No Regrets (No Regrets #1) (3 page)

She squares her shoulders and states firmly, “You’ll meet him later. I asked h
im not to come home until you’re able to get settled.”

My heart skips a beat and my
voice is filled with exasperation. “Home? You mean, you live with him? Trinity, what in the hell have you done?”

She moves around the car and p
laces her hand on my arm. “Greylan, trust me, my life is different now, I’m different.”

She turns and walks to the front door. As she pushes it open
, she calls over her shoulder to my still figure, “You’re just going to have to accept that. Are you coming or not?”

R
oughly, I grab my bag from the back seat and trudge to the door. I wonder in that moment what else has changed since I’ve been gone?

Chapter 2

A door closing wakes me from thoughts I’m glad to be rid of. I roll over, not wanting to face my sister yet. As soon as I followed her into the house and up to the room where I’ll be staying, she decided to give me the silent treatment. I tried to talk to her but she was pissed. It was probably best for both of us to have some space. I hate the fact that she’s living with someone. My blood boils knowing that some dude has stepped up to take care of her when I wasn’t able to.

I sit up and cross the room
to the window. It faces the street running the length in front of the house. A silver BMW M3 is parked next to Trinity’s jeep. My stomach dips knowing it must be his. I struggle with whether I should just hang out here for the rest of the night and prolong the inevitable or face the music.

A scream makes the
decision for me. My feet move of their own accord across the hall to the master bedroom. My arm moves to swing the door open. It bangs on the wall with force and I’m surprised it didn’t fall off the hinges. The sight is not anything I’d ever want to see again. My sister is pinned beneath a guy. A flash of that night runs through my head of another girl being forced against her will. I move forward, demanding, “Get off my sister, right now!”

My fists are clenched at my sides and I have to con
trol every fiber of my being from beating this guy’s head in. When he moves though, I can see Trinity smiling, a last giggle escaping her lips. Her smile quickly turns to a frown as she glares at me.

The guy
climbs off the bed and puts his hands up into the air as if someone is holding a gun to his head. I guess I might as well be.

He
speaks in a friendly tone, thrusting his hand out for a handshake. “Hey, you must be Greylan. I’m Parker Harris.”

I
stare past Parker as if he’s not there, concern for Trinity my only focus. She sits up and pulls down her shirt uncomfortably. Her face is flushed as she stands and grabs Parker’s hand in a tight squeeze. That’s when I look at their hands and up at Parker’s face and realize I just screwed up.

Trini
ty speaks before I have a chance. “Greylan, this is my fiancé Parker Harris. Parker, this is my over-protective brother, Greylan Pace.”

We
stand awkwardly staring each other down. A few minutes pass without any words. Trinity glances between us, a huff escaping her lips as she wrestles with her words. “Look, boys, you both have tons of testosterone, we all know that. Reel it in, because the three of us are stuck together, like it or not. I’m not budging about either one of you, so get this over with and move on.” She moves her hands emphatically between us for effect but we remain unmoving, as if in a draw.

“Hol
y shit, you two, just go at it already then. I’m out of here. You know how much I hate watching both of you fight.”

My eyes move first and rushed words leave my
lips. “Fight? Both of us? Is he…?” My hand runs through my hair in exasperation as realization hits me.

I plead,
“Trinity, is he a fighter? Oh shit, Trin, you didn’t.”

She steps up to me
, places her hand on my chest, and pushes gently while smiling. “Oh yes, Greylan, I did. You can’t expect me to grow up around fighting and not have anything to do with it just because you left.”

She turns on her heel and strides out of the room. Parker looks on as
she leaves like he wants to cower and follow her like a little puppy dog. I don’t really blame him, though. Who would want to hit fists with me over Trinity? I wouldn’t if I were him.

Instead of following
though, Parker breaks the silence. “So I heard you’re pretty cutthroat in the cage.” Obviously he’s trying to get on my good side. Inwardly I wince. Why the hell would he even try? I just walked in on who knows what, but his hands were on my sister and that still isn’t okay.

A frown forms as I look
more closely at him. His buzzed blond hair, grey blue eyes, and bulky frame verify who I’m staring at. I straighten my body, pushing my shoulders back. “You’re
the
Parker Harris.”

He snidely comments,
“Yep, that’s me.”

The air
escapes as I realize who’s standing in front of me and engaged to Trinity. Suddenly I need to sit down. My feet move toward the bed and I sink onto the edge of the mattress. I look back up at Parker, my eyes narrowing to a glare as I mutter to myself, “She couldn’t just stay away or date an amateur. She had to go to the top.”

Parker smirks at
my words and answers my unspoken question. “This is Trinity we’re talking about, right? Stubborn Trinity, who beats to her own drum?”

I
nod and look to the floor. Parker gestures to question sitting in the spot beside me. I assent with a move of my chin and realize that Trinity is so much like me, and any protests I have toward her relationship with Parker, she’ll do the exact opposite.

I look
at Parker and ask, resigned, “What are your stats?”

Parker
smirks. “Twenty-five and one.”

“Huh, who was the one?”

Parker brushes his one loss off. “Jesus Reyes, a mean dude, damn near strangled me to death.” He adds, “I followed your career, you did some real damage. It’s a shame what happened.”

“Yeah it was.”

I was able to see fights occasionally in prison. Not as much as I would have liked, but some of the guards who had followed my short career kept me updated with the stats. Parker Harris is the up and coming hero of MMA and my sister is engaged to the guy.
Things just keep getting better
.

Parker stands
. “You hungry?”

A moment passes before I realize how hungry I really am. I hit the sack as soon as we
got here earlier. Some real food would be nice. I follow Parker down the long stairs to the first floor. He leads me past a room overcrowded with plush tan furniture situated around a big screen TV hung over a stone fireplace. We walk into a wide kitchen, bright in light beige tints and covered with dark oak cabinets.

Trinity is standing by the
marbled counter mixing something in a bowl. She glances up and remarks, “That was fast, I thought it’d take a lot longer. Did we kiss and make up or is there a fight scheduled in the near future?”

Parker steps up behind her, kisses her on the cheek
, and warns lovingly, “Trinity, give Greylan a break. He’s just making sure you’re in good hands.”

He looks back as I remark
, “The jury is still out. Don’t think just because you’re a fighter, I’m okay with this. In fact, that’s a strike against you.” I lift a banana from the basket of fruit on the table and peel the skin back before taking a bite.

Trinity pleads, “Come on
, Grey, I told you, this is
my
life now. I hate to say this, but if you don’t like it, you know where the door is.”

She turns before I can respond. I sigh
and sink into a chair at the wooden table situated in the corner of the room. Parker sets a beer down in front of me and takes the chair across the table. “I heard you were Carlo’s big fighter before you left,” he says.

My
ears perk up at the mention of my old trainer. Curious, I ask, “You know Carlo? Is he still in the business?”

Parker leans back
, resting his long arm across the chair beside him. “Yeah, you could say that.” He looks over at Trinity before quietly asking, “How about you come to the gym with me tomorrow?”

My body
leans forward a moment before glancing at Trinity. I nod and take a long sip from the bottle. I have a feeling the changes are going to just keep coming. I can either embrace them or fight them. At the moment though, not a muscle in my body has any desire to fight. I lean back in the chair, savoring the fact that the beer tastes way better than it should.

Chapter 3

My feet take me
into the dark. Shadows appear everywhere I look. I know I’m in the alley looking for something but I can’t remember what it is. As I scan the small space, movement in the corner against the wall catches my attention. I focus on the area for a brief second before a cry rings through the night. My body moves forward and it comes back to me. Why I’m here. I try to halt my legs but I can’t. They take me to the face of the dark-haired man with a beard, his brown eyes glaring at me. I know what’s coming but I can’t stop it. My fist moves, making contact with the man’s face. His head slams against the brick with a crack
. My whole body jumps at the sound. My breathing is erratic as I come back from the dream.

Slowly
, my eyes open to morning, the sun lighting the small space that is officially my room, at least for a little while. The nightmares come most nights, taking me back. I saw a counselor in prison but my guilt is just too great for anything to have an effect. I roll over, savoring the fact that I’m able to wake up in my own time. There are no guards or alarms controlling when I get up. I look at the clock, smirking, still seven o’clock though. Eventually my body will adjust.

I
realized last night while watching Trinity interact with Parker that my stay is going to have to be short. As much as I hate to admit it, she was right. Things have changed and she’s different now. Every part of me is protesting her being with someone like myself, but fighting her on it will only push her closer to Parker and further away from me. I can only hope that in time she’ll realize being with someone like me isn’t a forever deal.

I climb out of bed and head
straight for the shower. Parker wants to take me to the gym today, no doubt to see if I still have it. But I’m not sure if my time has passed. Five years is a long time in the life of a fighter.

I stroll
into the kitchen to a similar scene from the night before. Trinity is at the stove pouring pancake batter into a skillet, the sizzle of the hot butter fills the room.

Parker
is seated at the table with a glass of juice. He turns and asks, “Hey dude, did you sleep well?”

“Yep
.” I reply, angling for the fridge to pour some juice for myself. Trinity crosses the kitchen and smiles while snuggling into my side. She exclaims, “Grey, I’m so glad you’re home.”

This lifts my lip
, causing a chuckle. “Um, Trin, I think I’m going to see about an apartment soon.”

She releases herself and directs her attention to the pan on the stove.

“Greylan, you just got out. Why don’t you give it some time? You know you can stay as long as you need. Parker, tell him.”

Parker pipes up
. “Um, yeah, Greylan, as long as you need.”

My body
sinks into a seat at the table while I mumble to both of them. “Thanks.” I’m still set on this being very short term. My sister with this guy-any guy-is just wrong for me to see. I still feel responsible for her and every part of me declares that this particular dude needs an ass kicking for even thinking about it.

An hour later
, Parker is speeding through the east end down a series of side streets. I’m in the passenger seat, bracing myself for more changes. I borrowed a bag and extra gloves from him. I have a feeling that he really does want to get me on the mat. Today though, I just want to feel things out. I’m not sure if I still have it or if I even want to fight anymore.

A final turn down a narrow street with brick buildings rising up on either side,
then Parker slows the car. He glances over at me just as I spot the sign above the entrance ahead. Parker shifts the car into park and waits for the question.

With a thou
ghtful shake of my head I ask, “Is this a joke?”

P
arker smirks. “Afraid not. When you left, Carlo decided not to be a one on one anymore. He opened Carlo’s Fight Ring not long after, to my understanding. I strolled in one day just needing a place to train and we hit it off. He supports my fights. Actually, I probably wouldn’t be where I am without him.”

I look down
at my lap and back up at the old building in front of us. Quietly I tell him, “Carlo is good at that.”

I climb
out before Parker can say anything else. At this point, all of the similarities between me and Parker are starting to tick me off. Training with my trainer and engaged to my sister. It seems more like Parker is living the life that I left. More than anything, I want to hit the guy.

I grab
the borrowed bag from the backseat and ask over the roof of the car, “Does Carlo know I’m out?”

Parker nod
s. “I told him I’d bring you by, depending on how things went last night. He was sure you would beat my ass as soon as you found out about Trinity and me.”

I can’t help the laugh that escapes
. “Carlo knows me well.”

Parker leads the way
through the glass door emblazoned with two black gloves knuckle to knuckle, the emblem for the gym. As soon as we pass the threshold, a loud tsking sound fills the room. Across the wide expanse I spot Carlo shaking his head and smiling while he taunts. He’s leaning on the wall near red and blue mats while a fighter trades punches with a trainer. We close the space as Carlo looks at Parker, remarking, “No black eyes or bruises. Maybe prison softened him up. I was sure you would show up with your ass beat or an arm in a sling.”

This
brings memories back. Years ago, Carlo would taunt me by threatening to take Trinity out on a date. I would get pissed and it kept my focus. Carlo would never even consider pursuing her, he’s twice her age, but the teasing always helped me focus my anger in the right place. He always knew Trinity was a soft spot for me because I was the only one left to take care of her. Now I wonder,
why didn’t I kick Parker’s ass?

I step forward
after some hesitation, but the big, bald man crosses the mats faster and takes me into a tight hug. I notice when he releases me that the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes are more pronounced and a gut that was non-existent five years ago has appeared. Carlo eyes me up and down and remarks, “Well, Grey, you sure haven’t changed much.” He grabs his protruding stomach and laughs. “Wish I could say that’s been the case for the rest of us.” He glances over to Parker and adds, “You, Harris, need to go and train elsewhere. I know you want at him but give him at least a day to get back in.”

Parker nods and looks at
me. “Let me know when you’re done and ready to go.”

A
s he strides across the room, Carlo turns and states, “It’s really good to see you. It was a bad deal that you got.”

I wave
him away. “Don’t get sentimental on me, Carlo.”

Carlo slaps me
on the back. “Sentimental? This guy, never. But it’s good to see you. Do you wanna get in the ring or work out a little?”

I glance over at
the ring nearby. Memories of the many times I was in the cage come back to me. The thought of what might have been has haunted me for the past five years. I have reenacted every possible scenario in my mind. What if I wouldn’t have gone looking for Meyer or if I would have hesitated a moment longer before landing my fist across Theodore James’ face? The agonized expressions of Theodore’s family when I was sentenced haunt me daily. I would go back to that day in a moment if it would take away the fact that I took his life.

The ring
seems to tease me. I want in but I’m afraid of the hurt I could cause. I worked out every day in prison for no other reason than out of habit.

Carlo takes my
silence as an answer. “Let’s just throw some punches today. I know Harris wants to see what you’ve got and I’m sure you have a good reason for beating his ass, but it can wait. He’s been at it a while but you’re just coming back.”

Agreeing
, I nod my head, although I’m not sure if I’m still cut out for it. The cage is relentless and always changing. Anyone, including Parker, who is in there now, has five years on me.

I take off my shirt, fit
a head guard over my head, and bite my mouth guard. By the time I climb into the ring and slide my hands into the borrowed gloves, Carlo has relocated the other fighters that were sparring and grabbed a punch mitt. He orders, “Just light punching today, Grey, get a feel for it again.”

I
step forward and move my legs back and forth as recognition fills my bare feet. My hands rise up in front of my face in a guarded stance. Finally after rotating a few times, I throw a punch into the mitt. My arm recoils instantly, but another follows. Encouragement from Carlo pushes me to continue.

My
body falls into a familiar routine of moving and throwing hits. All the while Carlo exclaims, “Great, get lower, Grey,” or “hit harder.”

I lose myself as I have
so many times before while training. The movement of my muscles becomes something I’ve missed for so long now. The drone of Carlos’ encouragement pushes me on. My body dances with the mitts as if they are my opponent, trying to judge the next move or step they’ll take.

After an hour
, an audience has gathered around the ring. Parker among them calls out, “It looks like I might be up for a challenge.”

Carlo shushes him
. “Harris, I told you to leave it alone. You don’t know Grey. If you keep prodding, he’ll get you when you least expect it.”

Parker laughs
. “That’s what I’m counting on, Carlo.”

I frown and stop
for a moment, distracted by the banter. My eyes move from Carlo to Parker. A gloved hand moves to wave Parker into the ring.

Carlo shakes his head
, protesting, “Grey, he’s pro now. You aren’t ready yet. Give it time.”

I ignore Carlo’s protest and watch Parker come around me
while fitting his head into his gear. I palm my mouth guard, look over at Carlo and state, “This’ll be a good crash course for me. Catch me up on what I’ve been missing.” I turn my stare to Parker. “And it’ll give me a place to take out my anger at him for living with my sister.”

I fit the guard back into my
mouth as laughter and ribbing at Parker erupts from the others in the gym.

My
black gloves hit against Parker’s red ones. We rotate around each other once, twice, three times before I throw the first punch at Parker’s face. Parker’s arm comes up in an instant, blocking the contact. His fist rounds to the side of my face, forcing it in the opposite direction. My head turns at an awkward angle with the contact as my feet stagger back a moment before I’m able to regain my stance. I take a deep breath and move around Parker again. This time I land a roundhouse kick into his side. It barely affects him. A step backward and he’s surging back at me with a casting punch, but I was expecting it and I move, maneuvering into a clinch, with my arms wrapped around his chest. Parker grasps me around the back and moves, throwing my body down onto the mat. I struggle to get the upper hand and lose my grasp around him as I land on my back. Parker lands on top of me.

Carlo calls out, “I told y
ou, Grey, he’s fast. But don’t forget that this dude is sleeping with your sister.”

Carlo’s
words have the effect he wanted and my blood heats up. I move my legs up in a triangle grasp around Parker’s head and arm. But he takes me by surprise, coming down with an elbow to my gut, causing my legs to loosen. He maneuvers to the side an instant later and I play right into his plan. I slide to a sitting position but he’s too fast. His arm comes around me from behind in a choke, forcing his forearm into my windpipe. I realize I’m done so I tap his arm. He releases my body and stands. I get to my feet, shaking my head at the bad move I made.

Carlo climbs
up onto the mat. “I told you, Grey, he’s fast. You need a lot more training to grapple with this one.”

I don’t have hard feeling
s for the guy on the mat. However Carlo’s comment about Trinity was a low blow and pisses me off because it’s probably true. Being on the mat again has helped me come to the conclusion that this isn’t something I can easily give up. Fighting is something I need, almost as much as I need to breathe.