Kyle's Return (Gloves Off #5)(3)

Holding my hands in the air, I took a step closer, but then stopped when she backed away. I looked at her name tag. “I’m not looking for trouble, Megan. I just want to find Kacey.”

With narrowed eyes, her jaw clenched. “If she wanted to be found she would’ve called.”

Sighing, I looked around the gym at the octagon sitting off in the corner. I missed fighting. I’d do anything to get back into it. “I just want to talk to her, tell her I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, well, I think that time is long past. Get out before I call Tyler to come beat your sorry ass.”

“Go ahead, be my guest. My goal is to get his attention.”

She shook her head as she measured my seriousness and then shrugged and turned to call to her boss.

Way at the other end of the gym, Tyler spun around and his eyes went wide in disbelief. Even from this distance, I could sense the anger flowing off him. There was so much tension in the air, I could barely f*cking breathe. It was suffocating and it was all directed at me.

Tyler stormed toward me. “What the f*ck is going on?” he growled, his arms crossed at the chest.

“All I want is to talk to you and my sister and make things right,” I said to him, hands held in the air.

“Forgive me if I think you’re full of shit, Andrews. You’ve got to be insane to think I’d let you hurt Kacey again.”

Sighing, I dropped my hands. “I don’t want to hurt her. I want to work things out. She’s the only family I have left.”

He studied me for a minute and then glanced down at my legs. “Since when did you start walking again?”

“A few months ago. With Kacey ignoring my calls, I told myself as soon as I got up and walked I was going to come out here and see her.”

This time he looked down at my hands and shook his head. “It looks like that’s not the only thing you came out here to do. Getting into fights again?”

Lifting my hands, I rubbed a finger over my sores and smiled. “It wasn’t exactly the fight I imagined it would be. I was hoping to get a few more hits in. But I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that Liam is worse off now.”

His eyes went wide. “You attacked him in prison? Are you f*cking stupid?”

“Apparently. I’m not allowed to go back after what I did. I’ve been dying to get my hands on him after everything happened. I just wasn’t able to until now. I have you to thank for that.”

He stiffened. “So are you looking for an apology? Is that what you want from me? I’m not sorry for what happened to you, but I am sorry for the pain it caused Kacey.”

I shook my head. “I don’t want an apology. All I want is to talk to her, to show her I’m getting better and it’s all because of her. I’ve been in hell for two years. I’m ready to make amends,” I glanced around his gym, “and to get my life back on track. I miss fighting.”

Megan was the one who burst out in laughter. “Oh my God, you’re not seriously wanting to work out here are you? Have you seen the looks those guys are giving you right now?” she asked, flourishing her hand toward a group of men.

Tyler looked at her and then out at the others in his gym. His eyes lit up and he turned a mischievous gaze my way. “Actually, I don’t think it’s a bad idea. As far as Kacey is concerned, she’ll talk to you when she’s ready. But if you want to deal with the guys here, then be my guest.”

Megan threw her hands in the air. “I am so going to need a raise after this. I’ll be cleaning up blood every effing day.”

“And you can blame it on him,” Tyler mentioned smugly, nodding at me. “Oh, and get him the paperwork, Megan. He may be my brother-in-law soon, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to work out for free.”

“You’re getting married?” I asked, knowing very well that one day it would come to that.

“Were you expecting an invitation?” Megan cut in incredulously, handing me the paperwork.

Tyler glared at her and she closed her mouth. “You’re not surprised by that are you?” he asked.

I started filling out the paperwork. “No,” was all I could say. After our parents died, Kacey always told me I would be the one to give her away at her wedding. That wasn’t going to happen now.

Once I finished the paperwork, I handed it to Megan and gave her my credit card. She ran it and entered in my information. “All right, Mr. Andrews, you’re all set. Good luck out there.”

“Thanks,” I said, taking my card. I was going to need it.

As I was putting my card back into my wallet, I couldn’t help but overhear Tyler and Megan’s conversation. “I’m trying to find someone to assist you in the self-defense classes. I have a couple of people interested. Do you mind working with someone else for a while?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I don’t mind doing it myself. The ladies are comfortable with me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

“All right, classes will begin again next week.”

Once Tyler walked away, I leaned my elbows on the desk.

Sighing, she kept her eyes on the computer. “Can I help you?”

“I don’t know, but I was thinking I could help you.”

“Dude, I don’t want or need anything from you. You’re a liar and a manipulator. Run along, please.”