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  And they did it again.

  Both men were drenched in sweat by the time Boggs was finally satisfied. Craddock thought he’d be hitting the showers.

  “Now switch,” Boggs yelled, ruining his dreams of cleanliness. The entire process was repeated, but this time Craddock was shooting the double and Jessie was defending.

  After drills that went well into triple digits, Craddock was working on fumes and instinct. That’s when Whitey told Boggs they were done.

  “Okay, fellas. Good work.” Jessie helped Craddock off the mat and they both staggered to where water awaited.

  “You won’t need to worry about food tonight.” Jessie was always struggling to keep his weight down. Craddock was light heavyweight so he had some leeway.

  “You’re right about that. I’m under by a mile after today.” Which meant a big dinner. He didn’t know how the lighter guys handled it.

  When he first started wrestling in high school, food was so hard. You’d kill yourself in practice and then have a turkey breast for dinner. It was another thing that drove his mom nuts about the sport. But she did like that he didn’t get into trouble at school after he started wrestling instead of his previous delinquency, so she made the chicken breast and didn’t nag him too much. She even baked at the neighbors, so Dylan could have cookies but the house wouldn’t smell like chicken. He appreciated that.

  “You know we all got money on it?” What was Jessie talking about? It was a violation to bet on 21C fights if you were a fighter.

  “That’s fucking illegal, it’ll get you disqualified.”

  “No, you dumbass. We’re all betting over under on who’s goin’ to bang Cassidy Parker first. Looks like Zeke’s in the lead.”

  It was the normal ribbing the guys in the gym did, but he had no patience for it where Cassidy was concerned. He was about to pound Jessie in the face for saying it, but instead he followed Jessie’s eye line. It lead him straight to the reception area and The Preacher’s Son was right there, with his hands on Cassidy.

  White. Hot. Rage. What happened next was a blur.

  Cassidy

  Cassidy Parker was in love, lust, heat? All the above she’d decided. Thoughts of what she and Craddock had been up to and the looks she was getting from him all day made concentrating a challenge. But every time she drifted, she remembered how much she needed this job. Luckily, Whitey needed her too. After she came in, Whitey swamped her with work for some upcoming events.

  There had been no competitions since she started because they were gearing up for the big 21C League qualifying tournament, the MoTown Smack Down. But now it was time. The walk up to that tournament was underway with a more local event.

  She could feel the energy amp up in the room. Either that, or wearing no underwear had her on edge, she mused. There was always a lot of testosterone, but now, as it got closer to the big money, they were all fighting like lightening was shooting out of their fists.

  Whitey interrupted her less than pure thoughts.

  “Okay sweetheart, you able to stop mooning long enough to make sure we’re set with this schedule?”

  “Yes, Whitey. I’ve talked to the venue three times today. Everything’s the way you told me to do it.”

  Grand City GWG was hosting a fight night in town. The fights weren’t too tough, Craddock had told her, but it would build local interest and support. Whitey had set up a local fight and then the big time in Detroit.

  “And they’ve got the light set up the way I said?”

  “Yes.”

  Whitey was very specific. The Grand City Fight Night was going to look a lot like the MoTown Smack Down Tournament. He explained that the six guys going to that one needed to get used to the fight “externals” he called them.

  “Okay, the spotlight, the loud music, and you’ve got me some hot chicks at the ring for the bout cards too?”

  “I got it all.”

  “Good. Good. Hey, Flannigan? Is that your sister’s dance move or a kick?” And Whitey was back in the gym adjusting the training for one of the fighters.

  Cassidy made dozens of phone calls and had a dozen more to make before Friday. She faxed forms and collected all the entry documents for The Grand City Fight Night event. What she hadn’t done much of was schoolwork this morning.

  She looked at the flyers Whitey had her make. Craddock and a guy from a gym in Flint were going to be the main attraction, along with Zeke Powell and a fighter from Tecumseh. All in-state rivalries that Whitey said would draw a lot of locals.

  Craddock explained that there were going to be four “undercard” fights that night with four of the other guys in the big tournament facing regional opponents. All of it was sanctioned, but it was a pretty good bet GWG fighters were the favorites in each match.

  The fight night was this Friday and she still had things to do on her list that seemed to keep getting longer. Whitey had asked her to line the GWG windows with the flyers, a border at the top, he said, because that was how they used to do it in the old days.

  “No Fakebook pages back then.” But even so Cassidy had gotten permission from their rep at GWG Corporate to start a Facebook page for the gym. She’d already gotten 250 likes for it.

  Whitey wanted the flyers, so flyers it was. She also corrected her underwear situation before she set about this particular task. She may be into their sexy little games, but a woman who leaves the house with no underwear, even in her purse, is just plain unclear on how the world works.

  The first problem she encountered was her height. She couldn’t quite reach the top of the window. She was about two feet two short for that. She located a step stool in the back where she found Zeke finishing his lunch. She struggled for a minute to lift the old step stool.

  “Can I carry that somewhere for you?”

  She supposed the advantage of working with a bunch of muscle bound men, was the muscle.

  “That would be great thank you.”

  They made their way to the front of the gym and had a pretty good system going. She climbed, he held the ladder. She’d put up about three pre-taped flyers and he’d move the ladder. It was when they got to the door that unintended chaos erupted. G-Man, as was typical, leaped before he looked. Cassidy leaned over the door, secure in the fact of her underwear, thank God, and Zeke’s gentlemanly demeanor. Zeke held the ladder, she leaned, and G-Man, out of nowhere, barreled in from the street and roughly pushed open the door.

  She let out a little yelp as the ladder tumbled and she went flying. She prepared to land hard on the concrete gym floor. But instead the landing was soft. She didn’t know how, but Zeke made a dive for her and instead of landing in a heap, she landed in his arms.

  “I got you. Watch where you’re going there, G-Man.”

  “Thank you, Zeke.” She felt a little blush of embarrassment as he took a second to put her down.

  “You’re light as a featherweight, no problem.”

  “Get your fucking hands off her!” Craddock took a shot at Zeke while he was distracted by Cassidy. It was awful. The shot landed on Zeke’s jaw and sent Cassidy to the ground as he stumbled.

  “Craddock!” She yelled.

  Zeke charged and delivered a punch to Craddock’s ribs.

  “G-Man, grab Craddock!” Cassidy ordered.

  At this point a small crowd had gathered and everyone had taken a side. Mayhem. The word was mayhem. Punches were flying and Cassidy saw her computer teeter on the side of her desk. She scrambled over to it. She could only protect the hardware in this situation, she reasoned, because no one was listening.

  Then in the middle of the melee a shrill whistle sounded. At the other end of it was Whitey.

  “What the fresh turkey fuck are you idiots doing?” Whitey’s bark was an instant bucket of ice on the proceedings. They were frozen mid-punch or kick or whatever they’d coiled up to throw. Cassidy saw G-Man did have Craddock somewhat restrained and Jessie had Zeke.

  “This maniac sucker punched me Coach.” Zeke’s eyes never
left Craddock.

  “He needs to learn manners.” Craddock’s eyes darted to her. She wished they hadn’t.

  “I don’t give two shits who touched who or about any of the details of this little Days of Our Lives moment. Craddock I can pull you from the tournament if you want. ‘Uncoachable’ ring a bell? Now all of you, separate! And get your heads out of your asses. You want to get hurt in the gym before your big shots? Cause that’s what’ll happen. Cassidy, let’s talk.”

  She had a pit in her stomach. She looked at Zeke and mouthed “I’m so sorry.” She also saw Craddock staring daggers at her. This was an instant mess. Just add testosterone.

  Whitey came over to her desk.

  “Look, sweetheart, if this is because they all want to, well you know, it’s not good.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “You do great work. It’s been such a relief to have you handle, well, everything. But you’re turning into a major distraction to Craddock and Zeke, and I think G-Man and my grandson mentioned that he heard tulips was your favorite flower. He even likes you.” Whitey ran a hand over his wispy hair.

  “I’m not sure what to say.” She was about to get fired. She knew what fired was like and she was about there. She knew getting involved with Craddock was a bad idea. Not for this reason, but this was a good one. Cassidy felt a tear form. She hated to cry. She liked this job so much. It paid decently and the guys were nice — when they weren’t tearing each other limb from limb. She was looking forward to helping with the fights. But, well, that was that. “Thank you for the opportunity, I’ll leave right now.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because of the being fired. That’s how it usually works.” She wiped a tear away.

  “I’m not firing you. I couldn’t live without you around here. Just, well, stop being so attractive.”

  “What?”

  “I’m kidding. None of this is your fault. They’re animals. I told you. I just need to work ‘em harder so they’re too tired for this bullshit, right?” Whitey seemed to lighten up and enjoy his own solution to the problem.

  “Maybe you need more female employees, get them used to girls — or fighters!”

  “Oh yeah, that’s what I need, more broads. Clean this up if you could and try not to start world war three, sweetheart.”

  Cassidy was so relieved, she hugged Whitey.

  “Oh, it’s okay, okay. That’s enough.” He patted her head. “I don’t need these guys to see how soft I am. They need to think I shit lightening, you know?”

  “I know. Sorry.” She got to work cleaning the mess. She also got to work analyzing her emotions. Her fear of being fired was quickly replaced with anger, white-hot anger, at Craddock Flynn.

  Chapter Seven

  Craddock

  He wanted to hash it out. Let her know that under no circumstances was Zeke Powell or any other man supposed to lay a finger on her. He had no idea what led to the “Cassidy in Zeke’s arms with a laughing G-Man on the sidelines” scenario, but that’s what he saw and he was enraged. He crossed the distance of the gym and the site of Zeke’s hand on her back, under her legs, her pressed up against him, had him seeing red.

  He punched. He was going to take Zeke out.

  That was the problem with Zeke. Everyone thought because of the Jesus thing he was a nice guy. It was an act. He knew it. Zeke Powell, The Preacher’s Son, was devious, sneaky, and after his woman. He suspected it and not one day after he’d had her in his bed, there was Zeke trying to take her away. Well, no fucking way.

  He’d hit the showers at Whitey’s suggestion, and by suggestion, he meant order. By the time he was out, Cassidy was gone. He went to her apartment and she didn’t answer.

  His next stop was the library. She had to be at the library. He’d never actually been inside the library, so it took a while to get his bearings. He walked up and down each and every row. No sight, sound, or smell of Cassidy.

  That’s when anger started to be replaced with worry. Was she okay? Where was she? Had he lost her to Zeke? That fast? Had she seen something better in Zeke? Why didn’t she have a fucking cell phone?

  All of the questions played in his mind and along with the image of Cassidy in Zeke’s arms.

  At the very least, he was going to get some answers from her. If she ever got home. He parked his car and waited.

  Finally, at ten at night, hours after the damn library should have kicked her out, he saw her, the whole beautiful sight of her, walking to her building from the bus stop. Dammit, why did she walk at night? Another question for her to answer.

  If he had the money, he’d buy her a car, a phone, and a damn computer with wifi. Well, he guessed that was another place to spend that 21C signing cash. That is, if he hadn’t lost her to Zeke. The Preacher’s Son had a lot of collection money to spread around. He could buy Cassidy whatever she wanted. Craddock couldn’t wait to be in the ring with him.

  He caught up to Cassidy as she walked into her building.

  “Where have you been?” He said. It came out harsher than he meant it to. Worry and anger sometimes came out of his mouth in the same way.

  “Excuse me? Craddock Flynn, you can go to hell. I don’t answer to you.”

  She was infuriating. “Wait. Stop right there, I need to talk to you.”

  She was off and up the stairs. He followed her as she stomped up the three flights to her place. For a tiny woman, she sure walked loudly. When they finally got to her door and she stopped long enough to fish for her keys, he started in. His anger had been simmering for hours and it was boiling over.

  “You were hanging all over Zeke Powell! I think I do get an answer,” he yelled.

  “Quiet out there!” One of her neighbors yelled back from behind a closed apartment doors.

  Cassidy glared at him, opened her apartment door, and walked in. He hesitated at the door. He wasn’t going to enter if she didn’t want him to. He might be pissed and possessive, but he was no stalker. She turned around, cocked her head, and looked at him.

  “What are you doing?” She whisper yelled it, if that was a thing.

  “Can I come in?” He asked.

  “Ugh. Yes. Close the door. Quietly.”

  “Thank you.” Seeing her up close started to diffuse some of the anger. Cute was a great defense and he didn’t think she even meant to deploy it, it just happened. He also realized he was the opposite of cute. He cultivated scary as hell, though she didn’t seem scared, he figured she had a right to be. He took it down another notch. He could only imagine what he must look like to her.

  “What in the hell do you think you saw?” She asked him, hands on her hips.

  “Zeke, touching my woman.”

  “Your woman?”

  Her damned sexy eyebrow shot up. Uh oh. He was on dangerous ground here. But Craddock was never one to tiptoe. Screw it. He was diving in to the deep end with Cassidy Parker. She may kick him in the nut sack, but she was worth the potential pain.

  “Yes, you’re mine.” There, definitive, dammit, she was his. Period.

  “That was fast.” Sarcasm went right along with that eyebrow, he’d come to realize.

  “I don’t fuck around. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met. And I do not want to lose you to Zeke or anyone.” He may as well tell her straight up. He didn’t have the patience to make her think he was going to play the field. To him, she was it.

  “Um, what are you saying here Flynn?” She took her head.

  “I am exclusive with you and you, me. I don’t know about you, but last night was not normal for me. You?”

  “No, not normal, the opposite of that.”

  He took a step forward as he felt like she was softening up. He was itching to hold her. He softened his tone again and tried to find the right words to describe what the last night meant to him.

  “Right. It was special. Perfect. Hot as all fuck.” He could only do hearts and flowers for so long, he was sure Zeke had much prettier words to say to her, bu
t there it was.

  “You were a total maniac today with Zeke and me.” Her eyebrow was down, that was good.

  “Don’t say Zeke and you. It’s you and me.” He moved closer and they were inches apart. That crackle between them had ignited and he felt a pull toward her. She felt it too. She leaned toward him not away, but she wasn’t all the way there. She was still mad at him.

  “Craddock, it’s only you and me if you don’t act like an ape.”

  “I am an ape.” He beat his chest with a fist. She licked her lip, a ha! He saw that. He also saw a delicious little corner of her mouth go up. It was almost a smile. He was getting to her.

  “I was on a ladder and Gullich barged in and dumped it with me on top. Zeke caught me. Thanks to him I didn’t land ass over elbow on the concrete. He was being nice and I owe him a thank you and you owe him an apology.”

  “I owe you one. An apology.” He stepped close enough to touch her. He leaned in and planted his lips as soft as he could stand on hers.

  “I’m sorry A’ghra.”

  She licked those luscious lips again. “I’m not sure if I forgive you.”

  He leaned in and she expected another kiss. He gave it to her, but this time on the skin just under her ear lobe. She sighed and he was undone by that sound. Jesus he loved her sounds.

  He whispered into her ear. “I promise I will work on not flipping my shit when men look and or accidentally touch you. But if they on purpose touch you, all bets are off.” He trailed a kiss to the top of one of her breasts at the v-neck of her top.

  It was all he could do to just kiss her and not rip her clothes off, but this was her punishment, he decided. If she was going to make him crazy, he’d torture her this way as long as he could stand it. He decided he’d make her beg as payback for making him insane.

  She looked up and was deadly serious.

  “It’s about trusting me, not them. You can trust me. Just like I can trust you.” And she started unbuttoning her own blouse, right in front of him. He leaned on the back of the couch to watch her. He could watch her all day.

  “You can trust me. There’s no woman on this planet but you baby.” She unzipped her jeans and stood there in her bra and panties. His torture plan was fucked.