Jude (A Cocky Cage Fighter Novel Book 2) (18 page)

Sadie

"Has your dad seen your tattoo yet?" Jude ask while his tongue teases around the shell of my turtle.

"Nope. I've been wearing mono-kinis around the pool whenever he's home."

We've been back from the beach for three weeks now, and we're only three weeks away from fight night. Jude and I are better than ever, which is still surprising. I feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop, like being with him is almost too good to be true and one day he’ll realize he can do better than me.

"Thank God, because he’d lose his shit if he sees it," he says, tickling my hip bone with his kisses. He spends a lot of time down there, and I've spent a lot of time here with him in his apartment over the last few weeks. It feels like our apartment because I have about as much of my stuff in the bathroom and closet as Jude does. Since I have a key, I come over and fix a healthy dinner for him every night before Jude leaves the gym. After we eat we cuddle on the sofa together and watch TV until we start making out. At first we’d just make love right then and there, but after the third time Jude actually fell asleep on top of me from the day’s exhaustion, I insisted we go to bed before our clothes come off. He still passes out on me, but at least I don’t have to wake him up and practically drag him to the bedroom.

In the mornings at the ungodly hour of six a.m. Jude kisses me goodbye before he leaves to start his full day of intense training. Sometimes I work a few hours at the gym counter just to watch him and other days I meet the girls at my house to gossip about our men around the pool. Sundays are the only days I can convince Jude to rest, and we spend those with his family, after we stay in bed until way past noon. Jude’s dad and Page have always welcomed me warmly, but I can tell Jax wasn’t exactly thrilled with me and his brother at first. I know he just wants Jude to be the best fighter he can be and doesn’t want me distracting him. Over the weeks Jax has thawed, and seems more accepting of me in his brother’s life.

If only we could be honest with my dad instead of having to sneak around and constantly lie to him. Actually, I’m pretty sure he might even suspect that we’re together. Not that I’d admit that to the man that seems terrified of him finding out.

"So yesterday my dad asked me if I'm on birth control," I tell Jude.

"He did?" he asks, moving back up my body until his worried face with furrowed brow is above mine. "Well? What'd you tell him?"

"The truth. I mean I couldn't really lie since I'm on his health insurance and use his money to pay for the prescription."

"And? How'd he take it?"

"He just said that he wanted to make sure because he knows I'm not staying with Brayden every night."

Actually he said in the most awkward conversation ever, “
Sadie, I’m not a fucking idiot, but I really don’t want to know the details. So you can keep lying about where you’re going and I’ll keep pretending I don’t know exactly where your car is sitting every night. Just…don’t be stupid, and I hope this means you’re going to stay home this fall and go to Georgetown
.”

"Well shit," Jude exhales and runs a hand nervously over his head.

"Why don't we just tell him?" I ask without filling him in on the fact that my dad already seems to know.

"No!" he exclaims quickly. "Not with the fight coming up. I need him in my corner. I need you both in my corner."

I try to extinguish my disappointment. I don't want us to have to hide from my dad anymore. Jude and I are good together, and now I’m pretty sure my dad will even be happy that the two of us are in a relationship.

"After the fight is over, okay?" he says, brushing his lips over mine. "I promise I'll come clean about everything then. Just...give me the next few weeks in case it blows up, okay?"

"Okay," I agree. I know Jude's got a lot of pressure on him with training and struggling to make weight, so there's no reason for us to add to his stress, even if it’s unwarranted.

"I love you," Jude says against my lips. "Whatever happens just...please don't forget that."

“I won’t,” I reply even though I’m confused about why he seems so concerned. I’m not going anywhere. In fact, I should probably tell him so. “I’m staying here and going to Georgetown.”

“You are?” he asks with a smile that quickly fades. “But I know you really wanted to go to Duke.”

“I’d rather stay here instead.”

“We can…no, we
will
make long distance work if you move to North Carolina. Please don’t stay here for me.”

“I’m not. I’m staying for myself,” I assure him.

“And you’re absolutely sure?”

“Yes.”

“Well, in that case, I want you to move in with me. Officially, after we tell your dad.”

“Really?” I ask, unable to help my enormous grin.

“Win or lose, I won’t have to train as much until another fight’s scheduled, so I want to spend as much time with you as I can when you’re not at school,” he tells me, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear sweetly.

“Okay,” I agree.

“You will?” he asks with his adorable dimpled grin.

“Yeah,” I assure him. “Now a little less conversation and a lot more action before you go narcoleptic on me.”

He chuckles before he says, “You’re gonna pay for that. And if it wasn’t true I’d handcuff you to the bed while I fuck the smartass out of you. But since it is, unfortunately, you’d probably just end up restrained all night when I pass out. So, I’ll just quickly have my way with you.”

“Quickly?” I giggle.

“Yeah, but it’ll be fan-fucking-tastic,” he says before making good on his promise.

Sadie

It's the day before the fight, and the media is swarming during the press conference after the official weigh in. I try to stay back out of the way while watching Jude take the questions on with his new cocky swagger that somehow makes him even hotter.

After a few days of practically starving himself, he made weight right at 169.9 so now he's holding a bottle of Gatorade, rehydrating and probably thinking about all the shit he gets to eat the rest of the day. I'm busy trying to figure out how I'm going to sneak into his room tonight.

"What's a beautiful girl like you doin' back here with a buncha sweaty, trash talkin’ men?" a deep voice with a southern drawl asks from beside me.

I glance over and my eyes widen when I come face to face with blonde hair, blue eyes, and exactly six feet, one-hundred-seventy pounds of cocky male.

Linc Abrams, Jude's opponent.

"How's it going, Linc? Shouldn't you be up there?" I ask as nicely as possible, nodding to the stage. Although I'm a little star struck, what I really want to say to him is, "
My boyfriend is going to kick your ass tomorrow night.
"

"I'd rather be down here. And since ya know who I am, it’s only fair that ya tell me your name," he replies with a smirk.

He's a good looking bastard, I'll give him that. After seeing him strip down on the scales while they held a towel in front of his junk so he could make weight, he's now covered up. With a white
Evolution
team tee stretched snug across his broad chest, a pair of faded, ripped jeans that are riding low on his hips, and black
Vans
on his feet he has sort of a slacker, surfer boy look going on. You'd never guess he’s currently the best welterweight fighter in the world. At least until tomorrow.

"If ya don't tell me your name then I'll just ask around until I find out."    

"Sadie. Sadie Briggs," I say, offering him a handshake. He smiles wider when his palm meets mine. He continues holding onto it longer than what is considered as polite.

"Briggs? Like Jude Malone's
Coach
Briggs?" he asks with wide, blue eyes, finally releasing my hand.

"Yeah, he's my dad."

"Do you have a hideously ugly sister?" he asks the completely random question while eyeing me up and down.

"What? A sister?" I reply in confusion. "No, I'm an only child."              

"Holy shit!" He laughs. "Dave, my coach, made it sound like you were disfigured or some shit, when you're actually incredibly hot."

What the hell?

"Thanks, I guess," I say, feeling my cheeks warm at the unexpected compliment.

"No, I should be thankin'
you
for this easy win tomorrow, since you're the one who made this matchup happen."

This guy is completely nuts if he thinks he's going to beat Jude easily, and why does he think I set it up?

"My dad's the one who negotiated this
difficult
fight between you and Jude," I correct him.

"No, it was definitely you. Dave told me all about the deal your dad cut Malone. Somethin' like in exchange for him finally goin' out with you, Coach Briggs would set him up to fight me for the title. Helluva sweet deal and a big ass payday for Malone to get a fight he doesn't deserve and a girl as gorgeous as you."

"Holy shit," I mutter in understanding, my heart coming to a complete stop in my chest. Jude got this fight in exchange for going out with me? From the beginning at prom or...or was it for him to date me the whole damn summer?

What the fuck? I glance up to the stage at Jude. He wouldn't have done that to me, would he? But if I'm honest with myself…I know it's the most likely explanation for him ending up with someone like me.

All this time...my own father has been making a fool out of me. He'd even made me
beg
to let Jude take me to prom after he'd apparently orchestrated the whole damn thing! No wonder he knew where I was every night. And Jude...I close my eyes to try and stop the pain coursing through me because it's overwhelming. It's too much...too unexpected to deal with. He actually told me
he loved me
when we were only together because of a fucking fight!  

Was he faking it all this whole time and going to end things between us once it's all over tomorrow? Will his
obligation
finally be finished then? Oh God, is this why he wanted to get back together at the beach? He
had
too for his deal?

"You didn't know?" Linc asks, bringing me back to the present.

I shake my head in response since I can't speak. My hands cover my embarrassed and humiliated face, hiding the tears I'm unable to hold back.

"Shit, I'm sorry. Oh no, please don't cry. You're gonna break my heart, doll."

The stranger's arms unexpectedly go around me hesitantly in a hug, comforting me even though he doesn't know me. All he knows is that I'm so pathetic my dad has to
set up guys
to go out with me. It's a pity hug because my father and the man I love, the man I thought actually loved me, have both been lying to me for weeks! My tears leak onto his t-shirt before I can stop them.

"What the hell? Sadie, what's wrong?"

I freeze hearing Jude's voice. I don't think I can even bear to look at his lying face right now, and I certainly don't want to hear his bullshit. I'm...crushed, and my heart's been splintered into a million pieces. Then I feel Jude's hands on me, grabbing me around my shoulder and waist. It reminds me of all the times he's touched me over the last six weeks. Not because he wanted to, but because he wanted a fucking fight! 

"Don't touch me!" I yell, bristling at his phony contact meant to offer me comfort.

"You heard her Malone, get your hands off of her," Linc tells him, shifting us away from Jude.

"No Abrams,
you
need to take your goddamn hands off of my girlfriend," Jude growls, standing so close I can feel his warm breath on the back of my neck.

"You fucker," Linc mutters in understanding. "No wonder she's so damn upset."

"Why, what the hell did you do to her?" Jude asks.

"I didn't do anything to her. That's all on you, man."

"Sadie, talk to me. What the hell is going on?" Jude asks.

"Sadie, what are you doing?" My dad asks, making me tense up even more. My own father basically whored his pathetic daughter out for a fight he'll make a shitload of money on.

"Do you wanna get outta here? Away from these assholes?" Linc asks and I nod.

I need to escape. I feel like I'm suffocating, and I can't deal with either of their lying faces right now.

"Hey, Dave!" Linc yells. "Gimme your keys!" He reaches up in the air grabbing the tossed keys, then pushes me forward toward the door with a guiding hand on my back when some of the media people start crowding around us.

"Sadie, wait! Where the hell are you going?" Jude yells, following us.

"Just one second," I tell Linc, before wiping my eyes so I can finally turn around to face him. I need to know for certain.

"Tell me Jude, did my dad throw in letting you fuck me as part of your deal, or did you just take advantage of the situation you were
forced
into for this fight?" I ask. His blanch tells me he knows
exactly
what the hell I'm talking about. It's true. It's actually fucking true. "That's the
real
reason why you said we had to hide from my dad, isn't it?"

Jude didn't want my dad to know he was fucking me on the side after accepting his deal.  

"Sadie, please let me explain-"

"It's too fucking late for explanations!" I shout at him.  

"Don't worry Malone, I'll take care of her," Linc says with a smirk and then Jax and my dad have to hold Jude back when he tries to launch himself at the blonde man. Right, because he never actually wanted me, but for whatever reason he can't stand seeing me with someone else. Fuck that and fuck him!

"You've got no one to blame but yourself, Jude, and you know it," Jax says as we walk away. Great, so even he knew they'd been conniving behind my back.

…

Jude

"Let me go or so help me
God
!" I warn all the hands on me.

"Not until you calm down," my dad says, standing in front of me with a grip on both my shoulders.

"I'll calm down after I knock him the fuck out!"

"You can't touch him before the fight or you forfeit," Coach says.

"I don't give a shit!"

"You're pissed at him when you should be mad at yourself," Jax continues to run his mouth. "Why didn't you just tell her the truth?"

"Because of that right there!" I yell, pointing at the empty doorway. "I knew I'd fucking lose her."

"This is all my fault," Coach sighs heavily beside me. "I manipulated you both."

Oh fuck! Now he knows about me and Sadie since I just yelled it out louder than if I had a megaphone. That manages to calm my anger a smidge.

"I'm sorry I went behind your back and kept this from you, Coach."

"What? That you two have been seeing each other since you hooked up at prom?" he asks calmly.

"Um, well, yeah."

"I know she's been staying with you every night," he says with a shrug.

"You...you did? You've known about us the whole time?"

"Hell, Jude, do you think I'm stupid? Everyone in the gym could tell within five seconds of being in the same room with you two. And your death threats to more than half the fighters on our team wasn't exactly subtle. Why do you think I caused all this mess to begin with? I wanted you to end up together."

"But..." I start to say, only I'm at a complete loss.

"After that jackass dumped Sadie before prom I didn't want her to keep dating losers. I knew you didn't date, don't drink, use drugs, or do anything but train in my gym. I thought you'd be good for each other, and of course, I was right. I'd already set up the fight when I asked you to take her to prom."

"Wow. I thought you'd shoot me when you found out, which is why I kept it from you. I didn't want you to tell her about the deal we made with the fight. If I'd known..." Hell, I still wouldn't have told Sadie the truth.

"I picked you because I couldn't have picked anyone better for her. You've made her happy, and she's somehow made you a better fighter. If I'd tried to actually convince the two of you to go out, neither of you would have agreed."

"And you didn't want her moving away for college. You thought that if the two of us got together she'd stay here for me, right?"

"I’d hoped so."

"We're both dumbasses," I tell him. "And now she's with fucking Linc Abrams. How the hell did that happen?"

"I don't know. One second they were talking and then she was crying. Probably my fault for telling Dave, Linc's man, the details about our deal. I figure that's what Linc must’ve said to her."  

I pull out my phone and try to call Sadie. When my other pocket vibrates I remember I agreed to hold her phone for her since she's wearing a dress.
Fuck.
No way to reach her, and no telling where they're going. She won't fuck with Linc, will she? Hell, as mad and as hurt as she is, I'm not so sure.

"What am I supposed to do?" I ask Jax and Coach. "I can't fight like this. My head's not right."

"Let out that rage you just showed a few minutes ago, and you'll wipe the floor with him," Jax replies. "Sadie might actually help you by being such a cock tease he'll be too strung out to fight. Or not," he mutters when I grab him up by the front of his t-shirt.

"Sadie just needs a little time to cool off, away from us," Coach says. "She'll think about it and forgive us."