Page 33 of Strike
I knew this would happen. I knew it, and I still went after her. I went after her, got tangled up in her well-being, and now I’d fucked it all up.
Callie was wrong.She was wrong. It was about justice. When she saw this, she would look at me the same way everyone else did. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t handle seeing the revulsion twist her pretty face. I should’ve told her before I’d slept with her. Shit, I should’ve told her before I’d kissed her, but the pull was too strong. I’d never wanted a woman as much as I wanted Callie Winslow.
I was ashamed of the man I used to be.There. I’d said it. I was arrogant, gullible, and selfish. I’d never physically hurt any woman in my life, but it didn’t matter. My reputation was stained by it all the same.
Taking out my phone, I opened the messenger app I’d been using to talk to Callie.
Storm R:We need to talk.
The message was marked as readalmost immediately, but the three little dots that meant she was writing back never appeared.
13
Callie
The morning after our date, I woke in Mark’s arms, and we did it.Again. That man had some serious skills, and I was swooning. He was letting me in slowly—some of the barriers he’d put between us were beginning to come down. Some of the mystery was being solved, and my heart sang.
After showering together, he left to go to the gym, telling me he had to fight tonight, and he would call me tomorrow. Not in the mood to do anything else but bask in the blissful memory of the most epic sex of my life, I went back to bed and did just that.
The trill of my phone roused me from my lustful stupor, and my hand fumbled over my bedside table looking for it. When I finally grasped the annoying little rectangle, I pulled it from the charger and peered at the screen. It was a string of messages from Macy that ranged in variations of ‘The FUCK!’, ‘Have you seen this?’, ‘Is it him?’
Opening the messenger app, I tapped on a link she’d included. When the page loaded up, my heart sputtered and almost ceased working entirely.
‘Disgraced UFC Welterweight, Mark Ryder, Saves Woman From Burning Building.’
I scanned the article while my head swam, and my entire body tingled with hypersensitivity.
It was only two years ago that a now infamous UFC ring girl came forward with allegations of violence against Ryder. She had bruising on her neck that police later confirmed were strangulation marks. She also made claims he’d harmed her in places that could be easily hidden, convincing her it was all part of a twisted sex game. Later, the woman alleged she realized she was in real danger and came forward.
As a result, Ryder received a lifetime ban from the UFC, lost his sponsorships, and was financially ruined. The last he was heard of was when he returned to Australia soon after settling the matter out of court. Since then, he’s flown under the radar, but now it seems Ryder has made another name for himself. This time as a local hero.
Two weeks ago, a shop front caught fire on Melbourne’s iconic Brunswick Street. It wasn’t reported at the time, but a woman, one Callie Winslow, was trapped inside by the flames. Ryder, who was in the vicinity, heard her cries for help and ran headfirst into the fire without a second thought, ultimately carrying her to safety.
The true intention of his apparent selfless act remains to be seen, but is this the beginning of the comeback of the century? It could herald a new chapter in the life of the disgraced UFC star, the beginning of penance for his past crimes. Or it could just be a matter of right place, right time. We won’t know until the man himself comes forward. If he ever does.
Holy fuck. Mark was convicted of domestic violence? I rubbed my eyes and took a deep breath. I didn’t know what to think, but my knee-jerk reaction was to run the hell away as fast as I could. I knew he had issues, it was written all over his face, but this?Holy…
Picking up my phone, I typed a response to Macy.
Callie:I feel sick. My bum is fizzing.
Macy:Is that an autocorrect?
Callie:No. Bum fizz is a thing.
Macy:What the fuck is bum fizz?
Callie:Haven’t you ever felt so nauseous that the skin on your bum cheeks and the top of your thighs tingle? It’s fucking weird, but I swear it’s a thing.
Macy:Now that you mention it…
Callie:I can’t believe… He choked some girl?
Macy:It sounds legit, C. I’m frightened for you. You should dump his ass immediately.
Callie:I knew there was something he wasn’t telling me, but this? I can’t…
Callie:Did he do this for his career? Am I a publicity stunt? I’m such an IDIOT.
