Triple the Danger (The Dragons MC Book 6)

Chapter 1

SAYLOR

It was the first time he’d ever hit her, and it was going to be the fucking last. She made the vow to herself as he kicked and punched her, releasing whatever unhinged anger was burning through him that made her his punching bag. Never again. She wasn’t too weak to protect herself, not anymore. Growing up, her father abused both her and her mother. Back then, she’d hidden and cowered. Now, she would ride out the storm, and bide her time until she could strike.

A cry of pain slipped out before she could stop it, and it only seemed to infuriate him more. He landed one more punch to her ribs, knocking the wind out of her. They were probably cracked, but that was a worry for later. Her biggest need was to protect her head. She was going to need all her faculties to get out in one piece.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes, he pulled away and screamed, “Fuck!” before he stepped back, running his hands through his hair as he finally started to come back to himself. She watched him and waited, unmoving. Her own anger burned in her belly, but she kept it in check; a childhood practice she had hoped would never have to be used again.

He turned toward her, his eyes slowly coming back into focus. As he stared at her, he said nothing, breathing heavily as his hands fell to his sides. They had only been dating for two months, and she came over tonight to spend time with him since he was busy with work the past week. Only, tonight wasn’t going the way she’d expected. She brought some pizza, thinking he might be too tired to cook or go out. The look on his face when he answered the door should have been her first clue, but she was oblivious, clearly. It was a mistake she would not make again. But what set him off completely was when she made a comment about his habit of gambling at the casino; how the odds only ever favored the house, and maybe he should consider playing the stock market instead.

He got defensive, claiming he was getting luckier, having won well over five thousand this round. He, of course, didn’t see how it mattered that he’d spent almost five thousand to get it, making his lucky win a wash. She tried to offer some suggestions, careful not to attack him about it, but clearly, he was offended and upset. When he’d pulled a little black book from his pocket and tried to shore up his argument with all the “stats” he’d been recording for himself, she realized he was a lost cause. She told him right then that it wasn’t going to work out between them, and that was when his entire expression changed. Devastation and anger made him suddenly unrecognizable. When she went to leave, he attacked her from behind; it was the only reason that he got the upper hand.

The moment Leon Bennet landed his first hit on the back of her head was the moment she knew she was going to have to do something drastic to survive long enough to get away from him.

“Saylor,” he said after a moment. There was something in his tone; maybe regret, maybe pain, but she had doubts it was genuine. Whatever he was feeling now wouldn’t keep this from happening again. Next time, he would consider himself justified, and she wasn’t about to stick around to experience that.

Carefully, she got to her feet, rising to her full height despite the pain in her ribs and stomach. She called on every ounce of training and instinct she had, and then she was moving. Her trainers would be proud of her—hell, she was proud of herself—and satisfaction filled her as she saw the shock and fear in his eyes as she brought her fist down hard on his face, knocking him out cold. He fell like a stone, his head banging heavily on the hardwood floor.

She stood over him, her hand aching, but considering the rest of her, she couldn’t have given a shit. Instead, she absently checked that he still had a pulse, and then started to pull away, but stopped when she saw the book peeking out of his pocket. She sneered at it, thinking it was part of the reason this whole entire evening had gone to shit, but something about it pulled at her. Tugging it from his pocket, she flipped through it, rolling her eyes at the notes written.

Slots rigged. Only pays out dimes.

Dealer at Table 12 counting cards. Report him.

Blackjack table, sit in third seat from left for best view of cards from mirror.

Looked like Leon was trying to cheat his way through the damn place, or at least cause problems. As petty as it was, she didn’t want him to get off scot free with just a punch to the face. A split-second decision had her tightening her grip on the book and then heading to retrieve her purse and jacket. She limped as she went, but she only allowed a couple of curses to leave her lips.

She needed to get to Mater’s place to get patched up, though she already knew what he was going to say when he got a look at her. Son of a bitch, she was not looking forward to that conversation. She shut the door behind her as she left the apartment and slowly made her way down to her car in the parking lot. She cursed Leon again for having an apartment on the top floor of the four-story apartment building. The stairs were hell on her ribs and legs, but she pushed through it. She wasn’t sure how long that punch to the face would last, and she was determined to be long gone before he woke.

When she finally made it to her car, sweat was beading off her body, and her hands were shaking as she gave her phone the command to call Mater. Much like she figured, he answered after only two rings. “Problem?” he asked in that gruff voice of his that would normally send people running the other way, but to her it was endearing. The man was grizzled and mean-looking with a heart of gold for those that needed his help. Sex, race, or station in life meant nothing to him. If you were a decent person, he would help you. If you were an asshole, you quickly learned why most people avoided him.

“Fucker beat me,” she gritted out between clenched teeth. “I left him in a pile on the floor, but I need you to fix me up. I’m on my way.”

The angry curse that blared through the speakers almost had her smiling. “I’ll be waiting. How bad?” he demanded.

“Bad enough. Ribs are bruised for sure, possibly cracked; my hand is swollen and aching, and my body’s going to turn some nice colors over the next few weeks,” she told him truthfully. No point in hiding it, since he was going to see for himself when she got there.

“I’ll kill him,” Mater vowed.

“Can’t help me from prison, Mater,” she reminded him drily. “I’ll be there in ten minutes. I need ice packs and the good pain meds.”

“Done. Be careful, Saylor, or I’ll kick your ass myself when you get here,” he warned her gruffly before he hung up.

She snorted softly at that. The man was constantly threatening to kick her ass, but he never so much as touched her in anger. Not even when she pushed and pushed him to take her on as a client, to make sure she was ready for anything and everything. Mater was a former MMA fighter, one of the best on the circuit once upon a time, according to the number of belts hanging on his walls. When he eventually left the octagon, up-and-coming fighters from all over the country sought him out to train them. He did, but only took on those that he felt were worth his effort. The rest of his time was spent helping those that needed it most.

In her case, he and some of the fighters he trained taught her some fighting skills and self-defence. None of them had taken it easy on her, and at one point she hated it, but she forced herself to keep going. She refused to be a victim again, and they were helping to make sure of that. Still, she and Mater became close, and he was now something of a surrogate uncle. He also insisted they be a part of each other’s lives by all but demanding she eat dinner with him every so often. He also sought her help to get through to some of the blockhead fighters he worked with.

Right now, she was damn grateful to have him. She avoided hospitals like the plague, thanks to all the visits she endured as a kid, and there wasn’t anything they could do to help her anyway. Mater’d get her patched up, and she would figure out her next move.

Nothing like getting wailed on to show it was time to make a change. Something told her that Leon wasn’t going to leave this alone, especially when he realized she had taken his little book. A book she was going to burn the first chance she got. Either way, though, it might be time for her to get out of dodge for a while until things settled. She had no idea where she would go, but after this, she could almost feel the open road calling to her. Mater wouldn’t like it, but he’d understand.

Well, somewhat.

When she finally reached the gym Mater owned, operated, and lived above, she groaned when she realized he wasn’t alone. With him was Ty Richardson, one of his top fighters, and a general pain in her ass. Ty wasn’t a bad guy or anything, but his ego occasionally got the better of him, and the two of them ended up sparring a few times. Still, they mostly figured their shit out; seeing his hard face now as he looked at her through her front window, she supposed that was a good thing.

She pulled to a stop in front of the gym and then slowly, carefully, climbed out of the car, hissing through her teeth at the streaks of intense pain that shot up her sides and through her hand. Mater stepped forward, his face like granite as his bright blue eyes took her in. At fifty-four, the man was still in prime shape and heavily muscled. He stood at six-one with a full head of black hair that he had been letting grow out more in recent months. His distinguished face sported a nose that would never again be straight after so many breaks; scars from different fights that never healed quite right; and a couple of missing teeth that he usually kept covered with partial dentures. Must have caught him already up in his apartment, she thought.

“Jesus Christ,” Ty hissed, making her turn to look at him. Where Mater sported battle scars from his time in the ring, Ty had yet to wear off any of the pretty boy shine that he still seemed to possess. At six-two, he had a solid build, but not nearly to the same degree as Mater or some of the other fighters. He made up for that with speed and lightning-fast reflexes. He sported only one scar, above his left eyebrow, and it gave him just a hint of ‘bad boy’ that worked to his advantage, given the number of women constantly surrounding him. Though, his popularity could also have something to do with his curly blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and slightly crooked smile that showed off straight white teeth.

He moved toward her, his face hard, but his eyes full of concern. Before he could reach her, however, Mater barked out, “Pull her car around back, Ty. We don’t want that cocksucker finding her if he starts driving around looking for her car.”

Ty slowed, and though she saw his hesitation, he nodded and moved around her to do as ordered. She would normally have made a crack about being careful with her car, but she didn’t have it in her to bust his balls right now. The adrenaline was wearing off and she needed some pain meds, pronto. Mater moved to her quickly, ushering her inside the gym without another word.

He led her to his office, then barked at her to sit before reaching for the supplies he already set up on his desk. She groaned as she lowered herself into the chair, eyeing him as he moved toward her. She had nothing to fear from him, but she also knew being gentle wasn’t his strong suit. Still, she’d suffer through any accidental pain since he was doing his best.

She took the pills and water from him, downing them quickly. Then she took the ice pack and put it to her swelling cheek, hissing out at the cold against her skin. “Where did you get this one, the Arctic?” she joked lightly.

Mater didn’t so much as crack a smile as he crouched down in front of her and took her swollen hand gently into his own. “Not broken,” he muttered, more to himself than her. “Bruised and swollen, so you’ll be stiff and sore for a few days. You’ll still be able to do that website shit you work on for those stuck-up fuckers you call clients.”

“They pay me enough that I can afford you, so what are you complaining about?” she tossed back half-heartedly. It was an old argument, and one that he only brought up to mess with her.

He ignored her, moving around her to poke and prod at her back, shoulders, and arms. “Nothing broken, but you’re going to have a hell of a bruise. Stand up and let me check your ribs and stomach.”

“Some might call you a creepy old man for saying that,” she pointed out as she rose to her feet, swaying slightly, but he gripped her elbow to steady her before releasing it.

“I’ve been saying that for years,” Ty quipped as he came into the office. “He’s constantly telling me to take my shirt off. Dirty old man.”

“The only people who want to see your ugly ass naked are the old, the blind, and those without common sense,” Mater grunted, bending down to grip her shirt and lift it up to expose her skin.

She should probably feel awkward, but she normally wore a sports bra and shorts when she was with them, so it wasn’t anything they hadn’t seen. Ty hissed through his teeth when he caught sight of her skin. “Damn,” he cursed. “I hope you like black, blue, and purple, sugar, because you’re about to get real used to those colors for a while.”

She figured as much. She cursed when Mater started probing at her. “Suck it up,” Mater growled, but she could see the worry in his eyes, and it was the only reason she bit back the retort she wanted to give him. “You’re lucky, the pussy didn’t break or crack them, but they’re good and bruised. He only aimed for your right side, so your left should be fine. Your stomach’s got some bruising, but doesn’t look like you have any internal bleeding. Again, you were damn lucky.”

“Certainly don’t feel lucky,” she muttered sarcastically. He narrowed his eyes at her in warning. “The only reason he got any hits in was because he punched me in the back of the head and I went down too fast to block him,” she told him. “Looks like I need to brush up on that,” she added with a teasing smile.

He didn’t return it. “Asshole took a cheap shot because he knew he couldn’t get you down any other way.”

“Hope you kicked his ass,” Ty added, looking at her expectantly.

“I punched him in the face so hard he was out cold instantly,” she told him. “Thought about giving him a taste of his own medicine, but I knew it would leave me hurting more than I am now, and I wanted to get out of there.” She looked down at the floor, shame filling her. “I don’t know how the fuck I didn’t see it. Didn’t know that he was one of them.”

“None of that bullshit,” Mater ordered sharply, making her look up at him. “You don’t let him make you start doubting yourself. Some guys are better hiding it than others, and that’s why they’re able to get away with it longer. Now, you’re going to go upstairs and lie down. I’ll wake you up every couple of hours in case you have a concussion.”

“I don’t,” she assured him. “I’ve had enough of those to know. Like you said, he was a pussy, and that initial blow was more of a stun; I fell because I was moving forward. I protected my head just like you taught me.”

Mater nodded, clearly happy with that tidbit. “Still, I’ll be checking for the first few hours to be sure. You need anything from your place?”

She shook her head. “I still have some stuff upstairs from the last time I stayed here.” Namely when her landlord evicted her and the rest of his tenants because he wanted to demo the property. Thankfully Mater let her stay with him for a couple of weeks until she found her current place.

“Good.” Then he turned to Ty. “You got her car hidden?”

Ty nodded and handed him the keys. “All good. You want me to stick around in case that prick shows up?”

“He doesn’t know about this place,” she assured them both. “I never told him where I went to the gym, and never mentioned anyone here.”

“Smart,” Ty acknowledged. “Beauty and brains are so hard to come by nowadays. Well, with that blow to the head, maybe your smarts aren’t quite the same, but it’s the sentiment that counts.”

She flipped him off, used to his jabs. Mater ignored them both and said, “Head home. We’re good here. Be back ready to actually fucking work by six am. A minute later, and I’ll be putting my boot so far up your ass you’ll be flossing with my laces for a month. And that’s after I give you a matching set of bruises. Got it?”

Used to Mater’s threats, Ty just grinned and nodded. “Got it, Coach. Saylor, you need anything, just let me know.” Then he walked out, whistling like he didn’t have a care in the world.

Soon enough, Mater had her set up in the guest room of his apartment. “Thanks, Mater,” she breathed out as she settled into the bed, uncomfortable, but the meds were kicking in enough she might be able to get some sleep.

“Don’t mention it,” he huffed out. He eyed her for a moment. “You sure you’re alright?”

“Other than being pissed at myself for letting it happen in the first place?” He just watched her, saying nothing. “Not going to lie, Mater, I’m thinking maybe I need to get out of town for a bit. Clear my head.”

“You think he’s going to cause trouble for you,” he stated.

Unsurprisingly, he got it, and she nodded. “Knowing what I do now, he won’t let it go that I took him down so quickly. He’s going to be pissed, and I don’t need that bullshit in my life. I don’t want to leave forever, but going out of town, healing up, and being away from him and any other problems he’s likely to cause, might be just what I need.”

“As long as you’re not running because you’re scared of him and think you have to fight him on your own,” Mater warned. “Because you know the guys and I would never let him get near you.”

“I know.” And she did. There was no doubt in her mind they would beat Leon to a pulp if she asked, but it wasn’t what she wanted. “I really do, Mater. But you have that match coming up with Ty and Ream, and that’s a lot of time and concentration that shouldn’t be pulled away right now. Especially not for someone like Leon. The best thing for me to do is take some vacation time, do some travelling, and then come back in my best shape and ready to handle that bastard if he still isn’t ready to let it go. By then, your match will be done and I can use you all as backup if I need it.”

Mater was quiet for a few minutes as he regarded her. She held his gaze, despite the fatigue that pulled at her. Finally, he sighed and said, “You let me know when you’re leaving, and I’ll make sure you got everything you need from your place. And I’ll make sure you have a car he can’t track. But you need to promise me that you ever want to come home, you come home, no second guessing yourself. Don’t be worrying about the match or any of that other bullshit, you hear me? All of that can be handled or rescheduled. Got it?”

“Got it,” she said with a soft smile, her heart swelling in her chest. Mater let few people into his life, and she was one of the lucky ones. If she had had him as a Dad growing up instead of her idiot old man, well, she’d be a very different person than she was now. Still, there was something to be said about finding your chosen family instead of putting up with the ones you’re born with. “Thanks, Mater,” she told him before he left the room. “For everything.”

He stopped and looked back at her, gave a small nod, and then left the room without another word. She smiled to herself as she eased down and closed her eyes. She was going to be in a world of pain for a few days, but after that, she was going to leave town and clear her head. Figure out what she wanted.

Oh, and find a spot to burn that fucking black book,she reminded herself. She was going to leave it all behind her. Just like she did when she left her childhood home at the age of eighteen. She survived then, and she was going to survive again. But this time with a hell of a lot more friends behind her, and the knowledge that nothing was going to get in her way.