Page 8 of Reckless

“How is Liam?” I asked. She shot me a look over her shoulder, then abruptly spun around to look at her feet while we descended to the basement. Her long black velvety ponytail brushed my chest through my shirt.

“He’s asking about you,” she paused then exhaled loudly. She knew better than to ask me for the millionth time to visit them. I always declined her invitations. “He loves the truck you bought him.”

“And the ear infection?”

“He’s fine.”

“Do you need more money?”

On Fridays I made tons of cash in that basement. Cash I desperately needed.

“No,” she shook her head. “But thank you for offering.”

I reached over and squeezed her elbow encouraged by her softer tone. She sighed and patted my hand right before we reached the door of the basement.

“Things will get better,” I reassured her. “I’m working on it.”

A faint smile twisted her lips as she pushed the door open. A lot of people were seated already.

“Are you fighting tonight?” Chloe asked and her voice cracked.

I shook my head. In the beginning I fought every week. I challenged the drunken assholes upstairs. My lean body made them think they could snap me like a stick. Their friends bet against me and lost the majority of the time.

I didn’t have to fight that often these days. Our secret activity got so popular I had to step down from the ring to give opportunity to other men to get their asses kicked. I also booked the fights a month in advance and had two bouncers, huge guys, to help with the security. Not that we kicked people out or anything. I couldn’t afford that. First of all, I wanted their money. Second of all I didn’t need trouble. Everyone had to be happy.

“Clementine is coming tomorrow. I can’t show up with bruises. You know.”

Chloe nodded. “What about our newest customer?”

“Is he here?” I asked. I deliberately didn’t look at the table in the back when we entered the basement.

“Yes. It’s his third Friday in a row. What does he want?”

“What do you think he wants? Money, of course.”

“I don’t like this.”

“Just take care of the drinks like any other night. Ask him what he wants, then bring it to him. Leave the rest to me.”

Chloe was the only one who knew what I was doing down here. She came with me every Friday to serve drinks to the customers who bet huge amounts of cash on those fighters. I kept alcohol down here especially for Fridays. I never used the supply upstairs. I broke a few laws down here, but I wasn’t dumb. There was no connection between the bar and the ring. Except Chloe. But she would never rat me out.

I waited for her to start taking orders. People loved her. She was nice and always smiling. She always got the best tips upstairs. When I was sure she wasn’t paying any attention to me, I turned to the man who was standing a few steps away from me ever since I entered the basement. He was a beefy dude. Everyone in that basement would totally bet on him if he entered a fight. People preferred to place their money on someone with lots of muscle. The truth was the best boxer wasn’t necessarily the hefty one.

I extended my hand to him. “Tyler Hartley. How can I help you?”

He didn’t even glance at my hand.

“My boss wants to talk to you.”

Chapter Four

Tyler

Ienteredtherestaurantwhere I was supposed to have dinner with my sister and her fiancé. A beautiful brunette greeted me and led me to our table. I couldn’t help it. My eyes slid from her back down to her ass. It was a nice one, wrapped in tight black skirt that reached her knees.

I was so preoccupied with said ass that I didn’t notice that Hannah Spencer sat there, at a table for six, until the hostess left. She looked at me like I was the last person on the planet she wanted to see and yet she wasn’t surprised to see me. She knew we were having dinner together.

Standing up next to a chair, I just stared at her. How come I managed not to run into her for five years and yet I was seeing her for a second time in just one miserable week?

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