The Risks We Take Duet Box Set

91. Cooper

COOPER

C arys gives me a reprieve while we’re at Dad’s house. Once Declan and I move back inside, her worried eyes never leave me, but she doesn’t push to talk until we’re squeezed back into her car and she’s given me the keys so I can drive home.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She takes my hand and holds it in her lap. “Or are you talked out after Declan? You guys were out there for a while.”

Only a fucking saint would give me an out after that shit show earlier. “We were hiding from Dad.”

“What did Dec have to say?” she asks quietly, her thumb rubbing soft circles over my palm. “Come on, Cooper. Talk to me. Don’t make the mistakes I made. Don’t shut me out.”

I don’t answer her.

Just keep my eyes on the road.

Not because I don’t want to.

Because I don’t know how to put it into words.

We ride the rest of the way home in silence.

The tension between us continues building with each mile, ratcheting up more and more as we get closer to the house. When we finally step through the door, Carys spins on me. “If you don’t want to talk to me, you’ve got to talk to someone, Cooper. What happened tonight... I don’t think that’ll just go away.”

I wrap an arm around her waist and tug her against me.

Wanting to feel her.

Needing it to ground me.

Carys rests her head on my heart and sighs.

That one little sound tells me we’re okay. And it’s a start. “I know I need to talk to someone. Declan wants me to go somewhere with him tomorrow. He’s picking me up at six a.m. I promise I’ll look into it after that.”

“Where are you going that early? Doesn’t Dec have practice?” She tips her head back, looking up at me as her fingers graze my jaw.

“He doesn’t have to be at the stadium until later in the day.” I search her eyes, looking for anger or hurt, but all I see there is love.

“You could always take my car,” she offers, knowing there’s no chance that’s happening.

I bend down at the knees and throw her over my shoulder, spanking her ass. “That would be a fuck no . I need to buy a goddamned car that doesn’t have eyelashes this weekend.”

Carys pinches my ass as I carry her to bed.

“ Y ou gonna tell me where we’re going?” Declan showed up at the house ten minutes early, but it didn’t make a difference to me. I haven’t slept in days anyway. It’s still dark out, and the frost is already clinging to the grass outside.

I missed a lot of things about Kroydon Hills while I lived in California, but cold fucking winters were not one of them. I stuff my hands into the pockets of my sweats and climb into his old Bronco. “Dude, you’re the highest-paid quarterback in the league. You want to maybe get a car from this century? This thing is older than both of us.”

“Fuck off. I only take this old girl when I don’t have the kids or Belles in the car with me.”

When I snort, he punches my shoulder.

Fucking hard.

Asshole.

Declan turns the radio off as we head into town. “So, you know Scarlet Kingston married Cade St. James a few months ago, right?”

I nod. “Pretty sure somebody told me that. But please tell me we’re not going to the football stadium. That’s your thing, Dec, not mine.” Not anymore.

His middle finger shoots up into the air. “Listen, you cocky little shit. It was yours for most of your life too. But no, we’re not going to the stadium. We’re going to Cade’s gym, Crucible. He trains MMA fighters, including Hudson.”

“I’m not against sparring.” Running helped calm my mind yesterday. Sparring could definitely work.

“They also work with veterans. I thought it might be good for you. Meet some people. Hear some stories...” Dec trails off as we drive down Main Street, and I watch the storefronts pass by, wondering which one Carys and Chloe were looking at yesterday.

We pull up to the gym at six o’clock on the dot, and there’s already a handful of cars parked there.

Guess we’re not the only ones here.

I never came here as a teenager before I left for the Navy. But I’d heard of the place. Cade St. James was already a heavyweight champion by then, and Crucible was a big deal. When we walk inside, Hudson is warming up in the octagon with a guy who looks familiar.

What the fuck? “Dave?”

Dave’s head swings my way, and Hudson knocks him down, laughing, then spits out his mouthguard. “Thanks, Sinclair. I owe you one.”

I step up to the octagon and hear a throat clear behind me.

When I turn around, Cade St. James stands behind me in sweats and a t-shirt, staring at my feet. “Shoes off the mat, Sinclair.”

“Oh.” I kick my shoes off and pick them up. “Sorry.”

Cade shakes my hand. “Nice to officially meet you. My sister-in-law Lenny speaks very highly of you.”

“Thanks. Lenny’s great. Anybody who can deal with Bash is a saint.”

Hudson laughs behind me as he and Dave climb down from the cage.

Cade eyes me. “Do you know anything about Crucible?”

“Not really. Only what Dec told me.” I’m not sure what else there is to know, but it feels like I’m about to be tested.

“My dad is a retired marine, and this gym was his dream. His baby. He’ll also be the first person to tell you it saved his life.” Cade pulls his hoodie over his head and tosses it to the ground. “He had his own issues when he left the Marine Corps... I think a lot of us can relate to that.”

Dave grunts. “I don’t know if I’d have ever felt like myself again if it wasn’t for this place. When I met you at that party all those years ago, Sinclair, I had life by the balls. An IED changed that. Changed everything. This place... this brotherhood. It helped me when nothing else could.” He shakes his head with a smirk. “You know my sister actually works as a counselor for wounded vets now?”

“No shit? Tiffany’s a counselor?” Jesus. I’d have never thought my ex-girlfriend would want to listen to anyone talk about their lives and their problems.

But I guess we all have to grow up eventually.

Cade opens the octagon door. “You’ve got to find a new mission. A new purpose. That’s where people struggle. And that’s where we can help. At least, until you figure out what you want to do.”

Cade, Hudson, and Dave all stare at me for a minute like I’m a flight risk.

“Now, get in here and let’s see what you got.” Cade steps on to the octagon and bounces on his toes. “Hud, wrap his hands. I want to have some fun.”

I’m about to step into the cage with a former heavyweight champion... Not sure I’m gonna call it fun.

C arys’s car is in the driveway when Declan drops me off later, but I can’t find her anywhere in the house. When I look outside, I see why. She’s bundled under a blanket with her sketchbook in her hands and a white mug with a tea bag hanging out of it next to her.

She turns her head when she hears the door shut behind me, and a beautiful smile graces her lips.

There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make her smile.

Nothing.

“Do I tell you enough how beautiful you are, baby?” I sit on the foot of the lounge chair and run my hands up her legs.

She leans over, pecking my lips. “You show me every day, Coop.” She leans back and picks up her tea, then holds it in both hands, probably for the warmth. “How did today go? Where was this mysterious destination of Declan’s?”

“A gym called Crucible.”

“Oh, Cade’s place. Maddie started teaching yoga there last month.” She stretches her legs across my lap and throws the blanket over both of us. “So, how was it?”

“It was good. I’m going back tomorrow.” Her green eyes light up. “It felt good to be in that cage. The physical outlet... not having to think for a while. It helped. Hudson asked if I wanted to help with his training camp for his next fight.” I was surprised by the offer but liked the idea.

“And? Will you?” She climbs into my lap and wraps the blanket around us.

“Yeah. For now. I told him I’d help until I found a job.” Until I find a new purpose. “But it wasn’t just that.” I lean us both back against the chair and wait until Carys gets comfortable. “Cade’s a retired marine. He’s been through it and knows what it takes to get to the other side. And he has a program for vets. I actually knew one of the guys who was there this morning. He’s a former SEAL. I dated his sister in high school.”

“Tiffany?” Carys leans up, curious. “I remember her. What’s she up to now?”

“She’s a counselor who works with wounded vets.” Carys huffs as she lays back down, and I smile. “Don’t worry. I’m not calling her to talk about any of this shit. It would be a little too weird for me, but her brother, Dave, gave me the name and number of the counselor he talks to.”

She presses her lips to my jaw. “Yeah?”

“I’ve got an appointment with her this afternoon.” Not exactly looking forward to it, but I’ve got to start working on this stuff at some point.

“Coop, that’s fantastic.” Carys snuggles in closer, rubbing her body against mine. “Are you going to take my car?”

“No, baby. It’s a virtual appointment. No need for my balls to hide inside my body because they’re too embarrassed to be in your car.” I wrap my hand around her throat and kiss her lips. “What did you do today?”

She wiggles in my lap. “I want to do more of that.” She brushes her lips over mine, diving back in for more. Her soft lips nip my jaw as her hands slide into my hair. “Chloe stopped by earlier, and we went over numbers. I don’t want to rush things, but when you’re ready, we need to talk about where we think we want to stay. No pressure. But I don’t know if you’re thinking you want to stay here, or if you want to be back in California.”

“Are you happy here, Carys? Is this where you want to be?” Her green eyes sparkle as her hair catches in the breeze, and I have the urge to freeze this moment forever.

“That’s not fair. You can’t answer a question with a question, Cooper. It’s against the rules,” she pouts.

“We already broke all the rules, baby.” My fingers slip under her leggings and trace the dimples above her ass as I drag her closer. “I’m not tied to any specific place anymore. I like the idea of being here. Of being close to our obnoxiously annoying family. But what do you and Chloe want to do with the business? Do you want to stay here?”

“We still have more to talk about, but I think we’d like to stay here... at least for now. Chloe might want to expand into New York or California at some point, but if you and I want to stay here, we wouldn’t have to move.”

“Then let’s stay here. I’ve been thinking about starting my own business, anyway. I can do that just as easily here as I could anywhere else.” I stand up with her in my arms and walk into the house, only to find Hudson standing on the other side of the glass front door.

I sit Carys down on the kitchen counter and let Hudson in. “Hey, man. Everything okay?”

He holds up a case of beer and smiles. “I thought you might want to watch some tape of my next opponent with me.”

I look around him to see a car flying down the driveway and then turn back to Carys. “Looks like Bash is here too.”

When Sebastian gets to the door, he bear-hugs me, lifting me completely off the ground. “Could you try to go more than a few weeks without almost dying, asshole?”

“Yeah. Let me see what I can do about that, dickhead. Aren’t you supposed to be at practice? Declan was heading over an hour ago.” The two of us join Hudson and Carys, who’s already on the phone ordering pizza.

“Nope. I was there earlier. I’m done for the day.” He turns and looks for Carys. “Mini-Murphy...” Bash waits for Carys to walk into his open arms. “How are you doin’?” He squeezes her waist with a devious glint in his eye, watching me.

“Back off, Beneventi. You’ve got a wife of your own.”

“Eh, there’s eight of us,” Hudson scoffs. “Lenny’s great at sharing.”

Carys laughs at me, and for the first time in a long time, things feel a little bit lighter.