Klutch
“Jesus,” Beast grumbles as his arms strain against the weight of the freight elevator’s door. For over a year the damn thing has been a pain in the ass to lift. “We really need to get this piece of shit fixed.”
I grunt in agreement as he shoves the door upward.
When it finally rolls all the way up the track, my entire world shifts off its axis.
There, standing not two feet away, is the sexiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.
My mouth goes bone dry as I take her in.
She’s tall, maybe five-ten, with long dark hair, and her face— Jesus Christ .
Cornflower blue eyes. I’ve never seen anything like them.
My eyes continue to rake across her gorgeous face.
She’s got high cheekbones, and plump pink lips that make her look like a fucking movie star.
I swallow the lump in my throat. This woman is the kind of beauty that doesn’t need to do a single thing to be noticed.
And I fucking notice.
Every inch of her.
From the thick mane of dark hair on her head to the worn pink Converse on her dainty feet. She’s dressed simply in jeans that hug her hips and a plain white V-neck tee that is showcasing her perfect tits. They’re on the smaller side, but I have no doubt they’d fit perfectly in my hands.
The thought makes my cock twitch.
Beast clears his throat loudly, pulling me from my thoughts.
I step off the elevator, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t tear my eyes away from her.
I watch as she and her friend, a hot little number in her own right, but not holding a candle to the blue-eyed goddess, squeeze past us onto the elevator.
My eyes narrow and my fist clench at my sides as they step onto the car. It’s irrational and crazy but every muscle in my body is screaming for me to reach out and grab her. To stop her from leaving. To keep her close.
Jesus Christ. I don’t even know this woman, but the thought of her walking out of my life makes me want to kill a motherfucker.
Before I can say a word to keep her from leaving, the rolling door is pulled down between us and the connection is lost.
Just like that, she’s gone.
“Fuck me,” Beast exhales beside me. “Did you see those hot little bitches? Goddamn. ” He bites his fist.
An actual fucking growl rumbles from my chest that surprises even me.
Beast’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline as my own eyes widen.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
We stare at each other for a long minute before finally Beast throws his head back and bellows out a laugh. “Holy shit! You look like you want to take my fucking head off.”
“Fuck, dude.” I sigh, dragging a hand along the scruff on my jaw.
“What’s so funny?” Pee Wee’s gravelly voice carries from the bar.
We make our way over to where our VP is camped out on a barstool with a couple stacks of papers scattered across the bar top in front of him. He raises a questioning eyebrow at Beast, who’s still grinning like an idiot.
“Two fine-ass women just got on the elevator,” Beast explains, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. “And my boy here damn near took my head off for looking at the one that looked like Megan Fox.”
“Fuck off,” I mutter, dropping onto an empty stool.
Pee Wee’s eyes narrow. “The tall one with the black hair and attitude?”
Beast shrugs. “Don’t know about the attitude but yeah.”
“She’s off limits,” Pee Wee growls, suddenly looking very much like the deadly enforcer he used to be before becoming VP.
Beast laughs even harder, slapping the bar top. “You too? Jesus. Both of you are pussy struck.”
“Watch your mouth,” Pee Wee warns.
I flip Beast off then turn to Pee Wee and ask, “What were they doing here?”
“Looking for jobs,” Pee Wee replies, taking a sip of his whiskey. “I hired them both.”
My heart kicks against my ribs. She’ll be working here. I’ll see her again. The thought excites me for all of 2.5 seconds before suddenly pissing me off.
I don’t do this kind of shit. I don’t get hung up on women. They’re a distraction, a temporary release, and nothing more.
“Who are they?” I press, keeping my voice neutral.
Pee Wee freezes, glass halfway to his lips. “Fuck. I didn’t even ask.” He starts laughing, a deep rumbling sound that shakes his massive frame.
Despite my flip-flopping mood, my lips turn up and I chuckle. “You hired two random women without getting their names?”
“What can I say?” Pee Wee shrugs, still chuckling. “I was...distracted.”
“Pussy struck,” Beast coughs into his fist, earning another glare from our VP.
“Fuck off,” I snap at Beast. “I just thought the bitch who looked like Megan Fox was hot. I ain’t pussy struck.”
“Sure, brother,” Beast smirks. “Whatever you say.”
“Knock it off, Beast,” Pee Wee interjects, mercifully changing the subject as he trains his eyes on me. “Your fight’s tomorrow night. Are you ready?”
I nod, grateful for the shift in focus. “I’m solid. Been training my ass off.”
“He has,” Beast confirms, all business now. “We’ve been putting in extra hours. His cardio is better than it’s ever been.”
“Good,” Pee Wee nods. “The purse for this one is big. Denali’s got a lot riding on it, especially with the new clubhouse expenses.”
“I won’t let the club down,” I promise, already feeling the surge of anticipation that comes before a fight.
“Never thought you would,” Pee Wee replies, clapping me on the shoulder. “You two better get to it, then.”
I slide off the stool, Beast following as we head toward the locker room. My mind drifts back to the woman on the elevator. I wonder when she starts, what her name is, how old she is?—
Fuck. This is exactly what I don’t need right now. A distraction.
The locker room is empty when we walk in, the smell of bleach and sweat hanging in the air. I strip off my cut and shirt, hanging them carefully in one of the lockers. My boots and jeans follow, and I pull on a pair of loose black shorts.
Beast grabs the athletic tape from his gym bag and motions for me to sit down.
“You seemed off back there,” he comments as he starts wrapping my hands, the tape pulled tight around my wrists and knuckles.
“I’m fine,” I reply, flexing my fingers as he works.
“If you say so.” He doesn’t sound convinced. “Just remember, no pussy is worth losing focus over. Not with this fight coming up.”
“Says the man who can’t keep his dick in his pants for more than a few hours,” I snort.
Beast grins, unashamed. “I fuck ‘em and forget ‘em. You looked like you wanted to put a leash on that bitch and take her home.”
“I just thought she was hot,” I insist, eyes narrowing. Jesus, fuck. He’s like a dog with a goddamn bone sometimes.
“Sure,” he nods, finishing up the tape job. “Ready?”
I flex my hands, testing the tape’s give. “Let’s do it.”
We exit the locker room, making our way through the hallway that leads back to the front of the arena. As we round the corner, I nearly collide with Smoke.
“Shit,” he mutters before quickly ending his phone call. “Didn’t see you there.”
My eyes narrow. This motherfucker is always lurking in the shadows and it’s starting to piss me off.
Call me paranoid, but there’s something about him that just isn’t fucking right.
I’ve brought it up to Diablo and Pee Wee on a couple of occasions and they tell me I’m being paranoid.
That it’s all in my head. Maybe they’re right, but I just don’t trust him.
“Everything good?” I ask, noting the way he tucks his phone away.
“Yeah, yeah,” Smoke nods, forcing a grin. “Just handling some personal shit.”
Beast watches us closely. He hasn’t said shit, but I think he’s noticed Smoke’s odd behavior lately too.
I give Smoke a chin lift, deciding to file this away for later. “We’re about to spar. You want in?”
“Nah, I’m good,” he replies, already edging past us. “Got some errands to run for Denali.”
“Suit yourself,” Beast shrugs as Smoke disappears down the hallway.
“That dude’s always been sketchy,” Beast mutters once Smoke is out of earshot.
“Yeah,” I agree, still staring after him. “It’s weird right?”
Beast nods, and we continue toward the octagon.
The cage looms in the center of the room. It’s empty now, but come fight night, it’ll be surrounded by hundreds of bloodthirsty spectators.
I duck through the gate, rolling my shoulders as I step onto the canvas. My body automatically falls into a fighting stance—weight balanced, hands up, chin tucked. This cage is my domain. I run shit in here.
Beast circles around me, his own hands raised. “Ready to get your ass handed to you?”
“In your dreams, fat boy,” I taunt, bouncing lightly on the balls of my feet.
We start slow, feeling each other out with jabs and light kicks. Beast has the weight advantage, but I’m faster. It’s a dance we’ve done hundreds of times.
“So,” Beast says, throwing a lazy hook that I easily slip under, “she starts tomorrow, huh?”
“Who?” I play dumb, even as an image of her vivid blue eyes flashes through my mind.
“Don’t bullshit me,” Beast laughs, blocking my counter jab. “The hottie who had you drooling all over the floor.”
“I wasn’t drooling,” I grunt, landing a solid body shot that makes him wince.
“Whatever you say, Casanova.” Beast raises an eyebrow, circling left. “We both know you want her.”
I feint a right cross and come in with a left hook that grazes his chin. “You’re seeing things.”
“Oh?” Beast questions, launching into a combination that forces me back against the cage. “So I can make a move?”
“Fuck off,” I growl, ducking under his arm and spinning away from the fence.
“That’s what I thought,” he taunts, grinning as he follows.
I answer with a quick one-two that catches him clean, snapping his head back. “Happy now?”
“There he is,” Beast laughs, wiping at his mouth. “Was wondering where killer Klutch went.”
We continue trading shots, neither of us going full force but pushing each other enough to get a good sweat going. My mind keeps drifting back to those blue eyes, wondering what her name is, what her story is. Is she from around here? Does she have a boyfriend?
“You’re dropping your right again,” Beast points out, landing a light jab to my cheek to prove his point.
“Fuck,” I mutter, resetting my stance.
“Get your head in the game,” Beast warns. “You fight like this in tomorrow night, and you’ll get your ass handed to you.”
He’s right, and I know it. I can’t afford to be distracted, not with so much riding on this fight. The club needs the money, and I need the win to maintain my reputation. The Underground’s reputation.
I take a deep breath, pushing all thoughts of the mystery woman from my mind.
Focus. That’s what I need right now.
“Again,” I say, hands up, chin tucked.
Beast nods, and we go again.