Ryley's Revenge (Gloves Off #2)(8)

My brother was a f*cking idiot. “Okay, fine, consider your job complete. Now get the hell out of here.”

Her eyes went wide. “But . . .”

“Out!” I shouted, pointing to the door. “Damn woman, are you deaf? Or are you just too stupid to do what you’re told?”

Huffing, she stomped to the door and slammed it open, only to be met by my brother.

“Well, someone must’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning,” he teased, looking over at me. He stepped out of the way and didn’t even acknowledge the woman as she sidled past.

“Who was at the door?” I asked, reaching into my drawer for a pair of shorts.

“Oh, just someone trying to sell me their bullshit. Don’t worry, I got rid of them. What are the plans for your day off?”

After sliding on a pair of black workout shorts, I searched through my closet for a shirt. Settling on a black and green MMA Pride T-shirt, I slid it on and turned back to my brother. “I’m not taking the day off,” I grumbled, reaching for my gym bag. “I have a fight against Nate Anderson in four days and I want to make sure I’m ready.”

“You’re going to kick his ass, Ry. The real question is . . . are you going to be ready for the title fight against me?” he asked slyly. “You know I’m not going to go easy on you.”

“Yeah, I’m real worried about it, *. You might want to get rid of your playthings and get to the gym yourself.” Camden was a good fighter though, and I had no doubt our fight would be the hardest I’d ever had to face. Grabbing my bag, I stalked past him and out into the hall.

“I’ll be there soon,” he called after me. “There’s something I need to do first.”

I grunted something unintelligible and continued on my way. It was too nice outside to take my car, so I opened up the garage and slid my helmet on before wheeling my sport bike out into the driveway. I loved speed and there was nothing like cruising down the highway with everything flying past you. It was one of my escapes, and I needed one desperately.





FUMING, I MARCHED up the steps to my apartment and slammed the door shut. Why was Camden such an *? Gabriella had already left, so I pulled out my phone and dialed her number. There was no way I could tell her everything in a text.

When she picked up, she sounded out of breath. “So what happened?”

“Camden wouldn’t let me in,” I grumbled. “He’s such a dick. Are you already at the gym?”

“Yeah, I’m running on the treadmill. Matt’s giving me the evil eye. Have you tried calling him?”

“No, not yet, but I will. If he shows up at the gym will you call me? I have to see him.”

“Of course. But I have to go before my brother makes me run another five miles.”

We hung up the phone and I immediately dialed Ryley’s number. Each time it rang, my heart beat louder and louder. When his voicemail came on, it was the first time I’d heard his voice in a long time; I missed it. As soon as his phone beeped, I cleared my throat and left a message. “Ryley, it’s Ashleigh. I really need to talk to you. Please call me back and I’ll explain everything.”

That was a lie. I couldn’t explain everything because I didn’t know everything. And even if I did know, I couldn’t tell him yet. Telling him now would be a disaster. The last thing I wanted was for him to give everything up because of his obligation to the baby. It would only foster resentment toward me.

When my phone beeped with an incoming text, I thought it was going to be Gabriella telling me Ryley showed up. However, it was Ryley himself. I knew he was pissed at me, but I didn’t realize to what extent until I read what he wrote.



Ryley: Do me a favor and stay the f*ck away from me. Don’t come to my house, don’t come to the gym. I don’t want to see or talk to you. It’s over.

Ryley: Leave. Me. Alone.



Closing my eyes, I could feel the burn behind my lids and the rejection in my heart. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to get through to him, but he did try to go to Aspen to get me. That was my last thread of hope. Before I could reply, Gabriella called.

“Hey,” I choked.

“Hey girl, I just watched him pull up on his bike. If you want to see him, come on over.”

“Wait, what? How can that be? He just texted me and told me to stay the f*ck away from him. How could he do that if he was riding on his bike?”

“Are you serious? The only way he could’ve done that is if he stopped at a light, but I doubt he’d have time to text you.”

Then it dawned on me . . . what if it wasn’t Ryley? Sighing, Gabriella seemed to be on the same page.

“How much do you want to bet Camden has his phone?” she stated. “I know how he works and I know he hates you for what you did to him. He’s going to try whatever he can to come between you and his brother.”

“Ugh, I truly despise him,” I grumbled. “What am I going to do?”

“I don’t know, but Ryley’s walking in. I gotta go.”

Grabbing my keys, I headed straight for the door. “I’m on my way.





By the time I got to the gym, I was drenched in sweat and I couldn’t get my hands to stop shaking. I parked beside Ryley’s bike and slowly got out of the car. Was it a mistake showing up at his gym? Probably. Was I going to go in there? Hell yes.