A sneak peek at "Undefeated"

 

She was watching him again.  He was used to other people’s curiosity, after all, a guy with a green Mohawk, several piercing, and quite a few tattoos tended to draw attention.  Those people, however, tried to sneak glances at him when they thought he wasn’t looking.  Not her, she was openly staring.  He tried for several moments to pretend he didn’t notice.  When he couldn’t stand anymore he snapped, “What?’

Lucy smiled as if satisfied that she had managed to rattle him. “I was just wondering what your real name is,” she told him.

Ace looked around confused. “Umm, Ace,” he answered slowly.

Lucy gave him a look of disbelief. “Your real… god-given name is Ace?” she asked.

“Yes,” he answered tersely.

“What kind of name is Ace?”

“A good American one,” he ground out between clenched teeth.

“Were your parent’s hippies or gamblers?”

“What kind of name is Lucy?” he shot back.

“It’s short for Lucinda actually, but I think it’s ugly either way.  Ace, on the other hand, is a good name.  It kind of rolls off the tongue.  Ace.” She drew out his name as if she were testing the word.

Drawing his brows together in thought he asked, “Have you been drinking?”

“Nope,  just bored.”

“Okay,” he drawled slowly.  Shrugging he went back to his workout.  He bounced lightly on his toes, making two short jabs, and then one quick kick to the bag before she started again.

“Why is your hair green?”

“I dyed it.  Why is your hair brown?” he asked, landing a hard left hook.

“I was born this way.  Well, not really, I was born bald and stayed that way until I was two.  My mom swore I’d never get hair, but obviously, I did.”

“Do you ever shut up?”  He grunted out on a spin kick.

“No, not really,” she answered unrepentant, before asking, “How many tattoos do you have?”

Ace growled.  He couldn’t help it. The sound escaped his chest before he could stop it.