Unsurpassed (6 page)

“Holy shit!” She quickly covered her mouth at the screech,
but it did nothing to hinder her peals of laughter.

* * * * *

Ryan couldn’t stop staring at him. Even for Max, he was
brooding. He was always dark and moody, but this was different. He’d never seen
Max in such a state. With his head resting on his fist, he leaned his weight on
the arm of the couch, staring sightlessly at the corner of the room. They’d
known each other since the day they both signed up for the Marines at eighteen.
Ryan had stood by Max’s side, through thick and thin, unwavering in his loyalty
to his best friend. The white walls inside their apartment were closing in on
Ryan making him feel as if he couldn’t breathe. Unable to hold his silence a
moment longer, Ryan burst.

“This is some fucking bullshit!” His skin felt two sizes too
small and he wanted to crawl out of it. “We have to fix this. Seriously, this
is wrong. We were
wrong
.”

As if Ryan’s eruption was the motivation Max had been
waiting for, he kicked the coffee table over in explosion of rage. With his
outburst complete, Max’s usual cold indifference fell back into place as he
stood.

“Let’s go.” There was no need for Max to explain where they
were going. Ryan snatched up his keys from the nearby kitchen table, following
in Max’s wake

“It’s about damn time.”

It only took a few minutes to get to Aubree’s. As her place
came into view, Ryan spotted Drew’s car pulling away from the curb. The flash
of blonde hair in the passenger seat was unmistakably Aubree’s. Without any
plan in mind, Ryan followed the pair. He was aware his behavior bordered on
stalker status, but he couldn’t seem to make himself turn the SUV around. Max
didn’t question him. Ten minutes later, Ryan was seriously beginning to
question his sanity. It was possible he could be following them to Canada for
all he knew, so really, how long did he intend to keep this up? The moment he
decided he was acting like an idiot, Drew pulled into the parking lot of the
city playground.

Driving past, Ryan whipped into the next parking lot over,
choosing a space where he could keep the pair in sight. Max held his silence
and Ryan refused to look over to gauge his reaction. Out of the corner of his
eye, he could see Max crossing his arms over his chest.

“I’m an idiot,” he said when the silence dragged on a minute
too long for his comfort.

Max shifted in his seat. “Sometimes you do what you have to in
order to get through the day. This is what we’re doing to get through today.”

He couldn’t argue with Max’s logic. Drew stepped out of the
car, distracting Ryan from his thoughts. The giant fighter opened the passenger
side door and helped Aubree out of the car.
The way a real gentleman would
,
Ryan thought bitterly.

“He’s smiling.”

The sound of Max’s voice cut through Ryan’s brooding.
“What?”

Max nodded in the pair’s direction. “Drew. He’s smiling. He
never smiles.”

Ryan leaned forward, peering closer at the couple as Drew
walked backward holding onto Aubree’s hands. Max was right. He couldn’t
remember seeing Drew smile often, but he was now. They stopped walking and the
conversation seemed to turn serious for a moment before Drew’s smile popped
back into place. Ryan’s heart sank as Drew scooped Aubree off her feet and took
off running. Even from where they sat, and with the window rolled up, he could
hear Aubree’s laughter. When they reached the swings, Drew set Aubree on her
feet. She turned in their direction for the first time as she sat down in the
swing. Drew grabbed the chains and sent her sailing. She screamed as he let go
of her, but Ryan couldn’t miss her huge grin. He shifted into reverse.

“So, what now?”

Ryan shrugged at Max’s question as he backed out the parking
space, doing his best to keep breathing. “Now, I do nothing. She’s happy. All I
could possibly do at this point is what I always do—fuck everything up.”

Drew pulled the hand wrap around his wrist a bit tighter
then checked his range of motion again before circling his knuckles with the
tape. He kept his focus locked on his task as he listened to Max. The familiar
job kept the rage under control. When he’d been told he had a visitor waiting
for him at the door, a part of him had secretly hoped Aubree had found her way
there. Unfortunately, the sight of Max had not only killed the dream, it had
the exact opposite reaction, especially once the bastard opened his mouth. He
should’ve known agreeing to a DNA test would come back to bite him in his ass,
but he could have never guessed how much.

“I want to know if you intend to see my dad now since we
know he was telling the truth.”

Counting the passes, he moved back to his wrist from his
knuckles while making sure he didn’t lose any of the function in his hand.
“No.”

“What was the point in even agreeing to this test if you’re
not going to see him?”

“You wanted to know,” Drew answered honestly. “Now, you do.”

“What the fuck, man? Do you think I want to be doing this?
Isn’t it bad enough I have to listen to him rave over your success all the
time? Now I have to come here and beg the guy who’s fucking my girl to grant a
dying man his wish.”

Drew glanced over his shoulder at his mom. She kept her head
bent over the paperwork sitting on her desk, but he knew she was listening to
every word. He’d never been more thankful he’d already told her about Max,
because the dude wasn’t holding back. “You shouldn’t let it bother you. I
don’t. Simply remind yourself how he was there for you every night, and never
acknowledged my existence all these years. As far as Aubree goes, you shouldn’t
think too much about her either, since I can assure you she is not thinking of
you.”

With the tape secure, Drew had nothing else to distract him
and was forced to meet Max’s stare. “Is there anything else I can help you
with?”

“Sure,” Max said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “You can
back off Aubree.”

“Not going to happen.”

Max’s already thunderous frown turned darker at Drew’s quick
answer. “Is this some form of payback? You didn’t have our dad so you steal
something else from me?”

Drew shook his head feeling almost sorry for the guy. “I
didn’t steal anything from you. You had it all and threw it away. Damn man,
Aubree is not a possession. She’s a person with feelings, but you’re too
fucking selfish.” Realizing his temper was slipping, he cut off the rant before
he lost control. Counting to ten in his head, he said, “I’m so glad I agreed to
find out if I’m related to you. Our family reunions are going to be oodles of
fun. Now I have shit to do so, you know, don’t let the door hit you in the ass
on the way out.”

There was a moment when Drew thought Max might hit him. The
flash of pure hatred in his eyes told the whole story but with one last
scathing look, he threw open the steel door. Drew didn’t budge until it slammed
closed behind Max, in case he chose to do something stupid. No Rival was Drew’s
club. It was the one place in the world where he didn’t have to pretend to be
the shining star. He hated that Max poisoned it. Praying for patience, he
released his breath slowly. It wasn’t enough. He scrubbed his hands over his
head.

“Fuck!”

“Holy crap. He looks exactly like his father. It’s uncanny,”
his mom said, reminding him of her presence.

He flashed an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about this. I
don’t know why I thought agreeing to this test would be the end of things. I
just…” He had no idea what he intended to say. He just wanted Max to go away.
He just wanted to pretend he was conceived in vitro or some shit.

“Don’t apologize to me about this ever again. You’re a good
person and you always do what’s right, even when it’s not easy. I’m the one who
made all the wrong choices, but I’m not sorry either because those decisions
gave me you. I will say this though, you need to watch out for that one. His
head isn’t in a good place and if his personality matches his dad’s as much as
his face does, then he’s crazy.”

* * * * *

Aubree’s phone buzzed in the front pocket of her scrubs for
the fifteenth time and she continued ignoring it. She’d checked the screen the
first time, out of pure curiosity, but Max’s name on the screen had killed any
interest she had in answering it.

At the end of her twelve-hour shift, she gave into
temptation. Slipping into the nearest restroom, she played the first message.

“Hey Aubree. The test results came back today.” There was a
pause and Max’s already weary voice somehow managed to become even more so.
“Yeah. So the DNA is a match and I guess I now have a brother. I wish you would
talk to me. Let me explain.” She cut off the rest of his message by hitting
delete, moving on to the next missed call. This time, Drew’s voice came through
the line. “I’m sure you’ve already heard from Max.” There was a long pause
before he spoke again, but Aubree knew he was still there. “I thought I didn’t
care,” he added and something about his voice caused a knot to form in her
stomach. He cleared his throat. “Anyhow, call me when you get time.”

Chewing on her lips, Aubree’s mind raced in a thousand
directions. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d been so torn. Sliding her
finger over the screen of her phone once more, she searched her contacts list.
After a few well-placed calls and scribbling on her hand, Aubree set out on
foot. The address was little more than half a block away, and with the downtown
traffic in full swing, she decided it would quicker to walk.

Following the directions she’d been given, Aubree found the
nondescript steel door inside a parking garage. She checked the numbers written
on the back of her hand one last time before entering the passcode. The light
above the security panel flashed green and Aubree tugged the door open. The
smell drifting out of the open doorway almost made Aubree turn around and
leave. She’d intentionally avoided the whole fight club scene since her parents’
deaths, and the testosterone mixed with sweat hanging in the air brought a
painful picture of their smiling faces to life.

Even though the sights and scents inside the building only
brought back happy memories, it was a painful reminder of how alone she was
now. Pushing the past aside, she concentrated on the present. There was an
office right inside the door. Its plain concrete walls blocked a majority of
the club from view. Peeking inside, she found it empty so she followed the
sounds of voices and pounding blows until a few weight benches came into view.
Unsure of how welcome her presence would be, she cast a worried glance around
the low-lit interior, catching sight of a short, gray-haired woman who looked
vaguely familiar. When the older woman turned in her direction, recognition
slammed into Aubree and a bubble of happiness welled in her chest.

“Gigi!”

A radiant smile lit the woman’s lips when Aubree called her
name. She rushed to her side. “Oh my goodness, Aubree. It’s been such a long
time.” Throwing her arms around her, Aubree hugged her father’s longtime friend
to her chest tightly. Gigi was four inches shorter than she was, and she’d
gained a few pounds since Aubree had last seen her, but she still looked good
for her age.

Gigi patted her gray hair as she pulled away as if checking
to make sure Aubree hadn’t messed it up. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been good,” Aubree lied blatantly.

Gigi gave her forearm a comforting pat. “I’m guessing my boy
called you with the news already.” Aubree’s eyebrows shot to hairline at the
woman’s words. Gigi smiled knowingly as she added, “He hasn’t stopped talking
about you since the party.”

A hint of worry over what exactly Drew had told his mother
wormed its way through her, but she shook it off. Gesturing toward her scrubs,
Aubree explained, “I was at work when he I got his message, but I came straight
over once my shift ended. Is he around?”

Gigi nodded toward a dark hallway to Aubree’s left. “If you
head down that way, you’ll find him. He’s in the middle of a sparring match,
but it won’t last long.”

Aubree glanced at the passage feeling a bit nervous. A few
men lingered around the nearby weights eyeing her curiously, and she wondered
if she’d made a mistake coming here. Drew didn’t seem as if he needed anyone.
Gigi gave her a little shove from behind. “Go on.”

With a grateful smile, Aubree did as told. The farther she
moved down the hall, the louder the echo of fists connecting with skin became.
She’d seen several MMA fights in her lifetime and more than enough sparring
matches. The sound of flesh meeting flesh was one people didn’t easily forget.
When the cage came into view, Aubree held her breath until she was positive it
wasn’t Drew who was taking the pounding.

She slowly released the air from her lungs when she caught
sight of him. His face was set into a hard mask. A muscle ticked in Drew’s jaw
and a line of concentration pulled at his brows. Every well-defined muscle in
his body seemed flexed and ready to attack as he circled his opponent on the
mat. Aubree spared a quick glance for Drew’s competitor noting he seemed fit as
well, before returning to stare at Drew. In a move so quick, she almost missed
it, Drew landed a blow to the other man’s ribs before swiping his feet out from
beneath him. The other man went down but to Aubree’s surprise, he let out a
shout of laughter as he hit the mat.

“Good job, man. You’re getting better at sneaking in the
left-handed jab.”

Drew chuckled as he helped the brown-haired man to his feet.
As Drew clasped hands with his competitor, his gaze met hers. Drew said
something she couldn’t hear and the guy cast a glance in her direction.
Grabbing a white towel from the edge of the mat, Drew headed toward her. His
expression gave away nothing and she wondered again if she’d made a mistake. As
he cleared the door of the cage, he swiped the towel down the front of his
sculpted body. Aubree followed the motion with her eyes. The flat pads of his
chest flared into wide shoulders. He tossed the towel aside a few feet away
from her and Aubree stared at his stomach. Every built man Aubree had ever
encountered sported a six-pack, but Drew had a super sexy eight-pack. The hint
of a tattoo peeked out at the edge of his shorts, and she tore her eyes away
from the sight in fear she would push the material aside to learn what it said.

“I got your message,” she said, explaining her presence. Without
another thought, she met him halfway, walking straight into his embrace. The
fine sheen of sweat covering his body clung to her clothes as he closed his
arms around her.

Resting his chin on her head, he spoke into her hair. “I’m
glad you’re here.”

Aubree closed her eyes as she pressed her ear to his chest.
“I came as soon as my shift ended.”

His arms tightened around her waist. “That explains the sexy
cartoon characters on your scrubs.” He chuckled when she huffed and held her in
place when she made a halfhearted attempt to pull away. Keeping hold of her
waist, he leaned back enough to see her face, and despite his laughter, his
face was unnaturally serious. “It means more to me than you realize. Am I
allowed to keep you for a little while or do you have other plans?”

She could have as easily chosen to go to Max. Drew had
beaten back the reality of things the entire day. Aubree had been friends with
Max longer. In spite of the things the man had done, Drew knew she might still
go to him. Even as he held her to his chest, he still couldn’t believe she hadn’t.
He fought back his natural urge to overcome her, bending her to his will as he
awaited her answer.

“I need a shower, but otherwise I’m yours for the evening.”

“I need a shower too.”

Aubree laughed but made no move to pull away. “Really? I
hadn’t noticed.”

“This is nothing. Imagine how much sweat there will be when
I finally have my way with you.”

“Ah,” Aubree sighed. “There’s the Drew I know and love.”

Although he knew she didn’t mean the words, they still hung
in the air between them. Without giving her a chance to guess at his
intentions, he dipped his head and touched his lips to hers. It wasn’t really a
kiss, merely a promise of things to come. He pulled away before she could
protest. “You don’t get to take it back,” he said, knowing she would understand
he what meant. Stepping away, he added, “If you don’t mind hanging out for a
few minutes, I’ll jump in the shower here and then take you home. I’m in the
mood to pamper you.”

Without waiting for her response, he strolled away. It
wasn’t until he was in the shower that he realized there was nothing keeping
her from leaving. She’d found her way there and she could as easily find her
way out again. Once the idea settled into his mind, he couldn’t get done with
his shower fast enough. Rushing through the motions, he threw on an old pair of
jeans and t-shirt without bothering to dry off. Since he kept his head shaved,
hair wasn’t an issue for him. It was the annoyance of struggling to pull a pair
of jeans over soaking wet skin that had him in a panic.

His anxiety didn’t subside until he caught a flash of her
blonde hair inside the front office. Even then, he didn’t draw another easy
breath until he saw her face. Deep in conversation with his mother, Aubree
didn’t notice him right away. He stole a moment of simply watching her. Drew
found it almost funny how oblivious Aubree was to her effect on men. They all
stopped to watch her when she walked into a room. It wasn’t just her gorgeous
body or beautiful eyes. In fact, there wasn’t anything about her that wasn’t
sexy as hell, but Aubree also glowed from the inside. It took one glance in her
direction and men were hooked.

His mother smiled at him knowingly, but Drew couldn’t dredge
up an ounce of shame over her catching him ogling Aubree. Obviously sensing
something going on, Aubree turned in her seat and the same feeling that had
overcome him the first time he’d seen her happened all over again at her open
happiness at seeing him.