For a second, Tom looked like he might lunge for him.
Justice was counting on him wanting the sanctioned fight in the cage, not a street brawl.
At the last second, Tom visibly gathered himself and glanced around the area instead.
They stood to the side of Justice's car. The headlights cut across the road and into a line of thick shrubbery and pruned trees.
Rubbing the back of his head, Tom asked, "Did I see fire in the road?"
Aware of possibilities, Justice replied, "You did. A line of diesel, deliberately set."
Tom's gaze shot up. "Someone wanted you to wreck?"
"And here you are," Justice smirked.
Tom inhaled. "Yeah, okay, I admit, it looks bad." He glanced back at the car. "Fallon's not with you?"
"No."
"Small blessing, I guess."
He eyed Tom, surprised that he was staying so composed. That in itself made his cynicism grow. "What meeting?" Wondering if Tom would tell the truth, Justice asked, "Who's late?"
"Rich dude named Kern Arnold. He was at Stack's last fight..." Tom paused, then gave a rough laugh. "This won't exactly exonerate me, but Kern and his brother want to sponsor me-that is, if I can convince you to give me a rematch."
There'd be no rematch, but all he said was, "Sponsor you how?"
"Lots of bucks. Full ride." He stared at Justice. "They're big fans."
Did some lackey set the fire for Kern? Or was the bastard sick enough to want to see the reaction himself? Was it possible that even now, he lurked there in the shadows, listening?
Damned coward.
Searching the area, Justice said, "I got the impression the brothers didn't know that much about MMA."
"Yeah, they're new to the sport. They like it. Stack's fight was their first live event, but they're really into the heavyweights now. They watched our last fight on the internet and they're hoping for a rematch."
Just as Marcus had said. But why spy on Fallon?
Almost as soon as he thought it, Tom gave him a credible answer. "I told them I didn't think you'd go for it, that you liked your new job and were hung up on Fallon." He quickly held up his hands. "Not that there's anything wrong with that. Just that it looks like you're going in a different direction now." He shrugged. "They said they could convince you."
Did they hope to get Fallon out of the picture, to force him to refocus? "I've told you at least a dozen times that it's not happening. I suggest you convince them, as well."
Tom scowled. "You're killing me, man. The girl is nice and all, but-"
"No buts." Fallon was considerably more than nice.
"The brothers said they could bring you around. God knows they have the money to do it. So at least hear them out."
Would they offer him money, Justice wondered, or did they plan another form of leverage? Maybe something involving Fallon?
He glanced up and down the road. "I think you got stood up."
Frustration deepened Tom's frown. "I'll call him and see what's up."
"Yeah, before you bother, we need to talk."
"That's what we've been doing, right? But you're still being a stubborn ass."
Justice walked over to the driver's door and got in.
"What are you doing?"
With a little effort, he got his car back onto the road. Tom stood there, hands on hips, watching until Justice backed up alongside him. With the push of a button, he lowered the passenger window and said, "Get in."
He could tell that Tom wanted to refuse, but then with a curse, he opened the door and slid into the seat.
"You're damned annoying, Justice, you know that?"
Calmly, Justice drove up the short distance to where Tom had parked, pulled in behind his Corvette and put the car in Park.
Half turning in his seat, he faced Tom. "I'm going to believe you're here for a meeting, but if I find out otherwise, I'll destroy you."
Rage growing, Tom barked, "To hell with it. We can settle this right now." He reached for the door handle-and the lock clicked into place. Incredulous, he glared at Justice. "Are you out of your fucking mind?"
Since he planned to tell all to Tom...maybe. But hell, he was willing to work with Marcus, and that had already put him over the edge of sanity. "Let me lay out some facts here for you, okay?"
"You've got about two seconds."
Justice decided to start with the most pressing issue. "Someone is deliberately placing you at the scene each time something happens."
The scowl lightened, and Tom scoffed. "What are you talking about?"
"You don't think it's a hell of a coincidence that Fallon would get elbowed down the steps when she's away from me, but close to you? Then someone calls the agency and labels you a threat. Now we're both on this road-a road where we normally wouldn't run into each other-and some asshole pulls a prank with diesel that could've gotten someone killed."
Tom glowered as he considered it then shook his head. "I told you, I'm here to meet Kern."
"But the bastard's not here, is he? It's just you and me. I don't mind telling you, with everything's that happened, if Fallon had been with me, there's a damn good chance I'd be even more pissed than I am. It wouldn't take much for one of us to lose our cool and end up-"
"Fighting," Tom agreed with thoughtful uneasiness. He rubbed his face. "So you think what? That someone wants us to battle it out? We're on a dark street with no one around."
Calmly, Justice pointed out the obvious. "If it's just us, who set that diesel on fire?"
Bewildered, Tom sat back in his seat. "That's a hell of a conspiracy you're spinning."
"Yeah."
"I have to admit, it does seem off."
"Big-time." Justice rested an arm over the steering wheel. "Without any bullshit, have you ever followed me?"
"What do you mean?"
Resting his wrist on the wheel, he gestured toward Tom's car. "In your Vette."
Knowing he was busted, Tom shifted. "Well, fuck, this is awkward."
Justice waited.
"It's not what you think."
"No? So what is it?"
"I was on that side of town to get my car serviced and I just happened to see you. Sure, I followed for a bit. I couldn't think of any reason for you to be over that way unless you were going to another gym to train, which would mean you weren't as out of the game as you claimed."
"Why would you give a shit?"
"Because I want a goddamned rematch!"
Justice studied him. "You didn't follow me to Fallon's?"
Slashing a hand through the air, Tom said, "No. Hell, I didn't know anything about her until I caught up with you at Rowdy's."
"No way you didn't see her with me in the car."
Coldly, Tom said, "For someone who doesn't want a fight, you sure like to sling out the insults."
"Well?" Again, Justice waited.
"I saw you had someone in the car, yeah, but not her specifically. I figured just a date, you know? I wasn't interested in following you anymore, but we kept going in the same direction until somehow I lost you. I ran a few other errands, then we both ended up at Rowdy's, so I guess we were headed in the same direction." He shrugged.
"What's the name of the place where you get your Vette serviced?"
Tom told him without hesitation, even naming the street. When Justice pulled it up on his cell, the route made sense. "Pure happenstance, huh?"
"Believe it or not. I don't care."
But Justice could tell that he did. Hell, no one wanted to be unjustly accused. "That's the only time you've ever followed me?"
"Swear to God, and I didn't exactly plan it that time."
Justice believed him. "Okay then. You want to know why I'm so skeptical?" By the time he finished explaining all his concerns with Fallon, the brothers and Marcus, Tom was outraged.
"What can I do?" he asked simply.
Justice told him.
MARCUS SAT IN uncomfortable silence inside the conference room of his offices. Across from him, Tom Nelson maintained a deadly stare. He was enormous, layered in muscle and presently in a bad mood. Or maybe he had no other mood-although, thinking back, Marcus remembered when Tom had met Kern and York at the MMA event. He'd been all smiles and "good old boy" charm then.
What the hell did these fighters eat? How many hours did they spend training?
Unlike Justice, Tom's mocking smile felt like a knife blade to his ribs. Justice, at least, had a little humor to him.
It had taken some fancy maneuvering to arrange the meeting. Justice wanted Tom and the brothers together, in front of Marcus, so that the puzzle pieces fit together in an unmistakable pattern. There could be no doubt, no suspicion of secret intent.
In the end, Marcus had called Kern to say he must meet with him that morning, only minutes after Tom had also requested a morning meeting. When Kern mentioned the conflict, Marcus offered to call Tom and arrange them to meet together in his office's largest conference room.
A small security camera was set up in the corner, and more importantly, Justice wasn't far away.
Hell of a situation to find himself in, Marcus mused. He currently relied on Justice, the man who had replaced him with Fallon, to keep him safe from harm.
Untenable, but what choice did he have? That same fighter would also keep Fallon safe, and that's what mattered most.