Rebel Walking: Fighting The Odds Part 3

"I'm not sure about all of that. Is my father here?"

"Yes. He's in the overlook." I begin to walk away and Luke starts to follow. Lou holds out his hand in introduction and I watch Luke simply shake his hand and nod. From what I could tell, he still hasn't told them his name. I'll respect that fully, because after today I won't even be around to make sure he's taken care of.

"I'll be right back." I watch his inner struggle to follow me and decide to walk fast enough for him to realize I need to do this on my own.

I knew that he'd be watching the floor. When I open the door, he doesn't even turn to acknowledge me. Why would he start today?

"Kim, I love that you're bringing that beast to me. I honestly thought he'd try to back out."

"I'm not bringing him to you. I just need my winnings from last night and then I'll be out of your way."

"Greg collected your winnings early this morning."

"They weren't his to collect. How could you give them to him knowing what he did to me last night?"

"How was I to know you aren't still with him?" This is my fault. I hid the marks he left and kept the pregnancy a secret. How could this be happening? I have nothing left. The disgust I feel for myself overwhelms me as my life continues to crash down.

"You're right. I never should have bet the money."

"It's not like you to bet money. It screams of desperation to lay that much down and it makes me curious of your intentions." My father is smart. He knows something and I can only a.s.sume that Greg filled him in on enough for him to put the pieces together.

"I just need a vacation to think about a few things."

"That amount of money was not for a vacation. Your lay down would have been more than enough to get away."

"I ... I just want to have enough to make some changes in my life if needed." He stares into my eyes with power and disappointment. I can't look into his eyes when he's like this.

"Well. I suggest you ask Greg for your money back." I know not to fight him on this. He never treated me any different than a stranger's child until he realized how valuable I could be if he dangled me in front of his fighters.

"You know he won't give it to me."

"Sounds like a personal problem. Maybe your new boy will save you."

"He's not mine."

"Let's just see how this turns out." He turns and starts out the door.

"I won't let you use me to get him. This guy is different."

"I know he's different. That's why it's time that I remind him how much he wants this fight."

Luke This old man Lou, really knows what he's talking about, at least from what I've actually heard as I worry about Kimber. I admire the way he interacts with each person here in the gym whether they are training to fight, lifting, or simply doing cardio. I can really tell he's been around for a long time and has made a difference to many of these people.

"Glad to see you're ready to train for the fight."

"Don't be so sure of yourself. I'm not fighting for you. Just here with Kimber and then you don't have to worry about seeing me again." Kimber walks up behind her father, who is looking very smug again today. I look at Kimber and see defeat again. What in the h.e.l.l?

"That's a shame. I was sure you'd be a monster in the cage." I'm waiting for him to trap me into this fight. He's acting like it's no big deal and I see right through his bull s.h.i.+t.

"Feel free to let Lou show you around some more. He's ready to give you a workout if you're ready." I can tell by Kimber's reaction to his offer that it's time to go. She may be able to hide under the radar with her own father, but I can see right through her.

"Nah. I need to get out of here."

"Suit yourself. Just know, if you walk out that door the offer may not be here if you change your mind." My eyes never leave Kimber. She isn't happy about any of this and I'm trying to decide why.

"What makes you think I'd change my mind?"

"I'm just guessing that you'll be needing quick cash soon to help a friend out."

"Look old man. I've told you not to a.s.sume that I need money. Don't f.u.c.king threaten me."

"It wasn't meant as a threat. Consider it more of a warning to think about everything before you walk out that door."

"What's he talking about, Kimber?" She lifts her head in an attempt to stand tall and fight off whatever it is that's going on here.

"Greg took my money. I have nothing. My father is trying to trap you into a fight in order to help me, but I want nothing to do with his f.u.c.king money." She says all of this as if her father isn't right there watching. The betrayed look on his face and the way he begins to walk toward her has me stepping in front of him before he has a chance to even get close to her.

"Why did you give her money to that a.s.shole?" My words. .h.i.t him in the face as I look down.

"It seems only fair that he gets the money after what you did to him. I figured a little green would go a long way to keep him from pressing charges on you himself." Looking down at this c.o.c.ky mother f.u.c.ker, I work hard to pull my anger in and stay as calm as possible.

"That was not her debt to pay. As a matter of fact, it was payback for the bulls.h.i.+t he pulled. Do you have any idea what she's been through..." Kimber steps in front of me quickly, looking directly into my eyes with her own, pleading for me to stop talking.

"Please." She pleads in a voice that only I can hear. I keep my eyes on hers as I decide to finish this conversation.

"I'll f.u.c.king fight one time. You give me half the money now." She starts to shake her head no to me and I place my index finger on her bottom lip to quiet her.

"Do you really think I will trust you not to run? You get the money after the fight."

"No, I get the money before the fight, or I don't fight." I turn to walk away with Kimber's hand in mine.

"Be here Friday by 5 p.m. Fight starts at seven. You'll have your money when you arrive." I don't look back as we walk out of the gym.

"Luke. I don't want you to fight. He's manipulating you through me and I won't let him do that to you."

"I'm not being manipulated. Let's talk about it somewhere else."

"He is. He's done this for as long as I can remember. You have no idea how this business is and he will steam roll you."

Without saying another word I sit on my bike and wait for her to climb on behind me. I need to feel the air on my face right now and I fight the urge to find an open road. Thoughts of Missouri come to mind and it's the first time I find myself wis.h.i.+ng I was back home. Open roads aren't an issue there.

She doesn't climb on. I turn to see what she's doing only to find her walking away. f.u.c.k. I don't f.u.c.king chase people, so why am I now jogging to catch up with her?

"Kimber, what are you doing? Get on my bike and let's get the h.e.l.l out of here."

"No."

Chapter Five.

Kimber He has no idea what he's getting pulled into. I can't let this happen to him. He's been there for me like no one else in my life and he's willing to step into this for me, and he's only known me for a day. There's no way I can stand by and let him do this. There has to be a time that I put a stop to my father and his hold over me.

He steps in front of me and I slam into him like the brick wall he is.

"Luke. I'm doing you a favor. Get on your bike and forget you ever saw me."

"That's not going to happen." He's going to be stubborn and completely difficult about this, but that's ok because I can be too.

"Why can't you just leave? You have no ties here. I can tell you're the type that likes it that way."

"You have no idea what I like. I'm not leaving you here. You're leaving with me if it means I throw you over my shoulder and walk the f.u.c.k out of here. I keep having to threaten you with that, can't you just cooperate? I have a s.h.i.+t ton of time to deal with your a.s.s being complicated, but I'd rather you make it easier and let me help you. Now, can we talk about this later?" I've dealt with alpha men all my life, but this is different. This time he's fighting and being demanding to help me. He's not forcing me to do something degrading or to pleasure his wishes. It's about saving me. I can tell he's not playing in the slightest and he truly wants to help me. It just hurts to know that I'm at the point in my life that I really have no choice, but to let him help.

I turn to walk back to his bike. His shadow towers over mine on the sidewalk so I know he's following. I watch his shadow as he rubs his head in a frustrating way and I stop in my tracks.

"If you're going to be so irritated to help me, just let me go, Luke."

"I'm not frustrated to help you."

"I saw you. Your movements say otherwise."

"I don't give a f.u.c.k about my movements." He keeps walking and mounts his bike without another word. I know this is my chance to get on and I need to take it. He turns to look at me with a small pleading smile. It's not as if I have any other options at this point. Not that this is a bad option at all.

I take the helmet he's trying to hand me and latch it as I position myself behind him. He doesn't have to remind me to hang on this time as I gladly wrap my arms around his waist and hang on for the ride.

This time I try to watch the scenery and enjoy the view. He doesn't go near as fast and I'm grateful for that. I feel the safest that I've felt in forever, and I'm riding on the back of a motorcycle with a very tattooed, built man wearing gauges in his ears. If this isn't irony, I don't know what is.

He pulls into his tiny parking spot near the building and turns off the engine. He steps off the bike right after I do and then starts to walk into the apartment. I look over at my Jeep and know I need to just do everyone a favor and drive away from here. I won't get far on the gas I have, but I don't want to inconvenience him anymore. He turns and sees me looking in that direction.

"Let's do this inside. We don't need an audience knowing your business." He says it so matter of fact that I don't even hesitate to follow him. I need to decide my future one way or another anyway.

Once inside his apartment again, he turns to face me and looks at me with frustration. It's obvious that something is bothering him, so I wait for him to lay it on me.

"Kimber, just let me fight this fight for you and then you can leave here forever and not have to look back. You deserve better than this life and I can help you make that happen in just one small fight."

"I wish we had met under different circ.u.mstances. This isn't the life I had planned for myself."

"Exactly. This is your chance to make some changes and begin to live the life you do have planned. It's not like it's costing me anything to help you." It's so tempting to just let him save me from this life, but I need to do this on my own.

"I need to do this for me. I know you won't understand, but I can't just let you give me money to run."

"Consider it a loan then. You can pay me back when you get on your feet. I'll take payments."

"My father is ruthless. You don't understand what you're getting in to."

"Don't worry about me. I won't get into anything I can't handle." His logic is simple. How can I say no?

"Will you let Lou train you?"

"I'm not going back to that gym."

"I can get him to meet us somewhere else. He really knows what he's doing and I don't want you going in to this without any experience."

"Yeah. I'll let the old man teach me a few things."

"Okay, but only if you consider it a loan and let me pay you back."

"That's what I've been saying, consider it a deal." The realization that I have nowhere to stay between now and the fight finally hits me and I begin to internally freak out. I stand there awkward waiting for him to say something else.

"What do you want me to bring in from your Jeep?"

"Nothing."

"This place isn't much, but you're welcome to stay here until you get the money you need to move."

"I can't. You've done so much. I'll stay with Lou. He's been more of a father than my own and I know he'll let me stay with him for a couple of days or so." He looks at me like he wants to argue, but he chooses not to. This is good, because I don't think it's a great idea for me to stay with him, even though I know his heart is taken.

Luke The last thing I need is for her to stay with me, but there's no way I can just throw her out on the streets. I'm already p.i.s.sed at myself for some of the thoughts going through my head when I'm with her. My eyes were drawn to that s.e.xy a.s.s when she was walking in front of me, then it was worse when she wrapped herself so tight around me that I could feel her t.i.ts on my back. These are feelings I don't want to have. It was better when I was numb to the world around me. Besides that, what kind of d.i.c.k head looks at the a.s.s of someone who's been through everything she has?

"Suit yourself. Just know you can stay here if you change your mind. I work twelve hour days, Monday through Thursday, so I won't be here much anyway."

I pull my s.h.i.+rt over my head and reach for a tank top. I can feel her eyes on me the whole time I'm searching for it. The feeling of being appreciated again confuses me and I know I'm not fully ready to deal with it. Turning to face her, I see Kimber in a completely frozen state. Her eyes are glued to my back until I turn it away from her. She looks me in the eyes with a look I'm very familiar with.

It's the look thousands of women have given me when there's one thing on their mind. That was when things were so much simpler. That guy wouldn't feel like this. It would be so much easier to be that guy again, but that's not an option.

Our eyes stay connected for a few moments until she pulls away.

"I'll call Lou." I stand there in conflict while she leaves my apartment to make the phone call. I haven't moved when she begins to talk to him. These walls are so thin, I can hear her clearly as she talks to him.

"Hey Lou, it's Kimber. Will you train Luke for the match? He refuses to go back to the gym, so we need to do it at the barn."

"Yeah Lou, I'm doing okay."

"I know you worry, but I'm going to make it through it. You know I'm a fighter."

"Alright, I'll see you at the barn in a few minutes." I notice she doesn't ask to stay with him, but I'm guessing that's something that is better done in person.

Slipping into the bathroom to put on some athletic shorts and finish getting ready for my session with the old man, I expect to hear her come back into the apartment. After a few minutes pa.s.s and she doesn't, I start to think that the awkward moment we just had affected her more than it seemed to at first.

When I step out of the bathroom, I can hear a slightly mumbled voice, followed by Kimber's. She must be right in front of the door.

"Honey, you need to hang on to that boy. If I was any younger, I'd fight you to the death for him. I may be old, but I'm not dead."