Brooklyn's Baddest: A Bad Boy Fighter Romance (14 page)

“Jake, I’m your friend and I’m here to support you. I’m not going anywhere, okay? We just have to… redefine the nature of our… relationship. That’s all. I’m here for you just as much as I ever was. We just have to keep it business. That’s all. We’re adults. We can do that.” She wished she believed what she was saying, but there was some doubt deep inside her.

He shrugged and nodded at her. “Whatever you say. I guess we’re just friends, then.” He gave his head another shake and turned, walking out of the door silently.

She frowned and cursed herself for letting him make love with her again, especially there in the office. She knew that he was right; there was no denying the heat between them, but she was right in that they had to leave the hot desire behind them and focus on their futures at the dojo and the work at the dojo. Nothing could come before that.

It was no surprise to her that she didn’t see much of him between the afternoon he left her office and the next competition. She knew that he had understood her and was listening to her, no matter what either one of them wanted beyond that.

Lisa went to his competition hoping that everything between them would be alright. She didn’t know for certain until she saw him walk into the fight arena and look up into the seats for her and for Masahiro and Koichi. When he found them, he gave them all a subtle bow and he looked relieved to see her sitting there, watching him and supporting him. He smiled and gave her a wave, and she nodded back with a grin.

Things were going to be alright; she could feel it. It was just going to be challenging to navigate letting go of their intimacy in the face of friendship. She promised herself that they could do it, and that they would do it. It was important to her to be there for him.

He fought two opponents at the competition, and he won both matches. The emotional high that he left the competition with could not be matched. Masahiro was very pleased with what he had seen, and he told Jake so when he thanked him for his hard work and for his determination. Koichi was also pleased, and was very proud of Jake. He was also glad to congratulate his student and tell him what more they needed to work on together to progress Jake’s training.

Evan was at the match as well, and when Jake was alone, he went to him and Jake hugged him tightly, happy to see him. “Hey buddy! I’m so glad you were here! So glad you could make it again. It means a lot to me to see you here.” Jake clapped him on the shoulder and Evan hugged him back.

“It’s good to see you too.” Evan said with a note of joy mingled with disappointment. He wasn’t good at hiding it and Jake saw through his half smile.

“What’s bugging you, Evan?” Jake asked in concern. He knew Evan better than anyone, and it was a rare occasion to see anything bothering his best friend.

“Oh, I guess… I guess it’s just hard not having you around. I’m so used to it, you know. You and me getting a beer, or working on the cars, or just hanging out. I know you’re busy with this now, but… it’s just kind of quiet not having you around anymore. You know?” he asked, brushing his hair back behind his ear and glancing up at Jake.

Jake did know. “Hey, I hear you, Evan. I miss you, too. It’s been a lot of work at the dojo to get to this point, and I’ve had to let some other things go, but I’m not letting us go, so don’t you worry about that.” Jake could see the doubt in Evan’s face.

“In fact, let’s do this. You know what, let’s work out at the community center tomorrow like we used to. What do you think? I could use some good sparring. Give me some practice. Are you up for it?” Jake asked in a mock challenging tone.

A grin spread over Evan’s face and he nodded. “Yeah! Yeah, I am up for it! Think you can remember how to get there?” he teased back as they walked out of the arena.

“Oh, I know how to get there. I’m the one who showed you where it was to begin with! Remember?” they both laughed and Jake said goodbye to him, promising to see him the next day.

Koichi agreed to give Jake a half a day of training the following day, and Jake thanked him and drove to the community gym where he had been training most of his life. He went in and looked around and was surprised that he felt so divided about the place.

On one hand, it felt like home to him and he was glad to be there, but on the other hand, it was so different from the dojo that he felt like he was somehow disconnected from it and it wasn’t a place where he fit in any longer.

He was standing near the wall just inside the entrance, staring at the space around him; the dim light, the old machines, the same old faces who had been there for years, lost in a strange juxtaposition between his past and his future. A voice pulled him out of his reverie.

“Hey Jake, you gonna stand there and stare at it like you’re lost or are you gonna get to the mat and get a workout sparring with me?” Evan laughed at him and he grinned and nodded at his friend.

“Yeah, I’m just thinking back on the old days,” Jake said with an air of reminiscence.

Evan nodded in comprehension. “Uh huh… I know that look… you’re ready to get your game on. Get your inner fires burning. Well, get as mad as you want to, but this match is mine, my friend.”

They met each other on the mat and Jake realized just how much he had learned in fighting a friend he had sparred against for years. He knew all of Evan’s moves, and he was able to easily block them or avoid them. It was almost like sparring with a child; Jake realized that he was having to hold back a great deal just to get himself on a similar level with Evan.

Evan didn’t quite see it. He thought that they were sparring just as they always had and he didn’t see much difference in it at first, except for Jake moving out of his way so many times that Evan never got close to him.

He stopped finally and looked at Jake appraisingly. “What are they teaching you over there? You lose all your moves or what? Something’s different here. There’s no… there’s no fire in you anymore. There’s no anger…” Evan tilted his head in surprise and gazed at his friend with different eyes. “I’ve seen you at your competitions, but I didn’t realize just how much you’ve changed. Look at this… it’s like I’m fighting with someone totally different. Where’s your hate?”

Jake shrugged as he walked forward toward Evan, giving him an easy smile. “Oh, it’s gone, I guess. I mean… it wasn’t doing me any good. I had to let it go to move forward. It was really holding me back, but I didn’t know that until I got to the dojo. Now I don’t use anger at all when I fight. No negativity… I just… I focus on it and I’m centered and balanced, and I fight like… like I’m water.” He was proud of how much he had changed and grown, and he was happy that it was so much growth that his best friend saw it.

“Yeah, well, it’s really-” Evan began, but he was cut off quickly.

“Yo… Jake Allen!” they heard a harsh voice behind them. They both turned simultaneously and saw the man who had called out to Jake. It was Patrick Nolan. Jake gritted his teeth, thinking of the night he had spent in jail just because he had defended himself on his own lawn when Patrick had attacked him at his house.

“What do you want, Patrick,” he asked in a low and warning tone.

Patrick lifted his chin, jerking it toward Jake. “I want you, you piece of trash. We’re not done. You hurt my brother. I promised you that I was going to kill you for it, and I am going to do it.”

Jake sighed and shook his head. “Listen, I’ve had enough of you and your stupidity, Patrick. We’re done, okay? Your brother got hurt because he cheated. We had a fight, he knew the rules; no weapons, he broke the rules when you handed him that knife and he came after me with it. He got hurt because you cheated. You put him in that position, not me. That was your doing. We’ve had it out over this already and we fought.

We wound up in jail over it, and I’m not about to go back to jail, especially for your sorry ass, so just get out of here and get lost. We’re done. It’s over.” He felt good saying what he had to Patrick. It felt like the right choice for him to make. Evan stood at his side, ready for anything, and Jake stood as still as a statue.

“Oh hell no, Jake!” Patrick raised his voice, pointing his finger at Jake, jabbing the air in front of him. “This ain’t over. This ain’t over until you’re dead! You hear me? I’m coming for you. You’re done. It ain’t over until you’re lying on the ground at my feet. Then it’s over. Not until then. You hear me? You got that?” He swung his arm through the air and gave a hateful glare to Jake before turning and walking out of the gym.

It wasn’t until then that Jake and Evan realized that there was nothing but silence around them. Everyone in the room had frozen in place, watching the scene as it unfolded before them. Jake waved at them, telling them it was over and that they should all get back to their own workouts.

He grabbed his bag and nodded at Evan, heading for the door. Evan walked out with him, both of them silent until they were outside of the building, standing near the front door. There was no sign of Patrick. He had gone as quickly as he had come.

“Sorry about that, Evan,” Jake said with a heavy sigh. “I hope he never gets you involved in it.”

Evan’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about? I’m already involved in it. How could I not be? It’s you and me, Jake. Just like always. We’re partners. You’re my best friend.”

Jake knew there was no arguing with that. He nodded and looked over at his friend. “Yeah, I know, but I don’t want you getting hurt. I don’t want anything stupid to happen to you just because that jackass is pissed off at me.”

Evan held his gaze for a long moment and then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He looked around them silently and then turned his eyes back to Jake. “Brother… I have to say this. I miss you. I do… but, things are changing. You know, you lived your whole life fighting against everything. You fought your dad about him leaving, you fought the teachers in school, you fought all the other kids growing up, you fought the cops, you… you fought against everything and everyone your whole life, and it didn’t get you very far.

I guess it just sort of always seemed like you were…  I don’t know, out of joint or something, but now things are changing. It feels like you are finally doing what you are supposed to be doing. You’re doing what’s right, for once, and everything is different for you. It’s better.” Evan was looking at Jake intently, and Jake was hearing every word, and he knew that what Evan was saying was right.

Evan gave his head a shake. “It’s crazy, how it’s all happening, and I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but you should stay out of this community center. I know it’s been a part of your life for a lot of years, but it’s not part of your life now. It’s not part of your future. Right? You… you’ve outgrown your old life. You don’t belong here anymore. I mean… take a look around. This is where you came from, sure, but it’s not where you are going, so you need to get the hell out of here, and stay away.

There’s nothing here for you, man. Not anymore. Nothing good here for you. Everything that’s going right in your life is at that dojo. You need to stay there and keep going that way, and don’t look back, don’t come back to this place.”

Jake blinked as tears stung at the back of his eyes. He knew that Evan was right. “There’s you, though…” he replied quietly.

Evan shook his head adamantly. “No, man. No. I’m not meeting up with you here again. I’ll come to your matches, and I’ll always be your brother, but not here. You and me, well, we can drink beer on Sunday’s and watch the games, and go to the games, and we can fix cars in your garage when you want to. I’ll still be around for you in your places… but you can’t come back to the old hood again.

You are finally doing what you should have been doing all along. You’re on the right track, man. Don’t screw it up. Don’t come back here. I’ll see you on your own turf. Right?” Evan offered him a smile, though his eyes were serious. He looked at Jake expectantly, and Jake knew that it was done. He knew that it was the last time he would be there.

“Yeah…” he said quietly. He looked around at the gym where he had grown up fighting and working out. He looked at the cars around him and the street where he had spent time becoming the adult that he was. Evan was right. He had outgrown it. It was time to move on. He was going to a different place in his life, and he was glad to be going, but that didn’t make leaving any easier.

“I’m lucky to have you as a friend, Evan.” Jake said with a half-smile.

Evan raised one eyebrow and scoffed at him. “Friend? What’s this friend crap? I’m your brother. You’re not getting rid of me. Not ever.” He reached up and punched Jake lightly in the shoulder. “Who else is going to kick your ass and keep you in line?”

Jake laughed at him and pretended that Evan’s punch had wounded him deeply. They laughed and walked to their cars, giving each other one last hug before saying goodbye.

Evan left, and Jake gave the neighborhood one last long look before he climbed into his car and left it behind him, growing faint in the rearview mirror.

Chapter8

The national competition was coming up, and Jake knew that he would be facing Corbin again. It was going to take him a lot of work to get to Corbin, as the event was tiered; he had to work his way up from the bottom and win every match he fought just to get to Corbin, because Corbin was only there to defend his title, so there was only the final match for him. Jake was going to have to face ten other men before he could get to Corbin.

The event was spread over two days, and was being held in Washington D.C. The four of them would be traveling from Brooklyn together and staying at a hotel during the weekend of the event. Jake was nervous and excited, and for the life of him, he couldn’t decide which he felt more. Koichi had been training him every single day for long hours, and he hadn’t seen much of Lisa at all. When he did, they were cordial and friendly with each other, and nothing more passed between them. It made him feel cold inside whenever it happened, as though he was missing something, and he didn’t like it, but he didn’t know what it was or what to do about it.

With two weeks left before the event, Jake had been going in to the dojo early every day, and that Tuesday morning was like any other. He left his house as the sun was just beginning to light the city up, and when he reached the dojo, he was ready for his day of training.

He parked at the curb and locked his car, whistling to himself as he tucked the keys into his pocket. He saw a few of the local neighbors on the street and waved to them. They waved back. Just as he rounded the end of his car, something hard struck his back and it took him completely by surprise. Flipping around, his eyes wide, he tried to figure out what was going on, but it didn’t take any time at all.

Standing there before him was Patrick with hatred in his eyes and a crow bar in his hand. “You’re going to die, Jake. Right now. This is it.” He lunged forward, crow bar raised, ready to take Jake out, but instinct made Jake react naturally. His kata was so deeply ingrained in him, as well as all of his other training, that it was like breathing for him. He moved without even thinking about where he was going or why. He just knew where to go and how to move so that Patrick never touched him.

Patrick fell to the earth as Jake vanished from being directly in front of him, and was somehow suddenly beside him. Screaming in fury, he pushed himself up from the ground and spun to glare at Jake from where he stood in the street.

“I’m going to kill you, you bastard!” he screamed, rushing at Jake again. Jake turned and Patrick missed him again. Jake made himself stay centered as much as he could. Patrick came for him over and over, and every time Jake ducked and dodged, and Patrick grew furious.

Finally, Patrick flung the crow bar at Jake and as Jake turned to miss it, Patrick leaped at him and landed on him. Jake felt Patrick’s fist connect with his stomach and he knew he was going to have to defend himself, because Patrick was hell bent on killing him and he wasn’t sure where the crow bar had landed or if Patrick had a knife or some other weapon hidden on him. He knew better than to trust him. He jabbed Patrick in the kidney and turned him so that he was on the ground again in a matter of moments.

With swift movements and deadly accurate strikes, Jake pounded Patrick, and Patrick didn’t get another hit in before two squad cars slammed on their brakes in the street, their sirens screaming. Police seemed to pour from them, advancing on them with guns raised, and Jake stepped back away from Patrick, who couldn’t get up off of the ground, though he was still conscious.

Jake stared at the scene around him; feeling like it was a dream that was happening in slow motion and it wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real that he had fought Patrick right outside of the dojo, or that Patrick was put onto a stretcher and hauled off in an ambulance. It couldn’t be real that he was slammed against a squad car and handcuffed before being pushed into the back seat while the police talked around him, sirens screamed, and radios with fuzzy voices sounded around him. It was all a dream, he told himself. A bad dream. He told himself that it had to be.

Until he saw Masahiro walk from the gate of the dojo and look straight at him. The expression on the Master’s face was one that Jake could feel in the core of his soul. There would be no coming back from what he had just done. The squad car pulled away then, as Masahiro watched, and Jake tried to shake his head, to explain silently with his eyes, but the dojo disappeared as the car rolled down the road, and Jake knew that it was real.

He didn’t speak, save for having to answer questions when he was asked. He stared at the floor in silence, letting himself be led through the booking process. He was put into a cell and though he wasn’t in it alone, he did not look at the other occupant or speak to anyone. He felt terror and emptiness inside. He had finally gotten to where he wanted to be in his life. He had reached the cusp of realizing the goals he had desperately wanted to reach, and he had lost it, just as it was in his grasp.

There was nothing more for him after that morning. He tried to imagine himself returning to the life he had before. The only place he could see himself was the garage. He couldn’t go back to the gym. He knew there was no way that he could go back to street fighting. There was nothing else for him. No way forward. Nowhere to go but the garage, and that was nowhere. It was over.

In everything that had happened to him his whole life, he had never felt desolate. He had never felt like he’d lost everything. Not when his father left, not when his mother died, not ever. He had always felt like there was some way forward. There was still some future ahead. Not any longer. Jake had never known the total bleakness of desolation, but he was mired in it, and there was no way out of it.

The guard came to the cell and called his name. He looked up and blinked in confusion. He was instructed to follow the guard, who told him he had been bailed out. Jake hadn’t made any phone calls. Not even to Evan. He wondered if it was Muldoon; Muldoon had bailed him out more than once, though he had never admitted it.

Jake looked around as he came into the main office of the police station, and he froze in place for a moment as his eyes stopped on Masahiro. Everything in him stopped; his heart, his mind, every single cell just stopped. It took a deeper frown from Masahiro to break him out of his state and he drew in a long deep breath and walked toward the old man.

“Master Masahiro… what are you doing here?” he asked in a quiet voice. He could make no sense of it at all.

Masahiro watched him silently for a long moment before answering him. “I have seen you come a long way, Jake. I have seen you work hard and overcome many obstacles. I have seen you reach the goals that were set before you, even though there was failure and the goals were set high and far.” He looked at Jake seriously.

“I am going to give you one chance. You are very close to being able to win your match against Corbin. It is a possibility that if you train hard over the next two weeks, you will win. That would be good for you, but also very good for the dojo. I have considered letting you go and letting you remain with us as a competitor, and after some deep thought, I have determined that it may be possible for you to stay on, if you agree to conditions.” His tone was even, but his meaning was very clear.

Jake’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open slightly. “Anything! What… what conditions? It doesn’t even matter. Whatever it is, I’ll do it. Just… just please give me another chance. I’m not going to screw up again. I promise.”

Masahiro took a deep breath in, held it, and then released it slowly as he watched Jake. “I want proof, actual proof that you are straightening your life up. Not empty words. Not promises. Show me that you are straightening your life up and that you are dedicated to it, and I will give you this second chance. If you do not, then you are out. There is no alternative after this. You will succeed and stay, or you will fail and be gone. Is that clear?”

Jake felt as if he couldn’t even breathe. He nodded. “Yes, sir. It’s crystal clear.”

“Go to the dojo immediately.” Masahiro told him, and just as he turned to leave, he looked back at Jake once more. “I want proof that you are dedicating yourself to your word. As soon as possible.”

He left then, and walked out of the police station, and Jake stared after him, hardly able to move, he was so overwhelmed with relief and gratitude. He took a cab back to the dojo, going over and over every possibility in his mind; searching for a way that he could prove himself to Masahiro. He knew that no one knew Masahiro better than Koichi and Lisa.

When he reached the dojo, he went straight to Lisa’s office. As soon as he walked in, he knew that she was well aware of what had happened that morning. The look on her face told him exactly what she was thinking, and the sharp tone in her voice confirmed it.

“Jake Allen! What in the hell do you think you’re doing getting into a fight like that right outside of the dojo and then getting arrested for it! Are you hell bent on throwing away everything that you’ve worked for? Are you just completely determined to destroy the bright future you say you’re so anxious to reach for? What in the hell is going on?” She stood up and walked over to him, arms crossed over her chest.

He held his hands up and spoke gently to her. “Lisa, listen… it was Patrick. He jumped me outside the gate, and he had a crow bar, and god knows what else tucked away. I was defending myself, and it just… it just went all wrong. Can you understand that? I didn’t go looking for a fight. I wasn’t out there trying to street fight or screw up or take him down or anything even close to that. I just… I was just defending myself and someone called the cops and I got arrested. It’s public property on the street. I wasn’t thinking about that… okay? I wasn’t thinking about anything but staying alive.”

She heaved a sigh and frowned darkly at him. “How did you even get out of jail?”

Jake heard her tone soften just slightly, and it encouraged him. “Masahiro came and bailed me out.”

Shock registered on her face, and he knew then just how lucky he was that it had happened at all. “Listen… he came and bailed me out and gave me an ultimatum. He said he’s going to give me one more chance to prove to him that I’m dedicated to this… you know, keep training, win the fight against Corbin in two weeks. He thinks I can do it. I know I can do it. I’m ready now, but he gave me a condition….”

Lisa’s mouth twitched as if she knew full well what a condition from Masahiro meant. “What was it?” she asked tentatively.

“He said I have to prove to him that I’m straightening my life out. You know… on the right path and dedicated to this place, and my future and the future of the dojo. All of that. I have to prove it to him.” Jake told her, his breath beginning to grow short.

“Well!” she breathed out in a half laugh, “I have no idea how you’re going to do that. You can come to training every day and work your butt off, you can win the competition, and none of that will be enough. I can promise you that right now. He is looking for something else. Something like a guarantee. I know Masahiro better than you can imagine, and I have no idea what you could do to convince him of your intentions.”

Jake swallowed the knot in his throat. He took a step forward and locked his clear blue eyes on Lisa’s black ones. “I do.”

She lowered a brow and turned her head slightly in suspicion. “What?” she asked, eyeing him carefully.

He took a deep breath. “I want you to say you’ll marry me.” He didn’t know how he managed to get the words out, but he had. He had gone over every possibility and option in his mind so many times that nothing seemed like it would work except that. He just had to find the courage to ask her.

Lisa’s mouth fell full open. “What?” she asked in amazement, staring at him.

He held his hands up again defensively. “Not… not a real marriage… not even more than just an engagement. I just… I need to find a way to show him that I’m committed to this place, at least long enough for him to trust me and believe in me. Right? So… I thought that if we tell him we are engaged, he’s going to have the proof he wants to see that shows him just how serious I am taking this. I mean, no one is going to kick my ass more than you, right? Not even Koichi.

He’s going to know I’m straightening my life out and that I’m genuinely committed to this dojo and to all of you and myself if he thinks we’re engaged. Think about it. How much closer could I get here? I’m not saying we have to go through with it. We could break it off later. I just… I have to find a way to prove it to him fast, and this is the best way.”

“Lying to my… to him, is not the best way!” she snapped at him sharply, narrowing her eyes. “That’s a terrible idea!”

“No! It’s the only option I have! You said yourself that you didn’t know what I could do. That’s because there is nothing else that I can do. Think about it! We tell him that we are engaged, and maybe we even move in together… I guess in your place. I can’t see you living in my place… at least until he trusts me and he sees everything I do here to train hard and win the competitions. Then we just tell him that we are better as friends and we’re breaking off the engagement. Right?

"I’ll tell you what. We’ll be roommates. I’ll chip in money for half of everything, so you’ll have some benefit to this too, right? It’ll work.” He moved closer to her, his eyes desperate with hope. “It has to work… Lisa, this is the only shot I have left. I’m not going to lose this… I’m not. Please… be my friend. Help me. You said you chose me because you saw potential, and you were right. God you were so right about all of it.