"So maybe they don't know. Maybe they're overlooking something."
Sahara saluted Leese with her coffee. "You know, you're proving to be the best at research, often even better than my PI. You have an innate knack for knowing what trails to follow. If you have any free time, maybe you could lend Justice a hand. Just log in your hours for me."
Leese glanced at Justice. "I don't want to step on your toes. If you'd rather do some digging yourself-"
"Not offended," Justice promised. "I'm not nearly as good at it as you are, and I know it, so I welcome the help."
Leese smiled in anticipation. "Then consider it done."
"I'm glad that's settled." Sahara moved to sit behind her desk, dismissing them with a shooing motion of her hand. "Keep me updated," she said absently, already logging into her PC.
In silence, Justice and Leese walked out together and boarded the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, Leese asked, "You okay?"
Surprised by the question, Justice growled, "Yeah, 'course." But he stewed.
Leese snorted. "Give it up. You've got something on your mind. I can tell."
Should he tell? He'd found Leese to be a good confidant, but still, some shit should be kept private.
Folding his arms and resting back in the elevator, Leese waited.
Well, hell. Justice scowled. "Thing is, it's going to sound ridiculous." As melodramatic as Fallon had accused.
"Probably not as much as you're thinking."
Scrubbing a hand over his face, Justice tried to think of where to start, and finally just said it. "I don't feel like me anymore. Hell, I don't even know what I'm doing. It's like, for so long I was a fighter. End of story, ya know? I woke up and knew what I'd be doing that day. What I wanted to happen and how I'd work on it."
Leese nodded. "There's more of a routine to fighting. Training, travel, competition. Whether it goes good or bad, you know what to expect. With this job, not so much."
"Right," Justice agreed, jumping on his understanding of the situation. "I'm doing this shit and I like it. A lot. But the guy I used to know isn't there anymore. The things that come naturally to me, I can't do. The stuff I can do...well, it feels way too fucking natural. Like I was born to do it." Frustration crawled over him; he knew most of it centered around Fallon.
They stepped out of the elevator but didn't head for the front doors.
"I get it," Leese assured him.
"Do you?" Because Justice wasn't entirely sure he did, so how could Leese?
"I've gone through a few transformations myself." With a self-deprecating smile, Leese said, "I used to be a dick."
Justice tried to deny that. "You were just-"
"We both know it's true. Then I got involved in Cannon's camp and I finally felt focused. I gave my all to following what I thought I wanted-fighting."
"That is what you wanted," Justice countered. Hell, Leese had more heart than a lot of champions.
"No. Once I accepted reality, that I'd never be the best, I starting thinking about other options, and the stuff I enjoyed more."
"That's how you ended up at Body Armor?"
"Yeah." Leese looked as uncomfortable with the conversation as Justice. "And good thing, because now I know this is what I was always meant to do. It feels like the right fit, you know? Far more so than fighting ever did. It's more natural for me."
"See," Justice said, "that's sort of how I feel. Except there are conflicts, too."
Leese slowly smiled. "The girl? That's the conflict we're talking about, right?"
Would it be disloyal to Fallon to say so?
"I've been there, too," Leese reminded him. "I'm definitely not one to judge."
True. Leese was going to marry the girl he'd been conflicted over, so he'd been farther down the road than Justice planned to travel. After remembering that, he didn't need much prodding. He spilled his guts, telling Leese about Marcus, his mention of a scar and Fallon's reaction. "What do you make of that?"
Brows together, Leese gave it quick thought, then shared his advice. "I think I need to dig a little deeper into her background."
"I thought you already did that."
"I did a surface search looking for the obvious stuff, but now I might have more direction." He clapped Justice on the shoulder. "In the meantime, stay sharp-and make damned sure she's on board before you push for anything beyond a business relationship."
Justice put his hands on his hips. "S'that what you did with Catalina?"
Grinning, Leese said, "Catalina didn't give me much choice in the matter. I tried to resist, but she was pretty damned insistent."
After a shared laugh, they parted ways, with Leese heading to the shooting range in the basement and Justice heading for his car. He had a lot to accomplish before he went to the Wade house.
Unlike Catalina, he knew Fallon would never push for a relationship. She was too shy, too sheltered. That meant he had to concentrate on keeping it professional, no matter how difficult that might be.
CHAPTER EIGHT
FALLON WAS SO EXCITED, she couldn't contain her smiles. The parking lot would be jam-packed, Justice explained, so he parked in a pay lot a block from the venue. On their way in, they passed crowds of people ready for the fights, many of them wearing the same type of shirt as the one Justice had given to her, but with different fighters featured on the front.
Groups of young men hung together, already tipsy. Women, dressed to impress, flirted as they went by.
A couple of guys recognized Justice and asked for a photo with him. Even after he explained that he didn't compete anymore, they were still impressed and adoring, so he gave in, all while keeping Fallon close at hand.
He got them into the venue through a side door, away from the long line of people awaiting entry. They went down a hallway filled with men in shorts and T-shirts, some pacing, some hurrying along, others carrying supplies.
When passage got difficult, Justice took her hand, presumably so he wouldn't lose track of her. Whatever the reason, she felt a ridiculous thrill from his touch. His hand was easily twice the size of hers, strong and warm. Her heart started thumping hard, and when he glanced back at her with a cocky smile, she realized she was squeezing him.
They ducked through a closed door. She was surprised to find Cannon, Armie and Denver inside.
"You made it," Cannon said to her, coming forward for a greeting.
"It's so exciting," she whispered, then stalled when Cannon drew her in for a hug. Armie got her next, then passed her along to Denver.
If she lived to be a hundred, she'd never get used to how these big, ripped specimens were so demonstrative-and so gentle. It was enough to leave a woman with permanent heart palpitations.
Knowing she blushed, Fallon didn't object when Justice pulled her back to his side.
She stayed quiet as he asked the group, "How's Stack doing?"
"He's ready," Cannon said with confidence. "I'll be rejoining him in a few minutes." Then to Fallon he said, "There's food if you're hungry." He indicated a table filled with a variety of things to eat and drinks in a cooler. "Or if you're interested, Justice can show you around, introduce you to some people."
"Whatever Justice wants to do is fine by me."
All the men grinned at her while Justice rubbed the back of his neck. She realized what she'd said, twisted her mouth and added, "Within reason."
That made them laugh.
Armie nodded at her chest. "Nice shirt."
She looked down at it with a smile. "Justice gave it to me." She'd worn the oversize black fighter tee over a long-sleeved white shirt. Justice wore his gray shirt alone.
And my, how he filled it out. She had to admit, it looked much better on him than it looked on her.
Armie said, "When the ladies wear it, they tie it on the side." He smiled. "Mind if I show you?"
"Oh...um..." She glanced at Justice.
He rolled his eyes. "Do it," he said to Armie, "but make damned sure you're behaving."
"Stretch would have my hide if I didn't."
Stretch, she recalled, was Cannon's little sister and Armie's wife.
Armie stepped up to her, turned her to the side, then took the hem of the shirt and knotted it at her hip. It didn't affect the wolf design on front, but did make it fit her better and look more stylish.
He turned her toward a mirror and asked, "What do you think?"
Apparently Armie had many talents. "I like it. Thank you."
"You're going to get warm with that undershirt," Denver predicted. "It gets downright steamy about halfway through the night."
"Oh, well..." She couldn't lose the layer, so she merely shrugged and tried to act like it didn't matter. "It'll be fine, I'm sure."
Justice watched her until the door opened and more people stepped in. Clearly these were other fighters in the group and since she was the only woman, she started to feel like an intruder.
It got more awkward when one of the men asked if she was "with" Justice and he explained they weren't dating.
The man immediately tried to cozy up to her.
Justice immediately protested-and that had his friends all laughing.
Armie pulled him aside for a private conversation, and while Justice was otherwise occupied, two more men smoothly stepped in with questions about her availability. Fallon was both flattered and flustered. She'd never before garnered so much attention.