Fighting For Grace: Worth The Fight Read online

  “I have to go,” she says again and I swear it’s almost like she’s in shock.

  “Okay, let me shut the lights off and I’m going with you,” I tell her, already walking toward the light switch on the wall.

  “No,” she says. “I don’t want you involved. I’ve already got my roommates into my mess. I don’t need to get you in the middle of it too.”

  I turn back to her and she’s wiping a tear off her cheek. I flip the switch and walk toward the door. “Gracie, I’m not letting you face this on your own. Obviously, something’s got you all fucked up. Now tell me what’s going on.”

  Her eyes well up and right before I think they are about to overflow, she wipes them and seems to get herself together. “My, uh, ex-boyfriend showed up at my apartment and destroyed the place, I guess.”

  When she doesn’t go on, I ask her, “Is he the reason that you want the self defense lessons?”

  She nods her head at me.

  I think back to her phone conversation. “And your roommates are kicking you out?”

  “Some friends,” I mutter.

  She shrugs her shoulders. “They’re not… friends, I mean. We just met when I answered their room for rent ad.”

  “Okay. Where do you live?” I ask her, trying to stay focused on the job at hand instead of my need to hold on to her and convince her that everything is going to be okay. She’s a curvy woman and probably taller than normal. But I still tower over her. I feel a need to protect her. It’s an insane rumbling in my chest that is telling me nothing is going to hurt her. I won’t let it.

  “Just a few blocks.”

  We walk out the front door and her head whips around, looking everywhere, like she’s waiting for someone to jump out at her. “Where’s your car?”

  She shakes her head side to side. “No car, I walked here.”

  I grab her hand and pull her toward my truck. She has me worried about how scared she is. It makes me wonder what she’s been through to have a reaction like this. I enjoy the feel of her soft body underneath my hands as I lift her by the waist into the truck.

  When I get into the driver’s seat, her teeth are chattering and it’s not cold. No this is a reaction from fear.

  I start the truck and turn to her. “Gracie, stop. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise.”

  Hope flares in her eyes but she immediately stomps it down. “I’m fine. I promise. If you can just drop me off at my apartment, I’ll be fine.”

  I don’t argue with her, but she’s crazy if she thinks I’m going to just drop her off somewhere and walk away.

  4

  Gracie

  I give him directions and when we park outside of my apartment on the street, I look all around. I know if Buck has been here, then he has someone watching the house. I start to get out, but Evan stops me.

  “Wait, I’m coming around to get you. Then you stay with me. Don’t leave my side,”

  he says before he jumps out of the truck and walks around to open my door.

  He helps me down from the truck and puts his arm around my shoulder. I walk up to the door and even though I feel eyes on me, I feel more safe right now than I have in a long time.

  When we walk in, we’re bombarded by my roommates, but as soon as they lay eyes on Evan, their mouths snap shut and then fall open. I look up at him and can’t help but agree with them. He is definitely drool worthy.

  “Y’all I’m so sorry. I never dreamed that Buck would find me.” I start to apologize and then Evan interrupts me.

  “Buck. As in Buck Jamison?”

  I nod my head and Evan’s grip on my hand tightens. “Get your stuff, let’s go.”

  “But… “ I tell him.

  He doesn’t let me finish. He leans down until we’re eye level. “Gracie, honey, I know Buck Jamison and if you were mixed up with him, then you’re lucky you’re standing here instead of lying in a hospital somewhere. Now, he travels in packs. So get your stuff and let’s go. Ladies”—he looks at my two roommates—“do you have somewhere to go?”

  With fear in their eyes, they nod their heads. “Yes,” Beth says. “My brother will let us stay with him.”

  “Great!” he tells them, then follows me back to my room before stopping and asking, “Did you call the police?”

  A knock on the door has every one of us freezing. Well, except for Evan. He goes straight to it and looks out the peephole. I don’t take a breath until Evan opens the door and two policemen walk inside. I hear my roommates, well ex-roommates, talking to them and I continue on to my bedroom.

  The rest of the apartment looks so much better than my room. It is destroyed. My bed, all of my clothes have been ripped and torn apart. Everything I own is destroyed. This is just another way that Buck has gotten to me.

  Evan walks in and looks around the room. When his eyes land on me, I can see the pity on his face.

  “It’s okay, honey. Let’s go.”

  I start to follow him but stop and lean down under the bed. I pull out a box that has all of my mom’s pictures in it. Everything I have left from her is in this box.

  I put it under my arm and look at Evan’s outstretched hand. I grab it and let him lead me out the door.

  The police talk to me and I tell them who I thought it was. We stand there while they search the apartment and take notes of everything.

  The whole time, Evan stays by my side, his hand gripping mine. I may be all alone in the world, but it doesn’t feel it right now.

  The policemen come out and ask me why I think it’s Buck, my ex. I look sideways at Evan and he squeezes my hand. “Well, we only went on a few dates. He was nice to me, but I started hearing rumors about how he treats women and I started to see some of his, uh, anger issues, so I broke up with him. He didn’t like it. Started following me everywhere, coming by my job, threatening me. He wouldn’t leave me alone and I had to move out of my apartment and get a new job. I thought the next town over would be far enough, but obviously not.”

  The policeman is scribbling down everything I say. He looks up and asks me, “Did you report any of this?”

  Nodding my head, I tell him, “Yes, twice in the beginning, but they told me that if he didn’t actually do anything, they couldn’t do anything about it. After that, I just decided to move.”

  They ask a few more questions and then finally we’re able to go.

  Evan makes sure that Beth and Amy get into their cars and leave before he pulls out. He drives for a few minutes, before I break the silence. “Evan, you can just drop me off at the women’s shelter in town, if you don’t mind.”

  He’s silent then and I hear him take a deep breath. His voice is husky when he replies, “I mind.”

  My mouth falls open and I stare over at him. His jaw is tight and I can tell he’s pissed. I’m sure he’s mad that I’ve gotten him mixed up in this and I can’t blame him.

  “Okay, you can just drop me off here and I’ll walk then.” I grab my purse off the floorboard and clench it in my fingers.

  He flexes his fingers around the steering wheel. “I’m not taking you to a fucking shelter.”

  I bring both of my hands up to my face and take a deep breath. Today has definitely been stressful. “Evan, I don’t have anywhere else to go. I’ll be fine at the shelter.”

  He doesn’t say anything and when the silence starts to get to me, I start again. “Evan…”

  He reaches over and grabs my hand, pulling it toward him and holding it to his thick thigh. “I’m taking you home with me.”

  I try to take my hand back, but his grip tightens. “What do you mean you’re taking me home with you? I can’t go home with you. I don’t even know you.”

  His thumb strokes along the back of my fingers that are resting on his leg. “I think you know that you can trust me at this point, Gracie.”

  I jerk my hand back from his. He’s touching me like we’ve known each other a while. It’s like I mean something to him. A warmth goes through me, but I t
amp that feeling down. I’ve obviously not learned my lesson of getting mixed up with fighters.

  I’m watching him out of the corner of my eye and he grimaces, rubbing his right knee. I’ve noticed his slight limp, but it wasn’t bad. Ignoring his question, I ask my own. “What happened to your knee?”

  His jaw clenches. When I think he’s not going to answer me, I turn my head and watch the passing cars beside us. Finally, he breaks the silence. But I can tell he doesn’t want to. “I was hurt in a fight. I’m slowly getting back to it.”

  I turn in my seat to face him. “How hurt?”

  We pull up to a stoplight and he looks over at me. He shrugs his shoulders. “Surgery to my meniscus. And some stretched tendons. I’m almost done with physical therapy; tomorrow’s my last appointment. I’m getting closer and closer to getting back in the ring every day.”

  I know my mouth drops open. “You’re getting back into the ring?”

  He doesn’t even hesitate. “Absolutely.”

  He turns away then and I’m quiet the rest of the ride. It bothers me that he’s going to be getting into the ring. Is it because I hating fighting? Probably, but I think there’s more to it. I don’t want him hurt. The thought of him in a ring, getting punched, just makes me have a sick feeling.

  5

  Evan

  I can’t tell what she’s thinking. Once I told her I was definitely getting back in the ring, she got all quiet on me. I pull up to my house and her mouth drops open.

  “This is where you live?”

  I shrug my shoulders and jump out of the truck.

  Honestly, I’m always a little taken aback when people find out who I am. Obviously, Gracie doesn’t know. She’s looking around the ten acres I have with amazement on her face. The house, a two-story modern log cabin, sits in the middle of it.

  I help her out of the truck and pick up the box from her apartment. She follows me to the door and I can tell she’s flustered by all this. When we walk in, she looks around the house and back at me.

  “Evan, this house is big enough for a family of ten. Are you married? Does your family live here? You’re too old to live with your mom and dad, right? Oh my God, you are married.” she bursts out and covers her face with her hand.

  She’s nervous and I try to make her feel better by stepping toward her and prying her hands from her face. “You’re right. This house is big enough for a family of ten. It has five bedrooms. But no, I’m not married. If I was, this”—I gesture between the two of us—“wouldn’t be happening. I live here alone. My dad left me the house when he passed. And I’m thirty years old.” I try to answer all the questions she had, but I add on for her, “My family owns—well, now I own Get Your Fitness On.”

  She looks at me, tilting her head to the side before her face lights up. “I went to Get Your Fitness On over in Kirby. It was great. They had some great group exercise classes.” She’s smiling at me. “Wait, do you own that one? Or all of them?”

  I lift my shoulders. “All of them.”

  She turns her head to the side. “But you work out at Alpha Dominant Gym?”

  I set her box down on the counter and go to pull out some stuff for sandwiches from the refrigerator. “You like ham or turkey?”

  “I’m fine,” she says, but then her belly grumbles.

  I try to hold back my smile at her. “So ham or turkey?”

  She blushes prettily and it makes me wonder what else I can do to make her blush that way. “Turkey.”

  She sits down at the counter. “So why don’t you work out at your gym?”

  I continue making our sandwiches and I figure out that she’s not going to let it go. “I was in a lot of trouble in my teens. My dad was never around much and I started going to Alpha’s. Teddy took me under his wing and I’ve been fighting ever since. He helped me turn my life around, even got me closer to my dad before he passed. So I still go there. I couldn’t imagine working out anywhere else. Mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce or tomato?”

  She points to the mustard. “No mustard. How about your mom? You haven’t mentioned her.”

  I finish her sandwich and put it down in front of her. I start putting everything away and turn away to the fridge. “Uh, my mom left when I was sixteen. I haven’t seen her since.”

  When I turn back around, she’s chewing around a bite of her food and holding her hand over her mouth. When she swallows she starts to apologize, but I stop her. “No, It’s fine. I’m fine. What about you? Where are your parents? How old are you? And how’d you get mixed up with Buck?”

  She quickly takes another bite and points at her full mouth, as if I’m going to let her get away without telling me something about her. I wait patiently and take the time to look at her. I noticed how beautiful she was at first glance. It would be hard not to. But there’s something about her that makes her even more endearing to me. I want to protect her, but I also want to know all I can about her.

  She swallows her bite and her lashes are lowered as she takes a sip of water. “I was raised in foster care. I don’t know who my parents were or where they’re at. I’m twenty-one and I was stupid to get mixed up with Buck. Trust me, I know that now.”

  I look at her expectantly. I know there’s more to the story. She huffs and takes a deep breath. “He came into the restaurant I was working at. He was nice to me, gave me attention, and well, I’m not used to it. I never get asked out. So I said I would go out with him. After two dates, I started to see a different side of him. One of my friends, she’s a waitress too, and when she found out I went out with him, she scared me to death by telling me what he does to women. I guess it’s pretty bad.”

  I nod at her. Yes, it’s pretty bad. The things I’ve heard are awful. But somehow he gets away with it.

  She shakes her head. “When I tried to break it off with him, he got a little crazy.”

  I reach across the table and grab her hand. She looks down where we’re joined and I think for sure that she’s going to pull away, but she surprises me when her fingers wrap around mine. “What did he do to you?”

  I don’t even recognize my voice when I ask it. But anger fills me and I’m dreading what she’s about to tell me.

  “Nothing. Well, not really. He grabbed me, pretty hard. I think it would have been worse if the cops hadn’t come in at that moment to get coffee. Anyway, then he wouldn’t leave me alone. I swear the things he’s said to me and the way he’s made me scared of my own shadow is worse than if he had hit me.”

  It’s then that I notice it. She’s tired. The circles under her eyes and the pinch of her forehead tell me that today was just too much for her.

  I walk up to her then and hold my hand out. “C’mon. I’ll show you to your room.”

  She stands up and walks back toward the front door. “I can’t stay here, Evan. I mean, he was probably watching us and it sounds like you know him. He could show up here any moment. I need to go somewhere, probably somewhere farther than the next town over.”

  I can hear it in her voice. She blames herself for all of this and she shouldn’t. She’s not the first woman that this happened to, but if I have anything to do with it, she will be the last.

  I put my hand on the front door, stopping her from opening it. “I can’t let you go.”

  She backs away from me then and I can tell I’ve scared her.

  I soften my voice. “I know you’re strong. Look how far you’ve come already. But I can’t let you leave and do this on your own. I need to know you’re all right. I know Buck and I know what he’s capable of. I can’t let him hurt you.”

  She’s twisting her hands in front of her. “You don’t even know me.”

  I shrug my shoulders. “I know. But I want to get to know you. Look, honey, when Maria asked me to teach self-defense, I wanted to tell her no. But one look at you, and I knew I couldn’t. There’s something about you, Gracie. I’m attracted to you, that’s a given.” I grab her hand and pull it up to cover my heart. “Feel that, it’s beating
triple time with just me thinking about you walking out of here. I physically and literally can not sit here and watch you walk out of my life. Let me help you with Buck. After that, when we don’t have to worry about him anymore, then we can focus on us.”

  “Us?” She gasps and jerks away from me again. “I think I’ve learned my lesson to stay away from fighters.”

  I hold my hands up in front of me. “Okay, okay. But trust me, not all fighters are like Buck. I’m not. I would never hurt or force myself on a woman. You don’t want to see where this goes? Fine, but will you stay and let me help you with Buck? Then you can leave and I won’t try to stop you.” I say it with as much sincerity as I can muster. But really, if I feel this strongly about her in such a short amount of time, I can’t imagine letting her walk away from me at all.

  She bends her head back to look up at me. Finally, she nods and suddenly I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. “I’ll stay. But I can’t do a relationship, Evan.”

  I ease her purse off her shoulder and take her box from her. “C’mon, I’ll show you your room.”

  I lead her upstairs and show her the room across from mine. I could put her down the hall or on the other side of the house, but I don’t want to. I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted her close to me.

  I give her some clothes to sleep in and quickly go across the hall. It’s hours later before I’m finally able to fall asleep and even then I dream of Gracie.

  6

  Gracie

  I follow him into the therapist’s office and when they call his name I try to stay in the lobby, but he doesn’t let me. He tells me to “c’mon” and stands there staring at me until I get up and follow him.

  I barely slept a wink last night. You would think it’s because of Buck, but no, I don’t think I thought of him once. All of my thoughts were trained on Evan. Somehow, in the middle of the night, he had grabbed the bag of very few salvageable clothes I was able to get from my apartment. He had washed them and I found them folded on top of the dresser this morning. When I picked up a pair of my neatly folded panties and slid them up my legs, I couldn’t help but think about them being in his hands. His big hands that swallowed mine up whole. I imagined him touching me and I still can’t get it out of my head.