Chapter 18
DIESEL
I replay my conversation with Smoke all the way to the gym, and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I lied to him about my feelings for Martina, and worse, I lied to myself. After the last few weeks, and then last night, I knew what I wanted, and I knew I wanted to protect Martina and make her mine.
I enter the gym and head for Blood’s office with one thing on my mind. “You got a minute?”
“What’s up?” Blood looks up from the computer monitor on his desk. “You look like shit.”
I drop into the chair facing his desk. “I just had a conversation with Smoke.”
“Yeah?”
“It was mainly about the deal with Benito, but he also asked me about Martina.”
Blood stares at me, waiting for more.
“I gave him a line of shit, how she was just some hot pussy, but that’s wrong.”
“Her pussy ain’t hot?” Blood smirks, a wiseass, as always.
“Shut the fuck up and listen.”
Blood leans over his desk. “You haven’t forgotten I’m your VP, right?”
“Sorry, but this is serious.”
Blood leans back in his chair. “Must be when you can’t take a joke.”
“Look, I don’t know where this thing is goin’ with me and Martina, but I wanna make her mine.”
“And you spoke to her about this?”
“Not yet.” I’m rambling, but I have to get this out.
“Might be a good idea.”
“I plan on it, and I plan on bringing it up at the next church meeting. I just wanted you to know how it is, and I’ll straighten shit out with Smoke later.”
Blood offers me his fist. “Happy for you, brother.” We tap knuckles. “Hope it works out.”
By late afternoon, my nerves are jangling. I can’t keep my eyes off the gym door, and every time it opens, I expect to see Martina—but she never shows.
Maxie gave me Martina’s burner phone number, but it went straight to voicemail. Maybe she is out of minutes. I would take care of that and get her a regular phone. Not knowing where she is and what she is doing is working on my last functioning nerve.
I spiral for a few minutes thinking she had another panic attack or worse—her deadbeat brother came back looking for her.
I couldn’t leave and check to see if she’s still in my apartment ‘cause I’m knee-deep in fighters all getting ready for the big upcoming fight on Saturday night. I haven’t even had a chance to ask Maxie, ‘cause she’s eyeballs-deep in training the women.
Once a month, we put on a mega event featuring the men and women fighters—newbies who are just starting out and ending with the best fighters amongst the men and women.
It brings in huge revenue for the club, so I do my best to keep my head in the game, but, come closing time, my ass would be out the door.
I dip my head and duck under the ropes after a sparring session with one of our contenders. Blood’s waiting for me when I jump to the gym floor.
“How are we set for the weekend?” Blood’s usual question before a fight weekend.
“We got some strong brawlers and counter-fighters. They’re gonna be tough to beat.”
Blood cranes his neck to the other side of the gym. “Where’s Martina? I thought Maxie was setting her up for her first bout Saturday.”
“I don’t know.”
“I thought you had eyes on her.”
“I did, I mean, I do, but after what happened to her last night, she was still sleeping when I left earlier, and I didn’t wanna wake her. I guess she needed some extra downtime.”
“If she’s not ready for Saturday, I’m not putting her in the cage. Last thing we need is somebody getting hurt ‘cause they weren’t prepared.”
I nod because Blood has the last word on who fights, and he’s right, but it still doesn’t answer where the fuck Martina is right now.
“Hey.” Maxie storms toward us, waving her phone in the air. “Do either of you know anything about this?”
She shoves the screen in Blood’s face. He reads it, and she shows it to me.
MARTINA: I couldn’t leave without thanking you and Marisol for your kindness, but I think it’s best for everyone if I move on.
I read it twice. “What the fuck is this?”
“You tell me,” Maxie demands. “Which one of you scared her off?”
Blood and I exchange a look, and Maxie continues to glare. She’s savage in the sparring ring, and I’m quickly getting how she wins every bout.
I motion to the phone. “When did she send you this?”
“About five minutes ago. I just checked my messages, and there it was.”
“I’ve been watching the door all day. She never came in.”
“Did you forget about the back entrance that leads to the apartments? She never would’ve had to come in the gym.”
“Shit!”
“What did you do to her last night?” Maxie demands.
“Nothing.” Fuck, this couldn’t get any worse. Martina gone and Maxie interrogating me.
“Oh, so you were a gentleman and slept on the couch last night.” She rolls her eyes. “If you expect me to believe that, you’re crazy.”
“I never said that, but all I know is when I left her this morning, she was sleeping. Peacefully.” I snatch up Maxie’s phone and read the message again like it’s gonna give me some clue. “Did you check her room upstairs?”
“Not yet. I wanted to show you this first.”
The three of us troop up the back stairs. Maxie knocks, and when no one answers, she unlocks the door. We enter the vacant apartment, and Maxie heads for the bedroom, but I already know what she’s gonna say when she storms back into the living room.
“The little she had is gone.” Maxie holds up the dress Martina wore last night. “The only thing she left is Marisol’s dress, along with some other things I bought her.” She huffs. “That girl needed our help, and now she’s gone.”
“Don’t look at me,” I defend. “I’m as surprised as you.”
Blood rummages through the kitchen and living area. “Nothing.”
“And you didn’t have a fight or do some of your kinky shit on her?” Blood asks.
I cock my head. “Really, that’s all you got?”
“I know she was hiding something from us,” Maxie adds. “I’m guessing it’s not good, or she wouldn’t have run off.”
“Yeah, no shit.” I storm into the bedroom, and just as Maxie said, the drawers and closets are barren.
“And she didn’t see anybody else but you this morning.”
“Smoke came by this morning, but she was still in bed.”
“What did you talk about?” Blood asks.
“He wanted to know what was goin’ on with her and me, but I played it down, told him I really wasn’t that into her.”
Blood shoots me a look. “Completely different from what you told me earlier.”
“The picture is getting clearer and clearer.” Maxie gazes up at the ceiling, then back at me. “And how exactly did you tell Smoke you weren’t that into her?”
I relive the conversation, then glance down at the hardwood floor. “I might’ve said something about the club being my first priority.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Blood says.
“Go on.” Maxie narrows her eyes.
“And how she was hot as fuck.”
“That could be taken as a compliment,” Blood adds as he looks through the closets.
“Then I agreed with Smoke when he said, ‘Pussy is pussy, but the club is forever.’”
“What is that, some twisted motto?” Maxie groans. “The Harlots talk about sisterhood, strength, and acceptance, so I guess it’s fitting the Bastards talk about pussy. Anything else?”
“I might’ve mentioned how Smoke couldn’t blame me for wanting to get my dick wet with a hot piece of ass.”
“Ohhhh, for fuck’s sake.” Maxie points at me. “She most definitely heard you. And you’re wondering why she took off.”
“I only said that ‘cause I figured that’s what he wanted to hear.”
“It doesn’t matter if she heard it.”
Blood rejoins us in the living room. “Smoke said he was gonna have a talk with her.”
“What?” Maxie and I say in unison.
“He called me this morning, said he was gonna have a few words with her about her connection with Benito. Kinda feel her out and make sure she doesn’t interfere with the shit we got goin’ on with them.”
“Son of a bitch.” I slam my palm against the wall. “And you didn’t think to mention this earlier today when I was telling you I wanted to claim her?”
Blood shrugs. “I didn’t think it was important.”
“He probably spooked her,” Maxie says.
“Nah, I think he was just gonna talk to her,” Blood says.
“I don’t believe this.” Maxie throws up her hands. “Have you ever known Smoke not to be intimidating? The man says ‘hello’ on a growl.”
Maxie has a point.
“He never said anything to me about talking with her,” I add.
“Of course not, ‘cause he knows you’d be against it.” Maxie shakes her head. “How can men be so dense?”
“Fuck, he had no right talking to her without telling me.”
“Since you basically lied to him about how you feel, he probably didn’t think it would matter,” Maxie reasons.
She has a point, but still, why the fuck would Smoke interrogate her?
“Calm down.” Blood grips my shoulder. “He probably had a good reason.”
“None that I can see. Now she’s gone who the fuck knows where.”
I storm out of the apartment and down the stairs with Blood calling after me. I ignore him and head for my bike in the lot. I fire it up and wheel out onto the road with one thing on my mind: getting to The Tropics and finding out what the fuck went on between Smoke and Martina.