Tyler's Undoing (11 page)

Smiling, my grandmother laid back in her bed and I covered her up. This time she wasn’t pretending. She took my hand and held it over her heart. “It comes naturally, sweetheart. There’s no handbook telling you how to love someone. Soon, you’re going to have your own life and I need to know that you’ll be okay. Let him in, Kacey. Can you do that for me?”

My eyes burned but I refused to cry. I always tried to stay strong for her. “I promise,” I whispered. “I’ll be okay. Now get some rest. I’m going to finish cleaning the kitchen.”

Tugging on me, she placed her cold, frail hands on my cheeks and gently kissed my forehead. “I’m so proud of you and the woman you’ve become. I love you so much.”

I smoothed my hand over her dry skin and let the tears fall; I couldn’t hold them back anymore. “I love you too, Nana.”

She smiled at me once before closing her eyes and falling asleep. This was probably the last time I’d speak to her until the following morning. Maybe I could get Tyler to have breakfast with me again . . . she’d like that.

“I can’t believe you’re going out with that other guy when you could’ve come with me on a road trip with Tyler and Cole,” Bree scolded. “Just think of all the fun we’d be having right now.”

The fight was a little over three hours away in Los Angeles at the Staples Center, and my brother was most definitely going to be there. My family and I were mainly from the Sacramento area, but we moved around a lot. San Francisco was my favorite place, and I would love to go back—I just couldn’t risk it.

“I know it would be fun, but I told Liam I’d go out with him. You know I like to keep my word. Tyler can’t hear you right now, can he?”

Chuckling, her voice echoed in the background. “No, silly, I’m in the bathroom. All he’s talked about on the way out here is you. Even Cole said he’s never heard him talk like that about anyone other than—”

Abruptly, she stopped and tried to talk about something else, but I caught it. “Other than
who
, Bree?” I demanded.

She sighed. “Cole told me not to say anything because it was like this huge secret, but Tyler and Gabriella Reynolds had a thing going on for a while. Apparently, they both decided to stop seeing each other.”

They were both in the video that was taken just a few short weeks ago with the fight against my brother at Tyler’s gym. If they had something going on, it apparently wasn’t that long ago.

“How long ago did they call it quits?” I asked, clenching my teeth. I wasn’t about to be the rebound girl.

“Cole didn’t exactly say, but I know it was recent. I wouldn’t worry about it though. He’s obviously really into you. Cole said that Tyler was glad they called it off.”

“Yeah, well let’s see how long that lasts,” I remarked dryly. “Is she going to be there at the arena tonight?”

“No, I don’t think so. If she is, I’ll see how they are together. I have a good eye for that kind of stuff. I’ll be able to tell if they have feelings for each other.”

“Thanks, Bree. I know he wasn’t too thrilled about me going out with Liam tonight.”

“You got that right,” she laughed. “He hasn’t shut up about it. It also didn’t help that Cole was pushing the knife in a little bit deeper. I thought they were going to fight it out at one point. My guy wouldn’t stand a chance.”

No one could stand a chance against Tyler . . . not even my brother. At least this way, Tyler would be ready for the fight tonight and kick some ass.

“All right, Bree, I need to go. Liam will be here in about ten minutes.”

“Okay, girl. Be careful tonight. I’ll call you later.”

After we said our goodbyes, I rushed to put on my white flared skirt and light blue sleeveless top, before putting the final coat of lip gloss on my lips. I felt guilty going out with Liam, but I already knew it was going to be a one night thing.

It wasn’t long before I heard the sound of a sports car revving its engine down the road. When I looked out the window, a red Jaguar XK convertible pulled in beside my Camry. That sure put everything into perspective. Tyler didn’t flaunt his wealth, nor did he act like he had a lot of money. With Liam getting out of his car in his tailored suit and his hair all gelled to perfection, I could see I was out of his league.

Cindy met me out in the hallway and smiled. “Is that Tyler? Your grandmother told me all about him.”

“No,” I admitted regretfully. “This is Liam. I agreed to go out to dinner with him and I didn’t want to break my promise. We’re just going as friends.”

“Well, make sure he knows that. Your grandmother is a good judge of character. If she likes Tyler, I kind of have to side with her. Just be careful tonight. This one looks like trouble.”

After she disappeared down the hall, I opened the door just as he was walking up the front steps. His eyes went wide and he smiled. “You look amazing, Kacey.”

“So do you,” I replied. He was wearing a pale green button down under his suit, and the green matched his eyes perfectly.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked.

No, but I was going anyway.

ONCE WE GOT to the Staples Center, Cole walked with Bree to her seat and I went to the dressing rooms to get ready. I was angry as hell knowing Kacey was with another guy. I just wanted to fight and get the fuck out of there.

“Tyler!”

Turning around, my agent rushed up to me. Todd was dressed in a black, MMA Pride T-shirt with jeans and a huge smile on his face.

“What’s with the grin?” I asked as I kept on walking.

“Because you, my friend, are going to want to thank me big time for what I’m about to tell you. Where’s your dad?” He caught up to me and blocked my path.

Aggravated, I stopped and gritted my teeth. “He couldn’t come. Cole’s in my corner tonight.”

“I see. So . . . aren’t you going to ask me what’s going on?”

Knowing him, it probably had to do with a club and a shit ton of women. “If it’s about plans for after the fight, I can’t make it tonight. I’m going back home.”

Todd chuckled and shook his head. “Damn, Ty, calm down. I actually have my own plans for the night. I wanted to give you the good news.” He paused for a second, waiting on me to show interest. When all I did was stare deadpan at him, he shook his head and laughed. “Guess whose face is going to be all over every single cover of the
Physique Sports and Fitness Magazine
next month?”

“Are you serious?” I asked, mouth gaping open.

“You’re damn right, I am. Shelby’s going to do the ten page spread on you.”

Physique
was the most well-known fitness magazine in the world, and Shelby was one of the best journalists around. She also happened to be Gabriella’s sister-in-law. For months, I’d been waiting on this opportunity.

“Did Gabriella set it up?”

“No,” Todd replied. “Shelby contacted me and asked when you’d be available. She wants to meet with you sometime next month. Since she’s working from home with the baby, she asked if you’d be able to fly down to San Francisco for the interview.”

“Yeah, of course,” I agreed. “I’d do anything for this opportunity.”

Todd slapped me on the back. “That’s what I thought. Now, do you want to tell me what’s going on with you? Is it Gabriella?”

Shaking my head, I started off down the hall until we got to my room. “No, it’s not her. We’re not seeing each other anymore.”

He sat down on the brown leather couch in my dressing room and sighed. “I kind of thought that when I saw her with that baseball player the other day. They looked awfully close. Do you know about him?”

When he said it, I expected to feel some pang of jealousy, but I didn’t. “Yeah, she told me. We mutually agreed to end it. I’m actually seeing someone else, or at least trying to.”

“Trying to? Since when do you have to try?”

Halfheartedly, I chuckled. “Since I met this girl who’s unlike any other woman I’ve ever met. She’s not making it easy on me.”

“How so? Is she here tonight?”

“Nope, she’s out with another guy.”

With a loud belly laugh, Todd slapped his knee and shouted, “So that’s why you’re all pissed off! I never would’ve guessed it’d be over a female. Why don’t you find someone else?”

Because I didn’t
want
to find anyone else . . . I wanted her.

When I didn’t answer, Todd whistled and got to his feet. “Well, I’ll be damned. I never thought I’d see the day when Tyler Rushing actually gave a fuck about someone, other than Gabriella.”

“This girl is different. I would choose her over Gabriella any day.”

“Well, whoever she is, I pity her for having to deal with your crazy ass,” he joked. “But for now, get her out of your mind. If you win this fight and Kyle wins his, you’ll only be two fights away from battling each other. That’s what you need to focus on.”

“Oh, I’m focused. You don’t have to worry about that.”

My opponent was going down tonight.

“
Tyler! Tyler! Tyler!
”

“All right, man, let’s see if you can beat my record tonight,” Cole exclaimed. “I knocked Jamie out in the first round.”

His right eye was swollen from his fight earlier in the night, but he’d still won, advancing closer to the Light Heavyweight title. It was the beginning of the first round and the crowd was screaming my name. It wasn’t Bastian Tober’s, it was mine.

“What do I win if I beat you?” I asked.

Slyly, he looked down at the seats where Bree sat, smiling up at us. “It’s not necessarily something to win, but it’s probably something you’ll want to know. It’ll make the ride home more bearable for all of us.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Fighters, take your positions,” the announcer called out.

Before I started forward, Cole winked and nodded toward Bastian. “Trust me. Now go out there and kick his ass.”

Bastian Tober had only been fighting for about a year, but he was one of the best up-and-coming fighters in the league. Not to mention, he wasn’t a fuckwad like a lot of the other guys. He was about the same height and build as me, with long, brown hair pulled into a ponytail. I used to do the same thing before I had mine cut.

Grinning, I bumped Bastian’s gloved hand with mine. “Good luck tonight,” I told him.