Tyler's Undoing (34 page)

Licking his lips, he smiled down at me with a set of cable ties in his hands. “No, we can’t, and I have just the right solution. Let’s get her to her room.”

Grasping my wrists tight, Jordan roughly pulled me to my feet and slung me over his shoulder, rough hands sliding up my bare thighs.

“So help me God, if you don’t get your hands off me . . .”

“Oh, stop being so dramatic,” he griped, smacking me on the ass. “I’m just having a little bit of fun. Once the fights are over, we’ll let you go.”

Jordan slammed me down on my bed and before I could move, Liam straddled my waist. Pulling my arms up to the headboard, Jordan held them tight while Liam wrapped the cable ties around each wrist. I tried to move, but the plastic bit into my skin. The searing pain, along with fear of being tied down, brought tears to my eyes.

“Guys, this really hurts. Please let me go.”

“Sorry, sunshine,” Liam replied, sliding off my body, “but no can do.” He opened my closet door and rummaged through my things, until he found a couple of my silk scarves—one cream colored and the other black.

Taking them out, he smoothed them through his fingers and moaned when he peered down at me, helpless and completely at his mercy.
Kyle won’t let him do anything to me, will he?
That was the million dollar question. Obviously, he was so wrapped up in his desire to win he would put me at the mercy of someone as sadistic as Liam.

As Liam spread my legs and tied me to the posts on my bed, all I could think about was Tyler. If I didn’t show up to the arena, he would know something was wrong and he wouldn’t be able to concentrate. This was a much surer way to fuck with his head, instead of him only seeing me with Paxton.

Looking at the clock, I had two hours until Tyler’s fight with my brother. Until then, I was in hell.
Please God, let Tyler win.

IT WAS TEN minutes before my fight and Kacey was nowhere to be seen. I texted her and called her, but she never answered. Something was wrong. If Kyle was up to something, I would kill him. My coach, Darren Blake, watched me pace along the floor of my room, staring curiously at me. He didn’t know what was going on.

Darren was in his mid-thirties with light brown hair he kept shaved close to his scalp, and arm muscles that were as big around as my thighs. He always wore form fitting clothes, so the ladies could see how big he actually was. The guy was a monster and it was because of him and Kacey that I decided to turn my life around—to be the type of fighter I knew I could be.

“Do you want to tell me what’s got you all pissed off?” he asked casually. “Is it because Kacey’s not here?” He made it sound like she stood me up, but I knew that wasn’t the case.

“Yes, but it’s not in the way you think. Something’s wrong.”

Storming out of my room, I saw Tyler standing in the doorway of his own room, talking to his father. He tensed when I walked by, but I didn’t acknowledge him because there were too many people around. I was pretty sure he knew something was wrong when he saw Kacey wasn’t with me.

When I got to Kyle’s room, I pounded my fist angrily on the door. The door opened and his brows lifted amusingly when he saw me standing there, fuming. “Can I help you? Shouldn’t you be about ready to fight?”

“Where’s Kacey?” I thundered. “She’s not here.” Glancing into his room, there were two people missing . . . Liam and Jordan.
You have got to be fucking kidding me.
And Kyle had the gall to look at me like nothing was wrong.

“Oh, I know,” he replied. “Did she not call you?”

“No,” I snapped. “What the fuck’s going on, Kyle? If you have some sort of plan involving Kacey you better rethink it, now.”

Kyle chuckled and slapped me on the shoulder. “Calm down, my friend. She wasn’t feeling good, so she decided to stay at home. I guess I don’t get to see the torment on Tyler’s face when he sees you two together. Oh well, I’ll kick his ass without her here. Now go and finish getting ready. We’re going to get our seats so we can watch you win your title.”

He held out his hand and reluctantly I shook it, wishing deep down I could break his fucking face. “All right, I’ll see you out there.”
Fucking liar.

Turning on my heel, I headed back to my room and watched him and his friends walk down the hall toward the arena. Out of the corner of my eye, Tyler noticed them leave too. I opened my door and stepped inside, leaving it cracked because at any moment Tyler would be storming in. It took all of three seconds. He was already dressed in his black and neon green fighting shorts and black robe, his body tense.

“Where is she?” he growled, shutting the door.

Darren got to his feet. “Dude, what the fuck?”

“Darren, it’s okay,” I said, stepping in his path. “Tyler and I are on the same side here.” Turning to Tyler, I picked up my phone and checked to see if Kacey had called . . . nothing. “I don’t know what’s going on. I’ve tried calling and texting her, but she’s not responding. Kyle said she was sick and told him she wasn’t coming. You and I both know that’s a load of horse shit.”

“Goddammit,” Tyler hissed, angrily fisting his hands in his hair. “Where do you think she is?”

“Pax, man, we need to get going. Your fight starts in five minutes. You need to get into position, or you forfeit,” Darren warned regretfully.

As dread settled in the pit of my stomach, I could see the anguish in Tyler’s eyes. “I don’t think the problem is where she’s at, more so than who she’s
with
.”

Tyler’s eyes went wide. “What do you mean?”

“Did you notice Liam and Jordan weren’t with Kyle just a few minutes ago?”

“Holy fuck,” he growled as realization set in. Turning on his heel, he started for the door and angrily slammed it open. “I’m going to find her.”

“I’m going too,” I announced. “If those cocksuckers are with her, you’re going to need my help.”

Impatiently, Tyler slammed the door and turned around. “No, you have to stay here. If you forfeit your fight, Kyle will know something’s wrong. Kacey wouldn’t want you missing this chance to win a title.”

“What about you? She would say the same thing to you. If you go and don’t get back in time, you’ll basically be letting Kyle win,” I exclaimed. “You can’t let that happen.”

“It doesn’t matter. Making sure Kacey is safe is the only thing on my mind right now. She’s worth more than any fucking title.” With those last words, he disappeared out the door.

For the first time in my life, I felt helpless. I was worried about Kacey and I didn’t know what to do.

Darren stopped at my side and put his hand on my shoulder. “I know you want to help, but he’s right, you need to go out there and fight. You going out there will help Tyler more than you think.”

“How is that?” I asked blandly.

He turned and looked me in the eyes. “By you going out there, you will give him the time he needs to find Kacey and get back. Stretch the fight out for as long as possible, to the third round if you can. I know you can do this.”

Sighing, I nodded my head and opened the door. “Let’s do this.”

I’ll do it for Kacey.

“SON, WHAT ARE you doing?” my father shouted as I stormed past him into my room. He had everything ready on the table for me to tape up my hands, and he even had on his black and green T-shirt with
Coach
printed on the back.

“I’m going to get Kacey. She’s in trouble.” I grabbed my keys and started for the door, but my father stepped in my way.

“You can’t leave, Tyler. What about the fight . . . your title?”

Breathing hard, I closed my eyes and tried not to picture Kacey screaming for help with Liam’s hands all over her. I could feel the anger boiling in my veins.

“If I don’t get her, I’ll lose more than just the title, dad. She needs me right now.”

I expected my father to argue with me, but I was surprised when he nodded his head and opened the door. “Then I’m coming with you. You’re not going to do this alone. Now come on, let’s go. There’s still time.”

We started down the hall, pretending everything was okay, but as soon as we got outside of the arena, we both ran as fast as we could. I hadn’t seen my father run like that in years.

“Let’s take my truck. If anyone sees yours, it’ll blow our cover. Are Kyle’s goons with her?” he asked.

“I think his agent is. You know who Liam is, right?”

My father snarled, “How could I forget?”

“And I think the guy I beat up at the club is with her too. He’s one of Kyle’s friends.”

“Well, doesn’t this just keep getting better? Whatever happens, I want you to concentrate on getting Kacey. Let me handle the dirty work. You need to conserve your energy for the fight.”

Speeding down the road, I didn’t care if I got pulled over or not, I wasn’t going to stop until I got to Kacey’s. As far as conserving my energy, if anyone hurt her in
any
way, I wasn’t going to hold back. I wouldn’t be able to stop, even if I tried.

There was indeed another car in front of her house. The light was on in her bedroom, as well as in the living room and kitchen, but I couldn’t see in her windows because the blinds were closed.

“I’m going to park down the street and we can walk up.”