Breaking the Cycle Read online

  The place was no Roadie’s. There was no perfect, stainless steel trim. There was no state of the art equipment. He scrutinized the cardio machines that were lined three deep along a wall of frosted windows then scanned the weight equipment alongside it. Everything looked like it was in working order.

  The rest of the room was lined with vinyl wrestling mats. There were signs indicating locker rooms back in the hallway. A staircase leading to a walkway on the second floor led to a couple offices and a conference room.

  One of the office doors opened. Max steeled himself as a young, well-built, suit-clad man stepped out and leaned against the metal rail. His slicked–back, black hair made him look like a used car salesman. He smiled down at Max.

  “Hey, Jack,” Max greeted coolly.

  “What brings you to Hard Drive, Max?”

  “I came to talk to you about the job offer you gave me.”

  Jack laughed. “How many times did I offer a job to you?”

  “At least a dozen times.”

  “And how many times have you turned me down?”

  “Just as many.”

  “Why would I offer it to you again?”

  “Because, to quote your own words, ‘I’m the best you could possibly dream of getting’.”

  “So, you suddenly got over your hang ups about working here?”

  Max took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “No. I am still vehemently against training your guys to the best of my ability so that you can toss them into an octagon and let them beat the crap out of each other. Seems to make the job pointless, don’t you think?”

  “I don’t toss them in there. They fight of their own free will.”

  “Is the job available or not?”

  “Of course, it is.” Jack was smug.

  “I have stipulations before I agree to it.”

  Jack snickered. “Of course, you do. More money? Do you want me to buy you a better car?”

  Max glared at him. “I want an assistant. Full time with benefits, especially medical. I write her schedule. She answers to me. Your fighters don’t touch her. If they do, we’re both out of here. Don’t raise the salary you offered me. Lower it, if you must. But I get my assistant.”

  “You really think you need an assistant?”

  “How many MMA fighters do you have here?”

  Max could see Jack’s brow crunch as he computed the numbers in his head. “Thirty.”

  “Then, yes, I need an assistant.”

  “And you realize that you aren’t going to teach Tae Bo here, right? You’re training my MMA fighters. And your assistant will be too.”

  Max paused. “Yes. I know what I’ll be doing.”

  Jack pushed himself away from the rail and stood straight. “You’re hired. And so is your assistant. There’ll be no change in your salary. I’ll negotiate your assistant’s with you at a later time. I promise it’ll be fair. Be here Monday to sign your contracts. And give Roadie your two weeks’ notice. You belong to Hard Drive now.”

  Jack strode back into the conference room, closing the door behind him. Max shot one last glare at the door before he walked out the front door.

  »»•««

  The beautiful afternoon was perfect to do some gardening. Chloe dug the trowel deep into the moist soil. She scraped out the black dirt then turned to the potted, pale pink hyacinths at her side. Gently tapping the bottom of the pot to free the plant, she set it in the hole in the ground. She patted the extra dirt around the flower to secure it.

  She turned as she heard the purr of a motor alongside the curb. She brushed the dirt off her hands and stood as Max threw open the door and jumped out. He raced across the yard to her.

  “Max, what are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I have the best news, Chloe,” he gushed.

  “What is it?”

  “I found you a job. You’re already hired. You’re going to be my assistant.”

  “You got me re-hired at Roadie’s?”

  “No. I’m taking a job at Hard Drive as a trainer there. You’ll be an assistant trainer. Jack, the owner, is going to pay you a generous salary. It’s a full time job, with benefits like medical insurance. I get to write your schedule, so I can work around all the third Thursdays. And if you’re sick on other days, I’ll smooth it over with Jack.”

  “Isn’t Hard Drive that MMA gym?” she asked warily.

  “Yes. Jack has been trying to get me to work there for years.”

  “But you love Roadie’s. Why would you quit?”

  “Because you need a job.”

  “Max, you shouldn’t have given up a job you love so much.”

  Max touched her chin with his fingers and tilted her face to his. “You need the job, Chloe. You need the insurance. Come on. Come and work with me again.”

  The feel of his fingers on her face made her shiver. Being anywhere near him did that to her. A smile slowly crept across her lips. “Sure, Max. Thank you. Really, you shouldn’t have. But thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome. We need to meet with Jack to sign our contracts. Then, we start in two weeks.”

  Chloe bit her lip uneasily. “Max, there is one thing. All those guys. I mean, being around men makes me nervous. That’s why I usually taught classes geared for women.”

  He grinned at her. “I remembered you telling me that shortly after you started at Roadies. It’s part of the deal. They bother you at all, we’ll walk. Jack won’t let that happen. All right?”

  She smiled again. “All right. Thank you again.”

  “Sure. See you Monday?”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “Awesome.” Max leaned over to press a kiss to her cheek. Chloe’s heart nearly burst out of her chest as she watched him jog to his car and climb in. She waved as he drove away.

  »»•««

  Max stood tall as he scrutinized the crowd surrounding him, Jack, and Chloe. He plotted his method of attack. To get these men to listen to him, to trust him, he would have to exert himself as the Alpha male. He had been to many of this type of gyms and watched trainers get walked on too many times. It wouldn’t happen to him or Chloe. He glanced down at the Hard Drive team jacket he wore. Dressed like Jack’s stooge wasn’t helping his cause.

  He fought a small smile from his lips. Scattered amongst the hard, muscular men were a few women. He saw the relief in Chloe’s eyes. He worried, for her sake, that the team was all male. He had no idea what caused her distrust of men. He was the only guy she would talk to at Roadie’s, and that was only because he was so persistent. And so darn adorable.

  “I hired Max and Chloe to help you be the best you can be. You need to listen to them. Their word is law. Understand?” Jack ordered. Grumbles were the only confirmation he received. He nodded to Max and Chloe encouragingly before he strode off to his office.

  Max leaned toward Chloe’s ear. “Why don’t you gather the women together and introduce yourself?”

  “All right.” She smiled at him before she scampered off.

  Max took a deep breath as he infiltrated the men assembling on the mats to spar. He stopped in his tracks as the largest member of the team approached him. The man was at least six and a half feet tall, with thick, black hair and blue eyes. And holy crap, he’s bigger than a freaking bear!

  “Jack hired you to help us?” the man demanded.

  “That’s what he said.”

  “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”

  Max chuckled. “Jack wouldn’t have hired me if I didn’t.”

  “Good. Then you need to tell me what I’m doing wrong.” The large man stuck his hand out. “I’m Mark.”

  Max shook it. “Why don’t you get a sparring partner and show me what you have?”

  “Sure. Hey, Dan!” Mark called across the gym to where a tall, blonde, thin, yet well-built guy stood. His green eyes peered from behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. He slipped the glasses off, set them in his duffle bag, and joined Mark and Max on the mat.

/>   Max eyed Dan closely. He was the last guy he’d expect in a gym like this. Dan looked like he would be more at home behind a computer.

  Mark and Dan faced each other on the mat then slowly began to circle. Max watched closely as Mark threw a jab then a hook. Dan dodged the blows and landed a punch directly to Mark’s chin.

  “Wait, stop!” Max commanded as he stepped forward. “I’ve already seen two things. First, Mark, when you jab, you don’t get your fist back to your face to protect yourself. Second, you need to bend your knees. You’re a really big guy. You need to close your torso to attack. Plus, it’ll keep you agile. Try it.”

  Mark slowly did what Max instructed, walking through each drill for at least half an hour. Then Max nodded encouragingly for them to spar again. This time the big man had the upper hand and landed his friend on his rump. Mark reached out to help Dan on his feet. He shook Max’s hand appreciatively. “Thanks, man. I appreciate the coaching.”

  “Happy to help.” Max returned, waving to Dan while the blonde made his way back to his bag and glasses. “What do you two guys do other than fight?”

  “Dan’s the head of the IT department for an insurance company. I’m an ER doctor.”

  “What possesses you to come here if you’re an ER doctor?”

  “I’ve seen so many people try to kill themselves doing the stupidest things like drinking too much then getting in their cars and driving drunk. Some succeed. Some kill others. I love my job, but sometimes it’s too much. I come here to fight so I can burn off the stress. Which brings up a point.” Mark tilted his head in Chloe’s direction as he took a drink out of his water bottle. “I’ve seen your assistant before. She’s been in my ER a few times.”

  “I know.” Max felt his nerves tighten as he grew defensive. “I don’t need to hear about the attention she’s looking for. I know better.”

  Mark held up his hand in protest. “I’ve never treated her. I’ve just seen her there. And frankly, I agree with you.”

  “You do?”

  “As sick as I’ve seen her, I can’t imagine someone doing that to themselves on purpose. There has to be something going on.”

  “Chloe said she’s been to specialists and they didn’t find anything.”

  “Get me a list of her symptoms, and I’ll do some research.”

  Max looked at him questioningly. “You would do that?”

  Mark shrugged. “You helped me. I’ll help you. It seems like you care about her a lot.”

  Max felt his cheeks grow warm as he blushed. “I do.”

  “Then you get me ready for the octagon, and I’ll help you figure out what’s wrong with Chloe. Deal?”

  Max nodded excitedly. “Deal.”

  »»•««

  Liz sighed miserably as she rolled up the bath towel. She gently lifted her daughter’s head from the bathroom floor and tucked it under. Chloe moaned softly as her pale face rested against the softness of the fabric. Liz gently smoothed Chloe’s hair as she settled down on the edge of the tub.

  Things had gone so well the past couple of weeks. Chloe loved her new job. Liz wasn’t sure she had ever seen the girl happier. She smiled to herself. She wasn’t sure if it was the people she worked with, or if it was working with Max again.

  She straightened as Chloe started to retch. Liz helped her sit up and supported her as she vomited. Liz exhaled again.

  Max. She certainly could use him again. Three weeks ago, he had been incredibly helpful. But why would he want to spend his day with my sick daughter? Her own father didn’t want to stick around. Why would a young guy with such a promising future want to?

  Liz sat in silence as she thought of her ex-husband. She had believed they were in love. They had made vows to stay together in sickness and in health. Obviously, that didn’t mean the sickness and health of our child. Their marriage had deteriorated rapidly once Chloe started getting sick. Liz spent more time caring for their daughter than him. He was never happy.

  Liz came home from work one night to find her little girl all alone in their house. Her husband’s belongings were nowhere to be found. And whatever had transpired between father and daughter had caused Chloe enough stress to start one of her vomiting streaks. One that would eventually land Chloe with a five-day stint in the hospital. Now the creep has a new wife and three kids and doesn’t acknowledge his daughter is alive.

  Not that her family was any better. They were mortified when Chloe got sick at any of their family gatherings. Yet, they were insulted if Liz declined their invitations. Slowly, they just distanced themselves. It was just Liz and Chloe. And whatever this strange disorder was that had claimed Chloe for its own.

  The doorbell snapped Liz from her thoughts. She glanced down at Chloe curled tight in a fetal position as she stood and raced down the steps to the front door and tore it open quickly.

  Max stood on the porch, dressed in an old T-shirt and a pair of sweats. A small duffle bag was flung over his shoulder, probably carrying a change of clothes for when this madness was over. His blue eyes flickered nervously from her to the staircase behind her as he bounced anxiously from the ball of one foot to another like a fighter preparing for a brawl.

  “Sorry,” Max gushed. “I scheduled Chloe off and forgot to schedule myself off. I hurried with what I had to do so I could get here as soon as I could. How is Chloe? Is she okay?”

  Liz scanned him, dumbfounded. Then, she shook herself to her senses and smiled. “Same as last time. She’s upstairs. I need to get back to her before she starts again. Or—”

  She didn’t get another word out. With a courteous nod, Max dashed past her and jogged up the stairs. She let go a small laugh as she slowly followed him. She smiled sweetly at him as she found him cross-legged on the bathroom floor with Chloe cradled in his arms.

  “Anything you need right now, Max?” Liz offered.

  “Nope. I’m good.”

  “You really didn’t have to come over.”

  “I figured you might need the help.”

  “I appreciate it. I really do. But I don’t want Chloe to get used to having you here when she comes out of one of these, and then you move on to something—or someone—better. She couldn’t take that.”

  Max cocked his head to the side as his eyes met Liz’s. “There is no one else. And I’m not looking. I want to be here for Chloe. If she needs me, great. If not, I’ll be a call away when she does.”

  He shifted his arms as he felt Chloe start retching again, supporting her as he helped her toward the toilet bowl. Liz smiled again as she watched. As hard as it is for me to trust this guy, or any guy for that matter, I’m so glad he’s a part of our lives now.

  Chapter Three

  The rain drove down in sheets on the sidewalk outside of Hard Drive. Max looked at his watch again then peered through the downpour. Eleven o’clock. Chloe was supposed to report to work at nine. She wasn’t late. She was really late. He tried to call her house and her cell phone. No one answered. He sighed. Part of him was growing steadily furious with her. The other part was seriously worried. He wrapped his arms around himself tight for a small amount of comfort. None came.

  He glanced up at the closed door of the office along the open corridor. Jack had already asked where Chloe was twice. Each time, his eyes held a disapproving glare. Max had made up an excuse. He knew Jack hadn’t bought buy it. Come on, Chloe. Call. I stuck my neck out on the line for you. Don’t make me regret it.

  Max stepped back as the glass door open. Mark stepped inside, shaking the rain from his soaked, hulking frame. Dan slipped in behind him, growling at his best friend for providing him with an extra shower.

  “Hey, Max,” Mark greeted.

  “Hey,” Max muttered.

  “Where’s Chloe?” Dan inquired as he tried to dry his glasses on his wet T-shirt.

  “That’s what I’d like to know.” Max startled as his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He hit the talk button without looking to see who it was. “Hello?” His eyes flew open when
he heard a sob on the other end. “Chloe, are you all right? Where are you?”

  Chloe whimpered as she fought to find her voice. “Mom…was in…a horrible accident…on I-494. A…semi-truck…ran into…her car. She’s…in surgery. Max…I’m so sorry…I didn’t call…sooner.”

  Max cringed at the pain in Chloe’s voice. He strode across the gym and picked up the remote to the television mounted to the wall, flipping it on. He barely noticed the small crowd that gathered around him as he stared at the remains of Liz’s car on the local news. The driver’s side was gone.

  “Chloe, baby, it’s all right. Where are you?”

  “University of…Minnesota…Medical Center.”

  “All right. I’m on my way, Chloe. I’ll be there in just a little bit. Okay?”

  “Okay. Bye.”

  Max ended the call as he took one last glance at the footage. He dug keys out of his pants pocket as he turned for the exit.

  “Max, whose car is that?” Mark’s voice was deep and soft. Knowing what Mark did for a living, Max didn’t like his tone.

  “Chloe’s mom.” He looked to the office upstairs. “Hey, Jack!”

  The door slowly opened. Within moments, Jack stared at him from over the rail.

  Max continued, “I’m leaving.” He pointed at the television. “Mark can explain.” Without another word, Max ran out into the rain. He jumped into the driver’s seat of his Mustang and sped down the street. As he fought to see through the windshield, he worried. He worried about Liz, he worried about Chloe, and he worried one of Chloe’s stomach issues would rear its angry head.

  He drove faster than he should have in such a storm. He reached the hospital in ten minutes. After inquiring where Liz was being treated, Max rushed to the Surgical Unit. He dodged doctors and visitors until he reached the waiting area, finding Chloe sitting alone inside the white, sterile room lined with chairs. He sank into one and wrapped his strong arms around her as she cried.

  Tilting her face to his, he gazed into her eyes. The warm orbs were glassy with something other than tears. Her face was pale. A small drizzle of saliva formed in the corner of her mouth. Oh, no. Not again.

  Max gently smoothed her hair from her face. “Chloe, baby. I’m here. Your mom is going to be fine. Just hang on, sweetheart. Don’t let it take over.”