Chapter 1

Too much frustration powered her right hook, taking down her mammoth sparring partner. Damn it! I'm going to hurt him if I don't control myself better. Samantha thought as she hurried to help the down man. She spit out her clear rubbery mouth guard. "Are you okay?"

The man jumped up and shook his body like a dog shedding water. Dancing back and forth on his toes, he winked at Samantha and slapped his black and white gloved hands together. "You got lucky, that won't happen again."

She chuckled. "We'll just see about that," and stuffed the mouthpiece back in.

The two circled in the ring. The sight looked as if Gallia was taking on the Giant. One of the few guys that gathered at the ropes, started to heckle her over sized partner. "If you would stop staring at her b***s and watched her hands, you wouldn't end up on the mat all the time."

The guys all laughed as Samantha stopped dancing on her toes to join in on the laughter. She loved the smelly old gym and the guys in it. Years ago when she first arrived in New York, she looked for a quiet place to keep training and ran across an old stone church converted into a boxer’s paradise. Once they saw her moves, respect quickly followed. It didn’t take long before they took her into their tight knit family.

Her eyes darted to the front line of big metal doors. She knew who was about to walk through them before they opened. Double doors flung open. Sam, Mick and Goggons strutted through, scoping out the old gym. She could feel Sam's own frustration rolling off him.

 

Months ago, she and Sam developed a special connection that they found out later was called Linking. She could sense him and the combine essence of their life energy was very empowering. The more time they were together, the stronger their connection became, along with the power. A recent trip to Ireland and England shed light to this strange phenomenon. It was also where their relationship progressed in two different ways. A ring slipped on her finger with a yes and their Linking turn into a Bonding. Another thing learned from a crazed spirit in England. This spirit, name Malmisha, possessed her, shown her visions of Sam, Mick and her in another life and realm. Probably the oldest mythological history lesson she ever had, came from the spirit. The legend foretold the Creator of all birthed souls gave vessels for the souls to exist in. Due to disappointment of lack of appreciation to their gifts and each other, the Creators split the souls and tossed them back into existence. Needing to fill an emptiness, the half souls would Link with others. When a half soul found it's true other half, the Bonding was the outcome. This connected them forever, beyond a physical existence.

 

Sam's frustration, on top of hers, wiped out what little humor she just absorbed. Stretching her neck side to side, she focused on her partner and began exchanging punches.

The trio approached the ring and watched her gracefully dance and jab. Right off the bat, the brothers notice she was holding back. Her punches were precise and sharp but there was no force behind them.

Mick voiced the question that touched Sam's mind. "Why is she holding back? He's a big dude. He could take more than what she is dishing out."

Entranced by her, Sam leaned over and rested his arms on the mat of the waist high ring. "She can't relax. She's keeping a tight rein on herself."

"And why is that?"

"You."

Mick raised his voice a little louder over the noise around them. "Me?"

God you're an idiot at times. "Since we’ve returned, you've put a stop to everything that makes her tick. Hunting, for example."

"We've hunted."

            "No, we've scouted, that's not the same. She feels like it's a waste of time and lives to track them, watch them, but do nothing."

            "I've explained the plan."

            "Yes, she wants to find the lair just as bad as we do... maybe more, but that's not what's eroding her patients."

            "Do we really need to play the twenty questions? So what is it?"

            "You won't let her go after Heath."

            "You know, that's a bad idea right now."

            "Yea-yea, but I understand how she feels about it. I want a piece of that guy for nearly getting her killed."

            "Like I don't...Maybe we can pay him a short visit and rattle his cage."

            "Well, that would be a good start."

            "Start? What else does she want?"

            "We both like a lift on the sex embargo. Going without it is driving us both insane."

            "Yeah…I can understand."

            "Brother, you have no idea."

            "Okay! Damn, I guess I can suffer for one night. Just let me pick the night."

            "You know, we've kept you out of our funky connection before." Sam stopped watching Samantha and smiled brightly at Mick. "With a little more practice, I bet Sammie and I can figure it out."

            Mick’s face wrinkled up. "You had no idea how big of an eww it is to be able to feel you...her...Well you know…Enough of this subject before I get brain damage." Sam laughed at him and returned to watching Samantha. Mick was becoming restless. "What the hell are they listening to? This sounds like the crap Sammie listens too. She must have these boys p***y whipped just like you little bro." Before Mick knew what hit him, Sam shoved him to the side. He ricocheted off the mountain of Goggons, giving the two guys a reason for a hearty chuckle.

            Goggons slapped Mick's back a couple of times. "You better watch it or they’ll both be turning on you." He drifted off to explore more of the unusual gym.

Mick was on edge. Why he didn’t know. He would find himself lost in swirling unknown thoughts just out of reach. They hid in the shadows of his mind. Strangest thing was when he realized the slip from the reality around him, he would find himself staring at Samantha and feeling really…weird. He was counting himself lucky that no one noticed this off-the-wall fascination…yet.

Mick jumped up on the outer side of the ring and hung on the blue ropes like a deranged monkey. The heckling commenced. "Is this boxing? It sure doesn't look like boxing. It looks more like dancing. Did I crash a prom? You two have to be the ugliest prom King and Queen I've ever seen."

Her self control slipped as Mick tickled one of her stressed nerves. Weight shifted to her left leg as the right leg delivered a power kick. Her heel landed square into her partner chest and sent his breathless body across the ring, up against the ropes next to Mick. The beaten giant looked over at Mick with a glazed look and slid to the floor.

"Ah prom nights over and the King didn't even get lucky. Tough luck, buddy."

Samantha wasn't the only one steamed. Sam simmered. He was about to give Mick a piece of his mind when he noticed the ringside crowd squeezed in on them and they didn't look happy. "Damn it Mick! Would you act your age?"

Samantha hurried to the down giant and dropped to her knees. "Oh hell, are you okay?" He spit out his black mouthpiece and shook his head until his eyes focused. "Yeah, I've had worse beatings than that."

"Really, well next time I won't hold back." Samantha said in a playful taunt. He grinned back at her as his eyes involuntarily twitched. "I think you've had enough today. Could someone help him out?"

 A," I'll help him," came from the ringside group as a man shuffled towards her. The approaching man did a quick nod to the side and questioned Samantha. "Are these two bothering you? We can escort them out if you like."

Mick hung on the ropes over to Sam and whispered, "Whipped big time." Sam glared up to him with a ‘seriously dude’ look.

Samantha smile glowed to the man. "Thanks for the offer but that short old one is all bark and no bite." The ringside guys laughed and drifted back to the previous follies. Samantha was back on her knees in front of Sam supporting a mischievous grin. "How's the quality guy time coming along?"

He matched her grin and gestured towards Mick. "Give a guess?" Mick, stuck in little boy fun mode, snarled a bark at Samantha. Sam was floored to this unusual banter from Mick. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Hey, I'm allowed to have my playtime too."

This was an invitation that Samantha wasn't passing up. She bounced up inches from Mick’s face. "Oh you want to play. Come on old man. Let me show you what whipped is really like."

Mick’s eyebrow rose. "I shall take that challenge... And when I win, there will be no carrot exchanging with Thumper for another month."

A sinister grin split Samantha face. "Oh, but when I win, you no longer have a say in any carrot exchanging.” A glove stabbed at his chest, “Journeyman.”

Howling with laughter the legendary Simon killer grin broke out. "I'll take that bet."

With eyes locked on him, she shouted a request. "Joe, would you please help this punch-out loser with some gloves?" Joe appeared in a rings corner with a pair of red gloves. Dropping his jacket on Sam, Mick slid through the ropes and snipped a bark at her one more time before heading to Joe waiting in the corner.

She ignored him and dropped back down to Sam shaking his head. "I have no idea what has him so worked up."

“Do you want to know? I could beat it out of him."

Sam chuckled. "I bet you could."

Anticipation of an evenly matched fight awoke her body. Blood warmed and flowed faster. Muscles tighten readied to spring into action. She hungered for a true work out. "That's a sure bet. Now my handsome prize, kiss me for luck."

Through the ropes, hungry lips locked. Sex wasn't the only thing on the no-no list. Kissing was unwillingly agreed between them since it was too painful to stop just at that. Feral sparring of tongues pushed, slid and searched for more of each other. His hands clamped onto her face, holding firm, not letting her have a chance to escape. Pulling away was last thing on her mind. She wanted more, craved it. Their life essence opened to each other and they drank deeply. The power circled and grew between them, like a turbine. Samantha’s body hung halfway through the ropes. Lost into each other, the unintentional make-out session approached X-rated as whistles, hoops and hollers around the gym yanked them back to reality.

Mick’s voice sliced at them. “Should you two be acting like that in the ex house of God? I wouldn’t be surprise if lighting strikes.”

Reluctantly, the touch of lips was replaced with a touch of foreheads. Sam growled in frustration. "Damn Sammie girl... I need you so bad." They both struggled to control their pant. He noticed the vivid glow in her Emerald-green eyes and how her body shook in his hands. The power ran rampant under her skin. "You okay?"

She sat back on her heels. "Ah, there it is, the question that you always seem to be asking."

His brows furrowed together. Emotions swirled in his voice. "Sammie?"

"I'm fine. You just juiced me up to the point that it's hard to contain at the moment." A deviant smile cracked out. “I need to hurry up and make Mick tap-out.”

"You better tone your eyes down or he's going to squeal foul play."

"Oh, he's going to squeal alright." She closed her eyes with a deep inhale. Her minds eye vision a warm sandy beach. The sight and sounds of the rolling waves crashing on the beach calmed her just enough to hide the brightness of her eyes. They popped back open. "Better?"

"Better, now go get him Hellcat."

Bouncing up and around, she faced a playful Mick doing an impression of the cowardly lion with a fast shuffle of his bare feet. "Put them up, put them up." Samantha bust out laughing. A Michael Jackson move was next as he spun around and perched up on his naked toes to squeal, "Eee-he-he."

Laughter doubled her over creating havoc on speech. "Not…fair…you can't…win with me passing out from laughter!"

Dropping the King of Pop pose, he came at her with a grin showing all if his perfect pearly whites." Anything goes, no rules, just like old times, or have you forgotten all I have taught you?"

She recovered from the giggles. "Taught me? Yeah right, I think I was the teacher."

"Ah my young grasshopper, you still think you can out do the master."

"Really, the ‘Karate Kid’. What's the next old flick you going to throw at me?"

Subconsciously the showdown had started. They circled slowly, sizing each other up, looking for an opening. "One of my favorites…’Rocky’." Arms flew up as he bellowed, "Adrienne! Now come here Apollo and take your beating like a good little boxer."

"You wish it was that simple."

Goggons appeared back at Sam's side and watched the ‘Ring around the Rosie’ before him. “I'm not sure if this is a good idea but it is sure entertaining."

Sam snorted. "They're just goofing off. Maybe it will ease some of the strange tension."

Mick's arms dropped as he stretched his neck side to side. The music playing continued to annoy him. "Seriously, do we have to listen to this crap?"

"Crap? Your taste in music is slipping."

"I think it's your taste that's needs help."

"B***h, b***h, b***h all the god damn time."

He came back with a nasally sounding, "Whine, whine, whine all the god damn time."

"The smack talk isn't going to dog an opening for you. I can play this tune rather well."

An awful Yoda impersonation provoke further. "Hmm a very bad tune indeed."

Samantha’s shoulder slumped behind her Peek-a-Boo block but she didn't give him the sought out opening. "Jesus! Mike, play list FUBAR please!" She bellowed.

A man's bald heads snapped up in an upper-level room that used to house the organ pipes. He hollered through an enormous open window overlooking the gym. "Got it!" He changed the playlist on her MP3 hooked up to the audio system.

Mick shook his head in disbelief. "Damn, and who really runs this place?"

"No more bitching, old man put up or shut up."

"Oh, those are fighten words."

Music shifted to a new song. Three Doors Down ‘Round and Round’ hit the air. Sam was scoping out the cathedral ceiling when notes filled his ears. His head snapped back to the two in the middle of the ring. Oh s**t! He noticed the subtle shift in their posture and Orthodox stances. This just changed to nasty. Slamming his hands on the mat, he yelled at them. "You two play nice!"

Author's Note

Please, it would help out if you can be more precise or point out the sentences with problem areas.
Thanks again for taking time to read this.

Reviews

[Just Me]

Great chapter! I so can't wait to read more!
No I didnt see anything wrong. It was amazingly well written and you need to post more asap!

[.quan.011.]

This is a wonderful chapter and no i didn't find anything wrong. Although right now I kind of don't like Sam. I feel he is a big clingy. Otherwise a great chapter. Write more!

[Shep]

I really didn't see anything wrong as I quickly devoured the chapter. Man it has been ages. And I missed it without a doubt. Please tell me you are just getting started.

[TKBickel]

Nope one chapter to this book is all your getting. The End. (lol)
I'm trying to get the writing done without rushing it to the point I'm messing it all up. Hopefully I'll have the second chapter really soon. Thanks for your support. ;)