Linc (A Cocky Cage Fighter Novel Book 3) (20 page)

Linc

After she gathers her things, I walk Claire out to her car. It’s a gray, cloudy mornin’, and too early to be awake and have her leavin’ me so soon. We kiss, my body plastered against hers on the driver’s side door until she pushes at my chest, insistin’ she has to leave. 

“Fine,” I grumble with one last kiss, not ready to let her go. “Come over again tonight?”

“Okay,” she says with a stunnin’ smile before openin’ the car door and climbin’ in. “But just one more night, and then I need to stop running out on Mandy.”

I nod my agreement, even though I’ll miss her. When I’m halfway to my porch I hear the asthmatic cough of her engine followed by silence. Turnin’ back around it only takes a second to realize her POS isn’t gonna start.

Even after I hook up my truck to try and jump her off, the ancient car can’t be revived. “Might be the alternator,” I tell her when I remove the jumper cables from under her hood and slam it shut. “But we’ll have to get it towed in to town to let a mechanic look at it.”

“Fuck,” she groans, rubbin’ the sides of her temple in annoyance. “I have to be at work in an hour!”

“Come on,” I tell her. “Let me take you to work and then I’ll make the arrangements to get your car fixed when I get back.”

“Are you sure?” she asks, chewin’ on her lip hesitantly.

“Yes,” I respond, kissin’ that lip until her teeth release it.

“Thank you,” she says softly. “If you’ll just take me back to my apartment I can probably drive Mandy’s car to work.”  

“Okay, let’s go.”

On the drive to Durham Claire is quiet in my truck’s passenger seat, her eyes focused on some point outside the window, watchin’ the scenery go by. “You all right?” I ask, reachin’ over to squeeze her thigh.

“It’s always something,” she says on an exhale with the shake of her head. “Just when you think you’ve solved one problem another one always pops up.”

"We'll get your car fixed," I tell her, omittin’ the fact that if it's too far gone, I'm gonna buy her a new one. "If there are any other problems you're worried about, just tell me. You know I'd be glad to help."

"You've done enough, dealing with Vito. I'm sorry you got drug into my family's mess."

"I'm really glad to be in your family's mess," I joke.

She shakes her head but gives me a small smile. "The next right and we're in the third building on the left."

At first glance, the apartment complex looks rundown. A few broken windows have been replaced with wood instead of glass, and gang style graffiti is spray-painted on several of the brick walls. Broken furniture and trash litter the grassy areas. It’s definitely not the best part of town. I wouldn't let my sister, Hailey, live here alone, but since Claire and Mandy share an apartment, maybe it isn't so bad. I'd feel better if Mace lived with them. Hell, I'd prefer it if she lived with me, but I know that's not somethin’ she’s willin’ to do yet.

"It's the best we can do for now," Claire says, readin’ my thoughts.

"I know," I reply as I pull into a parkin’ spot. "Mace comes over and watches out for you both, right?"

"Yeah, several times a week. We're fine," she assures me as she reaches for the door handle. I lean over and cup the side of her face with my palm, titlin’ her head toward me so that I can kiss her goodbye. At first she's tense, probably because she’s in a hurry, but after a couple of seconds she loosens up and let's my tongue mingle with hers, makin’ it even harder to leave her.

"I'm gonna be late," she says against my lips so I finally let her go.

"All right, go. See you tonight."

"Thanks, Linc." With her bags she gets out and heads for the first story apartment, the one behind the staircase of the unkempt building. I wait and watch until she slides her key in the lock and steps inside out of sight. My hand is on the gear shift, about to put the truck in reverse and drive away when the same door swings opens again. Only instead of Claire or Mandy, it's a man that comes out of the apartment. A familiar lookin’ man in a pair of slacks and wrinkled dress shirt. Slick Rick, that motherfucker. What's he doing inside their apartment? I don't like that at all, and I still hold him responsible for connivin’ my girl, my sweet, innocent girl, into havin’ sex with me on camera for millions of fuckers to see her naked, just so that he could make a few bucks.

Instead of leavin’, he pulls out his phone and lingers around the front so I sit right where I am waitin’ for Claire to come back out, which I know she will as soon as she changes. Sure enough, the asshole spins around and puts his phone away in his pocket when he hears her come out the door. She’s jugglin’ her purse, phone and keys, and doesn’t notice him until he’s next to her. He says somethin’ to Claire, but she keeps walkin’. Then he makes his first mistake, he grabs her arm to force her to stop. She yanks herself away from his grasp and keeps walkin’ to Mandy’s silver Nissan. He makes his last and final mistake when she’s tryin’ to unlock the door. The motherfucker walks up behind her, pressin’ the front of his body to the back of hers, until she’s effectively trapped between him and the side of the car.               

The sudden onset of rage has the sleepin’ beast roarin’ to life. I'm out of the truck a half a second later. The adrenaline immediately starts pumpin’, and then I'm grabbin’ the back of his neck and slammin’ his face on the hood of the car so hard he groans. 

With his head turned to the side, he finally sees me. "Oh shit," he grumbles. His nose is bleedin’ and his wide eyes look panicked, as they should be. "Vito will fucking ruin you if you so much as leave a bruise on me." He thinks he can threaten
me
while I’m holding
him
down? Fuck that. Now that the whole world has seen my cock, I don’t think there’s anything else he could do to ruin me. I'll no longer be known for being a world champion fighter. No, from now on I’ll be famous for fuckin’ a porn star. Or a woman who everyone
thinks
is a porn star. 

Squeezin’ his throat tighter, I lean down and warn him, “If you go anywhere near her again I’ll do more than leave a bruise. I’ll break each and every bone in your fuckin’ body.”

“Linc, stop,” Claire says from behind. “I need to get to work.” Her tone is one of annoyance at being late for work, not concern for the fucker’s face planted on her car.

“Just a second, baby,” I tell her. Grabbin’ a handful of the back of his shirt I lift his upper body from her car and toss him over to the ground of an empty parking spot. “There. Now you can leave. But why the fuck was he in your apartment?” I can’t help but ask.

“He’s dating my sister,” Claire says, her eyes narrowed at the pile of asshole strewn on the concrete.

“Fuckin’ hell baby,” I groan and clench my fist, still wantin’ to pummel that fucker for layin’ a finger on her. Knowin’ he sometimes sleeps under the same roof? Hell no! “This is why I wish you’d move in with me. I don’t want you dealin’ with this sonofabitch when I’m not around!”

“Linc,” she starts with her head hangin’, her long hair shieldin’ her face. “Just let it go.”

“Let it go!” I exclaim and when the fucker tries to stand up I kick him in the gut so that he collapses again. My adrenaline is pumpin’ and now I’m ready to fuckin’ fight.

“Linc! Seriously, that’s enough. He’s not worth it, and I can’t stay here to babysit you two. I’m already late for work!”

“You deserve better than this shithole,” I tell her, gesturin’ with my arms to the decrepit apartment complex, “And you don’t have to keep goin’ back to that crappy ass job that barely pays peanuts!”

That was apparently the wrong thing to say since Claire shakes her head, climbs in her car without another word, and pulls away.

Well fuck.

“You’re gonna pay for this,” the asshole says to me from where he’s still sprawled flat on his stomach on the ground.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” I ask, even though I heard him.

“I said, you’re gonna-”

My shoe plows into his face before he can finish, makin’ blood gush even harder from his nose. I really don’t like bein’ threatened.

“Fuck!” he exclaims holdin’ his hand to his face.

I know that if I hit him with my fist I won’t be able to stop. The beast is beggin’ to do more damage to him, but I rein it in. Barely.

"Screw with me or Claire again and you’ll be sorry. You hear me, fucker?" I ask, my chest still heavin’ with unexpended adrenaline.

“Just wait,” he mutters. “Don’t be surprised…when you get a video…of me fucking her.”

That’s it. The final fuckin’ straw that broke the beast’s back.

My fist landin’ on his jaw is the last thing I remember until someone grabs me from behind, pullin’ me off of him. I whirl around ready to pound them into the ground, but the blue uniform stops me, just before the tall, slender man says, “If you hit me, you’ll be charged with assault on a police officer. Now turn around and put your hands behind your back!”

Fuck
.  

…

I hold the receiver in my hand, dreadin’ the call I’m about to make. Finally, I punch in the familiar seven numbers.

“Hello?” my mom answers her cell phone right away.

“Hey, Mom. What are you up to? You busy?”

“Working away like usual, why? You want to do lunch?” she asks, soundin’ hopeful.

“Sure. We can do lunch. Anywhere you want to go,” I tell her.

“Great! How about
Arigato’s
at noon?” 

“Perfect,” I tell her. “There’s just this one little favor I need you to do for me before then.”

“What’s that honey?”

“Come bail me outta jail?” I ask, cringin’ durin’ the several seconds of air intake before she explodes.

“
Lincoln Abrams
! Have you lost your fuckin’ mind! What did you do?” That’s right, Lynn Abrams curses like a sailor.

“It’s just simple assault this time, no serious bodily harm,” I tell her optimistically. “Bail is only five thousand secured, but I don’t have that much on me, and believe it or not, these cheap bastards don’t have any ATM machines in their cell blocks.”

“
Just
simple assault? Who did you assault?!?” she exclaims. 

“Ah, well that would be an asshole that made the mistake of messin’ with my girl.”

“You have a girl?” she asks excitedly, and I know we’re in the clear on me gettin’ arrested. My dating life is the perfect distraction.

“I do.”

“Oh, honey, I’m so glad. You and Abby worked things out, huh?”

“Ah no, Mom. I told you, that ship sailed a
long
time ago. Went by the name
Titanic
. Maybe you’ve heard of it?”

“So a new girl?” she asks.

“Yeah, a new girl.” 

“Oh. Well, when were you gonna to tell us about her? I want to meet her. What’s her name?”

“Claire, and there will be plenty of time for that after you bail me out of jail.” Now is not the time for me to tell my mom she's the porn star look alike from the sex tape.

“Shit, sorry,” she says gettin’ back on track. “Cary PD?”

“Durham.”

She sighs heavily. “I’m on my way.”

“Thanks, Mom. Love you.”

Claire

"Can I get you anything else?" I ask the elderly couple, the last two people in my section…who've ordered nothing but coffee for over an hour.

"No thank you, sweetie," the old lady replies, clutching her warm mug in both wrinkled hands. I paste on a fake smile and walk away, trying to find something to keep me busy to help pass the time until I get to leave.

Screw the tips, I'm just ready to head home and get off my feet. Maybe hide under Linc's covers with him and pretend like millions of people haven't seen us fuck, my sister's not a drug addict and my brother is not a drug dealing hothead. Oh and that my car won’t cost every penny I have to fix it.

So far no customers, and only a handful of our close friends, have realized it was me and not Mandy in the video, thank God. I don't know how my sister handles this type of constant publicity. People are mean and saying hateful things all across social media. Not about Linc, though. No, he's been getting nothing but women talking about how much they want to fuck him and his big cock, while I get things like, "
Eve sure has been putting on the pounds. Is she pregnant or just fat?
" Awesome.

"Hey, sis." I practically jump out of my skin when Mason sneaks up behind me.

I spin around clutching my chest, and then it aches even more when I see his face. "What the hell have you been doing? Is this from training?" When he simply raises an eyebrow in response I understand. "The video?"

"Uh-huh. I told you, you weren't as slick as you thought you were. But at least things are good with you and Linc, right?" he asks with a grin. I notice he’s wearing the black
Havoc
hoodie that he’s so proud of.  

"Yes, not that it's any of your business," I reply.  "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I saw Mandy's Nissan out front and thought she was here.”

“Oh, well, she let me borrow her car since mine died over at Linc's this morning."

“Shit,” he grumbles, chewing nervously on his thumbnail. “Fucking Vito called me this morning looking for her. She hasn't answered her phone all day and wasn't at the apartment when I went by. It's not like her to at least text me back that she's busy." 

"Since I've got her car I don't know where she is. With that asshat maybe?" The same asshat who stupidly touched me in front of Linc this morning. Thank God he was still sitting in the parking lot or who knows what may have happened. The jerk keeps trying to talk me into making movies for Vito. Never gonna happen in a million bazillion years. 

"James?" Mason asks.

"Yeah."

"I hate that son of a bitch. Especially after what he pulled over on you and Linc."

"Preaching to the choir." I decide not to tell my brother that Linc had a run in with James this morning, since I know Mason will lose his shit.

"So when do you get off?" he asks as I turn around and finish filling up a line of salt and pepper shakers.

"Just as soon as that table leaves," I say, nodding to the elderly couple in the mostly empty restaurant.

"Want me to stay until you head out?"

"Nah. It might be awhile. Go see if you can track down Mandy, and keep me updated. I'll be heading over to Linc's as soon as I go home and take a quick shower."

"Will do. Love you, sis," he says with a quick hug. I try really hard to ignore the aroma of weed that’s lingering in the fabric of his hoodie.

"Love you, too," I tell him. When I pull away I glance up and see two big guys coming toward my section. At first I’m annoyed since it means I’ll be here even later, then I realize who they are.

“Linc? Senn? What are you two doing here?” I ask, glancing around to make sure my boss isn’t witnessing me socializing while on the clock.

“Hey baby,” Linc says, leaning down and placing a quick kiss on my cheek. “Sorry, but your car couldn’t be saved.”

“What?” I ask, my shoulders slumping knowing my savings is about to get emptied.

“Yeah, the guy said it was gonna be like two grand for a new engine and install, and the car in good condition is only worth about five hundred.”

“Shit,” I grumble.

“It’s okay sis,” Mason says, rubbing a hand over my shoulder. “You can borrow mine and Mandy’s until we can find you a new one.”

“Well um, I’ve got an extra one if you want to borrow it,” Linc says, offering me a set of keys with a shiny new fob that locks, unlocks and has an alarm on it. My old Accord had push button locks.

“You sure?” I ask him. I don’t remember seeing any other car around his house, except for his sister’s.

“Yeah,” he says, taking my hand and dropping the keys in it.

“Okay, thanks,” I say.

“So, where were you two today?” Mason asks Linc and Senn. “The guys were all looking for you.”

The men exchange a look and I suddenly have a bad feeling.

“Well, um, I’m not sure if this is the place to talk about all that…” Linc starts.

“What’s going on?” I ask when my pulse speeds up. “Did something happen with James after I left?”

“James?” Mason asks.

Linc suddenly is very interested in the tops of his black Vans. “I, um, got arrested.”

“You got arrested!?!” I exclaim. “Why?”

“You didn’t!” Mason yells, getting in between me and Linc.

“Mason, stay out of this,” I tell him, grabbing his upper arm to try and keep him from getting in Linc’s face.

“What did you do?” he asks Linc.

“I beat the shit out of him after -”

That’s all Linc gets out of his mouth before Mason easily breaks my grip and shoves Linc backwards into an empty table, so hard Linc knocks the centerpiece to the floor before he catches himself. Oh no.

Senn jumps in and puts a hand on Linc’s chest to stop him when he starts to lunge at my brother.

“You guys stop!” I yell. “This is not the place-”

“Claire, who are these men? Do you know them?” I cringe when I hear my boss, Gary, come up behind me. Turning my back on the brawlers I try and paste a smile on my face to act like everything’s fine.

“They were just leaving,” I assure him.

“Good,” he says, crossing his arms over his stocky chest.

“Linc, Mason, get the heck out of here!” I say to them in a whisper, nudging my brother’s stiff back. I know he’s wound tight, raring to fight, but I hope he keeps it contained. He grumbles something but walks out the door with Senn.

“Claire-”

“Don’t Linc. Just go,” I say to him. Looking down at the keys in my hand, I know what he did and I try and pretend he didn’t do something so…incredibly sweet. I don’t deserve this type of extravagant treatment from him after we’ve only been dating a week. In a way it feels like he’s trying to buy me off for stupidly getting into a fight and getting arrested. There’s no telling what implications the charges will have on his career, but it can’t be good. And this, this is not the type of relationship I want. Tossing the keys to him I turn around and walk away, going to cry in the privacy of the women’s bathroom.

When I clean up my face and finally come out, I have to wait another thirty minutes for my old couple to call it a night. After I clean up their table, I close my station and finally clock out, getting another frown from Gary. What a long freaking day!

I roll my head trying to loosen up the tension in my neck and shoulders as I walk to my car. In the parking lot it takes me a while to dig Mandy’s car keys out of the bottom of my messy purse with only the light of a single lamppost. I wrap my fingers around the jingling keys at the same time a strong arm bands around my waist making me yelp.

“Hey, baby,” Linc says into my hair. My knees almost give out on me in relief, right before the anger.

“You scared the shit out of me,” I tell Linc, spinning around in his arms. That’s when I see his lime green truck across the lot. Parked next to it, Senn stands with his back against a beautiful new pearl colored Accord. “What are you doing here? I thought you went home.”

“I wanted to see you when you got off. You’re still comin’ over tonight, right?” he asks with pleading blue eyes. “I’m sorry, about everything. Just tell me what I need to do to make it up to you and I will, okay?” The front of his short blond hair is disheveled, standing up in a million different directions like he’s been running his fingers through it. He’s so…boyish looking and adorable, that I can’t resist reaching up to smooth it back down. How can I stay mad at him? It’s impossible. One look at him and I forget what we were arguing about.

I wrap my arms around his waist and lay my head on his chest, right over his beating heart to inhale his pine and vanilla Christmas scent. “Let me go shower and grab a change of clothes, then I’ll head over,” I say against his green hoodie. His tense body relaxes underneath my cheek and he wraps me up in a hug.

“Thank you,” he says with a kiss to my head. “You sure you won’t drive the new car?” I shake my head.

“Fine. I’ll keep it at the house in case you change your mind.”

“Okay,” I agree, hesitantly stepping out of his embrace. “I’ll see you in a few.”

I climb in Mandy’s Nissan and start the engine that thankfully turns over. Her car is in a little better shape than mine. Seatbelt snapped, I pull out of the restaurant and head down the side road to our apartment. As soon as I turn off the main road blue lights and a siren come on behind me.

“Shit,” I grumble, wondering if Mandy forgot to get her car inspected or has a brake light or something out. I know I wasn’t speeding. 

Seeing an empty church parking lot on the right, I pull over and put the car in park to start digging in my purse for my license. Even though I’m expecting it, I still jump at the knock on my window.

“Ma’am you need to step out of the car,” the officer says through the glass. What the heck? My skin prickles, thinking something’s not right. I start to reach for my phone to call Mace or Linc when the officer says, “Keep your hands where I can see them and step out of the car, now.”

Unhooking my seatbelt with trembling hands, I finally manage to get it off and open the car door. I don’t have a chance to even step out when the man jerks me up by my arm. He pushes me face first against the side of the car and the next thing I know, my wrists are being handcuffed. “What are you doing?” I yell.

“Keep your mouth shut or we’ll have to do this the hard way,” the officer says.

“You don’t want to go the hard way,” another officer I hadn’t seen warns me before his hands start to frisk me in a very inappropriate way. My mind frantically tries to weigh my options here. I don’t think I have many. There’s no way I can outrun them. The only thing I know to do is scream and hope a neighbor hears. 

“Stop that!” I yell. “Someone call 911!”

That’s all I get out before a sweaty palm clamps down tightly over my mouth and nose, muffling my sounds until I can’t breathe anymore.

…

Linc

Even though it’s late when I finally get home, Senn and I still take a walk down to the pier hoverin’ over the lake. I stretch out on it, lookin’ up at the stars from flat on my back while I wait for Claire and he sits silently next to me. This place is my haven. A place to relax and get away from the day's stress. It's where I go whenever I need to clear my head. Now, it's impossible not to think about Claire down here. The way she felt ridin’ me, completely naked in the moonlight. The other night was incredible. Every second I'm with her is incredible.                              

As soon as my mom posted my bond, I had Claire’s car towed into town to try and get it fixed. Just as I expected, it was gonna cost more than it was worth to repair, so I went and bought her a brand new Accord. I knew she would protest my gift, but the deal is done, her name is on the title, so I'll just have to find a way to convince her to accept it.

Now I have to sit around and wait until she drives over here in her sister's borrowed car. Damn I can't fuckin’ wait.                      

From the moment I saw Claire on stage that night at
The Playhouse
I knew I was a goner. She was more than just sexy and beautiful. The woman radiated goodness and innocence, in contrast to the porn star image. I should've realized then that she wasn’t Eve. All I knew was that I needed to be near her, at any cost. And then when she walked into that room...I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

“So what’s the IFC said about the charges?” Senn asks, interruptin’ my Zen like moment.

“Nothing yet,” I tell him. “But I’ve already talked to a criminal attorney and he thinks he can easily get the charge against me dismissed. Until then, it’s safe to assume I won’t be gettin’ any fights.”

“Yeah,” he agrees with a chuckle. “Might lose a few sponsors too.”

“Fuck them,” I say, unconcerned. “My career might be over anyway dependin’ on my arm.”

“You’re not gonna try and get your title back now that Jude’s bumping up to middleweight?”

I shrug and then remember he probably can’t see it in the darkness. “I don’t know. Maybe.” There’s no way I would have considered not fightin’ again a few weeks ago, but since I’ve met Claire it just doesn’t seem as important. I don’t have anything left to prove after bein’ the best for four years. There’s also a project she’s got me thinkin’ about spendin’ some time on.