OK. Like I said, I’m not mad. You’re not ready to move on. Believe me, I completely understand. I guess I’m just venting a bit, but I’m not angry. I get it. You wanna take your pain out and unleash it on every bad guy you come across. It’s just the way it is right now. And I’m not saying I want you out of my life or that we can never talk again. But I just can’t keep living here with you. It’s time for me to go back.”

  Tiffany turned and headed for the door, but Jacobs raced back in front of her again.

  “No.”

  Tiffany folded her arms. “What do you mean, no?”

  “I mean no. I can’t…” Jacobs looked around, hoping the right words would come to him. “I can’t let you go back to your apartment, not knowing if something bad is happening to you. I can’t lose you too.”

  “Then what do you suggest?”

  “I don’t know. Just let me think about it.”

  “We’ve had two months to think about it.”

  “I know. Just give me a few more days to come up with something that’ll work for both of us. You won’t have to be tormented staying here with me, and I won’t have to worry about you every second that we’re not together.” Tiffany clenched her jaw tighter, and he could see that she wasn’t completely happy with his suggestion. “Please, just give me two more days. I care about you. And I wanna make sure that you’re safe. Just a couple more days.”

  Tiffany sighed. “Fine. Two more days.”

  Jacobs grinned. “Thank you.”

  Some of the steam was starting to evaporate from Tiffany’s system. She looked at the time. “I guess I’m gonna go make myself something for lunch. Would you like something?”

  Jacobs shrugged. “I guess that depends.”

  “On what?”

  “Were you planning on letting me eat it or were you going to throw it at me?”

  She chuckled. “Don’t give me ideas. But I guess I’ll let you eat this one.”

  Jacobs smiled. “Then yeah, I guess I could eat something. Thank you.”

  Tiffany turned and walked into the kitchen to make them something to eat. After she disappeared from sight, Jacobs looked down, observing Gunner still staring at him.

  “What?” Gunner let out a bark. “I know what I’m doing.” Gunner growled. “Yeah. I hope so too.”

  2

  Jacobs went over to the door and looked through the peephole just to make sure it was who he was expecting. He opened it, allowing Franks to come in.

  “Hey, what’s going on?”

  Jacobs shrugged. “Same old, same old.”

  Franks nodded. “I hear ya, man, I hear ya.” He looked around. He didn’t see Tiffany or Gunner. “Where’s the pooch at, man?”

  “The pooch is outside.”

  “Oh. How about the old lady? The old ball and chain?”

  “The what?”

  “Tiffany. Where she at?”

  “The old ball and chain?”

  Franks laughed and backhanded Jacobs in the front of his shoulder. “Just a little play on words there, you know?”

  “Uh, I guess.”

  “That’s how they used to refer to a person’s other half way back in the day, you know,” Franks said.

  “It is, huh?”

  “Oh yeah. So where’s she?”

  “She’s out with the pooch.”

  Franks laughed again. “That dog loves her.”

  “Yeah.”

  Franks stared at Jacobs’ face for a few seconds. Jacobs stared back, raising an eyebrow, wondering what was going on. Franks was intently studying his friend’s facial expression.

  “What are we doing here?” Jacobs asked.

  Franks slowly formed a smile. “Why you sly dog, you.”

  “What?”

  “You went and done it, didn’t you?”

  “I did what?”

  “You went and got back on the horse, didn’t you?”

  Jacobs sighed and shook his head. “Why do you always wind up resorting to metaphors that I can’t understand?”

  “It’s my style, man. And really, I’d think you’d know what I’m talking about by now. I mean, we’ve known each other forever and a day.”

  Jacobs rubbed his forehead. “Sure feels like a lot longer than that.”

  Franks slapped Jacobs on the arm again, seeming pretty happy. “I’m proud of you, man.”

  Jacobs held his arm. “Can you watch it there? I am recovering, you know.”

  “Oh, please, you’re as fine as fine can be.”

  “Glad you think so.”

 
“So gimme the details, man.” Franks rubbed his hands together. “Lemme know how it happened.”

  “How what happened?”

  “You getting back in the saddle.”

  “Would you stop talking like you’re an old cowboy and I’m John Wayne or something? What the hell are you talking about?”

  “You and Tiff, man.”

  “Me and Tiff, what?”

  Franks moved his arms around, trying to indicate something, though Jacobs was still lost on what. “You know.”

  Jacobs shook his head. “If you don’t tell me exactly what you’re talking about in the next ten seconds, I’m leaving.”

  Franks rolled his eyes and threw his hands up. “You and Tiffany, man. You’re back in the game.”

  Jacobs didn’t look happy. “Eddie. This is your last chance to tell me what’s going on in that one-of-a-kind mind of yours.”

  “It’s written all over your face, man. You and her finally did it. I mean, you look as happy as I’ve seen you in a while.”

  “I do?”

  “Yeah. C’mon, give me the details. Did you finally lower your defenses, or did she come on to you? What happened?”

  Jacobs shook his head again. “Unbelievable. I have no idea how you’ve gotten to the place you’re in right now, but you couldn’t be any farther away than if you were… I don’t even know what.”

  “Say what now?”

  “There’s nothing on my face that indicates me and Tiffany have done anything close to what you’re thinking.”

  “Really?”

  “Why is that so shocking?”

  “Because you look all relaxed and happy. I thought for sure you finally sowed your oats again.”

  “Oh my god, will you please stop talking like that?”

  “OK, OK. But you and her didn’t do it?”