Jab (Fighter Romance) (Las Vegas Series #2)

Jab

Book Two in

The Las Vegas Series

By Marie York

COPYRIGHT

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without prior written permission of the author except where permitted by law.

Published by

Marie York

Copyright January 2016

Cover Photo b
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fxquadro

Cover Design by Gotcha Covered Designs

Edited and Formatted by TCB Editing Services

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious.

Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Knox

My body smacked into the floor with a loud thud, the weight of my attacker heavy on top of me. I resisted for only a second, but the minute my eyes landed on Mackenzie’s, everything I ever promised went out the fucking window.

I always swore to myself, and Coach, I would never use my strength and skills outside of the cage. But, I wasn’t in my right mind. I was crazed with anger, and I needed answers dammit. The guy was probably triple my size, but size meant shit when you knew how to fight.

I went for the sweep, taking the security guard’s balance away until I was on top. He reared up, using his size to try and overpower me. And, without a moment’s thought, I jabbed him right in the nose.

His hands instinctively went to his face as blood poured down his chin. “Sorry,” I mumbled as I got back on my feet. I locked eyes on Mackenzie again, who stood with her mouth agape as I stormed the stage.

Another hand grabbed me, this time my wrist, but I pulled the guy forward, and headbutted him. He fell to the ground, and began to snore.

The crunch of the other guys nose was still fresh on my knuckles, but I didn’t fucking care about that or the fact that both lied in heaps of clothes and limbs on the floor.

“I got this,” I heard Julius say, but he could’ve been on another planet for all I knew.

I jumped on the stage and grabbed Mackenzie, Mila’s
little
sister, who wasn’t even old enough to get into an R rated movie without a chaperone, and dragged her off the stage. She yanked and twisted her arm, trying to make me loosen my grip, but I was afraid if I let go, she’d go right back to that fucking stage. Or worse, into the arms of one of those fucking disgusting perverts out there.

I dragged her into a back corner, away from prying eyes, and flung her around to face me.

“Let me go!” she screeched, and ripped her arm out of my hold. .

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I demanded. “Are you out of your goddamned mind?” Anger surged through my veins, causing my blood to boil.

She ran a hand through her hair as if we were having a casual conversation in her living room. Unlike Mila, she didn’t even bother to cover up her identity. Her dirty blonde hair and green eyes were out for the world to see, along with other body parts. But, I refused to look below her face, though I could see her fidgeting with her arms, trying to cover up what the slivers of material didn’t.

“It’s really not that big of a deal.”

“Not that big of a deal?” My temper got away from me and, when she flinched, I reeled it back in. “It is a big fucking deal. You’re sixteen goddamn years old. You’re a child.”

“It’s just a number. Besides, I’m not a fucking child.” She stood there, defiant in her words, but her confidence was waning. She shifted from foot to foot, and kept nervously running a hand through her hair.

“Do you have any idea what your sister would do if she found out?” She didn’t answer, only shrugged again with that cocky condescending look.

Mila took her clothes off to keep her sister safe from having to do the same. She was doing everything in her power to protect Mackenzie from the life Mila was thrust into. If Mila knew, it would tear her to fucking shreds. Not that she would show it. Heartbreak and disappointment weren’t emotions Mila showed. She was too damn proud to allow such weak emotions to threaten her strength. But it would. She would mask the pain with anger, yelling and screaming, but there would be no mistaking the anguish in her eyes.

It would be there, down deep, hidden from everyone else, except for me, because I could see past the façade she hid behind. There was a girl beneath the tough exterior that she didn’t want the world to know existed. A girl who hated having to use her body to make a living, but did it anyway because she had no other choice.  A girl who was vulnerable and caring but chose to hide the best parts of her from everyone. But I knew that hidden side of her. I was able to see past her charade, and now I was enraged for her.

Mackenzie bit her lip and shrugged like this was no big fucking deal. It pissed me off even more and I rolled my neck trying to calm myself down.

“Do you?!” I demanded, waiting for a fucking answer, something that would explain this cluster fuck of a situation.

“Knox, calm down. Mila never has to know.” Her hand landed on my arm, and I knew what she was doing. It wasn’t going to work. I was immune to her brand of charm. The bottom line was, she was a kid and the sister of the woman who was imbedded in my brain and all my fantasies. I was tired of watching her hurt her sister, who did everything for her.

“You want me to lie to your sister?” I asked as I pushed her hand off my arm. She was out of her goddamned mind if she thought I would let a sixteen-year-old girl manipulate me. I’d been exposed to more crooked cheats in my life than the years she’d been on this earth. There was no way in hell I would let her get away with this stunt.

“It’s not a lie. Think of it as… withholding information,” she suggested, as she once again grabbed my arm.

“It’s still a fucking lie. Either way you dice it, I’d still be lying to her. I can’t do that. I won’t.”

Mackenzie’s eyes went wild with fear, and her grip on my arm tightened. “Knox, please. This would kill her.”

“Then, why the fuck are you doing it? How could you be so goddamned selfish?”

Mackenzie’s hand fell to her side, and she went silent. A moment later, she blinked up at me and, beneath the layers of makeup, I could see the frightened and confused sixteen-year-old girl she was.

“I’m sick of not being able to have all the same things that my friends have. I asked Mila for a new pair of shoes, and you would think I was asking for her kidney. Do you know what it’s like to to grow up with everything you ever wanted, and then have it ripped out from under you? Do you have any idea what it is like to then be poor and have to do without? Do you?” she questioned me, and it struck a nerve.

I never considered myself poor growing up until I left home and discovered the world. I couldn’t imagine ever going back there now that I knew what it’s like to have money and be able to buy anything I wanted. But, despite the money, I knew what it was like to have something plucked out from under you. My sister was my best friend and then, one day, she wasn’t there. I knew the pain of losing family. I understood how hard that had to have been for such a young child. Hell, I was a grown man and still dealt with the pain of it every day so yeah, I got it. More than she would ever know.

It still wasn’t a good enough reason for a sixteen year old to be stripping in an adult club. She was not going to be able to deal with the psychological repercussions of having grown men groping and trying to get something more from her. She was not ready for that, regardless of what she thought. It made me afraid for her, and I felt a need to protect her just as I felt the need to protect Mila.

“Look, I know Mila tries. I do, but I can’t help it. I want more. Call me selfish or whatever you want, but I’m sick of being mediocre.” 

“And you think stripping is the answer?” She had me for a second, but now my anger was taking over again. She
was
being fucking selfish.

“You want something? I’ll write you a check. Heck, I’ll bring you to the fucking store and buy it for you.”

“Would I have to fuck you, too, like Mila?” Her words hit me harder than any blow to the face I’ve taken. “That is the arrangement you two have, right? She puts out, and you pay our bills?”

“No!” I yell. “We don’t have a fucking arrangement. Your sister was in trouble, and I helped her. I didn’t expect anything in return. Sometimes, people do things out of the kindness of their heart. But you wouldn’t know anything about that because you’re a self-centered snotty bitch who only cares about herself.”

“Ouch,” she said with a smile, and, though I would never in my life hit a girl, I’d be lying if I said she didn’t tempt me. “That was low… but completely deserved. Sorry. Sometimes, I say things that I don’t necessarily mean. They just come out.”

“It’s fine,” I spat, trying to calm my nerves by clenching my fists.

“So, can we just keep this between us?” she asked, and I realized then, by the way she fluttered her eyelashes, that her apology wasn’t real.

She was trying to push one over on me, and I was almost stupid enough to fall for it. You know what? Fuck this. If she wanted to play games, then it was on. Two could play this game.

“Tell you what. I won’t say anything as long as you promise you’re done. You’ll go and get a different job. A respectable job that a sixteen year old should have, and you’ll start going to school. Every. Single. Day. No more of this rebellious fucking act that you have going on. And you’ll start treating your sister with the respect she deserves.” I held my finger up to her face to emphasis my words. “One slip up and you’re ruined. You got that?” Her eyes widened, and my jaw clenched at her silence. “Mackenzie, you got that?” I growled, just as the cold metal of cuffs clicked into place on my wrist.

Mila

Mackenzie was up and dressed when I walked out to the kitchen to get my coffee started. I blinked the sleep away from my hazy eyes, and tried to focus on the lit up time on the microwave. I hadn’t overslept as I expected.

“What are you doing up?” I asked, as I dragged myself to the coffee pot, only to be surprised that the grinds were already placed inside.

“Good morning to you too, sis,” Mackenzie said with a ridiculously big smile which fueled my suspicions. This girl didn’t smile, especially not at six-thirty in the morning.

I started the coffee, and turned to my bright-eyed sister, gearing up for another fight, or whatever she had up her sleeve now. “It’s too early for games. What’s going on?”

“Why would you think anything is going on?” she asked, innocently, and I swore I was in an episode of the Twilight Zone.

“Because, at this point in my morning, I’m usually getting ready to fight with you to get out of bed.”

She shrugged. “I woke up early, and decided to just get up. Nothing is going on. Have your coffee. Trust me, you need it. I’d also avoid a mirror for the foreseeable future. You’re really not a morning person.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, as I grabbed my favorite coffee mug. “Not all of us can be flawless like you.”

“I know. It’s a gift, really.”

I rolled my eyes, and turned to the stove, turning on the burner.

“I already ate.”

I flipped the knob back to off, and spun around, resting my ass against the counter. “Seriously. Who the fuck are you, and what did you do with my sister?”

“You’re being dramatic. Go take a shower.”

I stared at her for a moment, searching for some hint that she was hiding something, but I didn’t find anything. So, I poured myself a cup of coffee and headed to the couch.

“What are you doing?” Mackenzie asked, jumping up from the stool.

“I have all this free time now, so I thought I’d watch a little TV.” It was a luxury I didn’t get to indulge in very often.

“What kind of relaxing is that? It is a proven fact that a shower is the best way to relax.”

“Is it now?”

“Yes, I read it in a magazine, so it has to be true.”

“Don’t you know you can’t believe everything you read?” I asked, and clicked on the TV, just as Mackenzie tore the remote from my hand.

But it was too late. I couldn’t take my eyes away from the TV as I flipped from channel to channel. Knox’s name was on every anchor’s tongue, and his face was on every channel. The information varied from station to station, but they all had one thing in common: he was in jail.

“I knew it! I knew you were trying to hide something. But, why? What does Knox being in jail have to do with you?”

“It doesn’t!” Mackenzie snapped. “I just didn’t want you to get upset.”

“I’m not upset,” I spat. “Why would I be upset?”

“He’s… like… your boyfriend or whatever.”

“No, he’s not. He’s a friend… or at least he was. Either way, he’s not my problem. Never was.” I switched the TV off, and threw the remote down on the couch. “I’m going to go shower. Make sure you get on that bus. You hear me?”

“Don’t worry. I will.”

“Good,” I muttered as I made my way to the bathroom, and far away from the temptation to turn on the TV.

Like I said to Mackenzie, Knox wasn’t my problem, and good thing, too. What idiot got himself arrested? Other than my darling little sister, of course, but Knox knew better. He wasn’t some naïve kid. He was a grown ass man.

I let any and all thoughts of him disappear with the water down the drain. I got out of the shower and toweled off, wrapping the towel tightly around my body. I swiped the steam from the mirror, brushed my teeth, and ran a brush through my hair.

By the time I got out of the bathroom, Mackenzie was gone. Curiosity got the best of me, and I turned on the TV.

The local news anchor relayed all the information about Knox’s arrest. Apparently, he was at a strip club, which pissed me off more than anything. It’s stupid since that’s how we met. Of course, he still went to them.

Annoyance filled me as a picture of Knox looking sexy as hell popped up on the screen. I flipped the TV off, and went to get dressed when there was a gentle knock at the door. It was probably old man Simpson knocking on the wrong door like usual.

I didn’t even bother throwing a robe on. Old man Simpson was always too fucked up to remember anything for longer than a few seconds.

Knox stood before me, muscles bulging from his biceps to his chest, and so damned good looking he stole my breath away. He did not look like a guy who just spent the night in jail. His dark black eyes locked on mine before dipping down to the towel that was barely holding my tits. He looked back up, desire and lust clear in his eyes as a small smile spread across his face, and I rolled my eyes in an attempt to hide my true feelings. I was relieved to see he wasn’t incarcerated, but at the same time I was pissed that it even happened in the first place. What was he doing at that strip club anyway? And, what did he do that caused him to get arrested? Did he attack one of the girls? No, he wouldn’t. Would he? No. I didn’t believe that for a second. But, then, what happened?

Why did I even care? I walked away from him. We were done. Hadn’t I made that clear to him?

“What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in jail?” I asked, pretending as I didn’t care at all.

“You haven’t been answering my calls,” he said with an adorable smirk. “Can I come in?”

“No,” I stated, as I tried to push the door shut.

“Too bad for you. I don’t listen well,” he said as he pushed the door back open, and stepped inside, closing it behind him. When his hand was free, he snaked it around my waist, and pulled me tight against him. “I don’t like being ignored.” His breath was hot against my cheek, and it caused goose bumps to form on my skin. An annoying reaction that I wished I could turn off. Unfortunately, my body had a mind of its own, and craved his touch. I loved how his arms felt around me, and how well we fit together. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and hold him close. I wanted to feel his lips on mine, consuming me. I hated that he had this effect on me. I needed to get a grip.  I let him hold me for another few seconds, and then I let my self-preservation kick in. 

I shoved away from him, refusing to let him use his charm against me. “Too bad for you, I don’t like being smothered. I need my space,” I counteracted, immediately missing his touch. 

“You need to get over that,” he said, and crushed his lips to mine.

I gasped at the unexpected surprise, and shoved my hands into his chest. He was a solid fucking wall, I couldn’t even budge. His tongue dipped into my mouth, and all thoughts of self-preservation left me as desire smashed into me with a force so intense all I could do was accept it. I knew I should stop this. I did not need this complication in my life right now, but I couldn’t stop kissing him. It felt too good. Too right. And, when it came to Knox, I simply wasn’t strong enough.