“Pretty much. Don’t fret, doll.”
I paused, glancing down at my nightstand and retrieved my phone from it.
“I’ll order you an Uber. Even pay for it to take you wherever the hell you want to go. As long as it’s away from here.” With a swipe of my thumb, I pull up the car service app.
“What’s your address?” I ask without looking up from my phone.
When I don’t get an answer, I peered up. Laughter was my first reaction at the affronted look on her face. Unbothered, I picked up the panties, shoes, and short band dress she wore the night before and tossed them on the bed at her.
“Luke, I thought—”
“You thought wrong. Your Uber will be on its way as soon as you let me know what address to put in,” I said, eyeing her with a lifted brow, waiting.
When she didn’t respond, I shrugged. “Fine.” I typed in the address of a random restaurant. A minute later, I turned my phone screen to her with the app opened on it so she could see. “Clarke is your driver’s name.”
That’s when she let out a string of profanities any National Fighting Association fighter would be proud to have strung together themselves. It took a total of six minutes to get Legs dressed, down the stairs, and into the Uber. I informed the driver to drop her off wherever the fuck she wanted to go and slammed the door in her face. I heard her yelling something as the driver pulled off, but I didn’t stop to think much of it. Like I’d said, I had shit to do.
Heading up the stairs back into my bedroom, I removed the sheets from my bed and bunched them up on the floor by the door to remind myself to take them down to the laundry room for my part-time maid to clean. I shuddered at the thought of sleeping on sheets I fucked some random broad on the night before.
Next, I made a beeline to the shower to rinse off the previous night, before dressing in a pair of running shorts, a T-shirt, and my running shoes to head out for my usual five mile run along the beach.
I lived only a block away from the ocean and I did my best to take advantage of the picturesque scenery daily. While running, I replayed the night before. Going over every moment I could recall of the fight.
I wasn’t on my A game at all. Caldwell had a strong grappling game, something I’d always been weak on. This had been especially true after Banks died and I began mostly training myself. Caldwell wasn’t a better fighter than I was. He was just better trained. That fact punched me in the gut as I ran, knowing I should’ve won that damn fight.
Yet, maybe the truth stared me in the face.
Were the articles right? Was I over the hill?
The reporter’s words from the night before echoed in my head and I picked up my pace, running faster. My legs stung from the tiny granules of sand pelting the backs of my calves. My heart beat rapidly the quicker I ran. My chest expanded with every pull of air as my lungs fought for enough oxygen.
Relax your muscles. Lean into it.
I heard Banks say over and over as he used to do whenever I went through one of his extreme workouts or a hard fight. The more difficult the challenge, the more he’d tell me to relax, to lean into it. “Don’t resist,” he’d say. “It only makes it worse.”
“Fuck off,” I yelled out to no one in particular since I was all alone on the beach. Breathing hard, muscles aching, and sweaty after five miles, I completed the beginning part of my workout and headed back to my place to eat and head to the gym for the day.
Chapter 3
The Woman for the Job
Luke
“How’d I know you’d be here bright and early?” I snidely remarked to Lenny as he approached while I unlocked the door to the mixed martial arts gym I owned about twenty-five minutes from my home.
“Because I’m always here. Especially the day after one of your fights.”
I stiffened, hating he had to mention the fight right off the bat. I knew he would want to go over it to analyze what happened in the fight. Me? I just wanted to forget all about it.
“Whatever. Don’t start with all your lawyer talk so early in the morning. I haven’t had my coffee yet.” I pointed the key at him before pushing through the door and strolling through the empty gym.
“You don’t drink coffee.”
I shrugged. “I’m thinking of starting.”
“No, you’re not.”
I turned to Lenny, holding out my arms and replied, “You never know.”
