Paxton's Promise (Gloves Off #3)(39)

“Why are you asking that?”

If I was going to be fighting dirty, I wanted to know how to do it, especially if I needed it to defend myself. When I didn’t answer, he stopped and turned me around by my shoulders.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?” he asked.

I almost reached up and tucked the hair behind my ears, but refrained. “No,” I lied. “I just want to make sure I’m prepared, you know, in case something ever happened to me. I know how to fight, but that’s not going to cut it if someone really wanted to hurt me. I figured with your experience, you’d have a few tricks up your sleeve.”

Chuckling, he put his arm around my shoulders and led me outside. “I swear, your brother is going to kick my ass when he finds out I’ve corrupted you.”

No, he’ll thank you for saving me.





BEFORE PAXTON LEFT, I kind of hinted that he should maybe go out for drinks after he and Derek were done racing. I needed to make sure I had plenty of time to get back before he did. Luckily, he’d showed me some moves that could possibly help me out. One was how to gouge someone’s eyes out. I prayed I wouldn’t have to ever do it, but if it came down to me or my attacker . . . I’d sure as f*ck do it in a heartbeat.

I packed my ‘sexy’ clothes in a gym bag because there was no way in hell I was going to wear it out. Scar was just going to have to settle with seeing me in a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt for the time being. Once Paxton pulled out of the driveway in his blue race car, I sat by the window and watched the gate close. Thankfully, it wasn’t dark out yet, but it was going to be soon. There was something about night that made things more menacing. It was always the time when the evil came out to play. I think that was why I never liked Halloween much.

The time was closing in on seven o’clock so I hopped into Paxton’s Hummer and headed on the way to my apartment. When I got there, Camden hadn’t arrived. Making sure the doors were locked, I sat there and waited, scrolling through my phone at the latest news.

Someone banged on the car window making me yelp. “What the . . .” Clasping my chest, I blew out a nervous breath and waited for my heart to calm. It was Cliff. I rolled down my window and huffed, “You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” he said, leaning on the window. “I thought you weren’t supposed to come out here alone?”

Camden chose that time to pull up on the right side of my car, gesturing for me to get in.

Furrowing his brows, Cliff gaped at him before settling back on me. “Who the hell is that now? You’re not in trouble again, are you?”

Grabbing my bag, I shook my head and put my hand on the handle. He stepped back so I could roll up the window and open the door. “No trouble here.”

“For some reason, I don’t believe you. I didn’t get hit over the head for no reason the other day.”

“Cliff, just leave it alone,” I warned. By now, Camden had gotten out of his car and circled around the Hummer.

“Gabby, let’s go.”

Cliff stepped protectively in front of me. “She’s not going anywhere without me.”

Camden snorted, reaching for my bag and I let him take it. “Gabby, do you want to handle that for me? If I do, it’s not going to be all peaches and cream.”

“You can’t come with me, Cliff,” I said, walking past him. “There are rules and you’ve already been in the crossfire because of me.”

“I don’t care.” Grabbing my arm, he turned me around. “I can get you out of here, if you just say the word. Something’s wrong, I can feel it.”

I wish I could tell him, but it would only endanger him more, including myself. “Please, just drop it,” I hissed low. “I have to go with him. I don’t have a choice.”

Gritting his teeth, he let me go and I got in the car with Camden. He pulled us out of the parking lot and passed me a blindfold. “You know the drill, babe.”

Rolling my eyes, I put it on and sat back in the seat. If memory served me correctly, we had about thirty minutes until we would reach our destination. “I assume you don’t have any guns or weapons in your bag?” he asked.

“No, but I wish I did. Maybe I could put the worthless f*ck I’m about to fight out of his misery quicker.”

Camden chuckled. “I have no doubt you’ll do that tonight. Scar’s picking men he knows you’ll beat.”

“So are you trying to say I should thank him for not handing me over to Rage?” I snapped.

“He just wants his money and if you beat these men, he gets it.”

“I can’t imagine the kind of trouble I could get into doing this shit. I’d be kicked out of the UFC for sure.”

“Let’s just hope that doesn’t happen,” he said. A few seconds passed but then his voice dipped low. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What?”

“It looks like your friend decided to follow us.”

This can’t be happening. “What are we going to do?”

The sound of Camden’s phone beeped as he dialed out a number. When I heard the sound of a voice on the other end, I could tell it was Scar. “We have a problem,” Camden growled. “Apparently, we have a tail. Some dude who’s friends with Gabby.” After more words were spoken, Camden hung up and sighed.