Brawl (17 page)

“No, you’re not,” Cathy screams and throws herself to the floor, legs sprawled and her hands tearing at her hair. “He’s my baby. My precious baby.”

Motioning with my head to Nate and Jep that they should follow Gabbi and help her grab what she needs, I then squat down in front of the hysterical woman on the floor. Her over-acting is atrocious; the dramatics she’s putting on bordering on nonsensical.

“Listen here, Cathy, I’ll say this to you once. Those kids are coming with me.
Your Karl
hit Zali across the face and then held a knife to Cooper to force Gabbi to pay your debts. Apparently, he found you with another man and he didn’t appreciate it after you told him, he was your only one.”

The keening cry she’s been making during my speech stops abruptly and her pretty face pales. Looks like she didn’t know that he’d discovered her game.

“Oh my God, you’ve got to help me. He’s going to kill me when he wakes up.” Clutching at my arm with an urgent shaking hand, she pleads for my assistance. “Please, he beats me. He’s abusive.”

Shaking my head at the lying bitch before me, I decide to lay my cards out. “Bullshit. He’s your mark. A pathetic slob that you string along for all-expense paid nights out and gambling money. Zali filled me in. I don’t give a shit what happens to you, just like you couldn’t care less what happens to your three kids. Cooper and Gabbi are coming with me and you’re not going to say a thing about it...unless you want me to bring the cops into what happened tonight.”

Pausing for affect, I watch her mind running at a million miles a minute as she tries to find a way out of her predicament. Her eyes light up with a devious glint when she decides that she has something that might change my mind.

“Let me come with you. It’ll break their little hearts if something happens to me. You can keep all of us safe.” Smug satisfaction settles across her features and she lets go of my arm, crossing her arms under her chest, and using her forearms to lift her breasts to expose more cleavage.

Unfortunately for her, even if I wasn’t attracted to her daughter, she still wouldn’t tempt me. I’ve never been into the “plastic fantastic” Barbie dolls that act helpless and braindead because they think that’s what all men like. Some do, I’m sure, but it’s never done a thing for me. She’s a good-looking woman, without a doubt, yet the duplicity and conniving that I see in her eyes ruins the beauty she possesses.

I don’t know if she’s always been like this, but the woman before me is dead on the inside. She cares for nothing and no one.

When she opens her mouth to plead her case some more, I cut her off. “You’re the reason they’re not safe. You’re not coming.”

Pushing against my knees with my palms, I stand back to my full height and issue my final threat. “If you make this any more difficult that it already is, I’m bringing child protection into it as well. Have fun explaining your night-time activities to them.”

“I’m a better fuck than she is because I know how to treat a man properly. All she wants is your cock, then she’ll cut you loose like she does all the other men she’s been with. My daughter’s a slut.”

“I don’t give a fuck how many men she’s slept with. She could murder someone and still be a better person than you are.” Regarding her like she’s a dirty piece of used gum I’ve found on the bottom of my shoe—because if I’m honest, that’s exactly how I think of her—I roll my eyes when she makes her bottom lip quiver. “You know, for someone who proclaims to be so worried about her precious baby, I find it funny that you haven’t even tried to check on him.”

Leaving her on the floor, I follow the voices I can hear to a bedroom halfway down the hall. With quick movements, I take a sleeping Cooper off Gabbi, who’s trying to pack with one arm as he lays dead-to-the-world over her shoulder, and carry him to her car. Strapping him in his seat, I jog back to Gabbi’s bedroom and pick up two of the bags she has ready. Nate and Jep grab the other ones and walk out of the room.

“Come on. You can stay at my place tonight.”

Her eyes widen with shock; however, she says nothing. Giving me a curt nod, I follow her when she leaves her room, only to stop short when she ducks into the one next to hers. Gabbi re-emerges with a plush bear tucked under her arm moments later, triumph curling her full lips. Holding it up so I can see it, she smiles. “I nearly forgot Mr. Magoo. There’d be hell to pay if I did.”

Once we’re outside, I toss my keys to Nate so he can drive my truck and slide into the driver’s seat of Gabbi’s car. Her keys are still in the ignition, demonstrating once again how little thought she put into her decision to run headfirst into a dangerous situation.

“Hey.” Gabbi protests my position behind the wheel of her car, putting her hands on her compact hips and throwing one to the side as she jerks her thumb at me and then motions for me to get out. “I’m more than capable of following you to your place.”

The thought of how easily tonight could’ve turned out so much worse than it did, makes me shorter with her than I was planning to be. “Just get in the fucking passenger seat. Let’s get Cooper into a warm bed before you decide to throw your tantrum.”

She stands before me, mouth moving but no sound coming out, until she spins on her heel and walks around the front of the vehicle to the passenger side. Finding her voice when she’s near her door, I bite my bottom lip so I don’t laugh at the curse words leaving her pretty mouth.

“Fucking bossy ass, goddamned douchelord.”

Throwing herself into the seat, I watch her choose between her yearning to slam the door to show me how annoyed she is with me and the knowledge that doing so will wake her little brother. Huffing with frustration, she closes the door softly and stares out the window.

“Your chariot is now leaving, ma’am.” I deadpan, with a hand flourish before I start the car and we drive away from her family home without so much as a protest from her mother—not that I was expecting one. I made my point very clear. Out the corner of my eye, I see Gabbi’s cheeks lift at my silly comment as if she’s stifling a smile and I chalk that point up as one to me.

Hayden “Hooligan” Harvie: One.

Gabriella Mitchell: Zero

Winning her over might be easier than I’d assumed.

Gabbi

S
pinning in a circle around the room that Hooligan’s put me and Cooper in for the night, I realize that he has a kid. A boy by the looks of the blue room and the toys in it. It’s weird but no one’s mentioned his son once during the time I’ve known him. Or an ex-wife. I know he’s not married because no woman would put up with the amount of time he spends at his gym without popping in at least once.

I wonder why nobody speaks of his kid. Was the divorce messy? Maybe she lives interstate and he doesn’t see him very often?

“Have you got everything you need?” Hooligan enters the room without knocking and I squeal like an idiot. Wrapping my over my chest, I try to cover myself with growing futility. “Yeah. Shit. I’m sorry. Shoulda knocked.”

He backs toward the door, staring at the floor until I regain my senses and end his embarrassment. I have a tight tank top and cotton panties on; it’s not like I’m naked or dressed in anything sexy. I’m probably as exposed as I am in my workout clothes. It just feels different because I’m seeing him outside of the gym dressed like this. “Don’t go. It’s all right. You just startled me.”

Raising his gaze from the floor, he cocks his head to the side and smiles. It’s a funny smile—like he’s happy about something I’ve done. Not that I can think of anything that he’d find funny about tonight. “If you say so. Nate and Jep have left so I wanted to check if you needed anything? I’m gonna watch some TV before I turn in for the night. You’re welcome to join me if you’d like.”

Checking Cooper where he sleeps in one of the two single beds in the room, I nod, happy that he’s going to be okay if I leave him. I’m tired, but I know I’m still too keyed up to fall asleep easily. I need to wear myself out a bit so that the visions of Mom’s disgusting boyfriend holding a knife to my little brother’s chest don’t invade my mind and give me nightmares.

Pulling on my pajama shorts, I grab my phone and turn to Hooligan, who’s still looking at me like I’m amusing him. “What’s so funny?”

He lets out a short laugh. “You don’t realize that you’re talking to me, do you? You’re really hopeless at the silent treatment.”

Smirking, he holds open the bedroom door and gestures me to lead the way out. I don’t think about my reaction, I just do it, slapping him in the stomach as I walk past him. He’s topless so my hand stings from the impact with his bare abs. “Real funny, Hooligan. I appreciate the reminder. I forgot why I was pissed at you for a minute.”

All I get in response is more laughter.

Infuriating asshole, he is.

I pick a single armchair to curl into in front of his television, the disgruntled look that crosses his face telling me that it’s his usual spot. Staring intently at my phone, I check for messages but find none. Not that I really expected Mom to care enough to see where we went, although, I am worried that Zali hasn’t answered me back yet.

“I never told Nate a fucking thing. He saw us.” Hooligan lies down on the couch to my right, spreading his long frame out and folding one arm behind his head, while he uses the other one to point the remote at the TV.

I shrug, pretending I don’t care, even as his words lift a weight off my shoulders that’s been bowing me down for over a month. Scrolling through Facebook, I wait to see if he’ll elaborate.

“Nate blabbed to Jep, thinking that he’d keep it to himself.” Hooligan chuckles, then throws the remote on the coffee table. With the Friday night game of football blaring in the background of the room, the normality of this scene strikes me as surreal. Cooper’s safely tucked up in bed. I’m away from my toxic home with somewhere drama-free to spend the night, and the atmosphere between me and Hooligan is relaxed—playful almost. This is the closest I’ve come to being content for a long time.

“Did you see Jep’s face once Nate was through with him?”

Giving up my ruse, I put my phone down and look at him. “Nate did that? I thought you did.”

Turning his head to look at me, he asks, “Did you want me to? I was going to but Nate beat me to it.”

Musing over his question, I shake my head. “I thought you hurt him because he told me what you said. Why did Nate hurt him?”

“Because he laid hands on you without your consent.”

Shrugging off his simple reasoning, embarrassment builds within me. “I’m kinda used to being touched at your gym without giving my permission.”

Hooligan swings himself in a seated position, reaching forward and dragging my seat closer to him. It makes a scraping sound as it slides across the polished wood floor, making me cringe. Taking my hand, he strokes my knuckles. “I’m really fucking sorry about what I did to you. If I’d known your age, I would’ve kept my hands to myself. Fuck, I should have asked you before I let it get out of hand, regardless of how old you are.”

Yanking my hand free, I sit upright. My tone is cross as I set him straight. “I’m talking about Nate in the locker room that day. Not you.”

Drawing my knees up to my chest, I hug them to me. “You’re the
only one
I want to touch me. So don’t apologize. And stop using my age as an excuse. I’m perfectly legal already so I’m well within my rights to sleep with who I want. You don’t have to let me down easy. I’m a big girl and you’re not the only man in the world.”

My patience is thin at the best of times, and after tonight it’s non-existent. My temper flares, sparks, then catches alight in the space of half a second, and I climb to my feet. Leaning over Hooligan where he sits, a dumfounded expression on his face, I point a finger at him. “Jep told me that you and Nate feel sorry for me. Well, you can shove that shit sideways up your ass. I don’t need your pity...or your excuses.”

My hand craves to reach out and slap the stupidity off his face. I push down the urge because, although what I’ve said will make spending tonight under his roof uncomfortable, I don’t have any alternative. Tomorrow, I can start looking for a small apartment to rent for me and Cooper. Tonight, however, I am stuck here with nowhere else to go except back home or to suck up to Zali to stay at Devon’s.

And neither of them are really an option.

Not wanting to hear any more excuses or stupid apologies, I storm off in the direction of the room I’m sharing with Cooper. I don’t make it far before I’m spun around and my back is pushed against the nearest wall. Hooligan grabs my hands when I try to hit him and pins them above my head.

“Jep lied to you. Nobody’s said shit to him about you. He wants in your pants so when Nate told him about what went down between us he tried to stir up trouble. Probably hoping that you’d turn to him.”

Warm breath blows over my face when he sighs once he’s finished his explanation. The expanding of his chest presses our bodies closer together, locking us in mutual combat. Two explosive tempers meeting their match for once. Hooligan’s using his large frame to pin me to the wall so I’ll stop long enough to listen to him, and I’m pushing back against him because I’ve had enough and I don’t want to listen.

Our chests heave in unison from our vehement to and fro, as he continues trying to claim control of the situation even as I refuse to cede it to him.  We stare into each other’s eyes—pissed off bright green melding with irritated amber—until the tension coiled between us becomes too much and breaks, ricocheting when it lets go, snapping us back into the here and now and drowning us in our need for each other.

Don’t ask me who makes the first move, but our lips meet in the
exact
middle of the distance between us, before his superior strength presses my head back against the wall. With his hands pinning mine, the only parts on our bodies that touch are our lips and our upper bodies, yet it feels like every cell is calling out for its matching counterpart to come meet it. Pushing my hands against his until he lets them fall free, my hands reach around and grab his ass, thrusting his bulge against mine. I meet him...move for move, push for push, grind for grind...lifting my left leg so I can rub my pulsing pussy over the cock I can feel growing harder against me with each passing second.