by Raven Rivers
He wanted to go home with Sharon more than he wanted his next breath. He strongly suspected she would take him home with her no matter how well he did tonight, however, he didn’t want to make her sit and watch someone punish his body.
Each woman gave their fighter a good luck kiss before their fight. Alek was eager to see how Miss Sharon would handle that, as they had never kissed before. They’d been talking for three weeks, but mostly through text messages or short phone calls as he’d been busy training for the tournament. Catching a glimpse of her in her family’s reserved area took his breath away. Her lovely curves were on full display in the red and black gown. Fuck, her long brown legs went on for miles and that slit up the side only accentuated it. The fact that she was packing made his manhood twitch. The clever woman had dressed to lure a Russian mobster and he’d definitely taken the bait.
As he looked her over, Alek realized he’d never seen a classier or sexier woman in his entire life. He had to force his mind to a faraway place to keep himself from getting a raging hard-on when she kissed him. She wrapped both arms around his lower torso and gently scraped her long red fingernails over his back as their lips locked. He lost the whole getting hard battle, but a lot of fighters did when they were kissed by their women, therefore he felt no shame in it. Watching her slowly walk gracefully back to her seat was difficult. He realized at some point that pretty much everyone was clapping and cheering for some reason.
Alek looked up at her brother and found him sitting with his redheaded girlfriend on one side with his father on the other side of him. Tony’s expression was relaxed and he seemed to be enjoying the night. The older man’s gaze drilled into Alek and the look on his face was cold and calculating. It made the hair stand up on the back of his neck. He decided that, before he left, he would be having words with the guy.
Once the tournament started, Alek forced a discipline upon himself the likes of which he had never known before. He refused to look at any of the spectators, including the beautiful doctor who had stolen his heart and would hopefully be wrapping him in her womanly warmth tonight. Shoving all that to the side of his mind, he thought only of the task at hand. Dispatching each and every opponent in front of him as quickly as possible, he concentrated on not allowing them to land a punch.
He took out his first opponent in a matter of minutes, then sat down to rest while the next three matches took place. Each time it was his turn to fight he tore into his opponent with a vengeance and left the mat victorious. He tried to study each fighter to determine their weaknesses, then used it to his advantage. Tonight was all work and no play for him. He wanted it to be over as quickly as possible so he could get on with spending time his woman.
Finally, it was approaching midnight and it was down to him and one other fighter. The man was the same German he fought a few weeks ago who had messed his face up. He looked onto the platform to see Sharon, yet she was nowhere to be found. Searching the room, Alek felt a little panic rising in his gut. Then he saw her. She was standing right behind the cage separating the fighting area from the audience.
As soon as their eyes met she walked over to the cage and he stalked over to meet her. He laid his gloved hands on the cage. She reached one small hand through the spacing in the bars and pulled him to her. Bringing her lips to his, she kissed him through the bars. Touching her forehead to his, they shared a quiet moment. When she spoke, her voice was low but held a note of command. “You walk over there and stay on the offense. You know he never covers his left very well and his shoulder took a pounding all night. Unload everything you have right away and don’t let him near that handsome face of yours. Don’t stop until he’s down for the count. Understand?”
“Whatever you say, beautiful.”
“I want you naked in my shower now, but if you’re quick about it you can have one more match.”
Alek smiled at the beautiful doctor, taking a step back. She was something special and he was going to do everything in his power to win her company tonight. Hitting his gloves together, he headed back over to the mat. His trainer met him halfway, yelling to Sharon, “Maybe you can give him all his pep talks from now on!”
Alek jumped on the German as soon as the bell sounded. He landed a kick on the left side of his lower torso that sent the man reeling, then landed a couple of punches to the shoulder. The German seemed surprised and made an effort to keep his distance. Alek just kept pouring it on.
At the end of the second round he caught the German with a roundhouse kick to the face and he went down. Alek hoped he would have the good sense to stay down but, of course, he didn’t. Shaking his head in frustration, Alek went after the man, using one combination of complex moves after another. Finally, his opponent went down again. This time he didn’t get back up.
As soon as the revelry was over Alek made his way to Sharon, who was standing with her brother and her step-father. He tried to quell his anxiety as he approached. Sharon stepped forward to greet him. Taking the towel draped around his shoulders, she began to dry him off.
Turning to her step-father, he looked the man in the eye. “Excuse me, sir. I would like to have a private word with you.”
The man dismissively replied, “You can talk to me right here.”
Alek clarified, “It’s about your daughter. You and I need to talk.” The older man motioned him to a more private area. It appeared to be some sort of small office.
They both sat down and Alek got right to the point. “Would you harm your daughter for dating or marrying a person like me?”
The older man answered his question with a question. “A person like you, or you?”
Alek smiled a weary smile and answered, “Me.”
Sharon’s step-father gave him the once-over. “I can’t say that I approve.”
Alek shot back, “I don’t care. Answer the question.”
Mister Nash’s voice became aggravated as he replied, “I would never physically harm my daughters for their choices in men. I might paint the street with their stupid-ass choices, though.”
Alek came swiftly to his feet. “The only thing that concerns me is Sharon’s safety. If you think to paint the street with me, think again. You will not find me to be an easy, slow-moving target. Just so you know, what your men do on the streets is far from what I consider artistic.”
Chapter 15
Daughters
Charles Nash
Charles Nash watched the man walk out of the room. He couldn’t help but smile to himself. His girls really knew how to pick them. Both his daughters had chosen men that were totally fearless. Victor was fine, he supposed. He graduated from some fancy Ivy League college and now ran a large criminal network in Moscow. He was a bit hard to relate to. Now he was in the States to take over the Russian side of their operation in Florida.
His oldest daughter had gone willingly with him and their wedding was being held in a few days. Victor had even phoned ahead, asking for her hand in marriage. God, he was such a pompous prick, this Russian. Charles had to admit he was a fine person, but his manners were ridiculous. Who in the modern age asks a girl’s father for her hand in marriage? Both of them knew he could not deny the man even if he wanted to, so what exactly was the point of asking the damn question? He would have thought Victor a total pansy-ass if it hadn’t been for the fact that he’d landed on top of his house and literally taken his daughter. That took guts and was a compensating factor in his opinion.
This new gentleman that Sharon had chosen, on the other hand, was cut from a different cloth. Where Victor was refined, educated, and sophisticated, this gentleman was rough, hewn from solid steel, and had street smarts. He was also a damn good fighter and seemed very loyal, which was an attribute Charles valued greatly.
It probably didn’t occur to Alek tonight to ask for what he felt it was his right to take. Alek seemed to be of the opinion that if he wanted Sharon and she wanted him, then the hell with what anyone thought about that. Now that was some alpha male behavior he co
uld get on board with since it had been much his same thinking when he took his own wife.
He was surprised his daughter had chosen a man like that. She normally dated men with no backbone; accountants, lawyers, doctors and… nobodies, in his opinion. Sure, they had decent jobs and made good money, but they were still spineless sissies.
This one fought like a grizzly bear tonight and was extremely adept at kickboxing. Whatever words of encouragement Sharon gave him before the tournament had honed his focus and increased his motivation, turning him into a fighting machine. He would have never thought her capable of stomaching a real fight, much less staying the entire night, especially with her lover involved in the fighting. He knew all too well how hard it was to watch someone you cared for getting hurt. It took every ounce of self-control he had not to walk over and cuddle his little daughter in his lap while she watched the man she loved fight.
If Sharon would have the Russian and they could somehow make a serious go of it, this man just might be a genuine asset to their family. Naturally, one could not show that kind of approval outwardly, especially to a Russian; they would take it as a weakness. Charles had been intentionally threatening but it was obvious this one didn’t scare easily. He couldn’t let the man in without a typical male challenge. In his mind men only valued what they were forced to fight for in this world.
Following the fighter out, Charles watched his step-daughter welcome him with open arms. The man’s annoyed expression turned soft and adoring as he gazed at her. Alek promptly tucked her to his waist and turned to his boss. “Timur, may I present to you my friend Sharon Nash. Sharon, I would like for you to meet my boss, Timur Chensnokov. I have been with him for many years and he treats me like a favored son.”
Sharon immediately extended her hand and gushed, “I’m so pleased to meet you, sir. I hope you don’t mind Alek getting himself a mobbed-up girlfriend.”
Timur smiled pleasantly and responded, “I think the heart wants what the heart wants, my dear. I am certainly in no position to judge such things. In all honesty, I do think of Alek as a son and you are welcome in my home anytime.”
She gave Timur a quick hug and said, “Thanks for that. I was really worried you wouldn’t like me.”
The silver-tongued devil replied smoothly, “I doubt there are many who would not like a sweet young lady like yourself. Alek is a very lucky man.”
“Trust me, I’m the lucky one.”
“Your new girlfriend is very trusting, Alek,” Timur smiled. “You really should see to that.”
Charles chimed in darkly, “She can afford to be trusting. Everyone knows she’s my daughter and not many men are foolish enough to cross me. I can be kind of pissy about people messing with my family.”
Timur glanced at his Italian counterpart. “That was not a threat, Mister Nash. Let’s just call it a concern from a father in a similar circumstance. When your daughter is with us, she is safe.”
Charles Nash responded flatly, “Wish I could say the same for your man.”
Timur’s voice took on a low and threatening quality. “If something were to happen to my man… Well, let’s just say it would be unfortunate for whoever was responsible. You see, most people are not foolish enough to think they can spill Russian blood and walk away.”
“Well, gentlemen,” Sharon’s voice rang out, “if you’re quite finished with the pissing contest, Alek and I are going to go. We’ve made plans for the evening.”
“Are you ready to go so soon, my sweet?” Timur asked.
“I’m two seconds away from just sticking my thumb out and hitching a ride.”
Timur laughed. “I can see you are your father’s daughter, Miss Sharon.”
Sharon tiptoed up, kissed her step-father on the cheek, then allowed Alek to wrap his arm protectively around her waist and lead her to his vehicle. Timur followed close behind, calling for his own limo.
Standing there watching his lovely daughter walking out the door, it occurred to Charles that he’d lost all control over his children. It made something tighten in his chest.
His enforcer, Geno Smiths, asked quietly, “Do you want that I should whack him before he gets to her place, or just catch him coming out in the morning, boss?”
Mister Nash rolled his eyes and marveled at the stupidity of his closest friend. “No, I don’t want that you should whack any of them. How much do you think my daughter would love me if I had her shiny new boyfriend offed? As a matter of fact, put the word out that he is untouchable. I want one million dollars on the head of anyone who harms him.”
Geno looked a little confused but nodded, “Sure thing, boss.”
The older man ran his fingers through his hair and wondered to himself if other fathers had these sorts of problems. He was beginning to think he spent most of his time cleaning up messes that were a result of his mob lifestyle instead of going out there and creating new streams of income. He just put the million dollars of protection money out there to clarify his position to his own men since no one else in town would be stupid enough to whack Timur’s man. He was fairly certain he would never need to pay that money out.
Chapter 16
Rescue A Friend
Sharon
Driving to her place, Alek found it difficult to pay attention to the road. He was still revved up from his final fight and it made him want to fuck in the worst possible way. His body wasn’t feeling the pain of his fights quite yet. Having the object of his affections so close was insanely distracting. He shifted gears roughly.
“You’re having a hard time tonight, aren’t you, babe?”
Shooting her a suggestive smile he acknowledged, “It might be best if I have a shower and a little stroke before we settle down for the evening.”
“I don’t think so, big guy. I want all your strokes for myself tonight.”
“I wasn’t sure you were ready to go for a touchdown.”
Snorting a laugh, Sharon asked teasingly, “What’s up with men and football analogies?”
Grinning, he relaxed a little. “I did not realize I was doing that. I do love American football, though. What analogy would you use? Something to do with fluffy bunnies, kittens, or rainbows?”
Driving his point home by playfully using female stereotypes was funny. “I guess you’re right. My comment was male stereotyping.”
His phone jingled and he pulled it out for a look. Moving off to the side of the road, he gestured for Sharon to hold on a moment and proceeded to text furiously for several minutes. Looking up at Sharon, he stated calmly, “Do not panic about what I’m going to tell you.”
“I don’t like the sound of this,” she groaned.
“Miss Bethany has been abducted from the fight along with another woman.”
His lovely companion’s face contorted into an expression of horror. “Please, Alek, we have to find her.”
“Timur and your father already have men on it.”
As headlights whizzed by, lighting up the darkness, a short silence spun out between them. Sharon finally spoke, “Victor is here to take over the East Coast operation. Someone from Timur’s crew sent a bullet his way and he’s intent on finding out who the turncoat is.”
Alek’s hand fisted tighter on his cell phone. “How certain are you of this information?”
Swallowing hard, she responded quietly, “My father told me with Victor in the room. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but they sure as hell think it is.”
Turning to stare at her, he sighed and said, “Timur does not value the business Victor is here to manage. I suspect that if he could, he would gladly give it up in favor of managing his private businesses. We need to be very careful and work in lock step to make sure neither man destroys the other over some miscommunication.”
“Agreed. What about the traitor?”
“Now that I finally know what I’m looking for, I will lure him out.”
“And what about Bethany?”
“They think she is being held by some crazy man i
ntent on keeping her as a lover.”
“Bethany’s a strong person, but being used that way would break her. We’ve got to do something.”
“I will drop you off at your home and join Timur. Come what may, I will do all within my power to protect your friend.”
“Take me with you.”
“Not for love or money, my angel. I need you someplace safe in order to dedicate my full attention to the task at hand.”
“Take me to my mother’s, then. Please. I don’t want to be alone.”
“As you wish. I am sorry that our romantic evening will have to wait.”
“I can wait if it means Bethany has a fighting chance of being rescued.”
“I will do my very best.”
Pulling up at her parent’s home, Alek jumped out and went around to open her door. Helping her out, his chest constricted painfully as he walked her to the front door. Whether it was being forced to part with her or because he was facing an unknown danger in retrieving her friend, he did not know. Turning her to face him at the door, he cupped her lovely face in his hands and assured her, “Do not worry. I will find a way to save your friend.”
Choked with emotion, she was unable to do more than nod as she fought back tears. Bringing his lips down, he kissed her tenderly. Her hands grasped onto his shirt, pulling him closer. She hungered for him, and knowing that spoke to the deepest part of his psyche as a man. Pulling back slightly he rested his forehead against hers and, for a brief moment, they were both breathing the same air.
Her faint whisper tore at his heart. “Please be careful.”
“You are mine. I long for the night of love you have promised me. Question that the sun sets and the moon shines, but never question my dedication to being at your side. I will return to you, this is my vow.”
