Chapter 2
Max
Audrey’s back, I thought. It went on like an endless loop in my head. Audrey’s back. Audrey’s back.
God, I haven’t seen her since…
The weight of the memory sank down on me, and I quickly shook it off. I couldn’t let it slow me down. Not right now. Not when I needed to get to her before she disappeared again.
As soon as my match officially ended, I raced to my dressing room, ignoring every congratulations and pat on the back from my team.
They’ll be around later. I wasn’t sure Audrey would be. And I damn sure didn’t want to talk to her all sweaty.
I rushed into the adjoining bathroom and rinsed off my face and torso.
My opponent wasn’t able to do much damage in our match, but he’d gotten me a few times in my jaw and my ribs.
In the mirror, I could already see the cut he left starting to swell and the bruises gaining more color.
If I wasn’t looking directly at them, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed they were there.
I’ve been numb to the pain for a long time now; not even a broken bone phased me.
Once my face was clean, I gave my underarms a quick wash and sprayed on some cologne I kept in my bag. I ran my hands through my curls, trying to tidy them up.
Audrey has seen my hair in much worse conditions, but I wanted to impress her. It’s been so long and I…shit, I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to do. We hadn’t spoken in years. There was so much I wanted - needed - to say. I just didn’t know how.
I doubted we’d be ready for that conversation tonight, but at the very least, I needed to see her.
“Aye, Max,” Wesley, one of the men in my “entourage” called as he walked into the room.
He appeared in the bathroom doorway with a toothpick hanging out of his mouth and his hands eagerly counting a wad of money in his hands.
“We’ve made out with almost ten grand, and I’m not even done collecting debts yet. ”
Rolling my eyes, I pulled a tee shirt over my head. “Don’t go announcing that shit,” I scolded. “My dad won’t think twice about putting a bullet in your head if we come up short because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut.”
“Man, chill out. There’s nobody else in here.”
“I don’t care. Shut your trap before I shut it for you.” I snatched my hoodie out of my bag and yanked it on.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Wesley’s lips pull into a dramatic frown and mouth my threat with a mocking bob of his head.
The subtle disrespect was more than enough to piss me off.
Without thinking twice, I abandoned my bag on the counter, grabbed him by his neck and slammed his smug face into the opposite side of the doorway.
His face smacked against the plaster with a loud “crack” and a howl of pain. As his head jutted back from the impact, a stream of blood flooded down his face. His free hand came up to cup his injured nose. “Hey, man, what the fuck!” He yelled.
I ignored him and went back to my bag. The dumbass knew what he did to deserve that. “Finish your rounds, find Tysir, and meet me outside in ten minutes,” I told him as I threw the duffel over my shoulder.
“What about my nose?” He hissed. “I think you broke that shit.”
“You’re lucky I didn’t break anything else.” As I passed him, I shoved him towards the sinks. “Clean it, ice it, and you’ll be alright.”
Wesley groaned. “How am I supposed to threaten people who can’t back up their bet looking like this?”
“Easy: tell them to cough up the money or their face will look worse.”
I could feel Wesley’s glaring eyes bore into my back as I continued on my way down the hall.
Honestly, I couldn’t care less about what he, or any of the other henchmen my father assigned, thought.
Most of them were idiotic and disposable.
Rarely did any of them make it any higher up the hierarchy without a bullet in their heads.
The only reason my father kept assigning them to me was to teach me a lesson. The more morons I whipped into shape, the better leader I’d become. Or at least that’s what he says. Sometimes I think it’s more of a punishment for waiting so long to take my place to begin with.
I pulled my hood up over my head to shield my face.
It’d be easier to blend into the crowd that way.
Usually I stick around to sign autographs, take pictures, and talk to the press while my men collect from the gamblers who put money up against me.
I’ve been on a winning streak for a while now, but there were always a good amount of people hoping I’d slip up and hit a big pay day.
Instead, they were always stuck with a fat ass bill and a threat on their lives if they didn’t pay it.
There were three things my father didn’t play about: his respect, his product, and his money. Those who dared to play with any of that always ended up six feet under.
I kept my head down as I came out into the lobby of the stadium. The venue for tonight’s exhibition match wasn’t as large as some of the other fights I’ve been in, making it perfect for the mission I was on.
I lifted my head just enough to peek out from underneath my hood and scanned the teeming crowd for the woman I’d seen earlier.
It was strange, seeing her sitting so far away.
She used to sit in the front row. Close enough that I could grab her and kiss her after a win.
With her sitting in the back, it felt like she was a million miles away.
I couldn’t - wouldn’t - let her drift that far away again.
My stomach twisted as I looked toward one of the exits and wondered if she might’ve left already.
I had some idea of where I could find her, but what if she wasn’t there?
Was her number the same? If I called it, would she answer?
Or would she send me straight to voicemail like she’s done so many times before?
Sighing, I looked in the opposite direction towards the restrooms and merchandise stands. My heart skipped a beat as I spotted her.
Like earlier, she stood under what seemed like a spotlight, illuminating the glow of her caramel brown skin and the sparkle in her amber eyes. She was leaning against one of the walls near the restroom, quietly watching the other patrons mill around the room as she sipped on a slushie.
My feet pulled me towards her without hesitation. I weaved between the crowds, enduring unintentional bumps and nudges, to reach her. I didn’t let her out of my sight, afraid she’d disappear again.
As I came closer, I admired the enhancements time had given her.
Her mane of thick, curly hair was longer, falling well over her shoulders to the small of her back.
Her jeans hugged her wide hips and outlined every inch of her thick thighs.
Beneath her open jacket, I could see the glimmer of a belly button piercing, exposed by her cropped top, that hadn’t been there the last time I’d seen her.
Even after all these years, she was still the woman of my dreams.
She wasn’t looking in my direction when I finally reached her. Her eyes were focused on the opposite side of the room, staring aimlessly.
“Hey, Audrey,” I said.
She jolted out of her trance at the sound of my voice. Her eyes darted to me, and her brows turned upward in confusion. She stared at me for a moment, giving her brain a moment to process who she was looking at. “Max?” She asked. Although full of uncertainty, it was still music to my ears.
I smiled. “Damn, it hasn’t been that long, has it?”
“No,” she replied quickly. “It’s just… You look… I mean…” She stumbled over her words.
I chuckled. “It’s the hair, I know. It’s a lot shorter now.”
A smile finally graced her lips. “A lot is an understatement. Your curly top was your signature look.” Her free hand rose from her side, but stopped midway and settled on the other side of her cup. “But, this looks good too.”
”You look good,” I replied, raking my eyes over her body again. I took a few steps closer, hovering over her. I was too close, I knew that, but I didn’t care. The familiar scent of her favorite floral perfume and the blush budding underneath her cheeks was too good to pass up.
“Thank you,” she murmured. She glanced away for a second, trying to hide the nervous curl of her shoulders. “Congratulations on your win tonight.”
“Thanks. Do you wanna celebrate with me? There’s a lounge a few blocks up the street. We could grab a few drinks and catch up.”
Audrey opened her mouth to speak, but another voice cut her off before she could get her words out.
“Sorry about that, babe,” a man said. His arm snaked over her shoulders as he spoke. “I ran into some friends on the way out.”
I raised a brow as I followed the arm over Audrey’s shoulders. To my surprise, the man standing beside her wasn’t a complete stranger. I was unwillingly familiar with his smug face and sly eyes.
Carter Lawson was one of Elias Blackwell’s boys.
Elias was one of the top dealers in Los Angeles - and a close associate of my father’s.
His control over his territory and ability to push our product made him a valuable ally.
Like most nowadays, he had his own collection of legitimate businesses as facades to clean his money and organize his drugs.
But just because my father liked him doesn’t mean I did.
There was something off-putting about Elias and everyone who ran with them.
I didn’t trust any of them farther than I could throw them.
At the sight of the glare forming on my face, he grinned. “What’s up, Guerra?”
Out of respect for Audrey, I didn’t bust him in his jaw and gave him a firm nod. “Lawson.”
Audrey looked between us with a crease between her brows. “You two know each other?” She asked.
“Yeah, we run in the same MMA circles,” Carter said.
It wasn’t a complete lie. My father had his hands in all types of illegal shit: drugs, weapons, gambling and of course: an underground fight ring.
Most of the crews around the city put their best fighters in, hoping for recognition, bragging rights, or a personal invitation onto my father’s payroll.
Since he owned Los Angeles, and damn near the rest of California, it was in their best interest to be in his good graces.
I’ve seen Carter fight quite a few times, back when he used to be one of Elias’s main contenders. He was good, but he wasn’t a pro.
From the slow nod Audrey gave, I assumed he bought her here under the guise he did this shit professionally. He wished he could be on the level of the men on these rosters - me included.
”You two seem well acquainted,” Carter commented as he pulled Audrey closer to him. “Y’all know each other too or something?”
“Yeah,” Audrey said. “We’re old friends.”
My gaze snapped to her. What the hell was she talking about, calling me an “old friend?” Sure, it’s been a while, but friend wasn’t the right title for what we were. What we’ve always been.
Audrey met my eyes. A frown tugged at her lips as she noticed the shock and hurt within them. She only held it for a moment before she was looking elsewhere again.
”Friends, huh?” Carter mused, glancing between us again. “Guess it really is a small world after all.”
“Too small,” I muttered.
”Well, we should get going,” Audrey said, breaking the awkward silence before it began. She offered me a weary smile. “It was nice seeing you, Max.”
I didn’t want to let her walk away. Especially not with Carter’s arm over her shoulders and words still left unsaid. But, I have money to deliver and a father not to piss off.
Feigning a smile, I said, “Yeah, you too, Audrey.”
Carter’s arm tightened around her as he started towing Audrey away.
Audrey looked over her shoulder at me, taking me in as if she was trying to commit my new image to memory. She probably thought this would be the last time she’d see me for a while.
Little did she know that wasn’t happening.
The love of my life was back. And I’d be damned if I let her get away from me again.