Authors: Rose D. Cassidy
“Yes, you are right, but I just don’t see another option. We can change the nights, try to get better with the security; like setting up more people to watch for cops, change initials to numbers, more stuff like that.”
“Okay, than what are the reasons that it would be beneficial?”
“First, there are more new bloods than I expected to get, and they are going to want to fight not just watch. If they don’t they may get annoyed and drop out maybe even run their mouths. We have to keep them happy if we want them to keep their mouth shut.”
“True, I greatly agree with that one!” Pay says. “I’ve seen it first hand, people are upset and asking questions and with the rumors of Trey going around, people are getting antsy. I’ve done
damnage control but I really think that action will speak louder than words. If we show them that we will hold fights every week for the new bloods than it will prove that was the reason Trey did it the past two weeks and that we care that everyone will get to fight, that we are changing the structure to better serve them.”
“That is another benefit I was thinking about. I’m glad you agree. How about you guys?”
“Yea, it does make since, but still is all that worth the greater risk we would be taking, the chance of being caught and shut down.”
“I think the greater risk
is
letting people get antsy. That’s what fuels the talk.” Pay enlightens again. Jocelyn just nods her head in agreement.
“So our original plan to keep all this under control has been superseded by
damnage control
?” Gwen says.
“Yea, I guess you could think it that way. I know we should not have taken on so many new bloods but if we turned them away they would have spilled and possible to the cops, which would not be good.” Trey says a bit upset and apologetic.
They went on talking about better security measures, more places for the fights to be held and the new list. They’ve got a pretty good idea of the strengths of the new bloods and would have to figure out who to put who against in the fights. Even with the extra times of the fights there still wasn’t enough to have everyone fight everyone and still keep the elders fighting and happy. It was a struggle to organize it all but they figured out a pretty good plan and would explain it to all at the next fight hoping that if everyone sees that they added more time to accommodate them and let them know they are doing it for their safety and the safety of not having to close down, that people would understand and accept it.
Walking out Trey caught up with Jocelyn, “Hey chic, you okay, you’re never quite.”
“I think that you have a hidden agenda, Trey. Ayden is making you crack and if you put more fights on you get to fight more. I understand how much you love and need fights I see it in your demeanor the next day but seriously all this might get busted because your control is getting
fucked with?”
“Jos, it’s not that…entirely. People want a chance to beat the best and at the moment I am so I can’t just stop. If ever I get beat I’ll be done fighting and with a few of the new bloods, that’s a possibility. Moving the line quicker is
kind of making my time as a fighter shorter. You know I need the fights and I wanted to keep fighting until I graduated but now I might not have that option so maybe I want to fight more, yeah, but by doing this I’m also putting myself in a position to lose it quicker.”
“Yea, I guess but what about Ayden?”
“Ayden, ha, well he just might be the one to take me down and yea it’s getting to my control. I don’t want to lose what I have. I will and am trying to control the situation but it’s hard, he keeps throwing himself in my way and the look in his eyes says I’d have one hard as hell fight on my hands.”
“Is that what bothers you so much about him?”
“Yea it is, but curse my body because it is attracted to the jerk!”
“I could so tell that!” They both chuckle. “You want to discuss it?”
“Na, I really don’t Jos, but if ever I do I will come to you.”
“K. Just one more thing. Why fight the attraction?”
“Because I don’t want a man; I want to succeed.” ‘Because it
will
get the best of me,’ Trey really thought. Trey felt like shit, she couldn’t talk to Jos about really what was going through her mind, but she would have to explain a whole lot more of her past to Jocelyn for her to understand it and that Trey did not want to do. They went off subject while heading back to class and Trey was glad of it. She finished out her day good, but still a little upset with her conversation with Jos. She never liked to show weakness and here she was showing it but she would have shown more if she told her what she really thought.
He went through his day pretty okay, but when he was heading to her shop he became nervous with his want. He wanted to just make it be, he wanted to just walk in and demand she love him, but knowing that he has not anything to offer her yet he knew he could not. He knew that he would have to prove his worth to her before she would accept him. He hoped he would get that first opportunity with his first fight. Until than all he had was his ability to have wit; something she had too much of. That would have to change. He didn’t bother to use it when he walked in, though. He just sat in his stool and took his sketchbook out.
She knew it was him that walked in, but she would not give him the satisfaction of thinking that she would look up just to see him. When she was done with the tat she was giving he came to stand next to her, she didn’t even bother to acknowledge him; she actually blatantly ignored him which only fueled his wit. “Hey beautiful, I’m glad to see that you realized your want for me and can’t even manage to talk or look at me because you know you’ll just have to take me at the instant you do.”
“Or could it be that I just can’t stand to look at you because you disgust me with that mouth of yours, that I would
never
let kiss my lips.”
“Oh have no doubt, you will kiss
me
when you’re ready.”
“
Will I?
”
“Yup, you will when you want to shut my
mouth
up.”
“Well, gee than I guess I should have kissed you the second I met you, with that theory.”
“You could kiss me now and just get that first time over with than we could be on our way to greater pastures.”
“Ha! Greater pastures, you are
so
funny and it's greener pastures."
“I know. You like me.”
“So much so that I’ll just hand you over what you want.” She sarcastically snapped at him. ‘I can’t believe he thinks that I’ll just give him what I’ve accomplished if I was to fall for him.’
“I would make it worth your while, just as long as you don’t snip at me again like that.”
“Well in that case,” she leaned into him putting her hands on his chest, “will you show me a taste now.” She changed her tactics of anger to sweet dumb girl seduction, batting her eyes and all. He grabbed her hip to pull her closer slowly, his other hand slipping onto her neck and his thumb caressing her jaw line while leaning his head in, looking at her lips. He looked up into her eyes and smiled while he whispered, “Dream about me more than I will.” He turned from her taking his shirt off and sitting down in her chair.
That did not go the way she planed it to. She was going to push him away at the last second before his lips would touch hers; the reasoning her hands were on his chest. Then she was gonna tell him, ‘Yea right, in
your
dreams buddy.’ But he got her before she could. She grabbed her gun turned it on and began the tat as she ran her hand up his leg to his thigh, “Are you sure you want to wait?”
“Oh
I am
sure. Greatness comes with patience. You’ll see.”
“The only thing I see is my patience thinning with every step you
try
getting closer to me.”
“Thinning only because I won’t let you take me yet, but don’t worry I’ll give in soon if you keep trying to seduce me the way you just did.”
“So all I have to do to get you to leave me alone is seduce you; take you?” It would make since considering he doesn’t go back to any of the other women he seduces, ‘but does she know this,’ he thought. ‘Na.’
“I’m positive that you will not want me to leave you alone after you do so. It will be like one bite of decadents that you’ll have to have a piece of every night.”
“Thank the goddess, I don’t like sweets than, no cake for me.”
“The Goddess? You say that a lot.”
“Yea, no man is capable of creating the greatness of a women.”
“Huh! That’s a good look on it. I say it because it must be a women for bringing
some
good in this life, a man would just leave it to be destroyed.” 'He says it too, what the heck,' she thought.
“You would leave destruction?”
“I understand the greatness of women, so no.”
“Wow, suck up much.”
“No, if I did you’d already be mine to keep.”
“Over confident is just jerkish.”
“Now why would you call you’re self a jerk? I think you’re great.”
“Okay Tony!”
“Tony?”
“Yea, ya know Tony the Tiger; Frosted Flakes.”
“Wow that was some wit I tell ya, I’ve never seen such smarts.”
“You’re pathetic really.”
“Me? I tell you you’re not a jerk and that you're great and you become sarcastic with me which by the way is unflattering.”
“Oh that’s right because I’m trying to flatter you ‘
because you're
great.”
Ayden shook his head with a smile and reached for her hand. “Just not as great as you, my love. You are water on a hot summer day, fire on a cold winter's night and the sun after it rains. You are the greatest of the great.”
“And you are the corniest of all the corn.” She only smiled a sarcastic smile but truly she was laughing inside.
“Oh stop you know you want me even more now.”
“That I do, so much so I just might melt without your cold heart.”
“That was good, but it did not pertain to me at all. More like you would freeze to death without my warm heart.”
“Yes, death. Death I would surely take before I would take you.”
“Oh, oh now who’s cold hearted.”
“Me! That would be me. I’m glad you finally took notice. Now maybe you can stop trying to get me to give you something that will only make you freeze.”
“How about I just give you mine to keep yours warm and then when you get toasty we can share in the glory.”
“To bad your fifteen minutes are up and I am not convinced. Guess you’ll just have to start all over again tomorrow because by the time you walk out of here I will have completely rid you and your words from my mind.”
“In that case please do go on. I will deal with the numbness if by the time you are finished you will agree to be mine.”
“Honny, you do not have enough skin on your body for me to be convinced. So you mine as well just cut your losses now and be on your way to finer pastures.”
“But I like this pasture it fits me perfectly.”
“Sorry but I already claimed it and it will not be won over, it fits me more perfectly. So be gone with yourself.” Trey got up and walked out the back without another word. Ayden was truly getting to her. The goddess, ha, the fact he would be willing to take a cold heart; a gone heart, a destroyed-by-a-man heart, but then he was also willing to steal her land, that she would not give up. The fights were hers and him obviously telling her that he would take it, that it fit him perfect just pissed her off.
He wanted to claim her, ‘make her mine’ he even implied it with saying she fits him perfect. He wondered if she even got it at all. He shook his head and threw the money on the counter and ran out. He would run with her not behind her from now on. He caught up quicker than she thought he would which made her pick up her pace as much as she could. The audacity that he has, moved her better. Right up until she fell, for the first time in years. She jumped up cursing and when he asked if she was alright she jetted. Straight run back to her place and into the hot tub with her bottle of Jack, the only man that never let her down.
He was a mess all throughout work and by the time he got home he was completely spent. He stripped and crawled into bed, falling asleep to the sight of her face that seemed tattooed to the back of his eyelids. He would have to do something about her absents in his bed real soon.
The next day went on with the normal routine they have. The bickering between them continued but it was more at ease than normal. Trey knew that they would call a fight night tonight so she wasn’t mean or really nice. She acknowledged his comments but that was really all. When he left she did not come out for her run instead he got a text that made him book it to Dane. “I fight tonight!”
“Yea, I got that. You ready.”
“Was I not born ready to fight? Let’s go!”
“Alright, alright.” They raced down a few blocks. Right before they walked in Dane stopped him. “You know you’re fighting a girl tonight, right?”
“Yea, I guessed as much.”