Never Say Goodbye (Rebel Walking #6) (15 page)

"That was not her debt to pay.  As a matter of fact, it was payback for the bullshit he pulled.  Do you have any idea what she's been through..."  Kimber steps in front of me quickly, looking directly into my eyes with her own, pleading for me to stop talking.

"Please."  She pleads in a voice that only I can hear.  I keep my eyes on hers as I decide to finish this conversation.

"I'll fucking fight one time.  You give me half the money now."  She starts to shake her head no to me and I place my index finger on her bottom lip to quiet her.

"Do you really think I will trust you not to run?  You get the money after the fight."

"No, I get the money before the fight, or I don't fight."  I turn to walk away with Kimber's hand in mine. 

"Be here Friday by 5 p.m.  Fight starts at seven.  You'll have your money when you arrive."  I don't look back as we walk out of the gym.   

"Luke.  I don't want you to fight.  He's manipulating you through me and I won't let him do that to you."

"I'm not being manipulated.  Let's talk about it somewhere else."

"He is.  He's done this for as long as I can remember.  You have no idea how this business is and he will steam roll you."

Without saying another word I sit on my bike and wait for her to climb on behind me.  I need to feel the air on my face right now and I fight the urge to find an open road.  Thoughts of Missouri come to mind and it's the first time I find myself wishing I was back home.  Open roads aren't an issue there.

She doesn't climb on.  I turn to see what she's doing only to find her walking away.  Fuck.  I don't fucking chase people, so why am I now jogging to catch up with her?

"Kimber, what are you doing?  Get on my bike and let's get the hell out of here."

"No."  

Chapter Five

Kimber

He has no idea what he's getting pulled into.  I can't let this happen to him.  He's been there for me like no one else in my life and he's willing to step into this for me, and he's only known me for a day.  There's no way I can stand by and let him do this.  There has to be a time that I put a stop to my father and his hold over me. 

He steps in front of me and I slam into him like the brick wall he is. 

"Luke.  I'm doing you a favor.  Get on your bike and forget you ever saw me."

"That's not going to happen."  He's going to be stubborn and completely difficult about this, but that's ok because I can be too.

"Why can't you just leave?  You have no ties here.  I can tell you're the type that likes it that way."

"You have no idea what I like.  I'm not leaving you here.  You're leaving with me if it means I throw you over my shoulder and walk the fuck out of here.  I keep having to threaten you with that, can't you just cooperate?  I have a shit ton of time to deal with your ass being complicated, but I'd rather you make it easier and let me help you.  Now, can we talk about this later?"  I've dealt with alpha men all my life, but this is different.  This time he's fighting and being demanding to help me.  He's not forcing me to do something degrading or to pleasure his wishes.  It's about saving me.  I can tell he's not playing in the slightest and he truly wants to help me.  It just hurts to know that I'm at the point in my life that I really have no choice, but to let him help.

I turn to walk back to his bike.  His shadow towers over mine on the sidewalk so I know he's following.  I watch his shadow as he rubs his head in a frustrating way and I stop in my tracks.

"If you're going to be so irritated to help me, just let me go, Luke."

"I'm not frustrated to help you."

"I saw you.  Your movements say otherwise."

"I don't give a fuck about my movements."  He keeps walking and mounts his bike without another word.  I know this is my chance to get on and I need to take it.  He turns to look at me with a small pleading smile.  It's not as if I have any other options at this point.  Not that this is a bad option at all.

I take the helmet he's trying to hand me and latch it as I position myself behind him.  He doesn't have to remind me to hang on this time as I gladly wrap my arms around his waist and hang on for the ride.

This time I try to watch the scenery and enjoy the view.  He doesn't go near as fast and I'm grateful for that.  I feel the safest that I've felt in forever, and I'm riding on the back of a motorcycle with a very tattooed, built man wearing gauges in his ears.  If this isn't irony, I don't know what is.

He pulls into his tiny parking spot near the building and turns off the engine.  He steps off the bike right after I do and then starts to walk into the apartment.  I look over at my Jeep and know I need to just do everyone a favor and drive away from here.  I won’t get far on the gas I have, but I don't want to inconvenience him anymore.  He turns and sees me looking in that direction.

"Let's do this inside.  We don't need an audience knowing your business."  He says it so matter of fact that I don't even hesitate to follow him.  I need to decide my future one way or another anyway.

Once inside his apartment again, he turns to face me and looks at me with frustration.  It's obvious that something is bothering him, so I wait for him to lay it on me.

"Kimber, just let me fight this fight for you and then you can leave here forever and not have to look back.  You deserve better than this life and I can help you make that happen in just one small fight."

"I wish we had met under different circumstances.  This isn't the life I had planned for myself."

"Exactly.  This is your chance to make some changes and begin to live the life you do have planned.  It's not like it's costing me anything to help you."  It's so tempting to just let him save me from this life, but I need to do this on my own.

"I need to do this for me.  I know you won't understand, but I can't just let you give me money to run."

"Consider it a loan then.  You can pay me back when you get on your feet.  I'll take payments."

"My father is ruthless.  You don't understand what you're getting in to."

"Don't worry about me.  I won't get into anything I can't handle."  His logic is simple.  How can I say no?

"Will you let Lou train you?"

"I'm not going back to that gym."

"I can get him to meet us somewhere else.  He really knows what he's doing and I don't want you going in to this without any experience."

"Yeah.  I'll let the old man teach me a few things."

"Okay, but only if you consider it a loan and let me pay you back."

"That's what I've been saying, consider it a deal."  The realization that I have nowhere to stay between now and the fight finally hits me and I begin to internally freak out.  I stand there awkward waiting for him to say something else. 

"What do you want me to bring in from your Jeep?"

"Nothing."

"This place isn't much, but you're welcome to stay here until you get the money you need to move." 

"I can't.  You've done so much.  I'll stay with Lou.  He's been more of a father than my own and I know he'll let me stay with him for a couple of days or so."  He looks at me like he wants to argue, but he chooses not to.  This is good, because I don't think it's a great idea for me to stay with him, even though I know his heart is taken.

Luke

The last thing I need is for her to stay with me, but there's no way I can just throw her out on the streets.  I'm already pissed at myself for some of the thoughts going through my head when I'm with her.  My eyes were drawn to that sexy ass when she was walking in front of me, then it was worse when she wrapped herself so tight around me that I could feel her tits on my back.  These are feelings I don't want to have.  It was better when I was numb to the world around me.  Besides that, what kind of dick head looks at the ass of someone who's been through everything she has? 

"Suit yourself.  Just know you can stay here if you change your mind.  I work twelve hour days, Monday through Thursday, so I won't be here much anyway."

I pull my shirt over my head and reach for a tank top.  I can feel her eyes on me the whole time I'm searching for it.  The feeling of being appreciated again confuses me and I know I'm not fully ready to deal with it.  Turning to face her, I see Kimber in a completely frozen state.  Her eyes are glued to my back until I turn it away from her.  She looks me in the eyes with a look I'm very familiar with. 

It's the look thousands of women have given me when there's one thing on their mind.  That was when things were so much simpler.  That guy wouldn't feel like this.  It would be so much easier to be that guy again, but that's not an option. 

Our eyes stay connected for a few moments until she pulls away.

"I'll call Lou."  I stand there in conflict while she leaves my apartment to make the phone call.  I haven't moved when she begins to talk to him.  These walls are so thin, I can hear her clearly as she talks to him.

"Hey Lou, it's Kimber.  Will you train Luke for the match?  He refuses to go back to the gym, so we need to do it at the barn."

"Yeah Lou, I'm doing okay."

"I know you worry, but I'm going to make it through it.  You know I'm a fighter."

"Alright, I'll see you at the barn in a few minutes."  I notice she doesn't ask to stay with him, but I'm guessing that's something that is better done in person.

Slipping into the bathroom to put on some athletic shorts and finish getting ready for my session with the old man, I expect to hear her come back into the apartment.  After a few minutes pass and she doesn't, I start to think that the awkward moment we just had affected her more than it seemed to at first. 

When I step out of the bathroom, I can hear a slightly mumbled voice, followed by Kimber's.  She must be right in front of the door.

"Honey, you need to hang on to that boy.  If I was any younger, I'd fight you to the death for him.  I may be old, but I'm not dead."

"Haha, Mrs. Garcia.  Don't you know he's taken?"

"I'm glad to see you handled that so quickly.  It's nice to see a girl with boobs and brains once in a while."

"Oh no, not me.  He has a girlfriend or something."

"I ain't seen anyone coming or going from that man's apartment the entire time he's lived there.  He hasn't mentioned anyone when I poke him about it either."

"Oh.  Well that's good, I guess.  I should probably get back, we need to head out soon."

"Alright.  Don't do anything I wouldn't have done back in the days."

"Mrs. G., I have a feeling that leaves my options wide open."    

"Honey, you have no idea."

The fact that she thinks I have a girlfriend is my fault.  I just can't talk about Lilly.  The hurt is bad enough without trying to find the words to explain, to even touch the surface of what I've been through.  I'm not even sure I'll ever tell her about Lilly.  I consider her a piece of my heart and if I share that with anyone, then I'd be exposing more than I'm willing to. 

She enters the apartment and stands against the wall, looking nervous.  "Lou will be at the barn waiting for us."

"Let's go."

I plan to put my everything into this fight and end her hell.  I'll train and work nonstop until the fight and then I'll make sure she gets the fuck away from the dick heads who think they can control her life.  This is something I can do to help her out and who knows... I may just end up getting rid of some of this pent up anger in the process. 

I feel sorry for the mother fucker that has to face me in this fight.  He won't have any idea what hit him after I fuck him up.  It sucks for him that he's what will stand between me and that win.

I follow her into the elevator and notice the awkwardness is still looming.  She is avoiding me and I'm ready to leave it at that.  It's best this way.  This continues until we're standing at her Jeep.

"I'll follow you there, if that's okay?"

"Yeah sure," she says as she rounds the driver's side door in an attempt to hurry out of the stank in the air between us.    

I follow her until she pulls into the skinny driveway alongside a house.  The driveway goes behind the house and I can see a huge barn in the back that must be where he plans to train me.  I notice how his yard is perfect and everything is in place.  I can tell this man is meticulous and a damn perfectionist.  It takes one to know one.

I see him waiting for us just as I pull the bike off to the side and out of the way of her Jeep. 

"I'm glad to see that you've decided to fight.  I'm looking forward to teaching you the skills you need to kick some guy’s ass in that fight."

"I look forward to that ass kicking too."

"I'll be over here, while you guys do your thing.  Let me know if you need anything."  I watch Kimber walk toward the backdoor of his house.  Lou begins to talk to me as we walk to the barn. 

"Focus is the most important thing.  If I can get you to agree to commit to this and focus on the goal, then we have the largest part of the battle won."

"I'm committed."

"Let's tape you up and let you have a stab at this old man just to see how focused you really are."

Kimber

I watch Lou take Luke towards the barn.  I decide it's best to stay out of their way until they get into the training a bit, besides that, I need to regroup from the events of the last twenty-four hours.  The last thing I want to be is a distraction for him when he doesn't have much time to get it all down.

Lou's place is full of small areas to sit and just take in the day.  My eyes find my favorite spot on his back deck and the swing that I've always sat on when I come to visit Lou.  We've spent many hours on that swing, just shooting the shit and having no worries in the world.  Times have changed and that hasn't happened in a long time, but those memories are some of my favorites.

Lou has a way of making my problems melt away with just a simple conversation.  Of course my problems have never been this bad, but I can't help but wonder what he would say about the mess I've gotten myself into now.

I lay across the swing and my thoughts go back to last night and how much it still hurts that the baby is gone.  It doesn't seem real and I find myself praying it was just a nightmare.  I let the tears fall and just stare into the cloudy sky, hoping for some kind of relief from the pain in my heart.  Knowing that the pain will live inside me forever, I close my eyes and fall asleep right there under the shelter of only two feet overhang from his roof and the endless sky above me. 

The sound of an angry engine pulling into the drive pulls me from my deep sleep.  I open my eyes just as he walks up to my Jeep, the whole time looking through the windows at all of my belongings that I packed to leave with.