Free Bird

Chapter 41

Cal's POV

I wonder if she'll be here today...

I still haven't been able to stop thinking of the Danny imposter. Clarice asked about her again yesterday, looking subdued and worried... fidgety. I think she's figured out that Danny is a thing of the past.

I finally feel rested, having used sleeping aids to get me through the weekend so I could be ready for my fight today, but that does nothing for the heavy weight that I've been carrying in my chest since the last time I stepped downstairs at the gym. Everything reminds me of her and it's driving me fucking insane.

I walk out of the locker room and start toward the ring so I can wrap my hands and get ready for my match, I pass the corridor that opens to a sitting area for the big money to discuss their bets and something catches my eye. Long, beautiful, full-bodied curls.

Danny.

She looks beautiful. She always does, but this is a different kind of beautiful. Mature. Elegant. I long for the little nymph that bounced along next to me at the zoo.

She's talking to Creed, or more, listening to him talk. From where I'm standing I can see both their faces. Creed looks pissed the fuck off. Danny... looks numb. Completely placid. Like she doesn't have a hulk of a man, easily twice her size hissing in her face. She's not perturbed at all.

Why isn't she terrified?

My eyes land on something that makes me see red. He has his fucking hands on her. He's gripping her arm so tight that I can see indents in her flesh, redness surrounding it. He gives her a shake and I note the blank look on her face even as I start forward, intent to rip that motherfucker's arm out of its socket.

Creed McCoy dies today.

I stop when I notice Jack step forward from somewhere out of my line of vision and place his hand on her back, smoothly intervening. After a moment Creed removes his filthy hand from my Danny's arm. Then it hits me.

That's not my Danny.

Reminding myself that this is none of my business, that that robot in their probably wouldn't even appreciate my intervention, I continue my walk to the ring. Fake Danny isn't my concern, nor are her shady ass dealings.

Still, when I notice Sammy of all people standing by the small makeshift bar finishing up a beer, scanning the area and looking impatient I can't help but feel irritation bubble inside of me.

Of course Danny is stuck in a sticky situation on his fucking watch again.

Without really thinking it over I approach that negligent fucker, stopping just short of breaking his jaw. He looks up as I get closer and adopts a weary expression.

"Cal...," he begins.

"I don't have time for pleasantries," I grit out. "Just thought I'd let you know that your little fucking actress has apparently managed to piss off Creed and you should probably go fetch her before he shows her exactly how ruthless he is."

"I- she doesn't want me to, but, Cal, you should know-,"

"It doesn't fucking matter what she wants, you dumb fuck," I snap, my fingers itching to strangle him. "You brought her here, you go fucking get her. It's not going to be as easy to deal with him as it was Devon if he fucking hurts her," I say and then walk back to where I need to be after noting his face slightly paling.

This stupid fuck- can't keep an eye on a little fucking girl.

I finish wrapping my hands and have only a couple more short minutes to prepare myself for my match after wasting my warm up time teaching fucking Sammy how to watch a little girl in the wolves den.

I suppose I'm being unfair. That cold machine I saw may have looked like my sweet little Danny, but she sure wasn't acting like her. She didn't look bothered at all by what I saw. She looked like it was an every day occurrence. Nothing to be worried about. Like she could have been analyzing her cards rather than staring into the face of a man who could easily snap her in two- and looked like he wanted to.

If that's the Danny that Sammy has known since she got to town, he probably thinks she can handle herself. And maybe she can. I don't even know anymore. I don't fucking know that woman. She's a stranger to me.

When I step into the ring I immediately seek her out. There she is in the front, looking me straight in the eyes with that cold, blank stare. I look down and, even from this distance, I can see that her tiny, delicate arm is bruised. Creed fucking hurt her. I'm filled with rage yet again.

Why the fuck didn't she cry out? Pull away? Fucking why did she stand there and let him hurt her?

Then I see Sammy's hand on her. That motherfucker. That opportunistic fucking dick head. He's touching her and she's letting him. He didn't miss a fucking beat in stepping in and taking what the fuck is mine. And she seems perfectly fucking fine with it a fucking week after she gave herself to me.

No. Fuck no.

I look into the eyes of this woman who looks exactly like the woman that I love. This carbon fucking copy fake. She's still gazing at me as coldly and nonchalantly as she had been looking at Creed. Like she's not standing in front of me flaunting another man.

This is bullshit.

I turn my back to her, rage yet again taking me over as I face my opponent, waiting for the bell to ring.

This is going to be a short fight.

A/N: Okay, sorry for this super short chapter, but I wanted to give everyone Cal's train of thought for what happened with Danny in the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed!