“I saw you fighting that night against the Plower. Great fight.”
It meant a lot for her that a former champion would take the time to compliment her. She knew he trained and coached Ronan, the next Mills champion, so she asked, “Got any tips?”
He laughed and shook his head, “Nah, I think Dev is doing a great job coaching you. I’m not sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong. But I will say that you’ve got nothing to worry about, Ry. Just keep your eyes on your opponent instead of my cousin at your next fight.”
His wink let her know he’d meant it to tease her.
“Will do. You wanted to talk to me about something?”
“Yes. I know it’s your first time at my dojo, but you may have heard about the defense classes we provide for abuse victims?”
Her stance transformed from open to rigid and Duncan shot out his hand. He tapped her glove on top of the rope. “I shouldn’t have brought it up like that. Sorry, Ry.”
She blinked the memory away from when she was sixteen and knocked down near the locker room by two guys from her high school. They’d touched her and laughed like it all had been a big fat joke.
Keenan stepped up to them and said, “Everything okay here?”
“Yeah, it’s okay.” She swallowed the lump in her throat and continued, “I’ve been through some stuff in high school, but you didn’t know that, Dunc. But I guess you heard about what happened to my sister from your brother?”
“Nah, Declan never talks about his cases. But since you’re a cousin of the Ryan sisters, I heard about your sister from them. I’m sorry. I heard the bastard is in prison?”
“Yeah. I hope he rots in that hellhole.”
Ryleigh wanted to visit Liv’s sorry excuse for a father in prison to kick his ass. Her sister Jessie married Joe within three months she’d met him, even though her family had begged her to take things slow. But after her first date with Joe, Jessie had gotten pregnant with Liv and she had this romantic notion about kismet. Convinced Joe was it for her because of Liv, she’d married Joe. She ignored all signs that Joe was an utter asshole who did everything in his power to isolate his wife from her family.
He couldn’t keep Ryleigh away, though. When Joe had lost his job and started drinking all day, every day, home became unbearable for Jessie. Ryleigh noticed little things like her sister walking funny one day, like she’d bumped her hip. After she’d asked Jessie about it, her sister stormed off and didn’t reach out for a week.
There was this one time Jessie had worn an ugly scarf in the middle of the summer and refused to take it off. Or how she’d changed her make-up style, often caking her beautiful face with foundation so much it could pass for a mask.
There were more signs Ryleigh hadn’t picked up on. But now that Joe had held Jessie and Liv hostage last Christmas Eve, Ryleigh lived every day with the guilt of not stepping in when her gut told her something wasn’t right.
She—of all people, should have picked up on the signs. She had been bullied and knocked around for years in school. She should have recognized the signs and helped her sister.
The guilt ate away at her. Even now. Even after doing whatever she could to help Jessie with Liv and even after dropping out of college and losing her job. She still felt it wasn’t enough to make up for all the pain and hurt Jessie and Liv went through.
“I know of a way to do something constructive with the sadness and underlying anger that is simmering in your eyes.”
He shocked her by being so blunt. But she guessed that his experience as a trainer and coach demanded him to see through anyone’s bullshit and to cut right to the chase. She liked people who’ll give it to you straight. Good or bad, at least she knew where she stood with them.
“Dunc…” Keenan said in a warning voice.
“No, it’s okay,” she said to Keenan, who probably didn’t appreciate the route this conversation was going.
Duncan held up a hand and said, “Chill, Cuz. I’m not suggesting she should work out her anger in the underground fights. Although that’s exactly what she’s doing right now.”
“She’s standing right here…” Ryleigh already had enough of these male chauvinistic talks with her family. She would not stand here and go over the same crap with these macho Mills men. It had taken her years to persuade Devlin to let her fight.
“Right. Just trying to ease my cousin’s mind. Sorry,” Duncan said before he continued, “I respect how you live and breathe the sport. Anyone with a bit of fighting knowledge can spot one of their own from a mile away. I’ve seen you up in that cage fight and I’ve noticed how great you are at teaching your craft here with Tommy. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I would like to offer you a job here at my dojo.”
“A job?”
Duncan smiled. “Yeah. My brother Donovan and I work with a women’s shelter and we provide defense classes. I’ve been teaching some classes, but I know I can come across a bit intimidating.”
“I wonder why,” Keenan snorted.
Ryleigh laughed and elbowed him. She let her gaze wander over Duncan’s broad shoulders, his pumped arms, and his fighter’s nose. In front of her stood a six-foot fighting machine. No doubt that he could teach the women the right moves, but she had to agree that any woman with her kind of background would think twice about letting him close enough to teach them anything.
“Thank you for considering me, Dunc. But I already have a job with Keenan. I’m sorry. It sounds like an awesome opportunity.”