Meant for Me (A Second Chance standalone) (11 page)

Tyler led me to the front row where three seats were left
vacant. “Are these for us?” I asked.

“Yep, and the other’s for Jake. He’ll be down here in a
minute. My dad was up in his office talking to him about something,” he said.

The moment Mason got into the cage it was like something
switched in him. His eyes took on a new glow of excitement and he strutted
around the cage with perfect confidence. He was shirtless, showing off every
single curve and dip of his muscles, but the shorts were something I had never
seen before; he must have put them on under his jeans before we left. They were
black with spatters of red on them, like blood, and white line designs on the
thighs as well, but on the very bottom hem of his shorts was the outline of an
eagle. It was almost the exact replica of the eagle he had on his arm.

The arena Jake had built had at least three hundred seats
around it which were all occupied with none to spare. The women all hooted and
hollered for Mason, especially when he jumped up on the fence and flexed his
muscles. No wonder he screwed another fighter’s girl. They probably lined up
outside his room after the fights hoping for a chance. I bet he even had his
own groupies. I had been to many concerts where I’d see the band’s groupies all
waiting for a chance to be noticed.

Ugh,
I’m so glad I didn’t know him back then.
If
I did I probably wouldn’t have given him the time of day. Chase glowered at
Mason and looked like he was about to explode. His veins protruded from his
forehead and biceps like they would burst any moment. Mason smirked over at him
and that only fueled Chase’s anger more. His coach had to hold him back from
charging after him.

By the time the announcer stepped into the cage, Jake made
it into the arena and took his seat beside me. He nodded at Tyler before saying
to me, “Sorry I’m late, kitten. There’s been a lot of stress I’ve had to deal
with lately.” The weary look on his face was definitely evidence of that. He
was impeccably dressed in a gray suit sans the tie and that sophisticated air
about him that always exuded power. I never thought there would be a day I’d
see him look defeated, but he did; he looked tired.

“Like what?” I asked curiously.

He sighed and put his arm around my shoulder, leaning in
close. “I’m sure you’ve seen on the news about the fighters showing up dead,
right?”

I nodded. “Yes, I have. It’s craziness.”

“Yeah, well, ever since that’s been happening I’ve been
getting a lot of hate mail and threats from people who swear I have something
to do with it,” he confessed warily. “They want me to shut down the fights. My
name had been cleared from all involvement, but it still hasn’t stopped people
from trying to bring me down.”

“Jake, I told you,” Tyler cut in, “those people are probably
the jealous fuckers who can’t get in here. You need to think about that and not
let this get to you. What about all the guys who are depending on you,
especially me?”

Lifting a questioning brow, I glanced at Tyler and then back
to Jake. “What’s he talking about?”

Jake gazed proudly around the room and smiled. “When I
started this part of the club it was actually Tyler who I thought of. I knew he
was training with his old man and learning how to fight. I love the sport of
MMA fighting. It takes great talent, strength, and most importantly dedication
to do what those guys do. With the people we have coming into the club I
thought it would be a good idea to help the guys who wanted to get noticed.
Some of the guys who fought in here have earned sponsorships and are on their
way up to becoming well known UFC fighters.”

“That’s great, Jake,” I uttered honestly. “If you don’t have
anything to do with the dead fighters then why are you going to tuck tail and
run? It would make you look guilty.”

Sadly, he said, “I know, but until the case gets solved with
the police I might not have a choice.”

I could understand where he was coming from, but if he shut
down the fighting then Mason might never get the ‘in’ he needed to figure out
who was behind the deaths. I squeezed Jake’s hand to reassure him. “I agree
with Ty,” I expressed firmly, “if you are doing this to help people find their
breaks in life then keep doing it. You might be helping the future champion of
the world and not even know it yet.”

Jake grinned and pinched my cheek. “You always knew how to
cheer me up, didn’t you?”

“It’s just part of my charm,” I bragged. “So what are you
going to do?”

“I guess I’ll keep the fights open for now. However, if the
shit starts getting really heavy for me I’ll have no choice but to shut it all
down.”

All I could say was, “I understand.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us tonight for
this epic battle that’s about to take place. Tonight’s fight will be between
Chase “The Charger” Benfield and Mason “The Eagle” Bradley!” The crowd roared
and clapped ferociously as Chase and Mason took their places beside the
announcer. With his black suit and slicked back brown hair, the announcer
turned to Chase and said, “So tell me, Mr. Benfield, from what I heard before
the fight you made quite an ordeal about getting in this cage with Mason.
What’s up with that?”

“Oh no,” I groaned.

Chase leaned into the microphone and glared straight over at
Mason. “Let’s just say it’s for payback that’s long overdue.”

The crowd was intrigued, staring mesmerizingly at the stage
when the announcer turned to Mason. “I see we have a grudge match tonight.”

Mason rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders
dismissively. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Now what made you take up the name, ‘The Eagle?’ I see you
have one tattooed on your arm there,” he said while nodding toward his arm.

Mason’s gaze was on the floor of the cage, but I saw the
ghost of a smile spread across his face before he lifted his head and answered,
“Eagles are strong … warriors of the sky. They seek out their prey without
being detected, and when they strike, they strike hard and fast.”

The way he said it so seriously made shivers race across my
skin. I knew the meaning of his words, but I knew no one else did. Seeking out
his prey meant seeking out the ones responsible for the deaths, and once he
found them he would strike hard and fast. I had no doubt.

Before the bell sounded, beginning the fight, Mason took one
quick glance my way and winked. The sound of the bell echoed loudly throughout
the room and the moment it struck, Mason got into stance and attacked. I
thought Chase would have been the one to strike first, but he didn’t; Mason
beat him to it.

The sound of flesh hitting flesh made me cringe, except at
least it was Mason getting all of the good hits in. “He’s really good,” Jake
announced in awe. “Why did he quit fighting?”

As much as I hated lying to him, I went with what Mason’s
record would show. “He got involved with drugs and such and had to go to rehab.
I didn’t know him then so I really don’t know all the details.”

Jake didn’t push for more information and I was thankful for
that. After three rounds of brutal kicks, punches, and wrestling around on the
mat, Chase finally started to wear down. I could tell Mason was getting tired,
too, but he hid it well. With one last burst of energy, Chase took Mason to the
mat, trying to capture him in a submission hold. He failed miserably, giving
Mason the opportunity to lock him in an armbar hold.

“This is it,” Tyler yelled. My heart pounded anxiously as I
waited for Chase to submit. The second I saw Chase’s hand beat against the mat
signaling his submission, I screamed for joy and bounced out of my seat along
with everyone else in the arena. Mason immediately let Chase go and ran around
the cage with his arms lifted victoriously.

“Everyone, I’m happy to announce that our winner who
delivered a spectacular armbar submission hold is Mason ‘The Eagle’ Bradley!”
the announcer roared into the microphone.

“Mason, you did it!” I screamed excitedly.

The second he heard my voice he ran to the fence and jumped
over it, landing in front of me on the floor. “You’re damn right I did,” he
boasted, scooping me into his arms and crushing his lips to mine. He was all
sweaty and hot from the fight, but I didn’t care. If he wanted everyone to see
him kissing me I was all for it.

“Let’s get out of here,” he growled low in my ear. When he
let me go, the way he gazed at me with those heat-filled green eyes made my
insides clench in anticipation. It was a raw and primal look that promised a
night of hard, rough sex. I had never seen him so pumped with adrenaline or so
full of life like he was now. It was like he was high on it.

Tyler congratulated Mason on winning, along with many other
people walking by to show their congratulations. “I didn’t realize how much I
missed it until I got up there,” he admitted truthfully.

Jake patted him on the arm. “Well, you did great, son. You
should consider getting back into it … professionally.”

Mason’s eyes lit up with hope for only one second before he
sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know if that’s possible since I’ve been
away from it for so long, but I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Either way, I think you missed your calling. Would you want
to fight next Friday night if you’re still in town?” Jake extended his hand and
lifted a brow, waiting on an answer.

Mason put his arm around my shoulders and squeezed while
shaking Jake’s hand with the other. “I would love to, but I want the best
fighter you have on your list,” he requested.

Jake’s eyes went wide. “Are you sure about that? You know
you’ll most likely go up against one of the pros. They often agree to fight for
fun when someone gets a wild hair up their ass to test their worth.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Mason replied. “Set it up and I’ll be
here.”

“All right, I’ll get it scheduled,” he said to Mason, and
then to me he said, “You get your rest, kitten. Make sure you get here early so
you can warm up. You can change into your outfit when you get here.”

“Is it the one I used to wear when I danced before?” I
inquired eagerly.

Jake nodded. “Of course it is. What else would the summer
goddess wear? However, it’s not exactly the same one you wore. I had another
one made for you since the other one is over five years old.” He grinned at us
both and motioned toward the door. “Now go and get out of here. I’ll see you
tomorrow night.”

We strolled past him and out of the arena to the inside of
the club. “Yes, let’s get out of here,” Mason insisted impatiently. “I’m dying
to get your legs wrapped around me.”

Bursting out in laughter, I smiled up at him and joked
teasingly, “Is that all you want?”

When we got out to the parking lot, instead of opening the
door for me he caged me against the truck with his arms on both sides of me. We
were hidden from prying eyes and I was thankful for that. He kissed me on the
lips then down my neck to my bare collarbone while gripping my hips and pulling
me in tighter against his hard cock. Moving his hips, he rubbed his body
against my already sensitive clit.

“You know that’s not all that I want. I’m going to have you
screaming and begging for me to take you tonight. I want to taste you … touch
you until your body only craves what I can give you.” He trailed his tongue
down my chest to the top mounds of my breasts, still moving his hardness
between my legs. I was soaked and on the verge of orgasm, and his next words
sent me over the edge.

“I want to see your face when I make you come over and over
again as I fuck you. I want to feel how wet you get when I release everything I
have deep inside your body.”

I gripped his shoulders hard as my body exploded, sending a
warm rush of liquid coating the inside of my underwear. Mason moaned in my ear
and bit down. “I could tell that felt good,” he teased huskily. Breathing hard,
my knees grew weak as the last tremors of my orgasm had me shaking against him.
Quickly, I glanced around the parking lot, making sure no one was around, and I
took his hand and placed it on my bare thigh. Slowly, I lifted his hand under
my dress to the wetness that saturated my black, lacy thongs. He pushed a
finger inside of me and groaned, leaning his forehead to mine.