Courting The Champion

17 - Brute Strength

That day Andrew took a risk. He let her go. He didn't follow the love of his life out the door like he always did for the past week.

It needed to happen so she could really have that happily ever after, with him.

He hated that he had no choice but to stand down and let it all play out, just so they could finally have peace. Whether they'd have it together, he had no idea. But he'd die fighting. That's what his passion was. He was made for it, he was built for it. He would fight.

She got into the cab and he didn't look. He knew, he knew that the cab wouldn't have a real driver. It'd either be Trevor or Smith. Either way, he let her go.

He wanted to save her, he wanted her to look at him and see just how much he loved her. All that he'd do for her.

Call him cocky, but Andrew smirked. He had it all in the bag. He would win. Because the good guys always win in the end. And the bad boys always get the girl in the end. He let her go so he could be the bad boy in this case.

Andrew took a nap, he played chase. He drank a full glass of whiskey. And then he went to the mall and got everything he needed. He used rose petals and put unlit candles everywhere. In the corner of the room, next to the bed was the biggest teddy bear Andrew had ever seen in all his life and he laid a single red rose on the center of the bed and boxes of chocolates he knew she'd love.

Next to the one rose, was a letter. She'd cry reading it, knowing her. He didn't understand how someone could be so soft and strong at the same time. But that was her, his Arabelle.

Now it was time, it was time for Andrew to save the day. He would go hard.

He got on the brand new matte black motorcycle he had just gotten that same day. He drove through all the red lights, through all the train tracks without ever stopping.

The little red tracker that he had planted himself on the zipper of the lowest pocket of her side bag. He had gotten it from his brother from another mother, FBI agent Wayne.

Of course it'd be here, the place least expected by people for anyone to be held under hostage. The beach. She was tied to a chair. She looked so beautiful, so pretty, so cute. His shorty. He looked up at the sky and just smiled in victory.

There was no weapon on him. But they were all armed, with victorious smirks on their faces. Next to Trevor was the box of incriminating papers and next to that box were the stacks of the copies all neatly stapled together. Smith chuckled coldy as he poured a liquid over the documents and dropped a lighter on top and watched then burn. Andrew expected as much. Which is why there was another batch of copies now in police custody.

He had them made that very first day, that he followed Arabelle around campus. When she went away for lunch, he showed Wayne and his agents where to get the documents. Then he intentional made himself seen by Trevor and Smith's people, so as to distract them from the agents who were gathering evidence in her dorm room.

He got off his motorcycle and stood in front of them. He held his hands to show he was unarmed and they all laughed. Arabelle's heart was pounding. She was restless with tears streaming down her face.

“Never bring a knife to a gun fight!” is what Spencer, the guy who got into a fight with Wayne yelled at Andrew, who nodded in agreement.

He locked eyes with Arabelle and smiled peacefully at her. He loved her and he would tell her so.

He looked back at the infamous big boys and for once in his life, Andrew wanted to fight differently.

He wanted Arabelle to see a different side to him, he could be soft too. He could be a pushover too.

He could've easily done something sophisticated to woo his woman but he went simple, he wanted to show his mental strength and not just sheer power and brute strength. He wanted Arabelle to see that she had power over him, she could change him. She had changed him.

His life had always been defined by habits, good ones, bad ones. He always lived on his force of habit. Now he lived for something else, for Arabelle.

So Andrew stood back as vans and police cars pulled up and surrounded them.

It wasn't what Trevor and Smith had expected from a guy like Andrew. They had overestimated him. He'd tell them “Let's fight like men.” That's what they had anticipated. They had been played. The champion actually took the coward's way out. Trevor couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

They froze as the SWAT unit yelled instructions at them. One move and they'd all be dead. They were too much of cowards to take that risk. And just as Andrew had expected, they lowered their guns and knelt down, putting their hands up in surrender. Wayne dragged Trevor away behind Smith was being dragged by Rebecca.

Andrew smirked as Smith hurled insults at him and as Trevor stared him down. But he didn't give a flying fuck. In his mind, it was only Arabelle and the bed he had made.