Paxton's Promise (Gloves Off #3)(14)

I nodded like an idiot knowing he couldn’t see me. “Two of them, actually. The first one came with a single black rose. It said one is for the beginning.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“How the hell should I know? But then today, I found two black roses with another note. This one said, two, there is nothing you can do. Kind of creepy if you ask me.”

“Shit. And you have no idea who it could be?”

“I’m clueless, Ryley. I just know I don’t like it. I get that weird spidery feeling when I think about it.”

“Where’s Paxton? Ashleigh told me about you staying with him. Is he there?”

“No, he hasn’t been spending much time with me. I guess pushing him away finally worked.” Over the past three days I’d been nearly nonexistent to him, until today when he raced me in the pool.

“And you of all people should know how that works out,” he snapped. “Do you remember when you bitched me out for doing that to Ashleigh?”

I remembered that day very well. I hated watching her suffer because of what he was putting her through. “Yes,” I answered reluctantly.

“Well, the guy likes you, Gabby. Yes, he pissed me off by taking you and Ashleigh to the Dark Side, but if he didn’t I don’t know what I would’ve done if you guys weren’t there. The guy’s probably just done with being turned down. It sounds to me like you’re going to have to make the first move. Any man in their right mind would be gun-shy by now. Shit, you’ve turned him down how many times? A hundred and seventy-three?”

“You know why I won’t do that, Ryley.”

He scoffed. “That’s bullshit and you know it. I think you’re just afraid, so stop making up excuses. But on to more important things . . . whatever you do, don’t go to your apartment without someone with you. If you get anymore notes, you might seriously need to go to the police. Or better yet, get your brother to call Mason. He’ll know what to do.”

Mason was my brother’s friend and my stand in coach when he couldn’t make it. He was an MMA fighter and an undercover detective. With his amazing skills, he busted a whole underground fighting ring last year after several fighters lost their lives. He was a legend in the UFC community.

“If I get anymore letters I’ll call Mason myself,” I promised. “I’ve wanted to talk to Paxton about it, but we haven’t really had the chance to talk with his newfound busy schedule.”

“Well, make him listen,” he shouted. “All you have to do is make the first move. I promise.”

“Okay, I’m going to him now. It’s probably nothing to be worried about.” Getting up from the couch, I shoved the notes in my back pocket and started for the door.

“Just keep me updated, Gabby. And stay out of trouble.”

“Will do. I’ll talk to you soon.” We said our goodbyes and I rushed out of my apartment and down to the car.

My heart was on overdrive the whole way to the track, and thankfully, I made it there without having a heart attack. There were cars everywhere, especially race cars. You had to pay to park, so I gave the man my money and found a parking place amongst the drunken patrons. Great. I wasn’t in the mood for problems.

Once parked, I hopped out of the Hummer and started on my way, not paying attention to anyone as I passed by. “Hey baby, you alone tonight? I’d be happy to give you a ride.”

Biting my tongue, I kept going, but the idiot wouldn’t stop. “I see we’re playing hard to get. I told you I’d give a ride tonight, sugar lips. What ya say?” He grabbed his crotch and nodded at me.

“I say go f*ck yourself, dickhead. I’d rather my dildo give me a ride.”

Shouts of laughter sounded behind me, along with the snarls of the man I just told to f*ck off. He called me a “no good, stupid cunt” and I replied with a finger in the air. Why men thought that kind of shit would help them get a piece of ass was beyond me. I guess some women liked the disgusting pick up lines.

The track was huge and I had no clue where to find Paxton. In the middle, there were cars getting ready to race and some that had just gotten done racing. There were people everywhere in the stands, so I searched through the crowd until I found an open section. To my luck, there was a spot right near the front. Once I was seated, there was one person I recognized coming down the steps toward my section. When his head lifted, he spotted me almost immediately and smiled.

Sliding past the people on our row, he sat down beside me with a beer in hand. The baseball cap covering his head hung low over his eyes, but not so much that I couldn’t recognize him.

“Gabriella,” he greeted with a nod.

“Cliff,” I replied back. “So we meet again.”

“I must admit, I didn’t peg you for a racing type of girl.”

I snorted. “You’d be surprised the types of things I do. I’m not taking someone else’s seat am I? I just got here and I didn’t know where to go.”

He shook his head. “No, not at all. Who are you here with?”

Behind him, I scanned the crowd to see if I could find Paxton but I couldn’t see him anywhere. “I’m kind of by myself, but I’m looking for someone. I know he’s here.”

“Your boyfriend?”