Claiming The Prize (22 page)

He kissed her softly.

“
You will never disappoint
me by trusting me.”

She nodded under his gaze.

Cupping her face, he renewed their
kiss.
He never wanted her to doubt his love or withhold her cares
from him.
Treasuring the woman who put him before herself, he
kissed her lovingly, knowing he was a blessed man.

Chapter 14

Successively, Drago's
opponents fell before him.
Antoine Brooks tapped out in the second
round, choked in a guillotine.
Jake Warwick, a heavy handed
striker, had lasted into the third round before collapsing under
Drago's blows.
Rutger B
?
nn never made it out of the first
round, adding to the infamy of Drago's legs.
The pace had been
grueling – three fights in a nine month window.
But five
consecutive victories had earned Drago a new contract and a match
up with Elian Souva.
Souva was the only thing that now stood
between him and a title fight with Dean Murdoch.

Elian, he knew, wanted his own shot at
the title badly.
They had met after Drago defeated Mainn in Las
Vegas and had instantly hit it off.
Souva would give no quarter,
and Drago respected that immensely.
Quite possibly the best
grappler in their division, Elian Souva would try his abilities
beyond anyone else he had encountered.
In fact, Drago's opinion was
that Souva was a greater threat to him than the current champ,
Murdoch.
His wife agreed.

Letting him know that she supported
him no matter what his decision, Grace made it clear that she felt
it was time to return to First Strike, team Anto-Engage, and her
father.
His first reaction had been anger.

“
Your father may be a
legend, Grace, but you think of him as if he's the answer to
everything.
Like he's damned invincible!
Have a little faith
in me,
Grace!”

He expected her to be shocked, or at
least upset at his harshness.
He never raised his voice toward her.
He couldn't believe he had actually cursed.
But he was the one to
be shocked when she merely laughed and wrapped her arms around him
from behind as he sat at their kitchen table.

“
I have full faith in you,
Drago Zadrovec, and you know it!
Although, I suppose you have a
point, husband.
But if you have a daughter someday, don't you want
her to look at you in this way?”

The truth of her words melted away his
anger.
Hauling her into his lap, he kissed her and laughed at
himself.

“
I suppose it is time to
think about this move,
ž
ena.
Elians's skills may require
your father's expertise, I admit.”

She became serious as she met his
eyes.

“
Drago, I love our life
here.
I'm not saying that we should return to America
permanently.”

He raised an eyebrow before teasing,
“Are you admitting that even our dear Anika is growing on
you?”

“
I would never go that far,
Mr.
Zadrovec,” she grinned.

There was no longer animosity between
the women.
Anika would likely always be a petulant and abrasive
woman, but the two had come to a respectful understanding over the
months.
For starters, Grace had seen beyond the woman's prima donna
act when she had decided against terminating her pregnancy.
Anika,
for all her bark, had denied her wants for Josip's sake.
But even
that had not blunted her tongue where Grace was concerned.
The
shift in their relationship had stemmed from an unlikely
source.

Josip's sister, Ranelle
Igrec.

As word had spread about Grace's
training program for women, even Ranelle had taken notice.
Her
career rested on her looks and figure, and eventually curiosity
brought her to Spar-Slava.
Under Grace's fitness regime, which
included jujitsu and self-defense, Ranelle saw results.
For months
their relationship remained purely professional, but working
closely with Grace, who pushed and encouraged her beyond her
limits, began to break down her prejudice.

Camaraderie grew between them, and
they found themselves enjoying one another's company.
Friendship
caused Ranelle to open up.

“
It wasn't that I didn't
like you.
I didn't even know you,” Ranelle explained.
“I judged you
because of Vanessa.
I shouldn't have, Grace.”

“
Vanessa?”
Grace
questioned.

“
Drago never told you about
Vanessa?
Well, I'm not surprised.
He probably never wants to think
of her again.”

“
Is that the girl he was
engaged to?
He told me he was engaged once, but that it didn't work
out.”

“
Didn't work out!
That is
an understatement.
Drago met Vanessa Kane when her family traveled
here, to Slovakia, for her dad's work.
Her family had some money,
and she loved a good time.
Back then, Drago was a lot wilder!”
Ranelle laughed.
“Anyway, she set her sights on Drago from day one.
He was young and dumb, and he fell for her.
She was very pretty.
That didn't hurt, either.”

“
What happened?”
Grace
wondered aloud.

“
Well, Drago asked her to
marry him, and she said yes.
Sounds great, right?
But he had a
fight in Japan later that year, and he lost.
She dropped him like
that!
What's worse is that she took up with the guy that Drago lost
to – that night!”

“
That's awful!”
Grace
shuddered.
“What did he do?”

“
What could he do?
He came
home and picked up his life.
She got what was coming to her though.
That woman had the nerve to come back after that guy dumped her,
saying she had made a mistake and asking Drago to take her back.
He
didn't, of course.
By that time, he realized that she had never
been right for him.”

“
And you were worried that
he'd be hurt again, weren't you?”

“
I was at first.
But,
Grace, Drago's happier than I've ever seen him.
You've been good
for him.
I mean that.
And I'm glad that we've gotten to know each
other.

“
I am, too,
Ranelle.”

After a workout one evening, they sat
together laughing over a particularly odd class dynamic.
Anika, in
the final days of her pregnancy, waddled in to meet Josip, who was
upstairs in the locker.

“
Vitajte,
Welcome,”
Ranelle said
offhandedly.

“
How are you?”
Grace
asked.

“
Miserable if you must
know,” Anika snapped.
Peering about the room, she complained, “Why
isn't there a decent seat in here?”

“
I'll get you one,” Grace
offered, rising from the mat.

“
What?
And spoil your
little circle time?”

Grace ignored the remark and hauled a
chair from the office, placing it on the edge of the mat.
Anika
managed to ease into the seat dramatically.

“
Could you have found a
less comfortable chair?
Unbelievable!”

“
Oh, Anika, shut up,”
Ranelle said, rolling her eyes.

She leaned toward Grace,
laughing.

“
She's even more miserable
than usual tonight!”

This simple exchange altered Anika's
behavior considerably, for Grace Zadrovec was no longer an
outsider.

* * *

Sunshine reflected off the
glittering, snow covered streets, and the wintry wonderland held
Grace in awe.
Curled in her favorite window seat, she gazed out the
third story window.
Heat from the radiator seeped through the
cushioned bench beneath her, stealing away winter's sting and
allowing her to enjoy the icy spectacle in comfort.
The book in her
lap long forgotten, she drank in the beautiful sight until its
brightness forced her to look away.

With only herself and Drago to care
for and after being cooped up inside so much, their home sparkled.
Grace had nothing to occupy her time.
Her Mondays with Ilija had
been canceled the last few weeks.
Winter had ensured that.
Long
sessions on the phone with her father consumed much of her
husband's free time.
She knew they were planning his training and
strategy – she itched to know the details – but, so far, Drago had
been mute on the subject.

Footsteps on the wooden stairs
announced Drago's morning sessions were complete, and he broke
through the door wearing a broad smile.
Grateful for something to
do, Grace busily arranged their simple meal on the table before
beginning the tea.

“
Everything is
settled,
ž
ena.
We
leave for America in a few days.”

Twisting to face him, excitement and
surprise showed in her eyes.

“
Really, Drago?”

Amusement crossed his face.

“
Really, milovany.
I
thought you might be pleased,” he said against her ear.
“And I am
happy to see that I was correct.”

“
You've been secretly
scheming with my father and keeping me in suspense for weeks, Drago
Zadrovec!
I ought to find some way to punish you!”
She sighed and
hugged him tightly.
“But yes, I am pleased.”

“
You may punish me later,
Grace,” he chuckled.
“For now, let's eat.”

During the course of their meal, Drago
relayed all their plans for departure and arrival while Grace
pummeled him with questions.
Knowing the exceptionally harsh
weather had kept his wife rather isolated, Drago beamed inwardly at
seeing her exuberance.
Making her happy had become his most
ambitious goal.
Her chattering stopped, the wide smile replaced
with a drawn brow.

“
Oh.
What about baby Lana
and Ilija?
And my students?”

She paused, realizing that the joy of
spending six and a half months with her father would also cause her
great sorrow.
Soberly pondering this thought, a strange longing
took root in the pit of her stomach.

“
Don't worry, moja
ž
ena.
Gabriel has
offered to assume the instruction of your classes until we return.
And I have arranged for Dubravko, Ilija, and Svetlana to visit us
in March.
It will be only a short visit, but will ease the
separation for you - and Ilija, too.”

Eyes shining, she stared at him
lovingly.

Softly she said, “You've thought of
everything.
Thank you.”

He moved from his seat and gathered
her to himself.

“
Why do you think it took
two weeks, milovany?
Your father and I were of one mind within a
few days.”

His smile only endeared him to her
more deeply.
As he carried her to their bed, she raised her head,
an idea materializing.

“
I'll ask Ranelle to assist
Gabriel!
I think she'll like that.”

“
Plan later, Gracie,” his
sultry tone intimated before he captured her lips.

* * *

Even Grace's great excitement waned as
one delay followed another.
The noise and bustle of Hamburg's
terminal was now replaced with eerie quiet as exhausted travelers
vainly sought comfort in their cramped seats.
Carry on bags, now
employed as footrests, littered the aisles, and one small child
slumbered atop her parent's generous duffel.
Frigid temperatures
accompanied by ice kept the passengers in an uncertain
limbo.