Read Fight for Her for Free Online

bed and put her face in her hands.
    This whole thing had turned into a nightmare, and it was one that she couldn’t wake up from. She hadn’t had the guts to tell Gunner that she worked for the UFF, and she hadn’t had the guts to tell Drew Ellis that Gunner wanted nothing to do with her after the disastrous conversation this morning.
    Krista knew that she couldn’t give up just yet, though. She’d screwed things up, but there was still a chance that she could make it right. She went to the bathroom and cleaned all the smeared eyeliner off her face, washed with soap and water, put her hair back in a ponytail.
    She took some deep breaths and tried to calm down.
    A plan was starting to form in her mind.
    When she was sufficiently cleaned up and relaxed, she went downstairs and paid for one more night at the Middle River Inn.
    After that, she went back to the restaurant next door.
    Cole was behind the counter, chatting with his brother Caden, when she entered.
    She gave them a slight wave and then sat down at one of the stools. “It got quiet around here since this morning,” she said, as Cole approached.
    Cole glanced at his watch. “We just finished up the lunch rush about forty-five minutes ago. Things tend to die down between two and four.”
    “I’m Krista by the way,” she said to Caden, who smiled and nodded. He was wearing a white apron. She still couldn’t believe how much alike the two of them looked.
    “You hungry, Krista?” Caden asked.
    She smiled back. “A little bit.”
    “You like grilled cheese? I make the best grilled cheese in the state. Trust me.”
    “I love a good grilled cheese. That would be amazing.”
    Caden clapped his brother on the shoulder and walked back to the kitchen.
    Cole watched him go. “He’s trying to impress you,” Cole said. “Want something to drink?”
    “Diet Coke would be great.”
    He poured her a Diet Coke and then handed her the cold glass. “I noticed you were hanging out with Gunner this morning.” His voice was offhand, but she sensed a deeper curiosity in the statement.
    She looked at him, trying to determine why he was mentioning it, but Cole’s eyes didn’t give anything away. He could have just been making small talk after all, she decided.
    “Yeah. I was going to do an article about him,” she said.
    Cole’s eyebrows shot up. “Really.”
    “Is that so strange?”
    Cole laughed, grabbing a rag and wiping down the counter, not because it needed it—almost like it was just habit. “The Gunner I know is not a fan of talking to the media—especially not lately.”
    “Well, the interview didn’t turn out so great,” she admitted. “He got mad and left.”
    “I can’t say I’m surprised.” Cole glanced at her again. “What’s your plan now?”
    “I’m honestly not sure.” She took a sip from her Diet Coke. It tasted cold and good and soothed her a little. “Do you know him well?”
    “Is this off the record?”
    “Yes,” she said. In fact, she thought, you have no idea just how off the record this is, given that I’m not even a journalist.
    “I’ve known Gunner for a bit. He’s originally from Massachusetts, and he has relatives in the area. When things started getting crazy for him with all the fame, he bought a place here in Middle River so he could occasionally get away from the madness.”
    “So he would come here periodically?”
    “Yeah, he would come in between fights or when he wasn’t training in Vegas.
    Seemed like he came here less and less the last couple years, though. And when I did see him, he was different.”
    “Different how?” she asked, feeling like Cole was onto something important.
    Cole glanced up at her uneasily. “I’m not sure I should really be talking about this sort of stuff to you. Sorry. I guess I was just thinking out loud.”
    Caden hit a tiny bell with his palm. “One grilled cheese, ready to pick up!” he yelled.
    Cole’s expression betrayed annoyance. “I don’t think that’s