Uncaged Love #4: MMA New Adult Contemporary Romance (9 page)

Chapter Sixteen
 

Everyone wants to go out to dinner like before. Despite my anxiousness to get alone with Colt, I let Nate and Buster convince us to go to some Italian joint a few blocks down from the gym.

This dinner is completely different from the last one. Colt is here, holding my hand and beaming at me the whole time. Zero has Angel. Colt’s trainer Killjoy is there, good-naturedly ribbing Nate about his training methods, insisting my hands are still too high.

Only Lani is missing. I know she’s out there, and Annie. I wish I could contact them, just get all this muck out of the way.

Colt leans close to my ear. “I know what you need,” he whispers.

Heat shoots through me. “How do we escape?”

He angles his head toward the back door by the bathrooms. “Ever had a fantasy about being taken in an alley?”

“Colt!” I say it too loud, and the others at the table stop talking, then shake their heads. They have us pegged by now.

“Follow me in two minutes,” he says and stands. “Be back in a sec,” he says to the others and heads to the bathrooms. I watch him weave through the tables full of late-night diners. Instead of going in the men’s room, though, he pushes through the outside door under the red exit sign.

I flash a smile at Zero and Angel, who are sharing a plate of spaghetti,
Lady and the Tramp
style. I would groan at them, but I know I’m not any different with Colt. I like to think that my being happy made Zero feel it was okay to take a closer look at Angel.

I push my chair away from the table. I decide not to announce my departure, but just wind my way across the room. I don’t look back as I go through the exit door.

When I peek out, strong arms grab me and drag me through. By instinct, I kick and fight against the strong hold. When I register that it’s Colt, I decide to fight even harder. My elbow lands in his belly, but he’s ready, tense and rock hard.

“It’s like that, is it?” He growls and sweeps my ankles with his foot. I’m knocked off my feet. Instantly, I’m in the air, tossed over his shoulder.

Now I feel like giggling, destroying the whole ruse. I bang my fists on his back. “Hey, you’ve done this move before.”

He spanks me, and I kick my feet against his thighs, trying to hit a good spot. He walks a few steps along the back side of the building and leans over to set me down.

“That’s better —” I can’t even finish before he’s shoved me against the wall, his mouth crushing into mine.

The alley is quiet and mostly dark. A feeble light over the back door is yards away now. The other tenants of this line of shops are closed up tight. My breathing speeds up. This sort of scene was once something from my nightmares. But now, I’m completely changed. I want this, here, with Colt. Dangerous. Outside. Rough.

His hands go beneath my sweater to cup my breasts. Even this feels too tender, too romantic, so I tense up to take a knee to him. Without even breaking the kiss, he recognizes my plan and blocks the blow. His hand grabs me between the legs and squeezes hard in response. The seam of my jeans presses into my folds, sparking a thousand shards of pleasure to shoot through me.

I’m still warm and flexible from the fight, so Colt lifts me and presses my knees wide. He thrusts against me until I ache for it to be real, to get these clothes out of the way. For the first time in my whole life, I wish for a skirt.

Colt jerks open the snap of my jeans. His hand dives inside, sliding over my belly and down. His fingers curve up into me. I can sense how wet I am. He plunges into me, making me cry out.

The wall is rough against my back, and I can feel bits of peeling paint sticking to my sweater. I don’t care if I destroy it. I just want Colt to finish this, to get inside me. I reach between us, but he grabs my hand.

He withdraws his fingers from inside me and licks them. I can barely breathe, and my heart is pounding in my ears.

Colt whips me around and jerks my jeans and panties to my knees. I hear a quiet jingle of his belt, then he’s pushing me over, my hands on the wall.

In one swift thrust he’s inside. He groans behind me, and I know what he feels. Relief, ecstasy, need. He reaches around to thumb my nub. Our bodies crash together with violent power. My arms start to shake, but I hang on.

He begins to shudder behind me, and I let loose everything, tightening against his hand and body. The orgasm spreads out like a central blast. It ripples through me, and I start to collapse, weak legged, arms like a rag doll.

Colt catches me and holds me tight. He slips out, and the cold air sears my skin where we were joined. He presses his face into my braids. “You still amaze me every day, my Jo,” he says.

I’m not sure I can speak. My body is a contradiction. Elation and exhaustion. Invincible and vulnerable. Sated and yet still wanting more.

Colt leans me against the wall and works my jeans back up. I turn around, and he folds me into his embrace. “We were meant to find each other,” he says.

I nod against his chest. Despite everything that is going on, I know I believe in that.

Chapter Seventeen
 

The dinner doesn’t break up until almost one in the morning. I’m exhausted but trying not to show it.

Everyone splits up: Nate and Buster to their cars, Killjoy in a taxi to the suites where a lot of Colt’s staff is living, Zero and Angel to one apartment or the other.

Colt and I walk the few blocks to his Harley, still parked behind Buster’s.

“Long day,” Colt says, squeezing my hand.

“I hope you’re planning on sleeping in a little,” I say. Colt likes to start training early now that he also takes an hour or so each day to manage administrative stuff, things his father’s staff once did. Weekends are generally no exception.

“That sounds like a plan,” Colt says. “This has been one hell of a week.” He pauses to let an alley cat jet across the sidewalk in front of us and disappear into the dark between buildings.

“Lots of good changes, though,” I say. A streetlamp sputters overhead. There aren’t many people around at this time of night, and the sidewalks are empty.

“Definitely. The staff will get settled. We’ll find another place for you to hold your fights. Then a trip to Vegas for my next match.” We stand on a corner waiting for the light to change even though there isn’t any traffic to watch out for as we cross. The cafe where Zero works is locked up and dark. “It’s going to be busy.”

The blacked-out windows of Buster’s Gym seem menacing this late. We turn down the side street to walk up behind it. It’s hard to imagine how jammed with cars and bikes it was earlier this evening, before my fight with Diva Delaney.

“I wonder how I’ll feel after my first loss,” I say. “Seems like it would be depressing.”

Colt lifts my hand to his lips. “You still get that adrenaline rush. Even if you’re hurt or injured, you still feel it.”

We turn the corner behind the building.

And stop dead.

Standing around Colt’s Harley are several people. Colt pulls me tight against him.

The light is pretty low, but I recognize Lani right away. And Annie.

Colt must see her too, because he tenses up. “What the hell are you doing here?” he asks.

Annie knows he’s talking to her. She breaks away from the others. “Hello, Colt.”

“Fifty grand wasn’t enough for you to disappear for good?”

Annie juts out a hip, arms crossed. She’s dressed all in black. Jeans. Hoodie. Her hair is tied back. Everyone is dressed in black. Like a goth circus. My anxiety rises. This can’t be good.

I look at the others. God, one of them is Parker! I’m flushed with shock. He acted so nice before his fight. I was duped then too. They’ve planned all of this for a long time. I don’t know the other boy, but he’s pretty buff. Probably a fighter.

Two fighter guys. Two fighter girls. Four of them. And two of us.

But one of us is Colt. He must be assessing the situation too, because Annie asks him, “You having a good night?” and he doesn’t answer.

Lani walks up beside Annie and drapes her arm over her shoulder. “Have you learned to lower those fists yet?” she asks me with a laugh. “I’m not sure why everyone thinks you’re the best thing since Ronda Rousey.”

I don’t answer either but step away from Colt so we have room for whatever’s next. He lets me go. He knows he can’t just protect me. We have to be ready as a team.

The other guy moves close enough for me to see that he must be Lani’s brother. He’s got the same dark hair as Lani, shaved close on the sides.

“We meet again, Gunner McClure.” He laughs, and it’s like a dog wheezing. Tattoos snake up from his black jacket and curl over his neck. They don’t match his boyish face. He looks like a kid dressed up as a biker for Halloween.

“What’s your game here, Striker?” Colt asks. “We’ve had a long night, and we’re just grabbing my bike to head home.”

“Oh, you mean this one?” Striker turns to it and kicks in the headlamp. Plastic splinters onto the pavement, and the bulb shatters.

Colt doesn’t flinch.

Parker frowns but stays where he is, arms crossed.

I can’t believe he’s here. He has a career to protect. “Parker?” I say. “What are you doing with these people?”

Parker doesn’t seem comfortable, his mouth turned down in a grimace.

Striker knocks out both of the motorcycle’s side mirrors.

“All right. You’ve had your fun,” Colt says, “so back off.”

Only Striker moves. “You took out a fighter at a press conference, asshole,” he says, stepping up to within a foot of Colt.

I can feel the tension vibrating off them both.

“I didn’t intend to lay you out,” Colt says. “It was a bad call on my part.”

Striker huffs. “The league should have cut you for that. Taken me.”

“It doesn’t work that way.” Colt stares straight at him.

“I’m ready to take you on,” Striker says. “Should we do it right here?”

I can feel the snap in Colt’s patience. I want to reach out, squeeze him, keep him calm. But I’ve seen him blow. I know about how far he can be pushed.

“You’ve made your point,” Colt says. “We’ll take it to the cage when you’ve gotten there.”

Lani snorts out a laugh. “We’ll see about that.”

Parker seems anxious. “That’s enough,” he says. “I didn’t sign up for this.”

“Then run your pansy ass out of here,” Striker says.

Parker comes up next to Lani. “What are you doing?”

“Just having a little fun,” Lani says. “Don’t worry about it.”

“This doesn’t count as fun,” Parker says.

“Then go home,
Power Play
.” Striker says Parker’s nickname like it’s a disease. “We wouldn’t want to threaten your big career. God knows you’ve only been doing that same circuit for two years.”

Parker shakes his head. “Lani, come with me. Get out of here.”

“I’m all in,” Lani says. “I shouldn’t have brought you. Go on. We’ll talk later.”

Parker walks past us, refusing to look my way. His footsteps crunch in the darkness.

One less person to worry about.

“Less talking, more action,” Annie says. “Lani, hold the bitch.”

Lani grabs my shoulders. I whip around to get her off me, but Lani’s got me just firmly enough that Annie lands a hearty kick to my belly. My air pushes out with a huff.

“Fight her proper if that’s what you’re aiming for,” Colt says. “I have no problem laying a girl flat if you’re acting like that.”

While he’s talking, I use Lani as leverage to jump kick and nail Annie in the chest. She falls back to the pavement.

“Nice diversion,” I tell him, but then Lani twists me around. I jab her with a sharp elbow to the ribs.

I can tell Colt wants to step in. I’m pleased he’s letting me have my moment.
 

But Striker moves toward Colt, and I have a feeling things are about to get a lot harder.

Sure enough, Striker spins into a roundhouse kick. Colt easily deflects it, since a one-eyed cat could have seen it coming. That’s all I witness before Annie charges me again. I bend over hard to get Lani off balance, and the three of us crash together to the concrete.

Damn, that’s a rough landing. I’m worn out and done fighting for the day. But here we are. I disentangle myself from the other girls. Colt has already knocked Striker back to the ground.

Striker gets up, laughing. “All right, all right.” He holds up his hands. “You’ve got me.” He motions to the girls. “Come on, Annie, Lani. Let’s go.”

The girls roll away from me and get up. I jump to my feet.

Colt and I stand at the ready, waiting for whatever stupid move they might try next. But the three of them walk together to the edge of the building and disappear around the corner.

When they are gone, Colt rushes over to me. “You all right?” He runs his hands along my arms and shoulders.

“Wasn’t expecting another round today, but I’m fine.” I tug on my jacket. “Thanks for letting me fight my own fight.”

He kisses the top of my head. “I knew you could handle them.”

“You think they’re done now?” I ask. “They’ve had enough?”

“I don’t know. This whole scene strikes me as weird. Did it you?” He looks down at me. His face is full of concern.

The asphalt crunches, and we look up.

Four men in dark clothes are coming around the corner.

It’s clearly not over.

Chapter Eighteen
 

I don’t know any of the men in the group. Their faces are in shadow. They stand in a line for a second, about five feet from us. One of them is holding a tire iron. A second is wearing brass knuckles.

They look streetwise. Paid to be there. I have no doubt Striker arranged it. They knew not to get their hands dirty. They can play this off as random.

I take a deep breath. I know Colt is doing the same as me, assessing the situation. Disarm anyone with a weapon. Try to take them down in a single strike.

The men aren’t too tricked out, muscular, or strong. They aren’t fighters. Just thugs.

The real threat to me is the last one, with his hands in his pockets. He’s smaller than the others. He spits on the ground. Something about him makes me shake inside.