Page 69 of Made for You
He made a sound more like something Beast would grunt out than anything I’d expect from the creature in front of me formerly known as Tristan, and then twitched his fingers in a “bring it” gesture that some idiotic instinct buried in my bones couldn’t ignore.
And so it went. I attacked, he put me down. He attacked, he put me down. It should be noted that I was an expert in my own right. Some rounds had more grappling than others, but when Tristan was in control, there was no escaping it. He was so much better than the very best of us, it was almost frightening. The only person I’d ever seen beat him without a huge struggle was Kyle Croft back at EMU. A few guys could challenge Tristan pretty well. But again, when he let off steam like this, one merely accepted one’s fate.
A half hour later, I was dreaming of a hot shower and an ice pack, and maybe seeing if Nikki would be willing to comfort my pathetic heap of bruises. But I did feel better.
Tristan gripped my hand and pulled me to standing, then clapped me on the back. “You’re getting close on the arm bar.”
The disbelieving sound that came out perfectly matched my face. “Right. So close.”
He winced and smiled at the same time. Even after pummeling me and clearly working through something, he had humility.
And that was why he was one of the best. It was also why I hoped he’d let me in sometime soon.
“I appreciate the chance to be beaten into the floor. I’d also like to extend an invitation to grab a beer and use our words sometime.”
He shook his head, but the thundercloud that’d appeared over him when I’d seen him earlier had dried out. “Maybe soon.”
“What’s up with Winnie?” I asked, guessing at the source of his rough mood.
He stared at me, neutral expression giving away more than he realized. “She’ll be arriving soon. You good?”
Apparently, we were done. “Yeah. I’ll lock up. You go on.”
Fifteen minutes later, I’d cleaned the mats, locked everything up, and made it home. Times like these, I was grateful for the small town in ways I’d never realized mattered to me before moving here. Being able to leave work and be home within ten minutes felt invaluable after the brutal sparring session. Even in North Carolina, where I’d lived fairly close to my work, in the neighborhood where many of the operators had houses, it’d been a little over twenty minutes. Small difference, but I’d take it tonight.
I took a long, hot shower and let all the concerns of the day filter through my mind and slip out and down the drain. Or, I tried to. Tris would be okay. I didn’t know what, specifically, had him tied in knots over Winnie’s arrival, but I did know he had a solid plan to deal with it. Normally, that would be all he needed, but apparently not so in this case.
And Carl. I rested my head against the tile and let the water spray onto my back, easing the sore muscles there and soothing me. I should’ve stretched more, but hopefully, ice would help.
What would it take to make Carl disappear? Obviously, Kiley didn’t want anything to do with him, and after the show of violence, her instinct, and my own, were correct. There was no way he was going to stay here and bother her. It didn’t even make sense that he was here—he should’ve been in North Carolina trying to find a job. I’d already talked to the sherriff’s department about my concerns, and while they couldn’t do anything just yet, they were aware of the situation. A lot of good that did at this point, since it didn’t keep him from talking to her or upsetting her, but it was something.
And then there was the whole thing where I worked for a world-class security firm and we had our own methods. I’d only lightly mentioned it to Wilder and Tris, but after today’s episode, I’d escalate it. I wanted everyone on watch for the guy. I wanted to know where he was spending his time, what he was doing to fund his little mountain escape, and I wanted to know what he was after. It made no sense that he was simply harassing Kiley for the fun of it. Anything I’d ever known about Carl pointed to the fact that he thought he could get something from her.
With one last inhale of the steam, I forced myself to move. After slipping on a pair of clean gray sweats, I grabbed a T-shirt and tossed it over my shoulder. I’d sit with the ice first before I bothered with it.
A light knock on the side door sent my pulse climbing. I’d texted Nikki that I was home and asked if she was free. We both had a lot going on, and with Rosie moving out the next week, she’d been knee-deep in packing duties this weekend. But I’d wanted to see her—needed it.
And here she was. In worn jeans and a soft-looking tee, eyes hooked into mine until they fell to my shirtlessness.
“I am always happy to be greeted by a shirtless Bruce Camden, but something tells me this isn’t simply for my enjoyment.” Her brows knit, and the concern in her voice had the oddest effect on me.
It made me want to sink to my knees and beg her. For what? It didn’t even make sense other than the reality that being near her made everything feel better.
“Hey, seriously. What happened? I’m here.” She stepped into my space and slid her arms around me. Her hands were cold from the chilly fall air, but the press of her palms into the bare skin of my back was like heaven.
I ducked my head, nuzzling into her neck and feeling so oddly helpless, it nearly made me dizzy. Or maybe it came from the fact that I’d blown through the afternoon without any calories and was actually in danger of graying out.
“Thank you for coming, Nik.” My words were muffled into her hair. If she found my neediness, the tight hold I kept on her, unappealing, she didn’t show it. She just held me back, running her hands up my spine and out along my shoulder blades in calming strokes.
After a few minutes, she pulled back, fingers coasting along my shoulders and down my arms. “What do you need?”
“Just you.”
She shook her head. “Very sweet, but I don’t think that’s all. Not tonight, anyway.”
I grinned, more than a little delighted she wouldn’t succumb to the line. “Fine. I need to eat and ice because Tristan schooled me so thoroughly, I should be given an honorary PhD.”
She chuckled, beaming at me. “Go sit on the couch. I’ll get you foodandice, and you kick up your feet before you pass out.”
