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  Published by The Hartwood Publishing Group, LLC,

  Hartwood Publishing, Phoenix, Arizona

  www.hartwoodpublishing.com

  Hard Drive Boxed Set

  Copyright © 2016-2017 by Tricia Andersen

  Digital Release: February 2018

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Hard Drive by Tricia Andersen

  Fast rising MMA superstar Max Thomas seems to have it all for a college student – the beautiful girlfriend, the loyal best friend, the supportive parents and every agent in the area pounding down his door. But looks can be deceiving. Tori, his girlfriend, is more concerned about his career in MMA than about him. Quinn, his best friend, is jealous of Max’s every move. And is a life in mixed martial arts what he really wants?

  When Max suffers a devastating injury in the octagon, will those in his life stay by his side as he recovers? Or how fast will his perfect world unravel?

  Dedication

  To Keoni Koch and my incredible family at Hard Drive Mixed Martial Arts. You will all be a part of my heart forever.

  Chapter One

  The expo center was dark, the shadows of bodies mulling around the floor flickering on the bare concrete walls. Everything was dim except for the punishing spotlights that rained down on the octagon in the middle of the cavernous room. Seven fights had already occurred there. The ash gray mat peppered with sponsors’ logos was already smeared with someone’s blood.

  The whole scene made Max’s stomach churn. He was certain he was going to hurl, which would be difficult. He had hardly eaten anything in the last week so that he could be certain to make weight. He took a deep breath and blew it out to steady his nerves. It didn’t help one bit.

  He turned as a gentle hand rested on his shoulder. He met his coach’s warm brown eyes.

  “How are you doing, Max?”

  Max sighed heavily. “Nervous as hell, Chuck.”

  Chuck laughed as he patted Max on the back. “Understandable. But you’ve got this. You’re more than ready.”

  Max looked down at his taped hands, glancing briefly at his brand-new fight shorts. “I hope you’re right, Chuck.”

  “Of course, I’m right. Once you get done in there, you’ll want to go back. You won’t ever want to stop fighting. Trust me. Just relax. You’re up, right after this bout. You’d better get your gear on.”

  Max nodded then stooped over his bag. He pulled free a pair of fingerless MMA gloves lying on top and tugged them on. He examined them briefly, silently grateful the athletic commission approved them. Any little thing was making him anxious at this point. Chuck gave him one more proud smile as he wrapped red tape around the wrist of each glove.

  Rustling through the rest of his belongings, he scooped out his mouth guard case and popped it open. Max slipped the chunk of rubber indented with his teeth marks into his mouth and nudged it into place with his tongue. Following Chuck, he approached the curtain and held his breath.

  The thudding beat of Saliva’s “Ladies and Gentlemen” echoed off the walls of the building. Max’s heart thundered along with the bass. He’d always loved this song. And now, he was walking into the cage to it. Shaking each limb loose, Max was certain the anticipation was going to do him in. He didn’t turn as he heard the rustling of his teammates gathering behind him to escort him to his fight. Knowing they were there was enough.

  The quick trip from backstage to the octagon seemed to take an eternity. The officials patted Max down from head to toe then asked to see his mouth guard. He popped it between his teeth obediently then sucked it back into his mouth. Once they were satisfied, Max turned to Chuck and closed his eyes.

  He shivered a bit as his coach rubbed the cool petroleum jelly on his face while barking final instructions over the loud music. “Keep your hands up! Don’t stop moving! Fight smart!” Max hardly heard a word Chuck said over the pounding of his pulse. His thoughts were focused solely on what was about to happen.

  His stomach lurched once more. Max opened his eyes, shooting one last glance at his teammates before stepping into the metal structure. The smile from his best friend, Quinn, boosted his confidence a little. He bounced from one foot to the other as he hurried to his corner and then turned to face the official and his opponent. It’s time. Here we go.

  The announcer drew out the introductions a little longer than Max liked. The crowd cheered louder for his opponent than him. It didn’t surprise Max. The guy had a 3 and 0 record. Max wasn’t supposed to win.

  Finally, the fighters were called from their respective corners to go over the rules with the referee. Max listened intently. He ignored the fact that the bald, heavily tattooed guy he was about to go to war against was staring him down, trying to psych him out. Let him try. I’m not falling for it.

  The ref sent the fighters back to their corners. Max hopped from the ball of one foot to the other. Let’s do this. His heart leaped in his throat as the official shouted out, “Fight!”

  Max approached the center of the mat hesitantly, scanning his opponent as he did. The steel-gray eyes that met his glared as the bald fighter threw a jab. Max blocked it, readying himself for the following cross. It never came. Max frowned for a split second as the other fighter danced around. This is how he wants to do it? I don’t think so.

  Launching off the balls of his feet Max charged after the bald man with his fists flying. He threw jabs and crosses with lightning speed, catching the retaliation shots on his cheek and temple. None of them were enough to daze him.

  As his opponent raised his hands to block the blows to his face, Max dropped to one knee and lunged, wrapping his arms around the other man’s waist and burrowing his head into the other fighter’s stomach. Lifting, Max dropped him onto the mat, instantly scrambling into side control. The bald man struggled for all he was worth, bucking his hips to throw Max off.

  It was all Max needed.

  He grabbed his opponent’s arm, wrenching it into a Kimura behind the fighter’s back. His opponent struggled to get his arm free. Finally, his free hand tapped to the submission. The ref tugged Max off the man. Max, still crouched a few feet away, rocked back on his heels in disbelief.

  His first fight had resulted in his first win. It was amazing. Chuck was right. He already wanted more, and he hadn’t even stepped out of the octagon yet.

  Max’s head snapped up as he heard Chuck’s voice calling him back to the corner. He jumped to his feet and returned to the wall, watching the officials make the final decisions. It was only a matter of moments before the ref called him back to the center of the ring and raised his arm in victory. It was an incredible feeling.

  The team was behind the curtain, waiting for him with congratulatory slaps on the back when he strode from the cage. Max didn’t think his grin could get wider. Chuck wrapped him in a bear hug once he cut through the crowd of fighters. “I knew you could
do it. That was amazing, Max.”

  Max hugged him back. “Thanks, Coach. So, when’s my next fight?”

  Chuck laughed. “Yeah, take a break a bit. You’ll be back soon enough.”

  The group dispersed to watch the battle now in the octagon. Max turned as a palm landed squarely between his shoulder blades. He met a pair of grinning, dark brown eyes. Max wrapped Quinn in a sweaty hug.

  “So, how was it?” Quinn questioned.

  “A-maz-ing,” Max answered as he let him go. Quinn had been as close as a brother to Max since the first day of college. They had lived next door to each other freshman year. Max had loaned his tool set to Quinn so he could assemble his futon. Then Max jumped in and helped him put it together. It was Quinn who introduced him to mixed martial arts. He had tinkered with it in high school and was excited to do it in college. With Max’s background in wrestling, Quinn insisted they join together. Had Quinn been a little more devoted to practice and a little less to partying, maybe he’d be fighting too by now.

  Max motioned for Quinn to follow as he wandered into the restroom. Max weaved his way around other fighters and fans until he gazed at his reflection in the long bank of mirrors mounted on a white painted concrete wall. Running his thumb beneath each of his deep blue eyes before brushing back the dark hair from his face, he examined the after effects of the battle he had just been in. “I’ll be sore in the morning. I can already feel it. But there’s nothing better in the world.”

  “Can’t wait for my shot.”

  “It’ll be soon. Chuck’s already talking about it.”

  “Yeah. Twelve weeks of fight camp. That’s three months from now, if I got my fight tomorrow. And we started at the same time.”

  Max winked at him. “Natural talent. What can I say? I better go find Tori before she starts texting and blows up my phone.”

  “Or your parents throw her out. They don’t seem to like her.”

  Max shrugged. “They’ll get used to her.” He strode from the bathroom with Quinn on his heels, not stopping until he had passed through the curtain that separated the back area from the rest of the arena. He didn’t get far before he saw Tori. Her long blonde hair brushed her shoulders as she fidgeted, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Her tight-fitting T-shirt accentuated every curve, and her snug denim shorts barely covered her long, thin legs.

  Tori’s blue eyes lit up at the sight of Max. She near-sprinted across the dark room, not stopping until her arms were wrapped tight around his shoulders and her legs around his waist. Before he could hug her back, she parted his lips in a deep, wet kiss. As they broke free, she purred, “You did amazing, baby.”

  Max grinned. “Thank you, beautiful.”

  Max nudged her back to stand on her own two feet and then took her hand in his and led her through the mass of fans to find his parents. He and Tori had only been dating for about a month. She was normally never this affectionate with him. All the excitement must have gotten the best of her. Doesn’t bother me one bit. That kiss was icing on the cake of a pretty incredible night.

  It didn’t take long for the three of them to find Max’s folks. Max was torn from Tori’s grasp by his mother as she embraced her son in a tight hug. He smiled as he hugged her back. He knew just how much his mom worried about his fighting. However, she would never say a word to stop him. She believed in him no matter what he did. His parents were that cool.

  His mother pulled him free long enough to look him in the eye. “You did it!”

  “I did, Mom. Not a scratch. I have some of the best coaches around. I was in good hands.”

  His father patted him on the shoulder. “Of course, you do. Plus, you’re a natural. We’re both so proud of you.”

  Max’s grin grew wider. It was one thing to know they believed in him. However, it was ten times better to hear it from their lips. He felt invincible. “Thanks, Dad, Mom.”

  The exhibition hall slowly lit up, signifying the intermission. The crowd around Max grew, everyone wanting to congratulate him on his victory. Max glanced down as he felt his arm lifted and dropped. Tori was snuggled against him again. She shot him a scowl and then beamed to those around them. Max chuckled. She must have been a little upset his attention was diverted from her. He tugged her close and kissed the top of her head.

  As the lights descended for the second half of the card, Max settled in at the table with his parents and Tori. As he watched the fighters, he studied their technique, looking for anything he could use in his training. By the time the lights came up again, he had a full arsenal of new things he wanted to try.

  Max kissed his parents goodbye after promising to drive home for dinner the next day. He then turned on his toe to go to the back for his bag. He spun as he felt a hand grab his and found himself looking into Tori’s big blue eyes.

  “Where are you heading?” she purred.

  Max grinned. “To get my bag. Then, probably to the after party.”

  Tori slipped her arms around his neck. “Maybe we could go to my apartment after the party. I’ll make you breakfast in the morning.”

  Max’s smile grew bigger. “Sounds great. Let me get my stuff.”

  “I’ll wait for you here.”

  Max pressed a quick kiss to her lips and then made his way through the crowd toward backstage. His first win. His first night with Tori. Could the evening possibly get better?

  »»•««

  The short drive between Mankato and Max’s hometown of New Ulm, Minnesota, was soothing. The fields alongside the highway were just cleared of the harvest. As his favorite hard rock station blared from the speakers of his Mustang, Max contemplated the night before. His thoughts about sleeping with Tori for the first time didn’t last long. He was more preoccupied with his fight, and with what had gotten him to the octagon.

  He had been ecstatic to learn that his freshman year work-study would be at the college’s Fitness Center, especially since he wanted to be a fitness trainer when he graduated. He had loved the place from the first second he had walked in. It had equipment Max had only dreamed of. Chuck had welcomed Max with open arms, quickly initiating him into the center’s routines. Before long, Max had been teaching classes and helping other students with their workouts.

  A couple of months into his work-study, Quinn had invited him to give mixed martial arts a try. Max had been apprehensive because he watched it on television. He observed the fighters go at it, trying to tear each other apart. Bones were broken. Blood was shed. Max sure as hell didn’t want to go through that.

  What Max found at that first practice had blown his mind. The athletes were closer than family and had welcomed him readily. They had carefully instructed him on strikes and holds. After just two classes, Max was addicted. He had rearranged his work-study to make every session. It had been convenient to have Chuck as both his coach and his work-study supervisor.

  Wrestling in high school had helped Max catch on to jiu jitsu quickly. He had learned Muay Thai surprisingly fast. Time flew by, and before he knew it, at the beginning of his junior year, Chuck had offered him his first fight. Nine weeks of intensive training and strict diet had resulted in the previous night’s win.

  He was on cloud nine.

  Max turned off the highway and wove his way through downtown and up the hill toward his parents’ home. Taking a left at the college, he glanced at the statue that overlooked the town, giving it a polite nod before maneuvering down the street. His father was outside, raking the last of the autumn leaves scattered on the ground. Max parked his car in the large driveway and stepped out.

  “Hey, champ!” his dad greeted. “How was the party?”

  “Awesome!” Max answered. “A ton of people came up and congratulated me on my win.”

  “That’s great. Your mom was going on and on the whole way home. She is so proud of you.” Max’s father craned his neck to look in the Mustang. “Are you alone? No Quinn? No…Tori?”

  “Just me. Quinn had to work. And I know what you and
Mom think of Tori. I didn’t want to start World War Three.”

  His dad frowned. “It’s not that we don’t like her, Max. She just doesn’t seem to have your best interests at heart.”

  “She does, Dad. She just comes off a little aggressive. She doesn’t mean to.”

  “Yes, she does. All she could talk about was your future in MMA. I think she’s more obsessed with your career than you are.”

  Both men turned as the front door opened. Max’s mother grinned at them as she balanced Max’s nephew, Tyson, on her hip. “What are you two fellas talking about?”

  Max paused for a moment. If Dad doesn’t like Tori, Mom definitely hates her. He crossed the yard and wrapped both her and Tyson in a hug. “Nothing, Mom. I’m starving. When’s lunch?”

  His mom laughed as she handed the toddler to Max. “I’m finishing it now. Watch your nephew, and I’ll get it on the table.”

  “Will do.” Max gently tossed the little boy into the air and caught him, chuckling at Tyson’s ecstatic giggles. He loved being an uncle. He couldn’t wait to be a father someday. Max cooed at Tyson a bit more then shot his father a puzzled look. “Where are Jenny and Tami?”

  “Jenny is in her room on the computer. Tami should be finishing her shift soon,” his father answered.

  “You’ve opened the hardware store on Sundays?”

  “No. Tami took a couple hours at the sports bar across the street from the store. Being a single mom, she wanted a little more cash.”

  Max bit back a growl. The creep his sister had been dating had skipped out on her when he’d heard she was pregnant. Not that Max would change a thing. He loved Tyson more than anything. But he’d still like to get his hands on the bastard.

  A butterfly kiss on his cheek distracted him from his thoughts. He chuckled as he strode into the house to set the little boy in his high chair for lunch. Before he could turn to help his mom he found her at his hip, a heaping bowl of potato salad cradled in her hands. She nodded at the seat next to Tyson’s high chair. “Sit,” she commanded.