Breaking the Silence (Hard Drive Book 2) (15 page)

He frowned in confusion as he approached the building. News vans lined the street. The place was packed. He wove his way through the crowd until he was sitting on a barstool. A bartender, a guy about his age and build, came up to him. “Where’s your date?”

Rico shook his head. “No date.”

“Huh. You could probably have the pick of the litter tonight. Your usual? Ginger ale?”

Rico held his breath before he answered. “Nope. Jack and Coke. Double.”

“Dude, you’ve never ordered alcohol here.”

“Well, times are changing, my friend. What the hell is going on here?”

“Some big socialite from the West Coast dropped by. One of those that grace the covers of the tabloids. I’ll get your drink.” The bartender hurried off to pour Rico’s drink.

Rico barely took a sip before he noticed someone approaching in the reflection of the mirror behind the bar. He groaned. “No, please. No.”

He turned to confirm what he saw. Phoebe was here and had her eyes locked on him. As she sauntered across the bar in a tight fitting, black, strapless dress that left nothing to the imagination, his mind kept chanting “unstable.”

“Hey, baby,” she greeted as she sat on the stool beside him.

“Phoebe, seriously. Go away.”

“Never, lover. Its fate that we belong together. It brought me here to this bar. It brought me to you.”

“No, it’s not fate. You know I come here. I brought you here.”

“Yes, you did. The first night you slept with me.”

“Thanks for reminding me.”

“Finally. Here, I’ve got you,” she cooed over the music. She reached out and caressed his tie, brushing her fingertips against his shirt hard enough to rake the skin beneath.

“I suppose you do.”

“Now what should I do with you?”

“I have no idea.”

“I do. It’s time to brand you as mine.” She rose to her feet. Using the tie as a leash, she drew him to her and drove her lips against his. He melted into the kiss, his mouth opening obediently to accept hers. Phoebe wasn’t kidding about claiming him. Her tongue wrestled with his as she wove her fingers in hair.

Rico felt his heart sink in his chest. He struggled free then held Phoebe away to put space between them. “I can’t do this,” he breathed.

“Yes, you can, lover.” She reached out to pull herself closer.

His strong arms stopped her. “No, I can’t. I love Avery. It’s her or no one.”

Phoebe laughed. “Are you saying you’d rather be with that poor, deaf wretch than…” She sensually ran her hands down her figure. “This?”

Rico reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He plucked a few bills out and laid them on the bar. He glanced up at the bartender. “That should cover the drink. Thanks.”

He turned toward the door, only to be yanked back viciously by his tie. Phoebe’s eyes were full of fire as she glared at him. Her voice was ice cold. “You belong to me, Rico Choate. You are mine. I will not let you slip through my fingers again. Do you understand me?”

Rico shuddered as he tugged his tie from her grip then retreated to the door as fast as he could, weaving in and out of the crowd so she couldn’t follow. He heaved a sigh as he pulled out his phone and powered it on. He had better call Max. And in the morning, he would have to contact his lawyer. The bitch was back and crazier than ever.

He spent the entire trip home on the phone with Max and then a couple hours after that. They plotted out a game plan to keep Phoebe away from them and the gym. A joint call to the lawyer for restraining orders would be first on their to-do list in the morning.

Then, Max started in. Rico tried to listen. He knew his best friend was concerned about him. But Max just didn’t understand. He had gotten his happily ever after with the woman he loved. Rico’s had walked out of his life.

Once he hung up with Max, his cell rang. It was Phoebe. He silenced the call. It rang again. He muted the speaker. It buzzed relentlessly. He groaned. Hopefully, she would give up before morning came. Of course, she didn’t. The battery died as dawn streaked the sky. Rico hadn’t slept a wink. At least it was Saturday. He could possibly catch a nap later. He rose and dug through his drawer, looking for clothes for the gym.

Max was waiting for Rico as he stepped inside Hard Drive. Silently, they climbed the stairs to the office to call Al, Chloe’s new stepfather and Max’s lawyer. Rico cringed as Max explained the situation to Al over the speakerphone. He could hear the disapproval in the older man’s voice. Even Al knew Phoebe was bad news. Al promised to file the restraining orders first thing Monday. After a quick goodbye, Max hung up.

Rico sighed as he followed Max downstairs to spar.

Slowly, people filtered in to workout. By the exhaustion etched in Mark’s face, he wouldn’t last long. He must have just gotten off his shift at the emergency room. Dan bounced in with far more energy than his best friend. Mark growled then popped him one playfully, out of spite.

They each paired up to fight. Rico concentrated on Max, dropping into stance to begin. Out of nowhere, a bare fist plowed into his nose, dropping him to the ground. It definitely wasn’t Max’s. He was about as stunned as Rico was.

A split second later Max, Mark, and Dan had restrained the large body.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, you son of a bitch? Get out of my gym!” Max demanded.

Rico looked up at his attacker through the blinding pain. He sighed then wiped at the blood dripping from his nose. “Guys, relax. It’s okay. I deserved it, I’m sure.”

“You sure as hell did!” Lindsay shouted as he struggled against the three men holding him back. “Dumping my baby sister and breaking her heart. Then, you’re out a couple days later getting hot and heavy with some bimbo blonde!”

“What? How’d you know I was out?” Rico questioned in disbelief.

“You were on TV last night, making out with her at some bar. I’m just glad Avery didn’t see it. She would have been crushed.”

Rico wiped his blood-covered fingers on his shorts then slowly stood. He looked Lindsay in the eye. “For the record, I didn’t dump Avery. She dumped me.” He motioned around him. “Over this. Over her ridiculous celebrity complex. I’m one of them now. What you saw was my crazy ass ex-girlfriend trying to get back together with me. I didn’t invite her. She invited herself. I want nothing to do with her. It’ll never happen. I’m desperately in love with Avery. I have a fight in three weeks, and if my head isn’t in the right place, I’m going to be destroyed. That kiss is where the night ended. I can’t forget Avery. I don’t think I ever will. She’s that deep in my heart. She’s not the only one who’s broken. I’m broken, too. And ultimately, I’m going to be screwed.”

Rico spun toward the locker room to stop his nose from bleeding. Out of the corner of his eye, he couldn’t miss Lindsay’s dumbfounded look. He stormed away without another word.

The bar was darkly lit. Lindsay could barely make out the bodies scattered around the room sipping on bottles of beer and grinding against each other to the blaring music. He slumped onto a barstool and rubbed his shaved head. It had been a long week working security at the bank. He needed a few beers to relax his nerves.

He sighed. Then, there was Avery. She spent nearly every moment in her pajamas. She didn’t go to class. She didn’t go to work. Her eyes were swollen with tears. He shook his head. Avery. His baby sister. The consummate Marine. Nothing had fazed her. She had held her head high, proudly. He couldn’t remember the last time she had shed a tear. After Rico, she fell to pieces.

He took a long, slow sip of beer as he watched the Twins play on the television behind the bar. He turned as he heard a scuffle behind him. He snorted.
Drunken idiots
. He returned to the game. Moments later, he spun his stool back toward the door, noticing a crowd gathering in the parking lot. He frowned. Curiosity got the better of him. He stood and set his bottle down on the bar before he strode outside.

A mob gathered around five men taking turns beating on someone. Whoever their victim was, he wasn’t fighting back. Lindsay cringed at the sound of his pained groans.

“That’ll teach you to stay out of our business, you stupid son of a bitch!” A stocky man in a brown crew cut and lilac polo shirt shouted before he swung his leg back and delivered a kick. The impact was forceful enough to send his victim flying in the air several inches, scattering gravel as the body landed back on the ground. Lindsay had seen enough. He shoved through the crowd to stop the fight.

He stopped short, his mouth gaping open.

Rico lay on the ground, unconscious. His face was a bloody mess, littered with cuts and bruises. By the angle of his body, Lindsay feared there was more critical damage.

The guy in the lilac shirt reared his leg back for another blow. “Dumb—”

Lindsay flew across the parking lot and pinned the guy against the closest car. “You and your buddies need to get lost now.” He brushed back his jacket to reveal his gun. “Understand me?”

The guy nodded frantically as he twisted out of Lindsay’s grasp. As the crowd dissipated, he sank to his knees beside Rico. He shook Rico’s shoulder violently. The only reaction he got was a low moan. He flipped open his phone to call for an ambulance. His eyes shot around the parking lot as he gave the information to the dispatcher.

How did these guys get the best of an MMA fighter who has studied for years?
The answer was simple. Rico hadn’t fought back. He had let them beat him down. Lindsay let go a heavy sigh as he hung up.

He reached his hand out for the flat square object in Rico’s pocket. He scrolled through Rico’s contacts then chose one. He listened as the cell dialed.

“Rico, what’s up?” Max’s voice came through the speaker.

“This isn’t Rico. This is Lindsay Walker.”

“What the hell are you doing with Rico’s phone?” Max demanded.

“Rico’s hurt pretty bad. He allowed himself to be a punching bag for five thugs. He didn’t fight back. We’re at that country bar off I-35W, about a mile or so from your gym.”

“I’m on my way. I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”

Lindsay set the phone on the ground as the line went dead. The sound of sirens chirped through the neighborhood. Seconds later, a patrol car, fire truck, and ambulance were crowding the parking lot. The rear doors of the ambulance flew open with a bang. A large man in a doctor’s coat jumped out and sprinted to them. Lindsay recognized him instantly. He was one of the guys who had held him back from Rico at Hard Drive.

“Did you do this?” the doctor demanded.

“No, man. Five lowlifes did. Ask anyone in the bar,” Lindsay defended.

He glared at Lindsay warily as he sank to his knees beside his friend. He gently rolled Rico to his back then shook him. Rico groaned in response.

“Hey, man. It’s me, Mark. Wake up,” his friend encouraged.

Rico cracked open a swollen eye. “Leave me alone, Dan.”

Lindsay listened as Mark cursed under his breath. The sound of scattering gravel announced the arrival of another person.

“What’s going on?” Max pleaded.

“It isn’t good, Max. I was going to check for a concussion. I don’t need to,” Mark replied.

“Why not?”

“He called me Dan. I have six inches and over a hundred pounds on Dan, not to mention we have different hair and eye color. You can’t confuse us unless you’re in real bad shape. He needs to get to the hospital for at least a CT scan and possibly a MRI.”

Mark motioned for the paramedics. Max and Lindsay stepped back to let Mark and the paramedics work. Once they had Rico safely transferred to the gurney, Mark gave them a few brief instructions. Mark and Max quickly muttered to each other. Max took off running for his car as Mark hopped back into the ambulance with Rico, leaving Lindsay alone.

Slowly, he shuffled into the bar. He made his way back to his stool and ordered another beer. He took a sip of beer then winced. He could no longer enjoy it. All he could think about was the melee that had just taken place outside. When Avery had first introduced him to Rico Choate, he knew he had recognized the fighter from somewhere.

Lindsay had seen dozens of Rico’s fights. He was a brilliant mixed martial artist. He saw combos and holds before his opponent threw them. He was a natural.

A nagging voice in the back of Lindsay’s head begged to know why Rico didn’t fight back outside in the parking lot. But the answer was clear as crystal. Lindsay just didn’t want to face it.

The suave, smooth womanizer had fallen for his little sister. Without her, Rico had nothing else to live for, including the career he had spent years building.

Lindsay set the bottle back on the bar, paid the bartender, and then made his way to his truck.

He didn’t remember the drive home or walking into the house until he sank into the soft cushion of the sofa. He stared aimlessly at the television, not recognizing the show playing on the screen. He had the proverbial Romeo and Juliet on his hands. Except this Juliet couldn’t put aside her stubborn pride long enough to see how much Romeo was in love with her.

He was jostled from his thoughts by a hand slapping his shoulder. Avery stared down at him in terror, a fresh batch of tears brimming in her eyes.
What happened? Are you all right?

Lindsay looked down at his T-shirt. The drab gray was dotted with splotches of crimson. He frowned then signed.
I am fine. There was a fight at the bar.

Were you in it?

Well, sort of, yes.

What do you mean sort of?

I scared off the attackers.

Is the guy they hurt all right?

Lindsay couldn’t hold back the cringe at her question. He pinched his eyes shut, hoping Avery would drop the subject. Her continual poking told him otherwise.

He slowly opened his eyes. She glared at him.
What are you not telling me, Lindsay?

He took a deep breath and held it.
They beat up Rico, Avery.

Her eyes grew wide as tears streamed down her cheeks.
No. Rico would fight back. He did the night we went out when those guys were harassing me.