Chapter 15
“What’s so fucking urgent?”
I warred with wanting to rip into Lance for interrupting us and giving him shit about the way he looked at Sophie.
Did he like her? Was he going to make a move on her?
He was the one who told me no one here should hit on her because she was going through a divorce, but the way he watched her, smiled at her, made her laugh, he made me think his rule was meant for everyone except him.
“What are you doing with Sophie?” he asked. “I thought you didn’t like her.” He leaned against the edge of the table and cocked his head. I’d never wanted to smash my fist into his face more than I did right then.
“I never said I didn’t like her. I said I didn’t want her around. Didn’t want her to work on me.”
“What changed your mind?”
“Who said I did?” I argued, clenching my teeth so hard, I thought they’d shatter if I didn’t let up soon.
“She was working on you when I came in here.”
“She was showing me a few stretches to help my shoulder.” No way was I going to tell him about how she had her hands on me, massaging the muscles around my tender joint.
“And how about you and her rolling around on the ground?”
I could reiterate how I offered to show her a few defensive moves, but he wouldn’t let up, so I chose to redirect our conversation.
“Sophie isn’t the urgent topic you wanted to discuss. So, out with it.”
Lance pushed off the table and walked toward me, his steps hesitant, slow.
“I just got word Jay is coming to town next month.”
My blood began to boil, the inferno inside me I normally kept at bay bubbling up, threatening to cause damage if I let it.
“Why is he coming months before the fight?”
“No idea. I’m sure he has plans to get in your head. Anything to try and knock you out of the top spot. But that’s not the worst of it.” Instead of just telling me the worst news, he clammed up.
“Fuck, man! Out with it.”
“Gabriel is with him.”
A plethora of expletives fell from my mouth.
The last thing I should be was shocked, however.
Gabriel followed his prize possession everywhere.
I’d hoped he’d stay away, especially after I threatened his life the last time I saw him, which was over two years ago.
But the man didn’t have the sense God gave him.
Strike that, the sense the Devil gave him, because the man was evil.
“I don’t know what we’re gonna do, Jax.”
“There’s nothing we can do. But I’m telling you right now, if he approaches me before, during, or after the bout, I’m not responsible for what happens.”
Lance silenced his ringing phone, giving me his undivided attention. He was aware of why I hated Gabriel, who just so happened to be my biological father.
“I was afraid this would happen as soon as Jay started climbing the ranks.”
The pain in my shoulder was back full force, and it had nothing to do with the stretches and everything to do with stress and rage.
All I wanted to do was drink myself into oblivion, but I stopped doing that years ago, and I wasn’t about to fuck up now.
Not after I’d come this far. I needed to retain the title.
Trevor and Elton appeared in the doorway, assessing the room before closing the door and approaching.
“We have some news,” Elton said, looking more than a little apprehensive.
“He knows,” Lance responded, raking his hand over his bald head.
“We just have to make sure to stay clear of them until the fight,” Trevor added, shifting from one foot to the other.
I hated this news riled not only me but my entire team.
The last thing we needed was to give those two fuckers our attention.
Everything should be directed toward my training, which I had a feeling was going to be amped up in the upcoming months, more so than we’d planned.
I had no issue with the more frequent and intense workouts. I just hoped my shoulder cooperated.
“We stick to my routine, taking it up a notch.” I hadn’t realized my hand rested on my shoulder until Trevor pointed at me.
“Is that going to be a problem?” he asked.
“I hope not.” My tone rested a level above irritation, and I was more upset with the way my body reminded me I had issues, rather than at my trainer for asking the obvious question.
“Maybe you should reconsider hiring Sophie to help you out.” Lance was the one who dared bring up that subject again.
I inhaled a breath to refuse, but he spoke again before I could.
“We need to do everything we can to ensure you’re at your peak, Jax.
You need to do everything you can. And being stubborn about having her work on you just isn’t gonna cut it. You know that. You need her.”
I didn’t want to recall the lightness that had unfurled inside me when she had her hands on me, rubbing me. Or remember that my baser needs grappled with appreciation for her attention.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Great. I’ll let her know.”
I stepped into his space, my heart threatening to beat out of my chest in anger. “I said I’ll think about it, and if I decide it’s a go, I’ll be the one to tell her. Not. You.”
With his palms raised toward me, he took a step back. “You got it.”
After discussing a lineup of sparring partners for the upcoming week, we all dispersed.
I headed for the back exit, running a potential grocery list through my head of what I’d need at the store.
My diet didn’t vary much these days, sticking to lean meats and veggies, but every once in a while, I threw in sweet potatoes.
“Jackson!” I turned around as Sophie jogged up to me, her ponytail swaying behind her.
The woman was a mixture of adorable and incredibly sexy, and the longer my eyes stayed glued to her, the more my body reacted.
Placing my hand in front of my crotch for when the big guy popped up, I jerked my chin toward her.
My way of asking what she wanted. “I wanted to thank you again for showing me those moves. I hope I never have to use them, but I feel more confident in protecting myself now.”
I wanted to tell her I’d be the one protecting her, but the sentiment was ridiculous.
Having any kind of connection with her, other than her being an employee, wouldn’t fare well for me, or for her.
I wasn’t such a nice guy. I was moody to a fault and was shit at relationships. Not that I’d had many at all.
“You’re welcome.”
“And I can show you a few more stretches that might help you.” She swallowed and briefly averted her eyes. “If you want.” Only then did it register that she’d told me this before she hurried out of the back room of the gym.
“Sure.”
A quick nod from her and she swiveled around as if she was going to leave, but then turned back toward me seconds later.
“I… um… I wanted to talk to you.” Her teeth did a hell of a job harassing her bottom lip.
“I’m embarrassed to have to bring this up, but…
.” Her words trailed off, and for a moment, I thought she was going to give up altogether and flee.
“I’m going through a divorce, and once my ex finds out I’m working here, he’ll show up and try to cause problems for me. ”
“What kind of problems?”
“He’ll try to get me fired. He succeeded at my last job.
” She glanced at the ground before picking her head back up, looking me square in the eye, pleading with me with nothing more than a worried gaze.
“I really need this job, and I wanted to give you a heads-up. If I ended up getting fired from here, I don’t know—”
I placed my hand on her shoulder, erasing her worry. “Don’t worry about anything.”
“Really?” she asked, a blend of relief and excitement lighting up her beautiful face. Before I could step back, she threw her arms around my waist and pressed herself against me. “Thank you so much, Jackson. I was so worried I’d lose this job as well.”
I counted my breaths as she held on to me, not knowing what to do. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had hugged me. What I wanted to do was wrap my arms around her in return, to absorb her energy, but I just stood there with my arms at my sides, my entire body stiffening.
When she finally stepped back, she gasped, the sound a straight shot to my dick. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry. I’m just so relieved.”
“It’s fine.”
“Okay… well… I have to get back to work,” she said, hesitating a moment before she finally turned and walked away.
When I happened to look across the gym, Lance had a huge smile on his face, and whether he laughed at me because of my stunned reaction or because he knew something I didn’t, it didn’t matter.
Throwing him the finger, I hauled ass out of the gym faster than I ever had before, needing air before I fucking suffocated.