Blame it on the shame Part 1

Chapter 17 (Ricardo)

 

“Thanks, Emilio. I owe you. Let me know when you drop him off at the airport,” I say before hanging up the phone.

Every minute that went by while she was with him in that car made me want to kill someone...namely him.

Then when Emilio text me to let me know their talking had suddenly stopped...I saw red.

Just like now as I'm watching her walk up the stairs and she proceeds to ignore me while making a beeline for her apartment.

We didn't leave off on the best of terms but that was her doing.

She didn't trust me to get her out of seeing him...which means she wanted to see him.

She didn't choose me...but then again, she already told me she never would.

Beside me, Tyrone gives me a smirk. “Trouble in paradise already?”

Jackson hikes his gym bag up his shoulder and whistles. “Shit, Ricardo. How much does DeLuca pay you to coach us?”

“What?”

Tyrone laughs. “Damn, I know every kiss begins with Kay...and with that bling around her neck...you'd think home girl would break you off a few instead of blatantly ignoring you.”

That's when I notice the very expensive designer necklace she's wearing.

“It's not Kay. It's Buccellati.”

And it's hideous...no doubt custom designed by DeLuca himself.

It's also something the Lou-Lou that I've come to know wouldn't wear.

I've never seen her wear jewelry...which means she most likely doesn't like it all that much.

She tries to get her key in the lock but it slips due to her hands shaking. I grit my teeth when I notice she's wearing a matching bracelet.

“I'll meet you at the gym,” I say in their direction before heading over to her.

“Are you okay?”

Her big doe eyes dart around wildly and she gives me a subtle shake of her head. “Yeah. I'm fine.”

Her mixed signals tell me that she's obviously trying to warn me of something, but what?

I take another step forward. “Are you sure?”

“I already told you, I'm fine. Happy even, seeing as I just saw mio amore.” My stomach knots, I've never hated a set of words more in my life. “I really miss him. I love him so much,” she adds to drive the knife in deeper.

I ignore the way my guts twist and notice how her eyes keep pleading with me to stay back and keep my distance.

That's when it hits me.

He bugged her new jewelry. And I have no way of knowing whether it's audio, video, or both.

By the looks of it, neither does she.

She subtly taps the cellphone in her pocket with the hand not wearing the bracelet. I'd already figured out awhile ago that her phone was bugged and he was most likely reading any text messages and listening to any phone calls she made.

I wouldn't put anything past him. That's why I made sure to get Jackson and Tyrone burner phones with specific instructions not to ever use it or turn it on unless it was an absolute emergency.

I want to kick myself for not getting her a burner phone. Then again, what use would it be now? If her jewels are bugged with a video camera he would see it.

“Well in that case, I'm going to head to the gym.”

“Have fun,” she says.

Her eyes close and she draws in a shaky breath. No, she can't fall apart now.

If he's taken it to this extreme, chances are he already suspects something's up with her.

Or me.

Or worst of all...me and her.

Motherfucking shit.

No, there's no way he would know about that.

Just to be sure, I need to cha

I reach for her hand and she hesitates for a moment too long before finally pulling back. “What are you doing?” she hisses.

I lift her bracelet up to inspect it. “Having a look at your new gifts.”

She stares at me wide-eyed but I ignore her. “I can't believe my father spent so much money on one of his sugar baby's.”

She doesn't react like I expect or want her to. Her lower lip trembles and she looks ashamed.

No wonder DeLuca suspects something. She's not behaving like she used to.

I fight the urge to hold her in my arms because if this is DeLuca's new way of testing me and her because he suspects something, this needs to be done.

I drop her wrist. “It's grotesque.” I give her a dirty look. “But then again...he's always had bad taste.”

With that, I walk away and hope to god she knows it was all an act.

“Christ, Ricardo!” Jackson yells.

I ignore him because I don't see or hear Jackson right now.

He tries to move around the ring and dodge me but he's too slow.

I jab him again...and again...and again.

And when that's not enough, I send a hard uppercut to his face.

“Just trying to prepare you for the fight on Saturday.”

I send another uppercut to his face and blood trickles out of his mouth.

Tyrone yells something on the sidelines but I pay him no mind.

I cock my hand back and deliver what's known as the 'Haymaker'. It's a power punch that's usually used as a finishing move when your opponent has grown weaker and is less likely to issue a counter.

His face bounces off my fist and he staggers back against the ropes.

“There won't be a fight if you kill me, motherfucker,” Jackson roars before sending a straight punch to my ribs.

Tyrone jumps in the ring and stands between us while cursing up a storm.

That's when I realize where I am.

It's not so much Jackson's punch that did it, although he most likely just broke one of my ribs...it's his words that zap me back to reality.

And all the blood.

Fuck, I took it too far. I've never acted like this in the ring with them. I'm their coach, I'm not supposed to.

Shit, if it was anyone other than Jackson in the ring with me I could have killed them.

Tyrone gives me a look I've never seen before. “What the fuck, man!” he shouts.

He looks ready to go toe to toe with me on Jackson's behalf and that only makes me feel like even more of a shithead.

Jackson gives me a look laced with pure malice before he spits blood at me. Then he steps to me. “Wa

He taps the tattoo over his heart with his sister's name in warning before he charges in my direction.

I'm not scared of him, but I know it's his way of telling me I've just brought out a side of him that shouldn't be brought out during training.

It's a side he only lets out when he's in the cage...fighting for his life.

It's his way of telling me that I just crossed the line.

And he's right...I did.

I brace myself but Tyrone pushes him at the last possible second. His gaze bounces back and forth between the both of us.

“Knock this shit off!” he booms. “Y'all are my brothers and I'm not go

For some reason, him threatening to call Momma on us makes us both laugh.

“Fuck, Jackson,” I say. “ I'm sorry, man. I got carried away. I didn't...I didn't see you in the ring with me if that makes any sense.”