Against the Cage (Worth the Fight #1) (12 page)

“What’s there to talk about?” Slade said nonchalantly.

“You can’t fight, Slade,” Chrissy shot back adamantly.

He let out a laugh. “Really? Says who?”

“Says me. You can’t fight. Jack explained why you want to do it, and I get it. I think it’s great that you want to open a training center. I’ll help you in any way I can. But you can’t risk your life over it.”

“Relax, sis. No one is risking their life. I don’t lose. I’ll be in and out in minutes, and a whole lot richer for it. I’d be stupid to let this opportunity pass me by.”

Jack stood up. “I didn’t want to get in the middle, but you’re leaving me no choice. Bro, you’re being cocky. You can’t be so sure it’s as easy as getting in and out. Look at you.” Jack pointed to Slade’s face. “That’s not going to heal anytime soon. You know better, dude. You’re being sloppy.”

“Whose side are you on,
brother
?” Slade made it a point to emphasize the word
“brother.”

“On the side of the person who isn’t being stupid. Right now, that’s not you.”

“I already signed up. There are bets placed. I can’t back out now. But even if I could, I don’t want to.”

“I’m begging you. Please don’t do this. You are my only family, Slade. Please. Jack told me about the concussions. Have you seen a doctor? What did they tell you? I’ve noticed the tremor in your hand.”

“The tremor is nothing, really. The doctors told me I was okay to continue. They just said to be careful.”

“That’s because the doctors work for the sponsors, stupid. You need to see a doctor who isn’t tainted by money,” Jack said.

“Fuck you, Jack. Don’t call me stupid. And stop taking her side, asshole!”

Chrissy cut him off. “How could you say it’s nothing? It’s a sign that all the blows to your head have caused damage, some of which is permanent. Did the doctor tell you what’ll happen next?” Slade didn’t respond, so she took a step closer. “You’ll start forgetting things. At first it will be small and insignificant, but as time passes, it will be more substantial. It’s the first sign of dementia. Not to mention those tremors. They will get worse. Have you seen those old boxers who speak unintelligibly and have shaky hands and twitches? That’s from multiple concussions through the years. And that’s not even the worst-case scenario. You have to stop before it’s too late.”

Slade turned his face to Jack and shook his head in disbelief. “Since when are you a gossiping little bitch? Why’d you tell her all this, man?”

“Since you became a stupid dumb-ass in need of a good kick in the pants to knock some sense into you.”

“Stop arguing, you two.” Chrissy stood in front of both men and flicked each one on the head the way she’d seen Mrs. Daniels do countless times when they were younger. They winced, whined, and rubbed where she had flicked. “Slade, you’re totally missing the point. The fact that Jack told me is irrelevant. Either way, I’m a doctor. I had already noticed the tremor. Don’t be angry with him. He’s just looking out for you. You can die if you’re hit in the head.” Tears started to stream down her face.

“Ah, fuck, don’t cry, Chris. You know I hate it when you cry,” Slade said.

“Don’t do this. You can get a loan. Go to the bank. I’ll even cosign for you. Please, Slade.”

“I’m sorry, Chrissy, but it’s not negotiable. This one”—Slade pointed to Jack—“even threatened to arrest me, so I suggest we don’t talk about it in front of law enforcement.” He scowled at his best friend. Jack rolled his eyes.

Chrissy, still in tears, leaned closer to her brother. “We’re just trying to help you, Slade. You don’t have to do this. There has to be a way out.”

“If your bail is revoked, you’ll be in jail and then you can’t fight. Is that what I’m going to have to do?” Jack added.

“The men that put these events together are expecting a fight. They’re bringing in a cage, dude. A lot of money was invested to set this up. They’ll be waiting for me when I get out of jail, and then I’ll really be dead. So arresting me isn’t protection at all. It’s a death sentence.”

Chrissy gasped.

“You two are screwing with my concentration,” Slade went on. “I need to focus the next few days, so please, butt out. I’m doing this. It’s going to be fine. I wish you had more faith in me, Chrissy. I really do love you and I’ll make it up to you. You’ll see.” Slade got up, clearly annoyed. “But I’m done talking about this.” He went up the stairs two at a time, and slammed his bedroom door. Drogo, who had been lying on the floor quietly since Chrissy’s command, startled and jumped to his feet at the sound.

“Idiot,” Jack mumbled.

“I guess I’m staying in town after all,” said Chrissy, disheartened.

“Oh, no! No. No. No. You’re not going to that fight, Chris.”

“Oh, yes I am. I’m a doctor. If he gets hurt, I can help. He could get seriously injured. I have to be there.”

Jack pulled Chrissy toward the door. “No. You’re not going. That’s final.”

Lazily Drogo stretched and yawned before following them out of the house.

“The hell I’m not. Who do you think you are, telling me where I can and cannot go? Why are you pulling me back to your house? Slow down.”

Jack reached down and wrapped one arm around her thighs, lifted her up, and threw her over his shoulder. Drogo barked behind them, jumping up and down trying to nibble on the long black hair that flowed down Jack’s leg. “Drogo, don’t bite my hair! Jack, put me down this instant!” Chrissy wriggled, kicked, and punched him as hard as she could, but he didn’t even flinch. Instead, he stomped angrily to his house, opened the door, walked to his couch, and threw her on it.

Oof
. Chrissy quickly sat up and tried to catch her breath. She pulled her shirt down and ran her fingers through her hair. “What the hell, Daniels?”

“I’ve had enough of you Martins for one day. You’re both stubborn fools. You cannot go to that fight. I can’t take you, and you aren’t going alone.” He reached down and cupped her chin, “Do. You. Understand?”

“Why can’t you just go with me if you’re that worried?”

“Because I …” Jack looked conflicted, and Chrissy wasn’t sure why. “Uh … It’s, uh, on Saturday, and I work that day.”

“Oh. Well, I have to go—with or without you.” Drogo jumped up on her lap as if he was joining forces with Chrissy in her plan to be at the fight. If he could talk, she thought, he’d probably say,
I’ve got your back, Chrissy!

“Stop looking at me like that, Drogo,” Jack said but the dog continued to stare down his owner. “Chrissy, I thought you had to deal with some sort of mess back in Miami. Why don’t you go, and I’ll let you know how the fight turns out.”

“Are you crazy? No way. I know you’re worried and I appreciate the overprotective big-brother thing you got going on, but I can handle myself. Trust me.” She set Drogo on the floor, stood up, pulled out her phone from her pocket, and started to dial.

Big brother? What the hell?
“There are a lot of things running through my mind right now.” He grabbed her biceps and with a quick jerk drew her closer to him. The cell phone in her hand fell to the floor. “But you and me as brother and sister … that’s not one of those things. That ship sailed the moment I felt your nipples against my chest and your tongue in my mouth.”

Oh, my!
Chrissy looked at him wide-eyed.

“Who were you going to call?” Jack asked.

Chrissy bit her tongue a little. He really knew how to get her all hot and bothered, especially with that unexpected dirty mouth of his. “Taxi,” was all that came out of her mouth.

He let her go, picked the phone up from the floor, and shut it off. “A taxi?”

“I need to go get my car.”

He ran his hands along his face. “You are always so difficult, you know that? I’ll take you to get your car and change the tire. I have a spare one in the garage. You could’ve just asked me for a ride. You don’t need to call a cab.”

“I don’t want to be more of a nuisance.”

“You’re not a nuisance. I wish you were a little less difficult, but you’re not a nuisance. Come on.”

“Thanks, Jack.” Still feeling guilty for wrongfully blaming him all those years for the Veronica thing, yet grateful, she leaned forward, intending to give him a peck on the cheek but was unable to control herself as she gently planted a small, innocent kiss on his lips. She began to move away, but he reached for the back of her neck and pulled her toward him and kissed her back, hard. Her mouth opened, allowing his tongue entrance. Her arms snaked around his neck, one hand reaching up to fist his hair, but there was
nothing to hold on to. The feel of the rough texture on her hand made her want to crawl into his skin. She pressed harder against him, pushing him into the wall. In one fluid motion he turned her around so that she was now against it. Without hesitation, she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. He let out a moan, cupped her ass, and pushed her even harder against the wall.

“Jack,” she whimpered into his mouth.

“Hold on to me,” he said, and she tightened her grip around his neck with her arms and squeezed her legs. He reached between them to unbutton and unzip her jeans and slid them down just past her ass. “You’re not wearing any panties?”

“No. Don’t have clean clothes. My stuff’s still in my car, remember?”

“Jesus Christ,” he groaned.

With his left hand wrapped around her waist, he slid his right hand down, past the divide of her ass, to her wet and ready entrance. He slipped a finger inside her, and she clamped her legs even tighter around him.

“Jack! I need you to …”

“I know what you need, baby. Shh. Just hold on to me.”

Her body undulated against his jean-covered erection. He must’ve known she was about to come, because at the most perfect moment he slipped a second finger inside and deepened the kiss as his fingers worked their magic. Chrissy stopped breathing. She stopped thinking. All she could manage to do was feel, and what she felt was pure ecstasy.

“Chris, let go. I have you. Come for me.”

Chrissy’s head fell back against the wall, and Jack felt her insides clench around his fingers as her body stiffened, a long whimper escaping her mouth. Chrissy’s face as she climaxed against his body was the most erotic thing he’d ever seen. He didn’t think he would ever have enough of her. She held on tight while she caught her breath. When he saw she wasn’t going to melt into the floor, he slowly released his grip and lowered her down. Her cheeks were flushed and her blue eyes glimmered.

“Nice job, Officer.” She swatted his ass.

He laughed. Nothing better than a woman who didn’t take sex so seriously. Without any warning she shoved him against the wall and dropped to her knees. He was caught completely off guard. “Chrissy?”

“Now it’s your turn to shut up.”

“No, baby. That’s not what … I mean … you don’t … have to … Jesus …” She was already undoing his jeans, and it rendered his mind unable to put words together to form a coherent sentence. She grabbed his erection and started stroking it. Then, without hesitation, she put it in her mouth. All the blood from his entire body flowed south to his dick the moment he looked down and saw her mouth sheath him. And he was already hard from getting her off. She continued to stroke, lick, and suck until he couldn’t take it anymore. “Chrissy, baby, you should probably stop now.” He barely got the words out, but instead of stopping, she tightened her grip and took him even deeper into her mouth toward the back of her throat. That was his undoing, and he came hard and fast. His hand wrapped around her ponytail as she licked every last drop.

He had been worried about her melting when he should’ve been worried about himself, because when she finished licking him clean, his knees buckled and he slumped down to the floor. He reached for her and placed her on his lap. “Fuck. You destroyed me. You know that? I will never be the same again. You’ve completely ruined me for anyone else. And we haven’t even had sex yet.” She smiled up at him, and his heart skipped a beat. He looked to the side at a bewildered Drogo. “Shit. I think we totally traumatized Drogo.”

Chrissy snorted out a laugh. “I think you’re right. Poor thing.”

A few moments later, Chrissy spoke again. “Jack?”

“Mmm?” he said lazily, his chin resting on the top of her head.

“I’m sorry I’ve been such a bitch to you since I arrived. I thought you were the reason that Veronica stopped talking to me. She had been my only real friend, and I lost her, and I thought it was your fault. I’m sorry.”

“You should’ve talked to me when it happened, baby.”

“You’re right.” She looked up at him, and he smiled. “Am I forgiven?”

“After what just happened? Yes, you are forgiven for everything that happened in the past and anything that will happen in the future.” They both laughed.

After a few moments, she stood up and walked up to the bathroom to freshen up and to finish getting dressed in the same clothes she’d worn yesterday. “Ready?” she asked when she returned downstairs. Apparently, they weren’t going to have any more discussion of what had just occurred. Which suited Jack just fine, since his feelings were all over the place and he wasn’t sure what that meant. He still had lots of wild oats to sow, and he had never really wanted a relationship, because he thought he’d miss his freedom and be constrained by the accountability a relationship required. The occasional one-night stand had always been enough because all he wanted fulfilled were his sexual
needs. But now he knew he didn’t want Chrissy to leave town. He knew that this was far more than a momentary lapse of judgment. He wanted to ask her to stay … to stay with him. He wanted to protect her, own her, claim her. To let the world know that this incredible woman was his and only his.