Takedown (11 page)

Mitchell nodded curtly. He didn’t much care about sweeping the sand off the parking lot or polishing Toby’s old gym signs outside. It just added another layer of macho appeal for the guys who wound up coming here. “Thanks. Luke and Hugh are responsible for keeping it clean and functional.”

“Looks good. A few worn-out old machines,” Sid added as he wandered around the empty rows of machines. Then, his eyes were drawn to Luke and Hugh, who were in the cage.

Hugh wore the padded training suit while Luke was shirtless, circling him slowly. It was the least advantage they could give him given that he’d aged out of the sport and there was no way he could physically dodge Luke anymore.

“He’s faster than he seemed,” Sid murmured, folding his arms as he slowly approached the cage, his arms folded.

Luke didn’t even seem to notice them, utterly focused on the instructions Hugh was barking at him. He stepped forward and back, feinted, kicked, elbowed, and spun in a dizzying dance of limbs and raw power.

Mitchell was frankly impressed that Hugh could even stay balanced under the onslaught. He seemed to have trouble sometimes, but he managed.

“He is. I believe that’s what they’ve been drilling him on this week,” Mitchell said simply. Even he wasn’t used to seeing Luke move this fast.

“He always seemed slow in online videos,” Sid laughed under his breath so he didn’t distract them.

Mitchell thought he saw Luke’s eyes dart their way, but then he spun on one foot to roundhouse-kick Hugh. Hugh barely got his shield up in time and stumbled again, bouncing against the cage and exclaiming praise.

Sid was watching Luke’s body more than his face, and for a weird moment, Mitchell’s stomach twisted with jealousy.

Even as his chest burned, Mitchell knew it was stupid. He sure as hell wasn’t the first guy to see Luke shirtless, and he wouldn’t be the last.

Luke still wasn’t distracted by the compliment. He went in hard for the other pads, trying to get Hugh on the ground.

Sid finally turned. “So, we should talk price. I’ve seen the place pretty well now.”

Mitchell was reluctant to walk away while there was a fight in progress, but then, he’d always have another chance to see Luke in the cage.

He nodded, turning away to lead Sid to the office. Once they settled down, he folded his arms. “So, what do you think?”

“It’s a great place. I’ll stick to my offer,” Sid told him. “Your dad was right that a few things need to be changed up, though.”

Mitchell’s mental alarm bells went off, but he didn’t show it. “Like what?”

“Luke’s got talent. If he wins, the gym will get a big prestige boost. But if he doesn’t…”

Mitchell nodded. “I think it’ll survive.”

“It will, because I’d kick him out and look for someone who’s better. Already established, that is.”

It was only long years of practice in the real estate market dealing with fussy-ass clients that kept Mitchell’s face blank. Internally, he seethed. “You would?”

“The apartment over top of the gym? Genius. I could have my pick of fighters who want free room and board—and two, in fact, because there’s two places. Let Hugh stay on here, probably. Revamp the whole place, make it a bit less… you know.”

“Less what?”

“Less lightweight. Start seriously attracting the community in Lincoln and nearby. Make this the place to go for pros in the area, not just the neighborhood punching bag place.”

Mitchell nodded slowly. “I see.” He didn’t agree with a word of that, but he understood what it meant for Luke and maybe Hugh.

He shouldn’t be jealous or resentful. Every piece of property he’d sold before had been modified in some way or another. Buyers often knocked down bedroom walls to get bigger rooms and screwed themselves over on resale value, tore out gorgeous gardens for some ugly tennis court, or kicked out commercial clients as soon as they bought a new office building.

But this was different. This time… he’d gotten attached.

Fuck. Rule one of real estate: you don’t get attached.

“I’ll let you go, then,” Mitchell nodded, rising to his feet. “Lots for us both to think about.”

“Definitely,” Sid agreed, reaching out for a handshake before they left the office and Mitchell led him to the front door. “When do you leave for New York again?”

“Just under a week to go.”

Mitchell had been doing everything he could not to think about what that meant for him and Luke. A long-distance relationship between Nebraska and New York? He didn’t know anyone else who’d made something like that work.

As he pushed open the door and chatted with Sid, his eyes wandered to the cars. One was different: a cop car. Was one of the officers here to train? His gut instinct told him no. He had to get back inside, if Sid would fucking shut up about this one visit he’d taken to NYC.

Mitchell smiled politely, hating his father a little more than ever in that moment. “Yeah. New York’s great.”

T
he guy Mitchell’s
walking around the gym is kind of handsome.

That was Luke’s stupid brain keeping him distracted, and he wasn’t going to fall for it. He’d only got a few glances at the guy, but he was Luke’s size and height or so. He had to watch Hugh and not the guy, and he couldn’t let on to Hugh that he was distracted.

But that guy was definitely not Mitchell’s type, right? Even if he was handsome, he was bald. No, Luke had no damn idea what Mitchell’s type was—if he even had one yet. Maybe he just liked big muscled guys.

He poured every ounce of aggression into the pads that he could, pushing himself to his limits. He was going to have to pull back on his training soon so he didn’t risk injury right before a fight.

When Hugh let him off, Luke ducked out of the cage for a drink of water, his chest heaving for breath. The guys weren’t in sight anymore, the office door closed. They must be talking business. Or they were upstairs… talking business.

No, fucking hell. You’ve never been the jealous type. Don’t start now.

But there was someone else new in the gym who’d been watching the fight, and Luke grew aware of him approaching.

Sheriff Miller was walking closer, his thumbs in his belt as he watched Luke bend over the drinking fountain to gulp down more water.

Shit. Again.

There was no doubt what he was here about. The Miller kids were little shit-stirring troublemakers, probably trying to get him in trouble right before the fight.

Luke straightened up and wiped his mouth, then nodded. “Sheriff. Good to see you.”

“What’s up, Luke?” Sheriff Miller asked, his thumb in his belt still as he reached out to shake hands. “Good fight there. You must stay in shape.”

Luke laughed lightly.
Don’t say anything incriminating.
“Hugh puts me through my paces.”

“Right. How’s training going, then?”

“Really well. Gearing up for a fight in New Jersey next week.”

“That must be big. Is that a career high for you? New Jersey?”

“Yeah. I haven’t been further than California—and that was once,” Luke smiled. “This is much bigger. It’s not quite a worldwide thing yet, but it’s streaming online and in local stations.”

“Good for you,” Sheriff Miller nodded. “You’ve come a long way in a couple years of training.”

“Thanks.” Luke was wary now, fully aware that Sheriff Miller had more power in this situation than him. He couldn’t roundhouse kick the law.

Sheriff Miller added, “Have you been training a lot of locals?”

“Um… a few dozen come in every couple days. Some every day. Another fair whack of people every week.” Luke moved to grab a towel and mop his face and chest, then hooked the towel in his belt. “We’d always like more, but we do fine with what we’ve got.”

Miller nodded. “So, if you get booked for assault, your career might go down the drain.”

Luke’s stomach dropped, and he tried not to look guilty as he nodded slightly. “It… It wouldn’t be a good idea. I’d certainly regret that.”

“That’s what I thought,” Sheriff Miller smiled. His attitude still seemed more friendly than Luke had expected. “I don’t want to do that to a good kid, you know what I mean? And I don’t want you to be a bad example. My boys are going out to watch your fight on their way to Atlantic City.”

Luke’s stress level was skyrocketing, and he could see Hugh approaching casually from the other side of the gym. He didn’t want his trainer knowing what he’d done last week. Sure, a lot of fighters got into shit, especially when they were young. Sometimes it helped their career, but sometimes it torpedoed it.

He was already pushing his luck being gay—a few internet sites had it listed, and he wasn’t going to try to cover that up if he got a big break. Being a gay guy known for assaulting people wouldn’t get him into any big locker rooms.

And Luke didn’t have a second career to fall back on.

Luke winced and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Miller reached out to punch his shoulder lightly. “Great. Have a good think about that. Good luck with your fight. I hope you do well for Beatrice.”

“I’ll do my best, sir,” Luke told him with another jerky nod. “It’s great to be able to… represent the town.”

“Howdy, Jeff. Anything up?” Hugh greeted casually as he joined the two of them now that he was finally out of his padded suit.

“Oh, not much. I was driving by and thought I’d check in,” Sheriff Miller answered with a quick glance at Luke.

He’s keeping my secret.
Luke felt a wave of gratitude as he smiled slightly back. He had no idea why the guy was doing that when it was his own sons Luke had kicked the shit out of, but he could only hope it was a good thing.

“Right,” Hugh nodded with a friendly smile. “Phew. Don’t need anything else coming up before the fight.”

“Oh?”

“Oh, there’s some people prowling around looking to buy the place…” Hugh chatted, leading Sheriff Miller off toward the door. Luke was left behind to watch the couple guys still on machines and oblivious to the whole thing. He was grateful, though, for the interruption.

As he glanced down the hall, he saw Mitchell storming back up from the front door, making eye contact with Sheriff Miller for a moment. His main target was clearly Luke, though.

Don’t fuck things up.

Luke swallowed and stayed rooted to the ground, letting Mitchell come at him. He’d earned a few lectures by jumping in to beat the crap out of those bullies anyway.

He just hoped Mitchell wasn’t totally pissed off at him.

T
hank
God
Sid finally left
, saying something about grocery shopping before the supermarket was closed. He’d wasted a good couple minutes outside talking about nothing important, criticizing Uncle Toby’s old logo for the gym, and trying to gossip about Luke’s fighting style.

Mitchell hadn’t given away another detail about the fight, not wanting anything to get back to Pascal in some weird way. It was theoretically possible he was some kind of hired spy, so there was no reason to tell him a thing.

And then, as Sid pulled away, Mitchell’s eyes landed on the familiar white truck in the lot.

Fuck.

It was the Millers’ truck, parked right next to the cop car.

All three brothers were in it, and as Mitchell tensed, Bobby opened the driver’s-side door.

Here we go again.

Mitchell let the door slam shut and walked across the parking lot, slowly approaching the truck. He didn’t feel like risking his life, but he also wasn’t gonna let these creepers lurk outside the gym. “Evening. I don’t think you should be here.”

“I don’t reckon you can chase us off.”

Mitchell rolled his shoulders and glanced across the parking lot, trying to identify the cars. He knew some of them, but not all. He wasn’t gonna go back inside for backup anyway; he knew what that would mean about him.

“You’re just cruising for a bruising, ain’t ya?” Bobby added, stepping out of his seat and onto the truck step.

Then, another car pulled into the lot and he hesitated, glancing at it and back to Mitchell.

“Get out of here,” Mitchell told him flatly. “Even your daddy can’t help if you trespass.”

Bobby scoffed as he yanked his door shut again. “We’re coming back for you,” he snarled.

Mitchell shook his head and stalked back to the gym door. He waited until the truck peeled out of the lot before he pulled it open.

Coming down the hall was Hugh… with Sheriff Miller.

Mitchell’s surprise must have shown on his face as he nodded. “Evening, Sheriff.”

“Evening, Mitchell.”

The way the cop nodded to him… the look he gave him…

He knows.

Mitchell’s heart leapt in his throat as he stepped aside to let Hugh stroll by, still chatting away with the cop.

Did he know his sons were around just now, too?

Mitchell refocused his gaze on Luke, striding down the hall to make a beeline for Luke and talk before Hugh could interrupt again.

“What the fuck’s going on?” Mitchell muttered once he was up close to Luke.

Luke gripped his arm and pulled him aside, on the other side of the water fountain near the emergency exit door. He kept his voice low as he answered. “It’s all gonna be fine.”

“Going to be?”

“He knows about… you know.”

“Obviously. He knows about us.”

“What?” Luke cast a quick glance down the hall, then snorted. “Nah. No way. It’s a guess.”

Mitchell worked his jaw around. He hadn’t been out for long enough to grow immune to that look. He knew exactly what it said, and it made his stomach churn. “So he was here about the other thing?”

“Yeah, but it’s fine,” Luke murmured, and then he stepped close.

Mitchell froze, not sure what to do as Luke stepped between his feet and leaned down. Warm lips pressed against his for just a second.

But it felt
right
. He let out a quiet breath and rose onto his toes to bridge the couple-inch gap.

After another second, Luke pulled back.

Mitchell licked his lips. His stress from moments ago was gone.

Despite his anxiety about someone seeing, his shoulders were relaxed and he was smiling back at Luke. Goddamn it, he couldn’t be angry at Luke for being so mysterious when he kissed him like that.

Around everyone else, too!

Mitchell took a quick glance around the gym at the other guys working out. He recognized Aidan and a couple guys whose names he couldn’t remember.

Nobody was looking their way.

When he looked back at Luke, Luke winked, then pulled back to walk over to Hugh and join him at one of the weight machines.

Mitchell stood still for a few moments, stunned that Luke had risked outing himself around everyone else just for him. His cheeks were warm as he walked to the office. It had already been one night without contact, and time was running out. He had to catch Luke tonight.

M
itchell only had
time for a few more hours of paperwork before the gym closed. This time, he left his office door open so he could keep track of the time and wish Hugh a good night.

Once the door was locked after him, it left him alone with Luke, who was nowhere to be seen. He checked out the main floor and called out, “Luke?”

Very faintly, he heard the response: “Upstairs.”

Mitchell’s heart raced as he shut off the gym lights and headed upstairs, joining Luke on the landing outside their apartment doors.

“Hey.” Luke was already shirtless, as he was most of the day when he was around the gym, especially since it was summer. He leaned in the doorway casually, his jeans hugging his leg muscles. “What’s up?”

God, the sight of him. Mitchell stole a moment to let his eyes wander down Luke’s ripped torso. There was a tattoo of some kind of city skyline complete with a spire along one arm, a clock along his shoulder, and the rose on his other arm at around nipple level drew Mitchell’s gaze.

Most striking of all, though, were the words along his chest over his heart:
one life, one chance
.

“Hey,” Mitchell echoed, clearing his throat. “It’s been a couple days since that… awesome night.”

Luke looked more relaxed instantly, a smile spreading across his face. “That was awesome, wasn’t it?”

“Can we sleep together?” Before Luke could raise his eyebrows, Mitchell laughed and added, “I don’t mean
sleep
together. Just… sleep.” Did that sound pathetic? God, it sounded weird. He didn’t know how he was supposed to suggest this.

But Luke was smiling softly at him. “I’d really like that.” He stepped out of his apartment and shut the door, following Mitchell over to his own, plainer apartment.

Mitchell’s heart squeezed with pleasure, and he dug in his pocket for his key to push open his own door. Thank God Luke had so easily said yes.

Had he missed him, too?

“I was beginning to worry,” Luke admitted, that sexy, low voice near his ear. It always made Mitchell shiver, no matter what he was saying.

Did he know what had happened in the parking lot? Mitchell didn’t want to distract him or make him start even more trouble by telling him.

“That I’d turned you straight,” Luke continued, his voice teasing.

Mitchell laughed with relief. “Definitely not.” He pushed open his door, letting Luke in, then padded straight to the bed in the corner. “Oh, shit, wait, I have a twin bed. They took out the double and put in a twin, God knows why.”

“Fuck that.” Luke cast a critical eye around his apartment.

It took a moment, but then Mitchell’s heart lurched. “Is this… the first time you’ve been in here since…?”

“Yeah,” Luke said quietly, and in the moonlight it was easy to see trouble on his face. He was usually serious, but he always had a troublemaker’s smile dancing around the corners of his lips. Not so now, where the only expression on his face was a half-hidden grief.

Mitchell felt it, too. Uncle Toby’s heart attack had been so fucking sudden—out of nowhere. He’d been at a friend’s house for a barbecue, then went out for a walk to grab more beer for them, and then, just suddenly…

He was gone.

Had Toby meant a lot to Luke? He walked forward, sliding his arm around Luke’s waist.

Luke wrapped that strong arm around his shoulders and pulled him in to nestle into his side, and Mitchell felt like everything was right with the world despite his sadness.

Like Luke could shield the rest of the bullshit from him and fend it off.

Mitchell buried his face in Luke’s shoulder for a moment and hugged him, then let one arm drop and pulled him back toward the door. “C’mon. I’ll take out my contacts and we can go to yours.”

“Sure.” Luke dropped the arm around him to wait patiently for him. When Mitchell emerged, the world a little fuzzier, Luke led him through the doorway, hall, and then the other door.

In Luke’s apartment, they didn’t hesitate to head straight for the bed. Along the way, Luke was already stripping down. Mitchell’s gaze fell to Luke’s waist as Luke unbuckled his belt, sliding it open and unbuttoning his jeans.

He could still see enough to appreciate pretty much all the finer details of Luke’s body. He just wouldn’t have been able to see him from across the room, but he didn’t intend to be across the room from him tonight.

The casual, cool grace in the way Luke walked always stunned Mitchell. In comparison, he felt awkward trying to walk and unbutton his shirt at the same time.

“Had a good paperwork session?” Luke finally spoke up. His jeans and belt dropped to the floor with a clanking sound against the hardwood, and he stepped out of them.

God, that sound was hot.

Mitchell caught his breath but focused on shrugging his shirt off, tossing it down as he stopped at the edge of the bed. “Yeah. I got a lot done. There’s always something else, though. I’m trying to make sure there were no outstanding debts I’m gonna find out about later.”

“Smart,” Luke told him.

Mitchell quickly unfastened his pants and slid them off along with his underwear and socks. “Hope you don’t mind me sleeping naked.”

Luke mock-gasped. “Christ, what a sin. Get out of my bed, sinner.”

Even in jest, the words sunk in, and Mitchell hesitated before pulling back the covers. Luke watched him closely, clearly noticing that something was up. Mitchell brushed it over, though, by snorting. “Too late. I’m already in it,” he told him as he crawled in.

Luke pulled the covers over himself and then yanked Mitchell against him with that strong arm again. “In you get, then.”

“Much better.” Mitchell still wasn’t used to sleeping with someone else. He and Emily had kept separate apartments while dating and they hadn’t slept together much. It had been very by-the-book.

He wondered if Greg was the same with her.

“Oh, shit, that’s right.”

“Mm?”

“I have a thing… I’m going to supper with Emily and her new fiancé, some Greg guy.”

“Greg’s all right.” Luke’s voice was carefully neutral.

“Yeah? I haven’t met him yet. Apparently he’s friends with those asshole Millers.”

Luke snorted. “Not surprised. He strikes me as the sort who would be. You know, not as bad as them, but willing to encourage
them
to be.”

Mitchell made a face, though Luke couldn’t see it, and shifted onto his side to drape one arm across Luke’s stomach. He curled the other arm under his own pillow, finding a comfortable spot against Luke’s chest for his head.

“So you’re going to supper? When?”

“Oh, tomorrow. Uh, I’m a little worried that Greg will be… you know.”

Luke’s arm squeezed tight around him, almost crushing his ribs for a moment with the force of his casual hug.

“Oof,” Mitchell laughed quietly, but he smiled. Luke was so protective of him, and it… felt good. “Uh, but I meant to ask before things got busy if you wanna come along. You don’t have to—”

“Sure.”

Mitchell hesitated, then smiled. “Yeah? Okay.”
They’ll assume things. But they do anyway. Everyone here does by now, I’m sure.
Mitchell pressed a gentle kiss to the words tattooed across Luke’s chest. “Thanks.”

“Thanks for inviting me. I don’t get to see people outside my gym buddies a lot,” Luke laughed quietly. “It’s nice to be normal once in a while.”

Mitchell rubbed his lover’s stomach gently. “I bet. I’ve got… a fair number of friends back in New York, but none of them are really close.” All buddies from the business, or networking contacts. It was so easy to meet people, but it was fucking impossible to really stay close to them. Kind of the polar opposite of here, really.

“Mm. When do you go back…?”

“Five more days,” Mitchell whispered.

Luke caught his breath for a moment, and Mitchell felt the gentle rise and fall of his stomach in a sigh. “Okay.”

They were both quiet for another few moments, and then Mitchell shifted to press a little harder into Luke.

Luke rubbed his arm lightly, his hand gently caressing his bicep and shoulder, then running back down to his elbow. “Should get to sleep now.”

“Okay.” Mitchell pressed another quick kiss to his shoulder. “G’night.”

“Good night.”

They were quiet then, but Mitchell’s thoughts were on the impending separation, and the dinner tomorrow, and all the million little tasks he had to get done. And he had to make sure his parents didn’t fuck with Luke in the week between when he left and the fight.

But for now, he had Luke, and when he cracked his eyelids open to sneak a little peek at Luke, he could just barely see his face from this angle. Luke wasn’t smiling this time, but his hold on Mitchell gradually relaxed with each breath he took.

Mitchell closed his eyes again, breathing in sync with Luke’s chest rising and falling under his cheek.