Blaise stared across the desk at his younger brother, marvelling at how good he looked. His skin had lost that lifeless pallor. His blue eyes were clear and bright. His teeth were white again, not stained from nicotine and neglect. Rowan looked like a different man, the man he could have been, had he not taken that detour all those years ago.
“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” Rowan asked, laughing. “You’re creepin’ me out.”
“Sorry,” Blaise said, shaking his head. “I know you told me on the phone that you’d pulled yourself together, but I didn’t expect this.” He gestured to Rowan’s clean jeans and black T-shirt. He even looked as though he’d been working out some. His body was lean but chiseled.
“I swore to myself I wouldn’t come back into your life until I could prove that I was a changed man. I am, Blaise. I’m off the drugs. I haven’t had a drink in sixteen months. I’ve never felt better.”
“You’re working?” Blaise asked, almost afraid of the answer.
His cheeks reddened as he dipped his chin. “Yeah, two jobs, in fact.”
“Really?” Blaise couldn’t hide his surprise. “Doing what?”
Rowan shrugged, obviously embarrassed. “I work nights at a pizza place, you know, making pizzas and manning the cash, and I work during the day and on weekends washing dishes at a restaurant.”
“You’re kidding.” Blaise wasn’t surprised by the jobs, only that Rowan was working seven days a week. He’d never known Rowan to hold down a job for more than a couple of weeks.
“No.” He shrugged. “It’s not much, but it keeps a roof over my head, and I don’t go hungry anymore.”
Blaise swallowed, thinking of all the nights Rowan had suffered on the streets without a bed or warm meal. “What happened to make you want to turn things around?”
“I hit rock bottom.” His eyes landed on the worn hardwood floor. “I woke up in a shelter one morning, looked around me, and realized I didn’t want to live that way anymore. I met some good people who were willing to help me and…” He looked at Blaise. “I did the work. Simple as that. One day at a time, I fought the demons that kept calling me back.”
“Are you ever tempted?” Blaise asked. “You know, by booze or drugs?”
“You’re never cured.” Rowan rubbed a hand over his face before he leaned back in his chair. “They say it’s a disease, and I guess it is, but it’s the chronic kind. You just have to learn how to live with it.”
“I guess so.”
“I used to sneak into the library when I was between shelters. I’d use the computer so I could find out what you were up to. I was so proud of you.” Rowan laughed. “I used to tell the guys on the street that Blaise Thomas was my big brother, and they’d think I was high again.”
Blaise felt the sting of guilt and remorse. “I didn’t want things to go down the way they did, kid. I wanted you in my life. I just couldn’t have you in my life, not like that.”
“You were right to cut me loose. It was the best thing you could have done for me. As long as you continued to give me money, you were just feeding my addictions. I know that now.”
“I’m glad you don’t hate me.”
“Never. I could never hate you.”
Blaise felt a lump rise in his throat. There was so much he wanted to say, so many questions he wanted to ask, but words failed him.
“Is that your girlfriend?” Rowan asked, pointing at a picture of Kiara.
Blaise had downloaded it from his phone that morning before printing it and sticking it in the corner of another frame on his desk. Kiara was wearing a tight black dress and heels, her long hair in a polished up-do. He’d taken the picture when he accompanied her to a friend’s wedding last month, and it was one of his favorites, even if it did highlight the glaring differences between them. “Yeah, it is.”
“Jesus, man, she’s gorgeous.”
“Yeah, she is.” Blaise felt a swell of pride as he held the picture. “She’s amazing. Way too good for me.”
“Why do you say that?” Rowan frowned.
“She’s an Ivy League graduate, man. One of the most sought-after sports agents in the country.”
“And you’re Blaise-freakin’-Thomas, the former heavyweight boxing champ. So what’s your point?”
Blaise appreciated his brother’s indignation on his part, but he wasn’t foolish enough to think anyone would compare Kiara’s accomplishments to his. Blaise had gotten ahead because he was fearless. She got ahead because she was smart. Big difference.
“The old man really did a number on you, didn’t he, Blaise?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He tucked the picture back in the frame before scrolling through the messages on his phone. He thought if he pretended he had better things to do, Rowan would take a hint.
“The shit he said to you about being stupid and worthless, you believed him, didn’t you?”
“I don’t believe anything that crazy old bastard says.” Blaise laughed, though it felt as if it burned his throat. “You know that.”
“I know that when your own parent beats you down, it’s hard to get back up again.”
“He never beat us,” Blaise said, unsure why he felt the need to distinguish between physical abuse and the verbal abuse they’d endured.
“He might as well have.” Rowan cracked his knuckles. “The things he said hurt every bit as much as a punch.”
“I guess.” Blaise wasn’t one to feel sorry for himself, and he didn’t want to dwell on the past, not today. “I’m glad you stopped by, kid. It was great to see you again.”
“I wanted to ask you something before I leave.”
Here it comes. Blaise knew he should have been smart enough to see the barb before he got hooked. “Okay, what is it?” Or should I ask, how much?
“I heard you’re training amateur boxers here. That true?”
“Uh, yeah, why?”
“Would you consider training me? Maybe managing me?”
Blaise leaned forward. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I want to start boxing again.”
“Again? I don’t recall you taking much of an interest in it before.” They’d had the same opportunities, but Rowan had preferred to get high while Blaise was learning how to defend himself.
“I was clueless back then,” Rowan said. “No direction. I didn’t think I could make anything of myself, but you showed me it’s possible. We came from the same place, survived the same messed up parents. Only you made it, and I just made a mess of my life.”
Some days Blaise still questioned whether he’d truly survived, but then he reminded himself that a lot of people were worse off than him. He tried to practice gratitude instead of whining about his lot in life. “We have no choice but to deal with the hand we’re dealt. That’s what I tried to do.”
“You’re my inspiration.” Rowan grinned when Blaise rolled his eyes. “I know that sounds cheesy as hell, but it’s true. I want to learn to be fearless. I want to learn to fight instead of backing down and looking for the easy way out.”
“There are other ways to do that,” Blaise said. “It doesn’t have to be inside the ring.”
“I want to do this.” Rowan sounded determined. “Will you help me or not?”
Lifting his hands, Blaise said, “How can I say no to a plea like that? We’ll meet here at six tomorrow night.”
“Awesome, thanks, man. Rowan stood and shook Blaise’s hand before making his way to the door.
“Hey, kid.”
Rowan turned to face his brother, looking wary. “Yeah?”
Blaise grinned. “Prepare to have your ass handed to you.”
“I look forward to it.”
***
Kiara signed the contract before passing it back to Morin. “Just sign below my signature on all three pages.” She still had mixed feelings about taking Morin on as a client, but now that she had, she was determined to learn as much as she could about boxing so she could represent her client to the best of her ability.
“We should go out to lunch to celebrate.”
“Uh, I don’t think so.” Client lunches were routine, especially after they’d sealed their working relationship or signed a big deal, but Kiara thought Blaise would have a problem with her getting too cozy with his nemesis.
“Why?” Morin quirked an eyebrow as he slid the signed contract across her desk. “You think your boyfriend would object?”
It wasn’t like Kiara to allow anything to interfere with her work, so she felt a twinge of guilt for treating Morin differently than any other client. “No, it’s just…” She sighed before reaching for her phone. “Let me double-check when my next appointment is. If I have time, we can grab a quick lunch at High Rollers to celebrate.” As luck would have it, she was free until two. Great.
“Well?” he asked, reaching for his car keys. “Do we have a date or not?”
“It’s not a date.” She needed to set some boundaries before he got the wrong idea, though. “We’ll take separate cars, and I’ll pick up the tab for lunch. It’s a business expense, after all.”
“Sure, whatever you say.”
Morin was following her to the restaurant in his late model Hummer when her phone rang. Blaise’s number flashed across her screen. Damn, he would have to call now. “Hey, babe. I was just thinking about you. How did things go with your brother this morning?” Maybe if she could distract him, he wouldn’t ask what she was up to.
“Better than expected, actually. I can tell you all about it if you can meet me for a quick bite. High Rollers in ten?”
Oh, no. “Um, you’re on your way there now?”
“Yeah, I was just going to grab some take-out, but if you can meet me there, I’ll stick around.”
Morin was waiting at the light to turn into the High Rollers parking lot. She had no choice but to come clean. “Actually, I’m already having lunch at High Rollers… with Casey.”
“Casey?” he growled. “Please tell me you’re not talking about Casey Morin.”
She turned into the parking lot, her eyes scanning the cars for a black McClaren. She didn’t see one. “We signed the contracts this morning. It’s customary to take new clients out to lunch. Maybe you should just grab a bite somewhere else?” Pretty, pretty please?
“Oh, hell no. I can’t wait to see Morin again.”
When he hung up without saying good-bye, Kiara knew she had to do some damage control unless she planned to referee a fight between two heavyweights. “Hey, Casey,” she said, raising her hand when she saw Morin getting out of his truck. “You want to go somewhere else?”
He walked toward her. “No, this is good. I haven’t been to High Rollers in a while.”
“Yeah, but—”
Before she could finish, Blaise spun into the lot, tires squealing.
“Well, look who it is.” Morin folded his arms as he leaned against Kiara’s silver BMW. “Did you know your boyfriend was gonna be here?”
“I just found out,” she said, trying to swallow her dread.
“That’s why you wanted to go somewhere else.” He smirked. “You don’t have to worry about me, doll. I can handle this guy.”
“Casey, please.” She stepped in front of him, her eyes pleading as she planted a hand on his solid chest. “Don’t start anything with Blaise. This is a public place. As your agent, I’m telling you we can’t afford this kind of publicity.” She knew she was grasping at straws. Boxing fans would eat this up.
“Don’t worry, doll.” Casey closed his hands around her waist. “I won’t bust him up too bad. Not this time.”
Kiara’s only thought was of what might happen if Blaise got in a fight and suffered another concussion. “Please, I’m begging you—”
“Hmm, I do love a woman who begs.” He licked his lips as he leered at her cleavage.
“Take your hands off her, or I will kill you,” Blaise said, coming up behind Morin.
“You’ll kill me?” He chuckled, his massive chest rumbling. “Man, have you forgotten what happened the last time you challenged me?”
“I’m warning you, Morin,” Blaise said, gripping his shoulder. “Kiara is off-limits.”
“Off-limits?” Morin turned slowly, his beady eyes boring into Blaise. “Off-limits? Who the hell are you to talk to me about respecting boundaries, Thomas?”
Kiara didn’t know what they were talking about and didn’t care. The only thing she could think about was diffusing the situation before it turned into a blood bath. Stepping around Morin, she positioned her body between the two men. She gripped Blaise’s face in both hands and forced him to look at her. “Hon, please don’t do this. It’s not worth it.”
“She doesn’t know what kind of low-life you really are, does she, Thomas?”
Kiara could feel Blaise’s tension as his hard body turned to granite. “Just go, please. We can talk later.”
“He’s leaving first,” Blaise said, pointing over her shoulder at Morin. “No way am I leaving you here with him.”
She tried to leash her panic. “He’s my client. I told you Sabrina wants me to represent him. I can’t avoid meetings like this. You’re just going to have to get used to it.” Her voice was soft, placating, but she knew Morin was taking in every word. “This is my job, Blaise.”
“How long do you think you can keep secrets from her?” Morin asked. “You think a sexy little thing like this doesn’t have guys lining up to get into her panties?”
Blaise lunged for him, and Kiara screamed when her back collided with Morin’s solid chest.
“Jesus, are you okay?” Blaise asked, jerking back. When she nodded, fighting back tears, his large hands framed her face. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No, you just scared me.” She released a shaky breath.
Blaise hauled her against his chest and stroked her hair. “I’m sorry, Ki. I never meant for you to get caught in the middle of this.”
“But she is in the middle of it,” Morin said. “Your girlfriend is my agent, which means we’re going to be running into each other a lot. Better get used to it, man.”
“I gotta get out of here,” Blaise whispered, gripping her hand as he led her back to his car. “If I don’t, I’m gonna kill that guy. But I’m not leaving you here alone with him.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Did you hear me?” Blaise glared at a young man who walked slowly past, checking out Blaise’s car. “I am not leaving you alone here with him.”
Kiara knew there was no sense arguing with him when he was in that state. “Fine.” She turned toward Morin, who was only a few feet away. “Casey, we’re going to have to do this another time.”
“Yeah, like never,” Blaise muttered.
Morin rolled his eyes. “How’d I know you were going to say that? I gotta tell you, Kiara, I never pegged you for a submissive. Marla, sure. But not you.”
“Who’s Marla?” she asked, glancing at Blaise. The nerve jumping in his jaw told her he had no intention of answering her, but Marla was obviously someone important. An ex-girlfriend, perhaps? A submissive ex-girlfriend? Is that the kind of woman Blaise usually goes for?
“You mean he hasn’t told you?” Morin glared at Blaise. “Why am I not surprised?”
“If you don’t get the hell out of here now, I’ll make you wish you had, Morin,” Blaise said, pushing off his car.
“You forget who got taken out the last time we mixed it up.”
“We both know you got lucky.” Blaise’s chest brushed Kiara’s back as he stepped closer to Morin. “That was our third fight, and I kicked your ass the first two times.”
“Maybe, but I was the one who had the pleasure of taking you out of the ring for good.”
“You son of a—”
“Morin!” Kiara shouted. “Get out of here right now, or you can find another agent to represent you!”
“Fine,” he said with a heavy sigh. “We both know I won this round.” Morin pressed the button on his key fob before reaching for his door handle. “But don’t forget to ask him about Marla.” He winked at Blaise. “If he doesn’t want to tell you, I’d be happy to fill you in.”
***
When Kiara turned to face him, her eyes filled with accusations, Blaise couldn’t breathe. He knew she was going to ask questions he didn’t want to answer. If he told her the truth, she’d walk away without a backward glance, and he couldn’t let that happen.
“Care to tell me what that was about?” she asked.
Blaise was caught between the truth and a lie, and neither felt right. “You know we hate each other. Put us within a few feet of each other, and that’s bound to happen. That’s why I didn’t want you working with him.”
“Why do you hate each other so much?” She crossed her arms as she tipped her head back to look at him. “I know boxers trash talk before a big fight, that’s part of the promo, but this hatred you have for Morin runs deep. What happened?”
“He always thought he was better than me. I hate guys who are that arrogant.” That was a lame excuse. Kiara wasn’t stupid or naïve, and Blaise knew she wouldn’t stop until she uncovered the truth. “Why don’t we go inside and grab a quick bite now that he’s gone?”
She grabbed his hand when he turned away. “You’re trying to distract me. You don’t want to answer my question. Why? What are you trying to hide?”
He forced a laugh. “Girl, you’re crazy.” He’d intended to come off as playful, teasing, but he could tell by the way her eyes narrowed and nostrils flared that she wasn’t amused.
“You want me to trust you? You tell me you love me. Prove it. Be honest with me.”
“Baby, I don’t know what you want me to say. I already told you why I hate Morin. End of story.”
“You’re lying to me.” She shook her head as she stepped back. “I can tell you’re lying to me. I’ve had a lot of experience with liars. All those guys who told me I was the only one while they were banging puck bunnies and—”
“Stop,” he said, gripping her shoulders. “I would never cheat on you. I’m not like that.” He wanted, more than anything, to tell her he would never lie to her, but a lie by omission was still a lie.
“Prove it. Start being honest with me. Just tell me why you hate him so much. Who is Marla?”
“She’s his wife, okay?” Blaise hung his head, fighting waves of nausea. “She’s Morin’s wife. We had an affair.”