Hammer - Galactic Cage Fighters 5 (14 page)

“Please give it back, Hammer.”

“Where did this come from?” Hammer set her back on the couch as he stood re-reading the letter.

“I don’t know.” She cringed for lying.

“Don’t. Don’t mess things up between us by telling lies. I want to know where this came from.”

“I’m not lying. I am not sure. At first I thought it was a prank…” Shit. She hadn’t meant to say that.

“A prank? From the kids?”

“Calm down. I thought it was after the first two but…”

“The first two? How many of these did you get?” When she turned her head, he raised his voice. “How many, Molly?”

“Four, counting that one. I don’t know for sure if it was the kids who sent them.”

“Why didn’t you show them to me?”

“I was handling it. I thought they just needed time to get used to me being here.”

“And you received this one when?”

“A few hours ago.”

Hammer picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Maya, could you go by the school and bring the kids home for me. A situation needs to be addressed with them. Thanks.”

“Please don’t, Hammer. They are clearly upset about me being here. They need to have the right to express their feelings.”

“This is not expressing, this is threatening! Where are the others? Get them now!” Hammer was furious. He couldn’t believe his nephew and niece would do something like this. He worked to calm himself down.

Molly got up to go to her bedroom. She grabbed the other three letters from a small box she hid under her bed. She had hoped it wouldn't come to this. It was all her fault. If she had only confronted the kids after the first letter, maybe they could have worked out these issues. She walked back to the main living room with a heavy heart. She handed the letters to Hammer.

He opened one after the other. Color rose over his skin. He was getting really angry.

“Calm down before they get here, Hammer. They are just kids and they have some issues to work out.”

“They threatened you.”

“They are just kids, Hammer. They lost their parents and they probably feared I would take you from them. Calm down before they get here.”

Hammer took in a deep breath and released it. It did it several more times. “You are the most forgiving person I have ever met.” He was more steady now.

“I care about them and about you. We’ll work this out somehow.” She prayed that they could work this out. She didn’t want to leave them or Hammer. They were her heart.

Hammer walked closer to her and touched her cheek. “You are so special.” He wanted to say more but the door was opening. Molly grabbed his arm. He smiled reassuringly. “I’m calm now.” She nodded and let him go.

“Hey, why are we home early? Are we going to another theme park?” Tomas asked, throwing his book bag on the chair.

“Thanks, Maya, for bringing them home,” Hammer dismissed Maya who gave him and Molly a questioning look, then left.

“What’s going on?” Lauren asked, sensing something was wrong.

“Sit on the couch,” Hammer told them.

Lauren picked little Kate up and sat her in her lap. “Uncle Hammer?”

Hammer held up the four letters. “Do these look familiar?”

Lauren and Tomas shook their heads. “No. What are they?”

Hammer handed them to Lauren to read. She looked confused and handed them to Tomas. “Those look creepy.”

Tomas looked at them. “I don’t get it.” He handed the letters back to Hammer.

“Did you or did you not write those letters to Molly to get rid of her?” Hammer narrowed his eyes at the two.

“What?” Lauren asked.

“No way!” Tomas exclaimed.

“You are saying that neither of you sent these hoping Molly will leave?” Hammer asked again. He didn't scent any deceit on either of them.

“At first we wanted her gone. But every time we did a prank on her, she turned it around,” Tomas said.

“And afterwards, we got to know Molly and we grew to…like her. We liked having her around,” Lauren added, her cheeks pinkened.

A tear fell down Molly’s cheek. “I believe them, Hammer.”

“So do I. But if they didn’t do this, who did?” Hammer rubbed his shaved head. Someone was trying to scare Molly and he didn’t like it. “I’m going to go down to the security office and speak with Rachel.” He kissed each of the kids on their foreheads, stopped next to Molly, and kissed her cheek. “I’ll be back later.”

“Okay,” Molly responded. As soon as Hammer left, the kids barreled into Molly hugging her tight.

“We are so sorry for giving you a hard time, Molly. We don’t want you to go.”

“I’m not going anywhere. It’s going to take a lot more than some poorly written letters to make me leave. You two work on your homework and watch Kate while I get dinner ready. I think a chocolate cake is in order.”

“Yes! Chocolate cake. My favorite!” Tomas had a big smile. The letters, a thing of the past for him. But Lauren still had a worried look.

Molly gave the young teen a hug. “Everything will be fine. Your Uncle Hammer is going to have Rachel look into it. You know she is a top notch IDJ officer. Her and Trig will take care of this.”

Lauren nodded her head. “Rachel’s cool.”

“She certainly is.”

*****

A couple of hours later Hammer returned. The kids had finished up with their dinner and were getting ready for bed. They didn’t talk about the letters again in front of the kids. They waited until all the kids were in bed.

“What happened?” Molly asked as Hammer pulled her down onto his lap on the couch. She wrapped her arms around his thick neck.

“Rachel and Trig are sending it off for testing. They should have results back in the morning. They still need to question you about them. I asked them to wait until the kids were asleep. They should be on their way.”

Molly laid her face into his neck and took in his scent. He smelled so good. He tightened his hold on her. She wiggled her ass feeling him stiffen underneath. She smiled when he growled with need.

“You are evil for teasing me. You know I cannot do anything because they will show up.” Hammer felt his cock jerk when she wiggled again. “Damn it, female!” His mouth claimed her in a hard and demanding kiss.

Molly was on fire. Her heart was thrumming so loudly, it was like soft beats of a drum. Oh wait, that was the door. Someone was knocking on it. She pulled away from him reluctantly and stood on wobbly knees. She collapsed back down on the couch. She giggled when Hammer paused before opening the door so he could adjust himself. He gave her a heated look.

“Wait until they are gone and then you are mine all night.”

“Promises, promises.” Molly winked at him. He growled then turned to open the door.

Molly watched the blond woman and attractive dark man walk into the room. They were almost exact opposite in appearance but they seemed to carry themselves the same way. She greeted them.

“Rachel, Trig. Thanks for coming by.” She stood up to shake their hands.

“No problem,” Rachel responded, shaking her hand.

“Sorry it was under these circumstances.” Trig shook her hand.

Molly motioned for them to take a seat. She was going to sit back down herself but Hammer placed her back on his lap again. He secured his arms around her. She should protest but she felt completely protected and she liked it.

“We’ll make this quick for you. Hammer filled us in on the letters. We need you to describe how each letter came to you, when it came to you. We also need to make a list of possible suspects that may have something against you enough to do this,” Rachel told her.

Molly nodded her head and began from the beginning of when she got the first letter. Then she told them of the last letter and suspecting the kids, but ruled them out. Trig had been taking notes. He asked her to go over a list of suspects they could investigate regarding this.

“I just don’t know who would do something like this. Before coming here I helped with a daycare. Everyone there seemed to like me. Everyone here has been super nice to me,” Molly told them.

“What about your ex?” Hammer prompted.

“Jerry? I don’t think it could be him.” Molly shook her head.

“You think he’s above threats?” Hammer snorted.

“No, I just think I don’t matter enough to him to do this.”

“What about you, Hammer? Do you think any of your fans would be crazy enough to send Molly threatening letters?” Trig asked.

“I don’t think so. I have kept my personal life private. I don’t think anyone knows about Molly at all.”

For some reason, that hurt. She was new to Hammer’s life, but somehow, she would have thought she would be known as his girlfriend or something. To know that no one knew who she was to him was bothersome.

“I think we have enough for now. We’ll contact you as soon as we have the results back from the lab tomorrow.” Rachel and Trig stood to leave.

“Thanks so much for coming and for helping with all this. I feel so embarrassed to put you guys to so much trouble.”

“You are no trouble. We’ll figure this out. But until we do, take precautions. I will assign a few security guards to you for the time being. Do you know any self-defense?”

“No, I meant to take a class but I never did,” Molly answered.

“I’ll teach her something,” Hammer offered. “Thanks for coming.”

After Trig and Rachel left Hammer locked the doors and turned off the lights. He picked up Molly and carried her to his bedroom.

“Hammer,” Molly gasped.

“You are mine the rest of the night,” Hammer told her.

“Yes, all night.”

Chapter Seventeen

“Pay attention to what is going on around you,” Hammer told Molly, staring down at her on the mat.

“Right, like it's a normal everyday occurrence to have a seven foot tall GCFA fighter come at me.” Molly groaned from having landed on her ass hard.

Hammer had insisted on taking her to the training facility after they dropped off the kids at school. He wanted her to have some basic self-defense knowledge. Unfortunately, it wasn’t working out too well for either of them.

“You’re not listening to me. I told you a couple of times now to use your elbow and shove down not out to the side.” Hammer pulled her up to her feet.

“Easier said than done. Besides, all my jibs roll off you like water off a duck.”

“Jabs, not jibs,” Hammer corrected her.

“Whatever. This isn’t working. Maybe we should give up.” Molly tried to tell him that she was not very athletic.

“Having trouble, Hammer?” Zen asked as he came up and watched.

To Molly’s horror, the rest of the fighters training came up and took a seat to watch her get her ass kicked. She blushed. Not only was she humiliated to be so out of shape, but now she had to be a spectacle.

“We can work on this tomorrow.” She started to walk away but Zara suddenly appeared in front of her. Zara was the only woman Molly had met that was taller than she was. It was a little bit strange.

“Human, you aren’t holding your frame right,” Zara told her.

Zara wasn’t budging. Molly sighed. “How should I hold my frame?”

“Come, let us females show you how it's done.” Zara and the other female fighters came over shoving Hammer and the other men back.

“You’re tall so that may give you an advantage. Use your strengths. I am going to try to attack you from behind. You try to get out of it.” Zara got behind Molly and wrapped an arm around her neck.

Molly tried like she had before with Hammer but Zara was too strong. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can. If little Rickety Starr can do this so can you,” Zara said with a smirk. Rage growled from the sidelines.

“Who’s this Starr person?”

“Don’t worry about it. Pay attention. Put one hand above my elbow and one hand below it. Then, in one strong and determined movement, step and swing your entire body around like the arm is the hinge to your body acting as a screen door. This will get you out of a chokehold and leave my head, ribs, and legs wide open to your counterattack. Go for an easy attack that will allow you time to run and escape. Go for my shins.”

“Uh…I don’t want to hurt anyone,” Molly said with concern.

“You won’t. Trust me, I can take it.” Zara got back into the chokehold behind Molly.

She had no choice. She followed the instructions. She was shocked when it actually worked. She got out of the chokehold but she forgot to go for the shins. Zara hit her with a short arm clothesline. Molly went down to the mat hard.

“What the hell, Zara!” Hammer rushed to Molly’s side. “Are you okay?”

Molly was winded but otherwise fine. She pushed Hammer’s hands away so she could stand. “I forgot to go for the shins.”

“That’s right. Take your opponent down or they will take you down,” Zara told her.

“She’s not training for GCFA match.” Hammer glared at Zara.

“No, but she is training to fight for her life.” Zara glared right back. “You’re not helping her because you are holding back.”

“I don’t want to hurt her,” Hammer replied.

“Exactly why you should not be the one training her. You go on and do your own training. We’ll take care of Molly.” Zara had already dismissed him. She turned her back on him and started directing others to come forward to face off with Molly.

Hammer gave Molly one lingering look but she wasn’t paying attention. She had her hair pulled up in a ponytail, wore yoga pants and a t-shirt. No makeup but she was the most beautiful female in the room to him.

“Come on, Hammer, let’s get some practice in,” Rage called over to him. Hammer nodded and turned to head for the cage.

*****

A couple of hours later and Molly was drenched in sweat and ached all over. She didn’t know self-defense would hurt so much. Zara helped her get back to her feet. The Amazon barely broke a sweat. How depressing.

“Not bad, human. A couple of months training and you might be able to enter an amateur fight,” Zara told her sincerely.

Molly shook her head. “No thanks. I’ll stick to being a nanny.”

“Want to go to lunch with usss?” Sersan asked.

“I’m taking Molly back up to our suite,” Hammer interrupted Molly before she could respond. He swept his arm around her and shuffled out of the training facility.