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“Aside from banging chicks?”
“Right, Buchanan. Like you were a monk.” He nodded to a couple of guys as they passed. “All in all, it’s taken a whole lot of hard work and an equal amount of luck to get here. The land we’re on is family property passed down from my grandparents. And between me and Dante, we did pretty well off our endorsements when we were fighting—”
Joe chuckled. The guy was being modest. During their heydays, the De la Rosa brothers had been household names.Internationalhousehold names. Cade had been the poster child for MMA, while many critics and analysts still credited Dante for giving boxing its most recent resurgence.
“—so we were able to put a chunk of those funds toward our facility expansion. We run classes here and at our Seattle gym to cover the day-to-day expenses. We do MMA, boxing, Muay Thai, and jiu-jistu—all levels for both adults and kids. Obviously, there’s more class traffic in Seattle, but we have a women’s cardio kickboxing class that does really well here.”
“Cardio kickboxing? Seriously?”
“I know, man. But don’t knock it.” Cade shrugged. “What can I say? Women love that shit. It’s one of our most popular classes. We even partner with the Pacific View Resort for that class. Since there’s not much traffic on the island, especially in the winter, we do a lot of weekend and camp-type programs. We work with schools on all the islands, and we do a whole lot of training for law enforcement. Which brings me to my ulterior motive for getting you out here, bro.”
Curious, Joe waited.
“As you know, MMA, boxing—combat sports in general—are great things to know if you’re a crime fighter. When we train law enforcement, we touch on all those aspects—standup, grappling, striking, all of it. But the problem with combat sports is that they’re just that: sports. They have rules. But as I’m sure you know firsthand, the bad guy attacking you isn’t going to drop his weapon or avoid kicking you in the nuts in a show of sportsmanship.”
Joe laughed. “That’s for damn sure.”
“Yeah. So Dante and I have partnered with Gavin and his crew to create a whole new program specially designed for law enforcement and security types.”
Gavin Frazier ran Hudson Security, a distinguished private security firm. They handled a wide range of security work, from risk consulting and cyber security to private protection and hostage negotiation and rescue. The only reason Joe knew any of that was because of his work with the FBI. There had been plenty of whispers about Gavin’s team, a group of former special ops guys, all in hushed awe. Because they were efficient. And effective.
He had to admit, his curiosity was piqued.
“Since Gavin’s company operates on our land,” Cade continued, “and since Dante served with a lot of those guys, it’s a natural collaboration. We want this new program to not only teach hand-to-hand and different styles of fighting but also provide tactical training. You know, weapons, marksmanship, outdoor survival, that kind of thing.”
A grin spread over Joe’s face. “Not gonna lie, man. That sounds like a shitload of fun.”
Cade laughed. “I’m glad you think so because we’re looking for someone to head it up. Ideally, this person will also act as the program’s lead hand-to-hand combat instructor. And they’ll work closely with Gavin’s guys on the tactical end.”
“Why is that?” Joe asked.
“We want whoever’s leading the program to be in the trenches, so to speak. Which makes it a hard spot to fill. We have a jiu-jitsu coach for the fight side of the gym, but he’s not familiar with weapons disarming and that sort of thing. You, my friend, with your jiu-jitsuandKrav Maga background, would be a great fit. Your reputation precedes you, you know. You’re a damn good instructor. Hell, you werethetop instructor at the FBI Academy.”
Pride bloomed in his chest. “I was.”
“I also overheard a certain little red-headed birdie whispering to Alex last night about you being currently unemployed.”
“That little birdie talks too damn much.”
A slow smile spread over Cade’s face. “Yeah, but with legs like that, bro, she can say whatever she wants. Hell, she candowhatever she wants to me, if she’s ever so inclined.”
Joe’s jaw clenched, and he glared at his supposed friend. His irritation was immediate. And completely irrational. Because even though he’d spilled his feelings to Roxie that morning—granted, in a murky, roundabout way—he had zero say in what she did. But his hackles rose, nonetheless.
Cade’s smile grew, and he barked out a laugh. “Hit a nerve there, did I?”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”Damn. Probably not the best comeback, but fuck it, it would have to do.
“Whatever you say, man. I’m a lot of things, but blind is not one of them.” Still chuckling, Cade slapped him on the back and walked deeper into the facility. “Come take a look at the rest of the gym, and I can tell you what we’re offering for compensation.”
They set off on their tour, and Joe’s brows hit his hairline at the six-figure salary and extensive benefits package Cade rattled off.
“Cade, man, I’m no rocket scientist or anything, but isn’t that a bit steep for a hand-to-hand instructor?”
His friend shrugged. “Like I said, you’d not only be the lead instructor, but you’d also be working closely with Gavin’s guys on the tactical end. You’d basically be running this program. All the training will be on-site, but there’s still a bit of traveling involved. We work a lot with the local military bases, and we’ve got a number of law enforcement groups throughout the Pacific Northwest and all the way into Montana. There’s also a whole shitload of paperwork. But since you’re a fed—”
“Former fed,” he interrupted.
Cade laughed. “Former or not, you should be used to paperwork. Besides, not to sound like a pompous dick or anything, but youarestanding in one of the top gyms in the fucking world. Think about it. If anything, like you said... it’ll be fun.”
