Chapter Four
Mia groaned infrustration as Kat held her down in a submission she couldn’t get out of.
“What the fuck’s wrong with you, Stiletto?” Rick yelled. “This is an easy move to get away from. Focus!”
Kat pulled away and tapped Mia on the back. “We can go another round if you want to.”
“She’s not doing anything but laps and the speed bag.” Rick narrowed his eyes at Mia. “Now!”
She leapt to her feet and went over to the water station to grab a cold bottle. From her peripheral vision she saw Goliath approaching, and her stomach twisted.I should’ve stayed home tonight.
“Do you want to tell me what’s going on?” Goliath asked, his burning gaze scanned her face.
She ran the cool bottle over her face and neck then gave a half shrug. “I don’t know. I guess the stuff with my family is interfering.” She took a deep gulp, the cold water refreshing her dry throat.
“We all got shit to deal with. You’ve had it before. I don’t approve of this hiatus you’re taking, but just because you won’t be fighting for a while doesn’t mean you still don’t give it your all during practice and training. Rick’s in demand, and I’ve got a waiting list a mile long for people who want to join Champion. If you can’t focus, then maybe you should move on.”
Her chest tightened.Is Goliath saying what I think he is?“Are you kicking me out?” she blurted. She rubbed the back of her neck as her stomach churned.
For several seconds, the silence between them was deafening. Mia bounced from one foot to another in an attempt to quell her fear. If Goliath kicked her out of the gym, a huge part of her would shrivel up. The gym she’d trained at in Tucson had nothing of the camaraderie of Champion, and she’d made some really good friends at the training center. Goliath, the owner, was a retired three-time MMA heavyweight titleholder, and he was phenomenal as a coach. Rick Rodriguez was one of the most sought-after trainers in Durango, and she’d been pleasantly shocked when he’d agreed to work with her the year before.I can’t lose everything I’ve worked so hard for. I can’t lose Champion.It was the beacon that forced away the darkness which threatened to invade her psyche at every opportunity. After she’d been beaten and date-raped, her sense of security had evaporated. That night, she hadn’t been able to fight off Gavin no matter how hard she tried. She’d been powerless, and it was the worse feeling in the world.
“You need to step up your game. We’re not fucking psychologists … we’re trainers. If you need a break, you’ll have a spot if you decide to come back.” Goliath’s gruff voice pulled her back from the past.
“I don’t want a break. I’m back in.” Mia let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.
“Make sure you are. None of us wants to waste our fucking time with a fighter who doesn’t give it her all. Got it?” Mia nodded. “I heard Rick tell you to do laps. Get your ass running.” Goliath stalked away, and she threw the bottle into the recycle bin, warmed up, then began running.
A couple of hours later, Mia dried off after a welcoming shower. Pushing her body and focusing on her breathing was just what she needed to take her outside her head. For the past couple of weeks, all that had been swirling around in her mind was Army and the mess her younger brother was in. Mia’s mother had called the week before to tell her that Finn had been arrested for armed robbery in Phoenix. It seemed that during the course of one night, he’d robbed five convenience stores at gunpoint. Her mother had cried and kept saying that “my baby’s gone,” and it’d really grated on her nerves because for most of their growing years, her mother hadn’t given much of a shit about any of them, especially Mia and her two brothers, Finn and Tucker. The only one her mom seemed to kind of give a damn about was Mia’s oldest brother, Vic. All her mom really cared about back then—and now—was partying and having a man.
“You want to join us at Berriegood?” Kat asked, breaking through her thoughts.
“Not tonight. I’m pretty beat.”
“Goliath and Rick were pretty hard on you. We all have off days.”
Mia slipped on her high-heeled pumps. “But not bad weeks. I’ve been off my game for too long. I don’t blame them for being pissed at me.”
“They’re always pissed at someone.” Kat chuckled. “I still don’t know how you can wear those damn heels all the time.”
“I don’t know how you can’t.” Mia smiled, stuffing her workout clothes in her gym bag.
Mia’s love affair with high heels started when she was a freshman in high school and saw Abby Boothe’s elegant four-inch strappy heels. Never mind that they were Jimmy Choo and had cost more than her family’s monthly assistance check; they were magical, and from that day on, she’d been hooked.
When she’d first come to Champion, Goliath and the other trainers tried to come up with a good fighter name for her and they soon landed on “Stiletto.”
“Are you coming in tomorrow?” Kat slipped a T-shirt over her head.
“I don’t think so. My last appointment at the salon is at seven thirty. I’m just going to chill at home and enjoy a rare evening off. I’ll see you on Friday. Maybe you’ll want to join me and my friends for a drink on Saturday?”
“I’d love to. Thanks.” Kat slammed her locker shut, and the two women walked outside.
A golden harvest moon hung low, occasionally obscured by ribbons of black clouds scudding across the sky. The scent of burning firewood permeated the air, and fallen leaves scattered across the road as the cool breeze gently stung Mia’s cheeks.
“Winter’s in the air,” Kat said, wrapping her sweater tighter around herself.
“I hope it doesn’t come too soon. I love the fall.” Mia dug her keys out of her purse. “See you.” She walked to the parking lot and hit the Unlock button on her fob. The headlights from her navy blue Chevy Cruze blinked on, illuminating a figure standing to the left of her car. Instantly, her muscles tensed, and she dropped her gym bag. A figure came toward her, and for a split second she thought it was Army. Tingles skipped over her skin but quickly stopped when her ex-boyfriend came into full view.
“What’re you doing here, Jorge?” Mia picked up her gym bag and slung it over her shoulder.