Paxton's Promise Read online

  Using his free hand, Cliff slid it up my thigh, and on up to my chest. “This one doesn’t think I’m disgusting.” He squeezed my breast hard. “In fact, she loves it when I touch her. Don’t you, Gabby?” The knife dug harder into my skin and I hissed.

  “Yes,” I said through clenched teeth.

  “Now that we got that settled, I want you all to back the fuck up.”

  I kind of hoped Mason would use his sharpshooting skills and just blast him through the head, but he didn’t. Instead, they all backed away. With a pained expression, Paxton took a step back and disappeared.

  Chuckling, Cliff bent down and whispered in my ear, “I guess ol’ lover boy didn’t like hearing your confession.”

  Biting my tongue, I kept my gaze on Mason until I was forced into the Mercedes. Were they seriously going to let me leave with him? Once Cliff got into the car, he backed it out of the garage and sped up the side driveway to the front of the house. There were police cars around, but they weren’t blocking the road.

  Revving the engine, Cliff pressed the gas as hard as he could and squealed the tires. My heart raced and I knew that if I was going to get out of there, I had to do something drastic. It just so happened that as soon as we left the driveway, the tires burst and the car clunked to the ground. As fast as I could, I grabbed the back of Cliff’s head and slammed his face down into the steering wheel before opening the door. My foot got caught and I fell out onto the road. Before Cliff could get me in his grasp, Paxton came out of nowhere and jerked him out of the car.

  “Gabby,” Camden shouted. Rushing toward me, he grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the car.

  “Thank God, you’re okay,” I cried, hugging him tight around the neck. When I tried to let go, he held me in place. “Camden, let me go.” I pushed against his chest but he wouldn’t budge.

  “Trust me, Gabby, you don’t want to see this.” The sound of fists hitting flesh and the crunch of bones echoed through the night air. It was enough to make me sick.

  “Why aren’t they stopping this?” I screamed. The police were standing around, just watching it play out, with their guns pointed at the ground.

  Camden held me tighter. “Let them handle this the way they want. That fucker deserves to get the shit beat out of him for what he’s done.”

  “But he’ll kill him,” I cried. I didn’t want that weight on Paxton’s shoulders.

  “Then he kills him, Gabby. Either way he’s a dead man.”

  I grew lightheaded and nauseous. The sounds were too much. “I think I’m going to be sick.” Immediately, Camden let me go and helped me down to the ground. It was then I got a glimpse of the fight.

  The knife Cliff had earlier fell out of his hands when Paxton slammed his wrist into the pavement. Judging by the gashes on Pax’s arms, he got a few good swipes in. However, it didn’t faze him; he kept going. In fact, he reminded me of Ryley when he was in the ring with Camden. It was terrifying.

  “Gabby, are you okay?” Mason asked, rushing to my side. Putting his hands on my shoulder, he looked down at the cut on my chest, eyes burning with hatred.

  “I’m fine,” I assured him. “He didn’t do anything to me other than that. But please, Mason. I need you to stop Pax. Please.”

  My gaze drifted to Paxton who was now on top of Cliff, pounding his head into the pavement. Mason rushed off and desperately tried pulling him away, grunting with the force. Nostrils flaring, Paxton’s eyes were wild and dangerous, his body shaking as he was torn away. He stared down at Cliff and nothing else, almost like he wasn’t even there. It was the place where all of us fighters went while in the ring, but the place Paxton was in was much darker.

  With all his strength, Mason held him steady until I could get over there. Slowly, I put my hands around Paxton’s neck and turned him to face me. “Pax, look at me. It’s over,” I murmured.

  He shook his head, still not looking at me. “It’s not over until he’s dead. I won’t be able to rest until I know he’s gone.”

  “He’s never going to bother us again, I promise. Mason will make sure of that. Please, just look at me.”

  Huffing, he closed his cold eyes and stood there for a few minutes before opening them. Now they were sea green and crystal clear. Snaking his arms around my waist, he held me tight and lifted me in his arms. “I just wanted to keep my promise,” he whispered.

  “Which one?”

  “The one where I said I would always keep you safe. I wanted to kill him, Gabby. I couldn’t stop him from hurting you.”

  “Hey, I’m okay,” I assured. “I’m a fighter too, remember? And you did keep your promise. You stopped him.” Glancing over his shoulder, I think he did more than stop him. Cliff wasn’t moving, and there was blood pooling underneath his head. Mason noticed my hesitation and came over.

  “All right, I think it’s time we all get out of here and head to the station. The others are going to go inside and look around. One of my men said they saw Josh, Cliff, or Rage, whatever the fuck you want to call him, pull the gun on the other one. I was also told they found some of the things he stole out of your apartment. We’ll get all of that back to you once all of this is over.”

  Now that I thought about it, I didn’t really want any of that stuff back, knowing Rage’s hands had been all over them. The only thing I wanted was the picture he stole of me and Ashleigh. Paxton put his arm around me and guided me toward Mason’s car, and Camden followed. It was still hard to wrap my head around the fact that Cliff was Rage the whole time. He’s been living right beside me. I’d given him my number and confided in him about my stalker.

  “Wait,” I said, stopping mid-step. “My bag is in Red’s truck. It has my phone in it.”

  Mason went to the truck and grabbed it before nodding to his car. Paxton opened the door and then slid in beside me, holding me close as Camden got in on the other side. Hopping in the driver seat, Mason quickly glanced at us and then started on the way.

  I wasn’t planning on looking back, but my curiosity got the better of me. The ambulance had pulled up and the paramedics were around his body, fingers checking for a pulse. Before the whole scene disappeared from view, I saw a white sheet billow in the wind as it was placed on top of Cliff’s body.

  He was dead. Paxton had killed him.

  “After this is all over, I’m leaving town,” Camden confessed.

  I glanced over at him and Mason stared at him through the rearview mirror. “Why is that?” I asked. Paxton kept his gaze out the window, not saying a word.

  “There will be severe repercussions for my actions. I’ll have a price on my head. I’m not going to have a choice.”

  “So you’re just going to leave? What about your friends? Your brother?”

  Camden smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t have any friends, Gabby. I think it’s best if I turn around and never look back.”

  “But . . . it’ll be lonely,” I whispered, taking his hand.

  He squeezed once and then let me go. “I’m used to it.”

  Two Days Later

  EVEN THOUGH IT had only been two days, it felt like an eternity. Paxton’s house was just how we left it, including his mother’s ring sitting on the dresser in my room. I didn’t know if he still wanted me to wear it, but I put it on my finger anyway. It made me feel closer to him, especially since he wasn’t talking to me.

  When Paxton found out Rage was dead, I didn’t know what to expect. For two days, we talked to the police and went through our stories over and over again. Paxton was held a lot longer than I had been, and at the end of the day, I could tell it was wearing on him. Hell, it was hard on us all, but Paxton couldn’t seem to shake it.

  “He’s going through a lot right now,” Mason explained, running his hands through his dark blond hair. His gaze focused on Paxton, and I could see his understanding.

  Mason was heading back home and stopped in to see how we were doing. I hadn’t left Paxton’s side, even though he hadn’t talked or look
ed at me since everything went down. I missed him, but I knew he needed his space. I would wait as long as I needed to.

  “I know he is,” I replied. “I just wish I could get him to talk to me.”

  Paxton was in the garage, working on his cars. The news stations had been by, hoping to get a glimpse of the local hero who helped solve a murder mystery. However, Paxton didn’t view himself as a hero. No matter what everyone told him, it went in one ear and out the other.

  Our story had spread throughout the country. Everyone knew how Mason busted up another underground fighting ring with the help of me and Paxton. I had briefly been afraid Paxton would lose his title for being involved, but it only brought him more fame. And now my title fight against Allie was receiving so much press and buildup, it scared the shit out of me.

  Unfortunately, my brother wasn’t too thrilled when he found out what we had done. Mason was the one who broke the news to him, and I was very thankful for that. Luckily, he was staying on vacation with his family. At least I didn’t have to worry about facing him just yet.

  Mason put his arm around me and squeezed. “It’s not easy, but I know what the guy’s going through. The first time I killed someone, it messed me up bad. Even though the guy pulled a gun on me first and I had no choice. It was my life or his. Still, it doesn’t change the fact I did it . . . I ended someone’s life.”

  “How do I help him?” I asked. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of Paxton as he slaved away in his garage. For the past two days, I held in my tears but I couldn’t do it anymore.

  “I don’t know if what I say is going to help, but it’ll be a start. Do you want to know what Paxton said to me yesterday?” Crossing my arms, I glanced at him and nodded as a reply. “He said he wasn’t sorry for killing Rage, that he most likely saved the lives of countless women by doing it. What he’s most worried about is what you think of him now. You watched him kill another man. You saw a side of him that he didn’t want you to see.”

  The tears streamed down my cheeks and I choked. “But I don’t see him being any different. If I had the chance, I would’ve killed Rage. Nothing is going to change the way I feel about him.”

  Mason tapped me on the chin. “Then you should tell him that. Maybe he’s afraid of seeing judgment in your eyes. Just let him know, no matter what, you will always be there through the good and the bad. He’s at a low point, but you can bring him back up with your love and support. You can do this.” Wrapping his arms around my waist, he embraced me one last time before getting in his car and nodding toward the garage. “Go get ‘em. I’ll see you at the title fight.”

  Mason waved once he got out of the driveway. Taking a deep breath, I started toward the garage, but then stopped once Paxton’s phone began to ring. He refused to answer his calls, so I’d been carrying it around. And I definitely wasn’t expecting to see Kyle’s name pop up on the screen. Should I answer it or not? I hated him, but he did help us find out Rage’s real name.

  “Hello,” I answered. The line went silent. “Kyle, it’s Gabby, I know it’s you.”

  “I wasn’t expecting you to answer the phone,” he replied.

  “Paxton isn’t doing much talking these days, so I’ve been answering his calls.”

  “Is he okay? I’ve been watching the news reports. I wanted to call and see how you guys were doing.”

  “Really?” I asked incredulously.

  He sighed. “Believe it or not, I care. Paxton was my friend at one point or another. And right now, I have none. He reached out to me and now I’m reaching out to him.”

  I scoffed. “He’s got a good life right now and he doesn’t need all the bullshit you bring.”

  “I’m not trying to do shit to him,” Kyle growled. “If you haven’t heard, I can’t exactly get into much trouble from a fucking wheelchair. I’m sorry for what I did to you and your family, but there’s nothing I can do about that now. It’s done. All I’m asking is for you to tell Pax that I called to ask about him. I’m trying to make things right.”

  It was strange hearing Kyle sound sincere. I even pulled the phone away from my ear to confirm that the screen still said it was him.

  “Again, I’m sorry,” he repeated and let out a heavy sigh. “Tell Pax I’ll talk to him later.”

  “Wait, hold on,” I grumbled. “It’s kind of hard to talk to you and not be a bitch.”

  “I know and you don’t have to explain. I’m kind of used to it by now.”

  “Have you talked to Kacey?” I asked curiously. After what he did to her, I was pretty sure she bitched him out every time he tried to talk to her.

  “Not really,” he confessed. “She won’t talk to me. I’ve tried, but it’s not like I can drive to her house and see her.”

  “True, but what you did was really fucked up. I was with her after it happened.”

  The line went quiet, but then his voice dipped low. “Thank you for helping her. I would give anything to take that night back.”

  “What’s done is done, right? All we can do now is make up for our mistakes and do the right thing. If you’re sincere in making amends, she’ll come around one day.”

  “I doubt it,” he added. “I fucked up and I know she’ll never forgive me.”

  “You just have to keep trying.” Which was what I needed to do with Paxton. I had to keep trying to talk to him until he let go of his fears.

  “Thanks, Gabriella. I guess I never thought you’d ever talk to me. It surprised me.”

  A small smile splayed across my lips. “I’m glad I could surprise you. And don’t worry, I’ll tell Pax you called. I’m going to try and talk to him. Hopefully, he’ll come around.”

  “He’d be stupid if he didn’t.”

  After we said our goodbyes, I headed toward the garage and stood by the door. His hands were covered in grease and so were his T-shirt and jeans. He hadn’t noticed me yet, but when I walked in, his body stiffened. I had to keep reminding myself what Mason just told me. But it was hard to push forward, when all I felt was rejection.

  Without speaking, I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. “I’m not going anywhere,” I promised. “If you need this time to yourself, that’s fine, but I don’t want you to shut me out when I know you need me. Please, just talk to me.” Resting my forehead against his back, I broke down and cried. For the first time in my life, I sobbed without holding back, letting the tears come freely. When Paxton’s hands closed over mine, I let go even more.

  “I’ve missed you,” he murmured. Taking my hands, he pulled them away from his body and pulled me around to his front. I placed them on my face and a smile splayed across his lips. “You realize I have grease all over me, don’t you?”

  I stared up into his sea green eyes and melted. “I don’t care. As long as you’re talking to me, nothing else matters. Whatever you’re afraid of, you have to talk to me about it. I’m here to listen, always.”

  Hanging his head, he looked down at my hand and at the ring still on my finger. “I didn’t mean to shut you out, Gabby. I was afraid to look you in the eyes and see nothing but disgust looking back at me. That was something I knew I wasn’t ready to handle.”

  Grasping his shirt, I balled it up in my fists. “No, Paxton, that’s not how I feel at all. I love you for who you are. If I had the chance to kill Rage, I would’ve done it and not thought twice. Think of all the women, including myself, you helped save. So, no, there will never be anything but love in my eyes for you. That I can promise.”

  Eyes glistening, he lowered his lips to mine and pressed down firmly. “I have a lot to make up for don’t I?”

  I smirked and ran my fingers through his hair. “Two and a half days, to be exact.”

  His gaze turned heated. Ripping off my shirt and pants, he slammed me down on the hood of his car, spreading me wide. “Well then, there’s no time to waste.”

  Fight Night

  A MONTH HAD passed and things had slowly started to quiet down. Some people called me a murderer
, some called me a saint. Of course, there were a handful of fighters who thought I should have to forfeit my title, but the league wasn’t having any of that. As long as Gabriella was by my side, I didn’t give a shit what anyone else said about me.

  “Does she know about the party tonight?” Matt asked.

  I knew Gabriella and Matt didn’t have the best childhood as far as Christmas went. Their Christmas trees consisted of a small plastic one that could only hold a couple of ornaments. Not this year. It was our first Christmas together and I was going to make sure it was something she’d remember forever.

  “No, she has no clue, but she’s ecstatic to have Ryley and Ashleigh in town.” Speaking of Ashleigh, they were off in the corner talking away when she should really be stretching. Now that Gabby and I lived together, I had permanently taken on the role as one of her coaches. Matt seemed to be pleased with her progress. She was ready for her fight. “I told everyone to give us an hour, so I can get her home and ready.”

  “And you don’t think she’ll mind that you invited Kacey and Tyler?”

  Gabriella could be a jealous person at times, but I knew there was nothing to worry about with her and Tyler and vice versa with me and Kacey. Gabriella actually wanted to find a way to talk to Kacey about Kyle. I never thought the day would come when Gabby would feel bad for him.

  About that time, Garrett Wells stormed through the door, out of breath; his suit and tie in disarray. “Holy shit, it’s insane out there. Have you seen the amount of people?”

  Gabby froze, eyes wide.

  “Nice, Garrett. Good way to make her nervous,” Matt scolded.

  “No, on the contrary,” she replied, “it’s fucking awesome.” We had trained vigorously for the past month and studied Allie’s movements. She was more than ready.

  “Just make sure you concentrate. We all know how you get when you’re excited,” Ryley stated.

  Gabby rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm. “Trust me, I’m gonna concentrate. Have you seen my coaches? They’ll kick my ass if I do something wrong.” She looked over at me and winked.