mansion, they were experts at keeping out of the sight for the most part.
Except for one who Franklin had bitched about several times in the past few months, the same one that stood waiting for me after I’d changed into athletic shorts and taped my hands to walk out into the dirt ring.
If I could call any man a friend, it was Jacob. The same age as me, and damn near as strong, he grinned like a cat staring at a canary while I grabbed two strike pads and strolled over.
“Callan,” he greeted me, a mischievous twinkle behind his green eyes, the length of his brown hair brushing his shoulders. “You look like you’re ready to crush in my face. Has Franklin told you what I’ve been up to?”
Pulling the elastic over my hands to hold the strike pads in place, I set my feet to hold my body still while Jacob began raining blow after blow in my direction.
“He may have mentioned it.”
I couldn’t find it in me to be angry at the asshole. We’d been friends since I was twenty, and whenever I’d done something stupid and found myself in trouble, it was always this jackass by my side.
Rarely did I drink or smoke cigars, but Jacob had a habit of luring me into the sweet temptation of poisoning my body with both before leading me away from the mansion to start fights in bars and race around the streets using the family’s extensive collection of cars, almost getting our asses arrested several times if Franklin hadn’t stepped up to buy us out of the trouble we’d caused.
Although we’d calmed down in the last few years since I’d taken over the Rose family, our bond hadn’t been severed.
But people often made the mistake of misjudging Jacob. He had a wicked grin and glittering eyes, a sense of humor that would double you over, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a lethal son of a bitch.
His hands had killed countless men in the ring already, and he enjoyed it as much as me.
“I’m going to steal her from you, Callan.” His fist hit the pad and knocked me back a step. “She’s mine already, and you know it.” Another punch, the force of it vibrating up my forearm. “And when I do, I’m going to marry her and have lots and lots of babies.” Three more blows, one after the other.
I grinned. “You know it’s against the rules to fall in love with a slave. They belong to us.”
Another punch, this one forcing me to reset my feet from the power behind it.
“Too late for that. Franklin can suck my dick if he thinks I won’t strip Haley away from you. I’ve already mastered sneaking her up from the lower floors to spend the night in my room.”
Which was why Franklin was always so pissed off.
However, I didn’t hold it against Jacob. I would let Franklin’s complaints enter one ear and exit the other. I had every intention of retiring Haley soon and handing her over. Jacob deserved a happy ending.
His heart hadn’t been crushed when he was young. He didn’t carry the scars of a beautiful monster who knew only how to tell lies. He still had the ability inside him to love with a warm, beating heart.
I wanted that for him because I could never have it.
He threw one last punch, sweat dripping from his skin before his eyes met mine.
“I hear you’re fighting this week.”
Nodding my head, I slipped the pads from my hands to toss to him.
“I am.”
Jacob pulled them in place and set his body to take the blows I gave him.
Eyes flicking up to the audience seats, he stared at Lisbeth before returning his attention to me.
“And is a certain someone the reason for that?”
I glanced up to where Lisbeth sat, her body held with such regal grace while she watched the men beneath her.
There was no use lying to Jacob. He knew the truth of my past.
“It might have something to do with the aggression I’m feeling.”
Grinning, he shook the pads at me to remind me to keep going. Voice strained as he absorbed blow after blow, my body moving with increasing speed and building strength, he laughed and shouted over the grunts pouring out of my throat.
“Just fuck her and get it over with. You know you want to.”
The taunt worked exactly as he’d intended, my biceps and shoulders moving with every punch, my teeth clenched together.