46. Noah
NOAH
I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel as I drove to my parents’ house. Zoey’s words about my father echoed in my head. She had been right about her mother, so perhaps there was a chance of mending things with my dad. Before I could dwell on it further, my phone rang. It was Warman.
“Noah, we’ve got the guys who trashed your gym in custody,” he said.
I made a U-turn and headed for the police station instead. “I’ll be right there.”
At the station, Warman filled me in on the details. “They were hired all right, but get this—George didn’t put them up to it. Turns out it was one of the rival gyms.”
I frowned. That didn’t add up. Why would another gym want to take me down? Unless there was more to the story.
“I want to talk to the owner before pressing charges,” I told Warman. “Something doesn’t feel right about this.”
He nodded. “Fair enough. Want me to set up a meeting?”
“No need. I’ll pay him a visit myself.”
If the gym owner was involved, I wanted to look him in the eye and get the truth straight from the source. If he thought he could mess with me and mine, he had another think coming.
The gym was an hour away. When I pulled into the parking lot, I saw the owner pacing nervously inside. He must have recognized me, because the second I walked through the door, fear flashed across his face.
“Noah, what brings you here?”
I crossed my arms and stared him down. “You know exactly why I’m here.”
He swallowed hard and averted his gaze. “Look, I don’t want any trouble.”
“Then why hire thugs to vandalize my gym?” I took a step closer.
The guy backed away, hands raised defensively. “It wasn’t my idea, I swear. Some guy offered me a ton of cash for renovations. All I had to do was get some guys to mess up your place.”
“And you thought messing with me was a smart move?” My muscles tensed, my simmering blood turning to a full boil.
“I didn’t know they were going to take it that far. The plan was just to distract you so they could...” He gulped as he met my eyes.
“So they could what?” I growled, my patience wearing thin.
His shoulders slumped in defeat. “So they could take the kid. His kid.”
I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and slammed him into the wall. “You listen to me very carefully. If you ever come near my family again, I will make sure you regret it for the rest of your miserable life. Understood?”
He nodded frantically, all the color draining from his face. I tossed him aside, grim satisfaction coursing through me when he crumpled to the floor.
I stormed out of the gym, fists clenched at my side. George was more desperate than I’d thought. I needed to end this, once and for all.
As I drove back to Boldercrest, I called Chief Warman and let him know that it had, in fact, been George who’d arranged the vandalism at the gym.
He didn’t sound completely surprised and promised to step up patrols.
The thought of George targeting Ro pissed me off.
He didn’t want Ro because he loved him. All he cared about was hurting Zoey and controlling her.
I stopped at Kyler’s place, and he greeted me with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. “You look like hell, man. What’s going on?”
I shook my head as I collapsed onto his couch. “It’s a long story. The short version is that George hired those guys to trash the gym while he tried to kidnap Ro.”
Kyler’s eyes widened, and he let out a low whistle. “Fuck. What are we going to do?”
I rubbed my temples, trying to ease the tension. “We need to figure out what to do with the kids we’re training. The gym’s going to be closed for at least a week while they repaint and repair the damage.”
Kyler leaned back. “Why don’t we train them here? I’ve got that gym set up in the basement. It’s not as big as yours, but it’ll do for now.”
“That could work. Thanks, Ky. I appreciate it.”
He shrugged. “That’s what partners are for, right? Besides, I can’t let you hog all the glory of training the next generation of champions.”
I chuckled, some of the tension easing from my shoulders. “You just want a chance to show off in front of the kids.”
Kyler chuckled. “What can I say? I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”
We spent the next hour ironing out the details, deciding on a schedule and how to divide up the training sessions.
As we wrapped up our discussion, Kyler’s expression turned serious.
He leaned back in his chair, studying me intently.
“Look, Noah, I know you’re all in when it comes to Zoey and her kid, but are you sure she’s worth all this trouble?
I mean, her ex is going to pretty extreme lengths to get her back.
For God’s sake, he’s messing with your business. ”
Irritation flashed at his words, my protective instincts surging to the surface. “This isn’t on Zoey, Ky. She doesn’t control what that bastard chooses to do.”
Kyler held up his hands in a placating gesture. “I know, I know. I’m just saying, it’s a lot to deal with, especially with everything else you’ve got going on.”
I shook my head. “If you want an answer, then yes, she’s worth it. She’s worth everything. The gym can be fixed, but I could never replace her or Ro. I don’t want to.”
Kyler’s eyes widened slightly, but he nodded in understanding. “I get it, man. I’ve never seen you like this about anyone before. But I can’t help worrying about you, you know?”
I softened, appreciating his concern. “I know you do, and I’m grateful for that. But I need you to trust me on this. Zoey and Ro, they’re my priority now. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep them safe.”
Kyler sighed, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. “I can see that. Just promise me you’ll be careful, okay? Don’t let this fucker drag you down to his level.”
I met his gaze, my jaw set with determination. “I won’t. But I’m not going to sit back and let him terrorize the people I care about, either. One way or another, I’m ending this.”
Kyler clapped me on the shoulder, his support unwavering. “I’ve got your back. Whatever you need, I’m here for you.”
I clasped his hand. “Thanks, Ky. That means a lot. Hey, why don’t we all have dinner together later this week? You, me, Zoey, and Ro. It would be good for you to get to know them better.”
Ky’s signature grin spread across his face. “Dinner with the lovely Zoey? How could I refuse?”
Chuckling, I rolled my eyes. “Easy there, Romeo. She’s off-limits.”
He held up his hands in mock surrender. “I know, I know. I’ll be on my best behavior, I promise.”
“You better be,” I said, but there was no real heat behind my words. “How about we meet at the steakhouse, say, Friday night?”
“Sounds perfect. I’ll make the reservations.”
Relief washed over me. I doubted I’d ever be able to express to Ky how much it meant to me to have his support.
I left Ky’s house, feeling more at ease as I headed to my office in the alpha’s house.
The familiar scent of old books and leather engulfed me as I closed the door behind me.
I made my way to the large mahogany desk that dominated the room, trailing my fingers along its polished surface.
I sat in the high-backed chair and pulled open the top drawer, taking out the worn, leather-bound rolodex.
It had belonged to my father, a meticulous record of every contact he’d ever made.
As I flipped through the pages, a familiar name caught my eye. It wasn’t a pack member, but rather a well-known boxing bookie. Curious, I called the number.
“Hello?” a gruff voice answered on the third ring.
“This is Noah Alexander. I found your number in my father’s rolodex. I was wondering if you could tell me why he has it.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. “Noah Alexander, huh? I haven’t heard from you in a while. Your father was a regular client of mine.”
My eyebrows shot up at that. “A regular client? What do you mean?”
The bookie chuckled. “Your old man placed bets on every single one of your fights. And let me tell you, he never once bet against you.”
Well, fuck. All this time, I’d thought my father didn’t believe in my dreams. But here was proof that he’d been supporting me all along.
“He bet on me?” I managed to croak out.
“Every damn time,” the bookie said. “And he won big, too. Your father had faith in you, kid. More than you probably ever realized.”
My hand shook as I ended the call and put the phone down. I buried my face in my hands as guilt and regret washed over me. I’d spent so many years resenting my father, thinking he didn’t care, and yet he’d been there in the shadows, quietly cheering me on.
A knock on the door startled me. I cleared my throat and hastily wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. “Come in.”
My mother stepped inside. “Noah, honey, is everything all right?”
I stood up, crossing the room to pull her into a tight embrace. “Yeah, Mom, everything’s fine. Better than fine, actually.”
She pulled back, then glanced at the rolodex on the desk. “You found out about your father betting on you, didn’t you?”
A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “Why didn’t he ever tell me?”
She placed her soft hand on my cheek. “Honey, your father is a proud man. He didn’t want you to think he was trying to take credit for your success. He wanted you to know that you earned it, every step of the way.”
I swallowed hard, a newfound understanding dawning on me. “I think I need to have a talk with him. There’s a lot I need to say.”
She smiled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “He’s waiting for you. He’s always been waiting for you.”