Breaking the Cycle Read online

  She pulled free from his embrace. She reached inside the Mustang before setting the teddy bear in his hands. “I missed being in your arms. We’re pretty much there anyway.”

  “So, my Sunday night plans are holding you?”

  “If you’d like.”

  Max tugged her back to him, holding her tight. “More than anything, baby. More than anything.”

  Chapter Ten

  The thunderous cheering was deafening. Chloe scanned the cavernous arena. Despite the fact the crowd was engulfed in darkness, she could tell the room was at least three stories high, a football field wide, and packed to capacity with MMA fans.

  The black was pierced with split-second shots of light from the flashes of camera phones. She turned back to the violent, metal beast she stood beside—the chain-link octagon waiting for tonight’s competitors to do battle. Five Hard Drive members were fighting tonight, including Mark in his debut match.

  She pulled her team jacket tighter around her then shot a glare at Max. “Is it always so loud?”

  “It isn’t too bad. There are worse arenas. This one is pretty quiet.”

  “Why am I here? Why does Jack want me to go to competitions?”

  “When we first started, I made a deal with Jack that I would travel, and you would stay home. With you being sick all the time, I was afraid of you having an episode away from home and needing hospitalization. Now that we know it’s CVS, and the medication is working—not to mention Jack promoted you to full trainer—he thinks you should start attending some of the competitions, starting with this one.”

  “Why this one?”

  Max pointed to the sign over the arena. “Hard Drive is one of the sponsors.”

  Chloe stared at it for a few moments then turned back to Max. She nodded to the camera that Max had left on the outer edge of the mat. “What’s that for?”

  “Jack wants pictures for the website. He’s up in a luxury box somewhere. He figures if you and I are down here, we might as well get a few shots.” He picked up the camera. Without warning, he pointed toward Chloe. Before she could raise her hands to block her face, the flash blinded her.

  “Hey!” she protested. She heard Max’s laughter as she tried to rub the spots from her eyes. “I probably broke Jack’s camera with that picture,” she pouted.

  “Any picture of you would make this camera priceless.”

  Chloe playfully slugged him in the shoulder. He grabbed her hand, drawing her to him and kissing her slow and deep. She could hear the hoots and hollers of those around them, cheering them on. As the kiss broke, they laughed at their temporarily forgotten audience.

  The night was fantastic. Hard Drive had an incredible showing. Mark won his fight. He was bruised, beaten, and glowing. Next up was Rico’s fight for the belt in Las Vegas.

  They all decided to go celebrate. Chloe cringed as Phoebe joined them all in the locker room, planting a passionate kiss on Rico’s lips. Seemed they were back together again. Chloe excused herself to run outside to the car to get her purse.

  Clutching it in her hand, she locked the door of the Mustang. She jumped, startled at the sound of male voices behind her.

  “Wow. What do you know? It’s Chloe Davis,” a tall, thin, blond man said, as he sauntered toward her. He was flanked on either side by two others the same height and build as he. And he made Chloe quake in fear. After all these years, he and what he did to her on prom night still filled her nightmares.

  “What do you want, Leo?” she fought out through her clenched throat.

  He hovered over her as he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “Just wanted to know how my Chloe is doing? I haven’t seen you since…when? Night of senior prom?”

  The thought made Chloe shudder. Her stomach lurched violently as her cyclic vomiting went to war with her medication. “Please, Leo. Leave me alone.”

  “Why? Are you hoping one of these MMA guys will pick you up, sweetheart? You aren’t worth it. Come with me and my friends, and we’ll show you a good time. Like prom night. Remember?”

  Chloe felt herself nearing the point of no return as Leo slithered closer. Then she screamed as he was suddenly slammed against the car next to her. She glanced over into the murderous blue eyes of her savior as Max balled Leo’s shirt in his fists.

  “Dude,” Leo protested. “What the…”

  “I know who you are, and I know what you did. And I’m going to kill you slowly for it,” Max seethed.

  Suddenly, Mark and Rico peeled Max off Leo, using all the strength between them to hold him off. Max wrenched free, only to be recaptured.

  “Listen, man. I don’t understand what’s wrong with you.”

  “Senior prom. I know what you did to her after her senior prom. I’m gonna beat you until you beg for mercy. Then, I’m going to end your life painfully.”

  Leo’s face turned ghostly pale as Max wrestled free one more time. But he stopped dead in his tracks at Chloe’s touch. “Max, he’s not worth it. It’s history. Please, let’s just go home.”

  “Are you all right?” he growled.

  “Yes. You’re here with me. I’m fine.”

  Max slowly strode until he was toe to toe with Leo. “Understand this. I belong to her. She belongs to me. Get close enough to breathe on her, and it will be the last breath you take.”

  Chloe laced her fingers in his as he spun on his toe. She wrapped her other arm around the one holding hers as he stormed off, leading her away.

  The incident in the parking lot killed the mood for the rest of the night. They gathered their things from the locker room. Max ordered her to wait outside the arena with Mark as he retrieved the car. No doubt Leo and his goons were long gone. Max had put the fear of God in them. Regardless, no one would attempt to bother her with Mark around.

  The ride home was tense. Max clenched the steering wheel violently as he steered through the streets. His knuckles turned white from the pressure. Chloe knotted her fingers together as she bit her lip nervously. She had never seen him so angry before. She had never seen anyone that angry before.

  Max stormed through the front door with a slam. Chloe followed quietly, sitting on the couch while setting her purse on the floor. Then, the tears started to trickle down her cheeks.

  She felt the sofa cushions shift then a pair of strong, sculpted arms wrap around her. They lifted her up and deposited her on a pair of firm legs. She was crushed against a wall of man, a man who shook as he held her.

  “Why did I let you go out by yourself? If I hadn’t come out…” Max buried his face in her hair as he rubbed the tears from her cheek with his thumb. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “Yes. I started to episode, but I think you scared it out of me.”

  “I love you.”

  Chloe collapsed against him, smothering herself in his warmth. She sighed as he cradled her tight in his arms and pressed his lips against hers. She surrendered to his kisses, wondering with each how she was so lucky to find him.

  »»•««

  Max slipped out of the house before Liz and Chloe woke up. He couldn’t sleep. Never in his life had he snapped like he had the night before. He needed to get away and think.

  He blared the radio the entire hour and a half it took to get from Minneapolis to New Ulm. But he had no intention to stop at his parents. He routed his car toward the state park…and his bridge.

  He slumped against the wood rail, clenching his eyes shut. He rubbed his eyelids, exhausted. What had he done? He had nearly dismantled a man. His heart twisted in his chest. Leo deserved it. For the unspeakable things he had done to Chloe, he deserved it.

  Max shook his head. He should have never let her go out on her own. Leo was bad enough. What if she had been mugged for her purse? What if she had been hurt?

  Max cringed as he remembered the day he had found her lying on the bathroom floor unable to breathe. The day she had almost died. He woke up every day wondering if she would slip through his fingers. Could he live without her?
>
  The answer was simple. No. And there was only one way to solve it. He was only twenty-six. Was he ready for this step? He thought about his mom and dad. They had married young. Of course, they had their problems, but after so many years, three kids, and one grandchild, they were still together and very much in love.

  But did Chloe feel the same as he did? He frowned. There was only one way to find out. Ask her. On his knee.

  Max slipped his wallet from his back pocket and cracked it open with a smile. He tugged his emergency credit card from its place. Liz had returned his money, and he had deposited it into his new savings account. But he couldn’t wait for Monday to transfer the money out. He wanted to act now. He didn’t know when the time would be right. If the moment presented itself, he wanted to be ready.

  He jogged from the bridge toward his car. He had a ring to buy.

  »»•««

  The next two weeks at Hard Drive were total chaos. Max spent every moment of every day with Rico preparing him for Vegas. Chloe spent those same moments locked in Jack’s office learning the ins and outs of operating the gym. They were going to be gone for four days, and Chloe needed to know about things like accounts payable and payroll.

  Every so often, he would glance up at Jack’s office, finding Chloe leaning over the railing watching them. Her escape was always momentary before Jack called her back for more work.

  It was late before Max got home at night. All he had the energy to do was find something to eat, collapse on the couch, and hold Chloe tight. They didn’t talk much. They just wrapped their arms around each other, refusing to let go.

  Finally, at eight o’clock the night before their flight to Las Vegas, Max threw in the towel. “We’re as ready as we’re going to get. It’s time to call it a night. I want to spend some time with Chloe before we leave.”

  The murmurs around the room agreed with him. The men packed up their things. Max shut off the lights as the men made their way to the door then locked up the facility behind them.

  He breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped in the house. Liz was nowhere to be found. Probably out with Al again. The coffee table was cleared, except for one red, burning candle enclosed in a glass holder.

  Chloe popped her head from the kitchen. “You’re home,” she greeted happily.

  “Yeah. I wanted to see you,” Max admitted.

  “I’ve just finished dinner. Sit and I’ll bring it out to you.”

  Max settled on the couch. He looked up and smiled as she handed him a plate of baked chicken with vegetables. He watched the flicker of the flame as she sank into the cushions beside him with her own food. “I’ve never seen you burn a candle before. It’s beautiful.”

  She chewed a mouthful of vegetables and swallowed. “It is.”

  “Where were you hiding it?”

  She was silent for several long moments. “The pink bag.”

  Max nearly dropped his plate. How could he have missed it? “Did you get it out for ambiance? Or are you trying to tell me something?”

  Again, the room fell silent. Then, she whispered, “I’m trying to tell you something. I can’t tell you how far I can go. But I think I’m ready to take our relationship a step further.”

  Max felt his heart race at the thought. He knew they wouldn’t be ending the night in the bedroom. But knowing Chloe more intimately, no matter how much more, drove him wild. He set his dinner on the table and sat back.

  “You’re not hungry?” Chloe asked with concern.

  “Not anymore.” Max tossed her near empty plate next to his then wrapped his fingers around her wrist. He tugged her onto his lap until she was straddling him, her knees on either side on his hips. He gazed up at her as he cupped her face in his hands. “Chloe, you are the most incredible woman in the world.”

  “I am not.”

  “You are to me.” He drew her face down, prying her lips apart with his. He traced her teeth gently with his tongue before he tangled his with hers, groaning at the taste of her.

  His hands wandered from her chin down her back to her rear. He grasped it and tugged her even closer. She gasped through their kiss.

  Chloe knotted her fingers in his dark hair as she returned his kisses, bravely seeking out his tongue with hers. Then he broke apart, trailing a line of kisses across her chin and down her neck. He smiled as he heard her whimper, felt her shudder. His mouth roamed the soft curve of her neck as his fingers whispered over her hips and beneath the hem of her shirt. He moaned as he stroked her back.

  Stopping at the clasp of her bra, he set it free with a flick of his fingers.

  She stiffened beneath his touch. He looked up into the panic of her wide eyes. “Max, I can’t. I’m so sorry.”

  Max cradled her face in his hands again. “Chloe, it’s all right. Really, it is. I understand.”

  He could see the tears brim her eyes. “But I wouldn’t…”

  “It doesn’t matter to me. You matter to me. And if you’re still too scared to sleep with anyone, I’m excited we got this far.”

  She slipped off his lap and buried herself in the couch again, crossing her arm over herself defensively to keep her bra in place. “But you leave tomorrow. For Las Vegas. All those women.”

  “No. Jack, Rico, Mark, and Dan. None of which I find remotely attractive.” Max caressed her hair. “You’re the only woman I want.”

  She let go a hopeless laugh. “A woman who can’t have sex with you?”

  “Guess so.”

  She stood, still wrapping a protective arm around herself. She picked up her plate. “I’m tired. I’m going to go to bed.” She fled into the kitchen.

  Max exhaled slowly as he ran a hand through his hair. For what was supposed to be an incredible moment, it had gone disastrously wrong.

  The next morning, Max and Chloe walked silently hand in hand down the concourse of the airport. He half expected to drive himself after the blow-up the night before. He had to admit he had been overjoyed to find her waiting at the door for him. Even if the time with her was quiet, he needed more of it. More than the air he breathed.

  She waited patiently for him to check in for his flight. When they reached the gates, they found Mark, Dan, and Jack waiting for them.

  “I wish you were coming with us, Chloe girl,” Mark sighed.

  “No more than I do,” Max grumbled.

  “Chloe is going to keep everything rolling smoothly at Hard Drive, right Chloe?” Jack patted her gently on the shoulder.

  “Of course, sir,” she answered quietly.

  “Now, if we could just find Rico.”

  “He’s right there,” Dan pointed through the crowd. “And he’s not alone.”

  Together, they all turned to find Rico. Clinging on the fighter’s arm was a platinum blonde dressed scantily in a tight-fitting, low cut dress. A carry on dangled from her free arm. A ticket was clenched firmly in her hand.

  Max spun at Jack. “Phoebe can come, but Chloe can’t?”

  Jack looked dumbfounded. “She told me she was visiting her parents in Texas. I thought I would do Chloe a favor. I know what a pain Phoebe is to her. I never thought she would coerce her way to Vegas.”

  Max looked at Chloe. He could see the worry in her eyes. They reminded him of her words the night before. “Chloe, there’s nothing to be concerned about. I love you. I’ll see you in a few days.”

  Chloe stared at Phoebe for several long moments. Then, she pulled free from Max. “See you when you get home.”

  Max balled his fists at his side, frustrated, as he watched her weave her way to the exit.

  »»•««

  The crowd overhead shook the arena. Max used all his strength to support Rico as they hobbled through the catacombs. It was slow going. Every few steps brought a hiss of pain from Rico.

  He sighed as the door of the locker room came into view. “Seriously, Rico. Why didn’t you go with the paramedics? You jacked up your knee. I’m guessing it’s your ACL.”

  “Paramedics give me the
creeps.” Rico gasped in pain, his face contorting in agony. “Besides, I have the best trainer in the MMA and a doctor to boot.”

  “And both of us told you to get in the ambulance, if you remember.”

  “Let me clean up, and we can go to the hospital.”

  Max helped Rico onto the trainer’s table then stretched his cramped shoulders. He quickly examined his friend’s leg. It was destroyed. Rico’s knee was the size of a softball. Max shook his head. It looked exactly like his did in college. “Now what?”

  “Help me shower,” Rico answered. “I’m full of sweat and my opponent’s blood.”

  “In my clothes?”

  The click of high heels indicated that they weren’t alone. “You can get undressed, Max. I won’t mind,” Phoebe cooed.

  Max glared at her. Phoebe had spent the past couple days in Vegas trying to seduce him. She showed absolutely no interest in her boyfriend. She would brush her fingers against him when she was close, finding any excuse under the sun to touch him. She showed up at his hotel room every night, in only a bathrobe, with some flimsy plea for help. He wasn’t about to let her inside, but called the front desk from his cell phone to have her escorted away. They knew his voice well.

  “I’ll shower with my clothes on. Thanks though, Phoebe,” he snarled.

  He cast a sideways glance at his duffle bag sitting on the bench. He couldn’t wait to call Chloe. They talked every night, but her voice was so weak and wounded. He should have told Jack to shove it. Tomorrow though, he would see her again.

  And he wasn’t going to wait any more. In the middle of the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, among all the crowds of travelers, he would drop to one knee and ask her to be his wife. And pray she would say yes. Every piece was ready. The ring was tucked safely in his duffle next to his phone.

  “Come on. Let’s get you washed up, so we can get you to the hospital.” Max helped Rico to his good leg and supported him as they stumbled into the shower, leaving Phoebe in the locker room to wait for them.

  Showering fully clothed was one of the most uncomfortable things Max had ever done. He clung to Rico with all his strength as his friend slipped from his grip. Rico hissed several times from the extreme pain. Admittedly, the whole awkward experience had them both chuckling. Soon, the sweat and caked-on blood was streaming down Rico’s skin, across the pale blue, tile floor, and down the drain.