Unraveled (20 page)

What had she given him of herself in return besides orgasms?

Nothing.

So much for your claim that you’d put his needs above your own.

Had she even considered his needs?

She remembered last week he’d mentioned changing the parameters of the time they spent
together. Why hadn’t she made time to talk to him about it?

Because she’d been too concerned with maintaining her distance. Keeping a solid line
between Shiori, his second-in-command, and Mistress B, his Domme.

If she wanted this to work, things had to change—she had to change.

She just hoped she hadn’t come to this realization too late.

MONDAY
afternoon before evening classes started, Knox called a meeting with all the MMA instructors.
He could’ve just kept it to Black Arts instructors, but he invited Blue and his crew
from ABC because chances were good the two programs would meld into one in the next
year.

“The Black Arts MMA program needs a kick in the ass. And the faults with the program
don’t lie solely with the instructors, but with our organization as a whole. For the
past few months we’ve been letting Joe Blow off the street take part in MMA training
as long as he can pay the training fees. On the business side, that’s not a bad move.
Steady income keeps you all employed, and the students who want to excel will. Or
so we thought. But what I’m seeing is our trainers giving equal instructions to the
guys who’ll never go anywhere outside of the occasional smoker as they give to the
guys who have serious potential.

“This is Sensei Black’s dojo. Even when I’m temporarily in charge, I’d never take
action to change how he runs things. But I do feel that the MMA program is in its
infancy here, and since Sensei hasn’t been as involved in it, changes need to be made
so it will have the reputation that Black Arts does. An incredible opportunity has
presented itself to us.” Knox looked at Ito, Fisher, and Deacon. “I will put your
teaching skills up against anyone’s. So we’re looking to enhance what we’ve already
got, not demolish it.”

He took a breath and looked at Shiori. She tapped her wrist, telling him to get on
with it.

“Maddox Byerly is looking to move from LA and find a new challenge.”

“Whoa.” Fisher held up his hand. “
The
Maddox Byerly?”

“Yes. Shiori and I had a video conference call with him last week. We gave him our
offer and time to think it over. He got back to us today.” Knox grinned. “He accepted!
He’ll be moving to Denver in the next month.”

Everyone in the room started high-fiving one another. After they settled down, Knox
said, “We’ve gotta keep this quiet until Maddox makes the announcement. At this point
I’m not sure when he’ll tell people he’s revitalizing our program, or what.”

“Revitalizing?” Deacon said. “Hell, he’ll reinvent it.”

“The other thing is since Ronin is out of pocket, he’s not aware of this development.”

Shiori leaned forward. “We’ve signed nondisclosure agreements, so we can’t address
specifics, but between us here in this room, I personally guaranteed Maddox’s salary
for a year. If Sensei doesn’t want to re-up Maddox’s contract after that, it’s his
business. I just didn’t want to see an opportunity wasted. I knew if we didn’t make
the best offer we could afford, Maddox would go elsewhere.”

Half a million dollars.
Knox still couldn’t wrap his head around having that kind of money in the bank, not
to mention lending it without hesitation. Shiori’s phone call to her bank to move
some money around lasted ten minutes. Within an hour they had the funds to make the
offer.

“What’s the catch?” Deacon said.

“Maddox is starting the MMA program from scratch. He’ll hold auditions for fighters.
After a one-on-one conversation with
candidates, he’ll make his selections. It’ll be structured the same way—fighters paying
us a training fee.”

Ito raised his hand. As the senior member of the dojo training staff, at least age-wise,
Ito’s opinion held a lot of weight. “What are the chances he’ll want to hire his own
training staff?”

“I don’t know. But we spent our entire budget on his salary, so there’s very limited
budget for additional instructors,” Shiori said. “We e-mailed him bios from you three.”
She turned and addressed Blue, Gil, Fee, and Terrel. “As well as all of yours since
we’ll have crossover. I’d suggest, too, that your best fighters audition for him.”

“I’d ask if ABC would be expected to kick in for Maddox’s salary, but it sounds like
Ronin isn’t kicking in either,” Blue said.

More laughter.

“And none of this would be possible if it weren’t for Gil,” Knox pointed out. “He’s
the one with the personal family connection to Maddox, and he alerted us to the opportunity.
So thanks, Gil.”

He inclined his head.

Fee raised her hand. “Is Maddox interested in a women’s fighting program?”

“I don’t know.”

She harrumphed and exchanged a look with Shiori.

Okay, what was that about? “Any other questions?” He paused and looked around the
room. “Then we’re done.”

The room emptied, leaving him alone with Shiori.

“That went well.”

“They’re not the ones I’m worried about. It’s Ronin.” He drummed his fingers on the
table. “I wish he’d call in so I could talk to him.”

“We did the right thing.” She placed her hand over his. “Do you want to come over
tonight?”

He pulled away from her. The lines between their public and personal relationships
were getting harder to maintain. For him anyway. And he wasn’t in the mood for servitude.
Yeah, Shiori
would get pissed if she knew he’d called it that. “No, thanks. I’ll be ready for a
beer and ten minutes in my steam shower when this day ends.”

“What is going on with you?”

I like you and want you to be my girlfriend as well as my Mistress. And I feel like
a total whiny fucking pussy telling you that because you refuse to consider it.

Two raps sounded on the door and Blue poked his head in. “Got a minute?”

“Sure. Come in.” After Blue sat across from him, Knox said, “What’s up?”

“I didn’t want to bring this up in the meeting, but I think we’ll need to cancel the
upcoming fight, smoker, whatever we’re calling it.”

“Why?”

“Low advance-ticket sales for one. We’ve changed the lineup twice. And if we cancel
ten days out, we only lose the ticket sales plus a ten-percent penalty for the venue.
And now knowing that Maddox Byerly will be in the mix for future events, it’s better
if we cut our losses.”

“Who’ve you talked to about this?”

“Katie. She’s been trying to drum up interest, but nothing is working. We’re set to
do a poster and flyer campaign starting next week, but that’s just more money flying
out the door.”

Knox sighed and rubbed his eyes. “The guys have been working toward this, putting
in extra hours . . .”

“And it hasn’t helped them a damn bit, because they all still look like thugs on the
playground.”

“What the fuck, Blue?”

“It’s true. You’ve got two good fighters. Deacon and Ivan. It’d be best for you to
cut your losses with the other trainees and not put them on an amateur card at all.
They don’t need false hopes.” Blue
leaned forward. “And do you really want to parade any of those guys past Maddox Byerly?”

Fuck. He hadn’t thought of that. “Deacon told me to let them go too.”

“Smart man.” His gaze moved between Shiori and Knox. “You okay with the fight card
getting canceled?”

“What about delaying it?” Shiori suggested. “Pare the roster down to eight bouts.
Have all of Black and Blue’s fighters on the card. Up the game. Get a big rival of
Black Arts involved. ABC’s too. It’s worth a shot.”

Blue studied her. “Great idea. I imagine your problem-solving skills are missed at
Okada.”

“I was the one stuck dealing with the poorly solved problems after the fact. So I’m
happy to be here helping before problems become, well . . . problems.”

“Would you have time to meet with Katie in the next couple days?”

“I’ll check my schedule.”

“Cool. Thanks.” He stood. “Great news about Maddox. I’m glad you were able to step
in because I sure couldn’t afford him.”

Knox got up after Blue left. “I’m heading down to catch Molly before Deacon’s class
starts. I’ll tell her to contact Katie about event scheduling changes before she starts
any promotion.”

“Knox.”

There was the Mistress voice. And dammit if it hadn’t made him stop. “What?”

“What is going on with you?”

“I’m just stressed.”

“Bullshit. Look at me.”

He turned and glared at her. “Don’t. Remember where we are. Something came up, so
I’m turning over the advanced black belt class to you tonight.”

“Shihan—”

“Later. I’ve got shit to do.”

*   *   *

HIS
shit to do included grabbing a six-pack and parking his ass on his back deck. He’d
dragged out his fly-fishing gear, even when he hadn’t hit a stream in more than two
years. Something about trying to perfect a series of line-snapping casts quieted his
mind.

Yet the thoughts kept churning.

So far in three weeks running Black Arts in Ronin’s absence he’d managed to:

Piss off Zach and Jon by refusing to put them in the rotation to test for their next
belt level.

Agree to totally dismantle the MMA program.

Hire a training coach whose first-year salary was more than the value of Knox’s house.

Fuck Ronin’s sister.

Maybe Ronin would fire his ass. Then what would he do? Not only would he lose his
job, but he’d lose his friends. His identity.

Knox wasn’t one of those guys who wanted to own his own business. He’d always been
content being second-in-command. Being told what to do and getting it done.

And yet you’re so surprised you’re submissive?

He tried to shut up his brain with another beer.

After a while he did lose track of time. He decided he’d take a real vacation this
summer. Pack his fishing gear, find a stream and . . . Then again, vacationing alone
seemed pathetic.

Man, he was riding high on a pity-parade float today.

His cell buzzed in his pocket and he ignored it. About a minute after it stopped buzzing,
it started in again. He pulled it out and checked the screen.

Shiori.

She’d called twice. As he sat there with his phone in his hand she called again. So
he answered. “Hello.”

“Knox? Are you at home?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I’ve been knocking on your door for five minutes.”

She was here? “Come around the side of the house and through the gate. I’m on the
back deck.”

“Oh. Okay.”

The hinge creaked, and he watched for her to appear out of the darkness. The second
she did, his mood shifted. “What are you doing here?”

“I was just in the neighborhood and thought I’d drop in.”

“You were out cruising the Denver suburbs?”

“Looking for a good time. So I hope I came to the right place.”

Knox tugged her against him and wrapped her in his arms. He didn’t say anything, just
held on to her. They’d been wary around each other all day after the way things ended
on Saturday night.

Shiori tickled his armpits to force him to release her.

“What was that for?”

“Because I want a kiss.” She tipped her head back, closed her eyes, and puckered her
lips.

Their bodies were still close—but not close enough—so he pressed his left arm into
the small of her back. “Is that right?”

She cracked open one eye. “Yeah. And it’d better be a good kiss, too.”

Knox pulled out all the stops as he leaned in to press his lips to hers. Teasing and
controlling, mixing heat with sweetness, and then reconnecting with that consuming
passion. When he broke the seal of their lips, Shiori actually chased his mouth for
more.

“That kiss was good?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you’d better kiss me like that again so I can be doubly sure.”

“Greedy.”

“When it comes to you.”

This was what was killing him. Getting to know all sides of
this complex woman and liking every single one. And wanting to spend as much time
as possible with her. But she didn’t appear to feel the same way.

“So what were you doing out here in the dark?”

“Dinking around. Having a beer. You want one?”

“No. But I like the way it tastes on you.”

“I’ve had two. That’s my limit.” He brushed her hair off her shoulder. “Do you wanna
go inside?”

She shook her head. “I’m good staying out here with you.”

Knox took her hand and led her up to his lounge chair. He plopped down and pulled
her onto his lap, enfolding her in his arms with her head resting beside his neck.

Shiori shifted to gaze into his face. “Were you upset with me today?”

“I don’t know if
upset
is the right word.” He twisted a section of her hair around his finger.

“Then what?”

He kept twisting and releasing that hank of hair. “I got an
Omigod! Omigod! Omigod!
shrieking phone call from Vivie today. Seems she received a package from me, a package
that contained the dress she tried on last weekend. Ring any bells?”

She blinked innocently. “Vaguely. Fill in the blanks for me.”

Knox pulled her hair. “Nice try. Explain yourself, She-Cat.”

“That dress looked perfect on her. So you, being the thoughtful big brother, bought
it for her.”

“But I didn’t buy it for her.” He realized the instant they started talking about
money, a mask dropped over her face.

“Yes, you did. You get to be her hero, Knox. I’ll bet she forgets who her date was
for this event, but she’ll never forget the dress.”

“Hero.” He snorted. “That’s stretching it.”

“Not from where I was standing. Vivie and Zara worship you.” She traced circles on
his chest. “You being there for them whenever they need you means more to them than
a party dress. And I’ll admit
I’m jealous of them because I wonder what it would’ve been like to have a brother
like that.”

“So the distance between you and Ronin . . . ?”

“Isn’t a recent development. He left for the martial-arts academy when I was fifteen.
He promised to keep in touch, but I didn’t see him for four years. And that was only
to tell us he was moving to the United States. So in a way, buying that dress for
her was filling in an empty space from my teen years.”

“That was incredibly generous of you. But that’s who you are. Buying a dress for a
girl. Buying a trainer for your brother, who hasn’t always been there for you.”