Takedown (3 page)

Frightened and enraged, she thrust her knee upward, aiming for his crotch.

Bullseye. She just hit his balls clean and hard. His eyes protruded as he groaned in pain.

As soon as his grip loosened, she pushed him away and ran to the door.

She had not anticipated his fast recovery. Before she could pull the door open, he grabbed her arm and swirled her around.

“Get your hands off me!” she screamed and clawed at his face. Again, she managed to escape and ran to the window.

She looked down. Fuck, she was around fifty meters above the ground. There was no way out.

“Help!” she screamed, hoping someone below could hear her, but apparently, as nobody bothered to look up, no one did.

“That’s right,” Blaze said. “Scream as loud as you can before I get my hands on you.”

She turned to him. He was slowly approaching her, his eyes blazing furiously. Three lines of scratch marked his forehead to his left cheek. Good for him.

She sank against the window sill, searching for anything that she could use to her defense. She spotted a glass trophy on the shelf beside her. Quickly, she grabbed it and thrust it in his direction.

“Don’t you come near me,” she warned.

He stopped and pointed a finger at her. “Hey, don’t touch that. Put that back.”

“After I rammed it in your face, yeah, I will.”

“No, no. That’s a delicate thing. Put it down.”

She smirked at the understanding that she was holding something precious in her hand, precious to him at least.

She lowered her gaze to have a closer look at the trophy.

Shit, it was a man’s organ made out of glass, carved from its wide bulbous head to the minute detail of veins around its shaft, resting over a pair of testicles.

She cringed but she held onto the loathsome thing. Whatever it was, it would be her safe way out of here.

She held the trophy out of the window, alarming him. “If you don’t let me out of here this instant, I’ll drop this,” she threatened.

It worked. He raised both his hands in surrender. “Okay,” he said and stepped back, clearing her way. “Just put that down and you’re free to go.”

“I don’t trust you,” she said. “Get inside your office and lock it. Don’t come out until I’m gone.”

“Fine.” He walked to his private office. “But leave that at the door.”

“I will if you do what I told you to do. Now, go!”

“Going,” he replied with his arms still raised and entered the door.

“Close it,” she demanded, cautiously eyeing him to make sure he wouldn’t retaliate.

He pushed the door closed. Just when she thought it was safe to go, he swung the door open again and stepped out with a gun in his hand, pointing at her.

She froze. Her jaw dropped.

Shit! How stupid of her to let him out of her sight.

It was his turn to wear that smirk of victory. “Drop that thing now, sweetheart,” he taunted.

“I was about to leave it here and go. You don’t have to point a gun at me.”

“So what do you want me to do? Press that button over there?”

She followed the direction where he had nodded and found a security alarm on the wall. Fuck, if he pressed that, the guards would come get her here and throw her out of the building, or in jail.

“Why didn’t you?”

He chuckled. “Why should I? You’re just a woman. I don’t want them to think that I can’t even defend myself from a woman such as you.”

“You think of women as wimps, do you? Is that why you don’t want to accept that I was the one who knocked you unconscious in the gym.”

“Shut up,” he growled, apparently pissed. He seemed to really hate the idea that it was a woman who knocked him unconscious. It probably insulted him as the undefeated UFC champ with a body mass of twice than hers.

“You’re a loser, aren’t you?”

“How can I tell? I never lost. But to tell you the truth, I hate to lose. That’s why I always win.”

“Just let me go and I won’t say a word about what happened here.”

“Not that fast, sweetheart. You don’t make demands while you’re under my mercy.”

“You’re not serious about shooting me right here in your office, are you?”

“Want to find out?”

She held her breath. Bryan had told her that this man was the opposite of the demon he had been portrayed by the press, but who knew what kind of monster lurked inside him. He was probably like Travis, whom she thought was an angel beneath his beastly frame, but was in fact a psychopathic murderer. As genetics had proven, common traits run in the bloodline.

With her heartbeat slamming against her chest, she bent her knees to lower the trophy to the floor, but as her fingers were badly shaking, she lost her grip on the cursed thing. It slipped out of her hand and fell to the floor.

She froze. A part of the obscene thing broke off.

“Shit!” he growled, terrifying her even more. For a moment, she thought he was going to shoot her right away.

“I’m sorry.” She quickly picked up the pieces on the floor.

He clenched his teeth, as if itching to skin her alive. “What was broken?”

She glanced at the pieces of glass in her hand. She swallowed. “The ball broke off, but I can fix this.”

“Oh, fuck. Not that precious ball,” he roared. “Put it down. Just put it down.”

She obeyed and straightened up. She could hardly breathe now. At this rate, the look in his eyes was more frightening than his gun. Twice the monster his brother was.

Slowly, he approached her. She stepped back, until her back pressed against the hard wall. She had no way out.

“W-what else do you want?” she asked, her tears about to fall.

He lowered his gun and tucked it behind him. It only afforded her a few seconds of relief before he suddenly grabbed her neck with one big hand and pressed his hard body against hers, pinning her helplessly immobile against the wall.

“No!” she squealed as his hand tightened around her neck. With his strength, he could easily snap her dead.

“Relax,” he said. “I’m not going to strangle you. Not yet.”

She trembled in fear. He’s a monster. She could see the soul of the very devil glowing in his eyes. She had been wrong all along. It must have been the devil who put a spell on her to think this man was worth fantasizing about.

“Please,” she cried. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, now you’re sorry,” he taunted. “Just a moment ago, you tried to make a minced meat out of my precious balls and threatened to break my Hung Man of the Year award.”

She cracked her eyes wide open. Was he kidding her? “Hung?”

“Yes, for having the biggest dick among two hundred contestants.”

“Only those with small dicks would waste their time joining such stupid competition.”

“Is that so?” He pressed his lower body against hers.

She screamed. She could feel something hard digging through her tummy. That could be his multi-awarded famous cock. “Get that thing off me! I don’t want it.”

“Hey, hey,” he tightened his hold around her neck to remind her of her place. “I’ve no intention of giving you a taste of my cock. It’s not that cheap. You’re not worthy of it, and you’re not my type.”

Insulted, she tried to give him another upward blow, but with his strong pair of legs pressed against hers, she could not move. “Asshole!”

“Now, listen.”

Gasping, she stopped struggling. Suddenly, she no longer feared him. What she felt was anger—just plain anger. If she could only move, she’d smash his conceited face, including his pair of conceited balls.

“You’re not going to tell anybody about that incident in the gym. Not your family, not your friends, not anybody? Do you understand?”

Too late, she had already told Candace. “And if I told anyone?”

“Simple, you and your brother will go to jail.”

“And everyone will know that a woman had knocked you down.”

“To be honest, I’m still not convinced it was you who’d done that.”

“Want me to prove it?”

He was quiet, as if trying to consider her challenge. “Let’s make a deal, shall we?”

“That’s what I came here for. I want you to set my brother free, and I’ll make a deal with you.”

“Why didn’t you say so?”

“Because you’re scaring me.”

“Oh, you’re scared? You look like a tiger fresh out of the jungle if you ask me.”

“I had to defend myself.”

He released his grip on her neck and stepped back, but he left just half a foot distance between them, in case she had any plans of running away again. “This is the deal,” he said.

She took a deep breath. “Go on.”

He peered at her face, the tip of his nose touching hers. She could feel his warm breath blowing over her lips. She could even smell his perfume.

Fuck. The manly fragrance was intoxicating her senses.

“I want you to shut your pretty mouth about that incident. In return, I won’t press charges against you. How’s that?”

“How about my brother?”

“I will speak with your brother. I will offer him the same deal.”

“As long as you release Josh, I won’t say a word about it.”

“You’d better, or I swear to God, you’ll be sorry.”

She swallowed. The tone of his voice was enough to stir fear inside her. “I promise.”

“Good.” He moved away and crossed his arms. “Now, you may go.”

For a moment, she cautiously stared at him. This could be another deception. She couldn’t just turn her back from him knowing he had a gun with him.

Keeping her eyes on him, she moved towards the door.

“And tell your boyfriend I’ll beat the shit out of him when I see him,” he said.

“My boyfriend is dead. Your brother killed him,” she spat and ran out of the door.

*****

Blaze was left frozen to his feet.

What did she just say? His brother killed her boyfriend?

Was she referring to Travis? And her boyfriend was…

He ran out of the door to follow her, but she had already entered the elevator.

No way. She must be humoring him.

He went back to his office, and suddenly, a familiar face flashed before his eyes.

That woman he saw crying in the hospital before Bryan was pronounced dead. It was her.

“Fuck!” he cussed. He opened the drawer and searched for the photograph that Bryan had given him a couple of months ago.

He found it stuck inside his organizer. A photo of Bryan and his girlfriend.

He took a closer look at it. The woman in the photo was a lot prettier than that tiger who stole a score on his balls, but the similarity was obvious.

He flipped the photograph to read the caption on the back.

Me and my Megan.

“Fuck!” he growled. How the hell did he miss that?

He reached for the phone and told the guard to hold Megan from exiting the building, but too late. She was already gone.

Shit. His friend was not even buried yet, and he’d scared the hell out of his girlfriend.

Chapter 4

Blaze sighed impatiently as he drove his car like a snail through the crowd of people gathered before the gate of the cemetery. Today was Bryan Miller’s burial, and these people were probably Bryan’s fans, hoping to get the opportunity to say goodbye to the man they adored. Unfortunately, they were not permitted to enter the premises to give the grieving relatives some privacy.

Most of them were young men, obviously MMA fans. They all wore black shirts with Bryan’s photo on the front. About a quarter of the crowd were women, holding placards where the words “RIP Bryan” and “We will miss you” were written.

He spotted someone standing among the crowd and being pushed by a guard to step aside to give way to his approaching sports car. He narrowed his eyes and peered through his windshield to get a better look.

Indeed, it was Megan Riley. Unlike when she came to his office two days ago with her hair tied and clad in a pair of faded jeans, this time, she had put on a pretty black dress and let her wavy copper hair loose.

To be fair, Bryan knew how to choose. On a scale of ten, he’d give her seven. His main turn off from her was her chest. It looked like a B size to him. Maybe it was not that bad, but he always enjoyed the sight of a big-breasted woman, and he loved the feel of them squeezed in his hands.

He pulled the car over in front of Megan and rolled the window down. The crowd yelled when they recognized him. He waved his hand at them and looked at Megan who was stunned to see him there. “Come on in, Miss Riley.”

Megan did not move. She remained staring at him in disbelief.

“You have five seconds.”

As if she’d been splashed with cold water, she quickly ran to the other side of the car and got into the passenger’s seat.

She pulled her dress to her knees and sat up straight. “Thank you,” she said.

He shrugged and rolled his window up. “What the hell are you doing there?” he asked as he continued driving forward. “Shouldn’t you be inside?”

She shook her head. “I’m not on the list.”

“Really?” he pretended to be surprised. He had known all along that Bryan never had the opportunity to introduce her to his parents, not even to his friends. “Why is that?”

She shook her head. “I’m just a fan.”

He snickered. “A fan, huh?”

She did not reply. For a few seconds, she kept her silence.

Finally, they made it through the gate.

“By the way,” she said. “Thank you for releasing my brother.”

“The police did. They had nothing to charge him with.”

She nodded and was again silent.

“So what are you going to tell Bryan’s relatives if they asked who you are?” he asked.

Her lips fell open. It seemed the realization just hit her. “I don’t know.”

He sighed. He couldn’t understand why she had to deny her relationship with Bryan from him. Did she actually think he was too dumb not to realize what she meant by her last words before she left his office two days ago? But alright, he’d play along.

“Here we are,” he said and pulled the car over. A crowd had already gathered on the lawn nearby. Bryan’s casket was already there, near the newly-dug hole. “Let’s go.”

He jumped out of the car and slammed the door closed. As he was about to turn away, he noticed that Megan was trying to hide behind the car.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She stood up straight, her face marred with anxiety. “Maybe I should just wait here.”

“Come on. Just tell them, you’re with me.”

Reluctantly, she dragged her feet towards him.

“Relax. Nobody’s going to bite you.”

Keeping her eyes to the ground, she walked with him. He brought her to the coffin where she could see her late boyfriend one last time. The lid had already been closed, so he asked permission if he could open it.

He heard Megan sob as he lifted the lid. He glanced around to see if someone else was looking. There were a few, but they did not seem to mind his companion’s reaction.

Her non-stop crying stirred some unwanted emotions inside him. He’d miss his friend, and he was glad he’d managed to bring his girlfriend for the occasion. He knew that he just made Bryan happy for this. And he also knew that after this, he’d have to deal with Vivian Miller’s anger.

Patiently, he stood by her side for a few more minutes, until he saw Miranda, Bryan’s aunt, approaching.

“That’s enough. Let’s go,” he whispered to her and pulled her away. She did not complain and just went along. He couldn’t help but notice how small her hand felt underneath his, and her fingers were cold.

He took her to an isolated area underneath a tree, but Miranda followed them.

“Blaze, nice to see you,” Miranda said and leaned closer to him. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

He looked at Megan who couldn’t hide the weary on her face. Maybe she thought she was in trouble, but he’d handle this. “Stay here,” he said and followed Miranda a few feet away.

“That’s Bryan’s girlfriend, isn’t it?” Miranda asked.

“That’s why I took her along.”

“You should have asked Vivian first. You know Vivian doesn’t like her, and Kelsey is here.”

“Aunt Mir, she has the right to be here.”

“Look, I have nothing against that woman. But if Vivian finds out you brought her here, I can’t tell what she can do. Please, don’t ruin this ceremony. Tell her to leave.”

“I can’t. You’ve shunned her enough already. Bryan loved that woman, and he’d be happy that she is here. So please, just let her stay for a while. I’ll keep her away from everyone.”

Miranda seemed unsure of what to say.

“Aunt, Mir, this is for Bryan. Please try to consider.”

She heaved a sigh. “Alright, but make sure Vivian does not see her.”

“Done.”

He watched as Miranda walked away, and then she returned to Megan who was anxiously watching them.

“She asked you to make me leave, did she?” she suspected.

He shook his head. “She just told me you shouldn’t go anywhere near Bryan’s mother.”

She pressed her lips together and nodded. “I won’t.”

As the ceremony started, they stood at the rear of the crowd. He thought that Megan had finally calmed down, but when they lowered the coffin into the hole, she cried again. No one noticed though, because almost everyone else was crying.

After the ceremony, most of the guests remained to give their condolences to the grieving family.

Blaze saw Bryan’s parents under the canopy. He had to show himself to them or they’d think he did not come. “I’ll go talk to Bryan’s parents. Stay here. I won’t be long.”

She nodded.

Something felt heavy inside him as he turned away from her. He pitied her, and he wasn’t even the type who’d usually pity anyone unless for a big reason.

“Oh, Blaze.” Bryan’s mother, Vivian, stood up and hugged him. “You shouldn’t have quit, Blaze. If you have stopped that monster two years ago, this couldn’t have happened.”

Blaze blinked to dry the moist in his eyes and stroked Vivian’s back as she cried on his chest. “I’m sorry… I’m really sorry.”

Vivian was inconsolable, so he had to stay with her for a little longer until her husband came to get her from him.

Unable to stand the sight and the guilt that was crushing his heart, he turned away.

Two years ago, while he was the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, Travis became the number one contender. Their match was set. He knew how his brother dreamed of becoming a champion, and he’d be an asshole of a brother if he’d deny Travis of that dream. So instead of losing against Travis on purpose, he quit.

Travis became the new heavyweight champion by easily knocking out another contender. For two years, he’d defended his title in four very brutal fights, the last one ending with the death of Bryan. And now it kept bothering him… If he had stopped Travis from wreaking havoc in the Octagon two years ago, could that have changed Bryan’s fate?

“Hi, Blaze,” a woman approached him. He could not remember her name but he was sure this was one of Bryan’s cousins. “Do you know that lady over there?”

He followed the direction where the woman was pointing her finger. He saw Megan, talking with another one of Bryan’s relatives as if they were interrogating her.

“She claims she’s your girlfriend.”

Girlfriend? He cringed at the sound of the word.

He nodded anyway. “Yes, she is my girlfriend.” His tongue even twisted at the end. “I hope you don’t mind if I brought her along. She’s also a friend of Bryan.”

“Oh,” the woman nodded. “Okay. You should have told us you’re bringing someone with you, but anyway, it’s okay.”

“Thanks,” he said and was about to make his way back to Megan when Chuck, his former trainer, suddenly appeared from out of nowhere and dragged him to an empty spot.

“Is that Bryan’s girlfriend?” Chuck asked.

Blaze raised an eyebrow. “You knew?”

“I saw them together a few times. It’s good that you brought her with you.”

“I saw her standing at the gate.”

“Poor girl.”

“So what do you want to say?”

Chuck sighed. “Well, the court ruled in favor of Travis. They believed it was an accident.”

Blaze brushed his hair backward. He was not sure if he’d be happy about that. Travis may have escaped liability from homicide, but Bryan’s family had just been deprived of the justice they wished to seek.

If Travis would continuously get away from all those incidents due to his recklessness, he would never learn his lesson. He’d go on butchering his opponents in the octagon like they were some kind of animals.

“This can’t go on any longer, Chuck. Someone has to stop this madness.”

“That’s exactly what we’re talking about. His next match is being planned, and the next contender seems reluctant to fight him.”

Blaze expelled some air. “That dude named Cain, he seems capable.”

Chuck shook his head. “Cain’s not that popular.”

“I thought they want someone who could stop Travis?”

“They do, but at the same time, they want profit.”

Blaze chuckled. “If I were you, I’d sign a petition to strip Travis off his championship belt. He’s no longer a fighter. He’s a killer.”

“We did, but even the president cannot kick him out while the court ruled in his favor. Besides, the fans are crazy about him. The promotion will lose a great deal of money and supporters if they let him go.”

“So what are they planning to do? Risk another man’s life?”

“Blaze, the guys had come up with a decision. The commission has already approved it. There is only one man for the job.”

Blaze stepped back as he recognized the look in Chuck’s eyes. He shook his head. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Come on, Blaze. They want you back. The fans are clamoring for your return. You can fix this. Everyone’s counting on you.”

“Fuck, Chuck. I’ve retired. I’m not going back.”

“You can’t just sit around and watch your brother kill another man in the ring. You can stop him.”

Blaze threw his hands in the air and quickly turned around. Something hit his shoulders, followed by a short squeal of a woman. Before he realized what had happened, he found Megan on the ground, clutching her nose.

“Oh, fuck.” He sat on his haunches and held her shoulders. “You okay?”

She released her nose and glanced at her hand. There was blood on her palm, but only a small drop. “Yes,” she replied.

“Let me help you.” Chuck came and held her up to her feet. “You okay?”

She nodded. “Yes, Sir. Thank you.”

“You be careful. You don’t just walk into a boulder like that.”

Blaze rose to his feet. That sounded like Gladys. “I already slimmed down.”

“You’d better start pumping up those muscles again. You’ll need them.”

“Chuck, let me make it clear to you. I’m not going back.”

“I’ll give you a month to think about it,” Chuck said and turned away.

Blaze sighed and noticed Megan wiping the blood from her nose with a tissue. “Sorry about that.”

She sniffed to test her airways. “It’s alright. I think I have to go.”

“Why?”

She nodded at the people behind her. “One of Bryan’s cousins recognized me. Sorry if I told them you’re my boyfriend. I didn’t know what else to say.”

He smirked. “They wouldn’t give a shit anyway. They know I never lasted a month with a woman.”

“I have to go.”

“Maybe we should both go.”

“You sure? They might need you here.”

“I don’t think so. Besides, I’m the brother of the man who killed Bryan. They’d feel better without me around.”

*****

Megan felt her cheeks burning while Blaze was driving her to her workplace. She had declined his offer, but he insisted.