Uncaged Love #4: MMA New Adult Contemporary Romance Read Free Page A

used, so neither Lani nor Annabelle can be here. I head back out and pass Buster in the hall. His face is animated, and even his bald head seems shinier, like he’s lit up.
    “Hey, Jo,” he says. “Saw your picture with Colt.” He laughs. “Where’s your flower hat?”
    I punch him lightly on the arm. “He’s really made it now, hasn’t he?”
    Buster opens the storage closet and pulls out a tangled mass of exercise bands. “He has. I expect life will get a little crazy as he heads toward that title match.”
    “It might.” I twist the end of my braid. Maybe I should do something about my hair again. If my picture is going to be everywhere, I need to make sure I don’t look like my old self, like Joanna. I can’t risk my past catching up to me now. Not when I’m finally where I want to be.
    Buster takes off for the weight room. I pop into his office to note the time on my sign-in sheet. His desk is a crazy mess, as always. Several of the membership forms for the new girls who have signed up lately are scattered across the top.
    I wonder if Annabelle’s is in there.
    I step back in the hall. The gym is pretty quiet so early. Only a couple weights are clinking in the next room. Buster’s bound to be fighting with that tangle of bands for a few minutes. I go back in his office.
    The names on the forms are familiar. Sammy, who wants to be able to walk around her college campus at night without feeling nervous. Lauren, who is hoping to lose a few pounds, although I think she looks fine. Then I see it. Annabelle Warren.
    My heart hammers as I look over her form. She’s twenty, same as me. Her address is in a part of LA I’m not familiar with but seems kind of far for her to come work out over here. Her goal for joining was “to get stronger.” Ha. She’s plenty strong.
    I stick the page back under the others. Annabelle Warren. It has to be her real name, as her credit card charges wouldn’t go through otherwise. I’m not sure who I can ask to find out if it matches Colt’s ex. Even though I would never admit it out loud, I could use Brittany right now.
    A box of lightweight sandbag discs arrives, and I sign for it. We had to get more, with all the girls joining. I remember my first day unpacking the new ones for Colt’s addition and smile. I can carry a whole box of these now. I’ll get those girls strong too. These smaller discs will go completely unused within a month, if I have anything to do with it.
    Buster is back in the new addition, wrestling with the bands. He looks up when I come in. “Oh, good, new sandbags.”
    I drop the box by the wall. I’ve been training the girls in the addition. I think of it as my space now. I still look around and see Colt everywhere, but now it’s not a sad thing.
    Buster tosses another band on the floor, freed from the tangle. “You think you’re up for another fight this Friday?” he asks.
    “I am.” I’m up against a girl who goes by Diva Delaney. She’s small and nimble, a fast striker. She often wins on points, since she’s such a quick hitter.
    “Good.” He sighs and tosses the knotted bands on the bench beside him.
    “I’ll do those later,” I say. I pick up the loose ones and hang them on a hook. When I turn around, Buster is watching me.
    “You know, I’m really proud of you. When Colt brought you in here, I thought, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’” He laughs. “Good ol’ Gunner knew what he was doing. I’m not sure how I would have saved this gym without you.”
    I swallow hard, realizing I was planning on running away just a few days ago. But that’s all in the past. I sit on the bench next to him. “We’re doing good things now.”
    He nods. “I hope I’m doing the right thing by letting you in the cage.” He stares up at the big hexagon that takes up a large chunk of the room. “I don’t like to think what would happen if you got hurt.”
    “I’ll be fine.” I’m touched, though. I haven’t had anyone looking