Chapter 4
INeed Ya
Dylan
Four months later …
I stand in my gym, lost in thought as I have my arms folded over my chest. I’m up in the office, looking out of the viewing window down onto the floor below. I was so grateful to Da for allowing me to run this place.
Logan and Cole run some of our more complicated businesses. While I step in when needed, I don’t think I have the temperament for what they do. At least not on a daily basis.
This gym suits me. My gaze lands on one of my closest friends and a smile comes to my face. I remember how hard things were for me in the beginning.
Taegan changed all of that around. I never had the chance to see Ciara before my family moved to America and New York became our home for good. I went from painfully shy to being a complete introvert.
I even stopped talking to my brothers and sisters, making them all extremely protective of me. My parents were the only ones who could get me to talk. My ma because no one got away with not answering her, and Da because he didn’t ask for much in the way of conversation, just a simple response.
America was no better than Ireland. Instead of being teased for being the smallest kid in school, I was teased for my heavy accent and for being scrawny. Well, that was until I stopped talking in school as well.
Then I shot up like a tree in the tenth grade. It turned out I wasn’t going to be the smallest in my family forever. By fifteen, I was almost as tall as my older brothers and gaining on them fast.
By the eleventh grade, I was picked on for being tall, lanky, and awkward. The giant Irish mute. I spoke only when needed and I never felt a need to.
I felt like I lost something vital. A piece of me left that island when Ciara left, and it never returned. I didn’t care about much once we got here.
I had no friends. Instead, I focused on learning to hone my skills in the ring and counting down the days until I was old enough to return to Ireland on my own. I didn’t understand a lot of things back then.
My jaw clenches as I think of all I know now. So much has changed since the day Taegan and I met. I smile just a little as memories of that day fill my thoughts.
“Come on, O’Brien, just give us your money and we’ll make this easy today,” Roger, the school bully, taunted with a smug grin on his face.
I hated this kid. My dad worked hard for the money he gave me, but this kid and his crew were there to collect every day. Especially since none of my older siblings were around to protect me. Sure, it pissed me off, but it was better to give over the money and be done with it.
I hated it in America and in two more years, I’d be on my way back home, where I could find Ciara and keep my promise. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the money my da gave me that morning. I learned to keep what I wanted tucked away in my sock.
I never let them take it all. When I lifted my head and my hand to hand over the money, that’s when I saw her. The little spitfire with the fiery red hair.
Benny Jones snatched the money and pocketed it, but I barely noticed because my eyes were fixed on the bouncing red curls heading my way. I looked at her face to see her brows furrowed and her lips set in a tight grim line.
“What’s the matter with ya, O’Brien?” she snapped with her sharp Irish accent.
“Ya make us all ashamed to claim ya. Yer the tallest kid in your grade, and I know for a fact yer brothers haven’t left ya to be a wuss.
Find yer balls and make yer countrymen proud.
For Christ’s sake, make yerself proud and put an end to this. ”
Her big green eyes burned into mine as her chest heaved with anger. I don’t know what it was, but there was something about her eyes that reminded me of Ciara.
Not the color, but the look that said she believed in me, and I could do anything. Something snapped on the inside. I suddenly didn’t want to let them pick on me.
I wanted to fight back. It wasn’t like I didn’t know how. I’d been boxing since before we came here to the States. Ciara’s dad would teach us both and sparred with me when I hung out in the barn with Ciara to watch him train. I continued training when we moved here.
I figured when I found Ciara, I would need to keep up my part of the bargain, and if her dad wanted to kick my ass, I wasn’t going to make it easy. However, I never thought to fight back when I needed to. I never took what I learned in the ring outside.
In that moment, my temper became unhinged, and I had a feeling it wasn’t going to allow me to lock it back away. I straightened my shoulders and turned to Roger.
“Tell ’em to give me my money back,” I hissed.
“Don’t let your little girlfriend here get your ass kicked, O’Brien.” Roger chuckled.
Before I could think, I smashed my fist into the side of Roger’s face. I turned to Benny, who threw his fists up, but he was too slow. Two body shots and he doubled over, groaning.
Let’s not forget to mention he wet his pants. I turned for the other three who were with them, but they were running out of the schoolyard, not bothering to look back.
“I knew ya had it in ya,” my new little conscience chirped with a wide smile. She went to lift my money from Benny’s pocket as he groaned on the ground next to Roger. “No one will be pushing ya around now. Come on, I’ll let ya buy me a slice.”
“I’m Dylan,” I murmured as I rubbed the back of my neck with the arm she didn’t have her arm linked through.
“I know who ya are, silly. I dated your brother for six months.” She giggled. “That’s how I knew ya could actually kick all their asses. I don’t understand ya, O’Brien.”
“Not much to understand.” I sighed.
“I think there is, and I intend to figure it out.” She looked up at me and beamed. She had to look up at me with her petite frame and it made me wonder if Ciara would be so much smaller than me. “Ya can call me Taegan.”
“Thanks, Taegan.” I genuinely smiled for the first time in a long, long time.
“Don’t mention it, O’Brien. From now on, I’ll be the only one allowed to kick yer ass,” Taegan laughed.
She was right. From that day on, she’s been the only one I allowed to give me any kind of shit. Ma had been right. I do have my da’s temper. Once it was unlocked, I had a hard time locking it back away.
I went from boxing to MMA, needing an outlet for all the rage that had built up inside. Now I’m fighting to earn my way back home.
A smile comes to my lips as I think of Ciara in the ring. I wish I had her talent around here. I shake my head as I focus back on the fighters below. I blow out a heavy breath.
“Fuck, we need some real female fighters. This bullshit isn’t going to fly.”
I turn and look at the flyer on my desk. I need this gym to win that tournament. When we pull off the championship win, I’ll finally have enough to go back home.
It’s taking me long enough. Not being able to fight in the underground fights really set me back. Uncle Ronan made sure to banned me from all his fights and clubs, but I’m almost there.
“I’m coming to you, Ciara. I’ll be home and you can find me.”
“For fuck’s sake, now yer up here talking to yerself. I knew I needed to get my ass up here to check on ya,” Taegan says from behind me, bringing a laugh to my lips.
I turn and look at her standing in the doorway of my office. She’s still the tiny spitfire I met in high school. She gets on Jamie’s nerves all the time. I still can’t believe the two ever dated.
“What’s the problem? You can’t find anyone else to bother?”
She sighs and places her hands on her hips. I know that look, I groan and pray for her to turn around and disappear. I want to get my workout in and head home once I shut this place down for the night.
“Don’t ya give me that look. Ya promised ya’d hang out with me tonight. What happened to never breaking promises?”
“I’m second-guessing that rule. Every time I hang out with you, I end up in the middle of some shit. You’re like a magnet for trouble. Nothing is ever peaceful,” I grumble.
“Ya can suck it. I don’t bring ya any trouble yer not willing to handle.”
I scoff. “Sure ya don’t.”
“Oops, would ya look at that, I think I went and pissed ya off.”
I shake my head at her and go to sit behind my desk so I can get some paperwork done before it’s time for me to go down and train. I need to make sure all the paperwork is done for the tournament and check my emails.
“You haven’t pissed me off. I’ll do whatever it is you have planned. I will keep my word like I always do.”
“Grand. I know how much ya need a new stock of fighters. I have someone I want ya to see.”
I groan. I guess I’m not the only one who noticed that shit downstairs. I have a bigger problem than I’m willing to admit.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Listen, Cadhla might be my cousin, but she’s a shit fighter. Ya and I know she’s here because of ya. Ya don’t have to spare her feelings on account of me.
“Boot her ass from the gym once and for all. She’s a fucking bitch. I come here to chill and kick back, get me work done, and live me good life. She fucks that up all the time,” she says as she frowns.
“A year ago, I would have tossed her out on her ass if you said those words. Right now, I can’t afford to lose one of the only female fighters I have on the roster. This could be my year.”
“Ugh, ya know she’s from me psycho part of the family. I wouldn’t even claim her if it wouldn’t make me look like a liar. I loathe the day she learned we were friends.”
I snort. “I’ll cut her as soon as I find a replacement.”
“Exactly why we’re hitting the fights tonight. I heard—”
I hold my hand up as my phone rings. Seeing it’s Cole, I give Taegan a nod to let her know I’ll talk to her later then answer the call. She shrugs and turns to leave.
“What’s up, Cole?” I answer the device.
“I want ya to take a trip with me. Jamie needs to handle some business, so he can’t come, but I need family for this one. There’s something we need to do for our brother,” he says.
“For Logan?”
“Aye, this is all my fault. I think I fucked up and set this shit in motion. He wouldn’t be in some prison lost in the system if it wasn’t for me.
“I need to make sure everything he left behind is taken care of. It’s been four months. This needs to happen now.”
“What about Connie and Kate?”
“Connie is where I need her. Kate is with me; I need her too. This needs to happen now and ya need to be with me.”
“Okay, come pick me up from the gym. I’ll be ready. Do you need anything else from me?”
“Be armed. I don’t know what we’re walking into.”
“Ach, what’s going on, Cole? What aren’t you telling me?”
“I should have left her hidden. Fuck,” he roars. “I’ll tell ya when I see ya. For now, be ready when I get to ya.”