Red-Hot Renegade

‘Two-ish.’

‘So you’re here this morning why? Maddy kick you out?’

‘Madeline opted for Tai Chi by way of morning exercise.’ Luke yawned hugely. ‘Me, I’m looking for something with a little more kick. It occurred to me that I knew exactly where to find it. You good for a little one on one?’

Jake smiled, slow and sure. ‘I guess I could indulge you.’ No holding back with brothers the way he held back with students. Blood bond between brothers and unspoken comprehension of intent. A man might spar for exercise or to perfect his warrior’s art. A man might spar to compete and to win. Sometimes a man sparred in order to tame the beast inside him. And sometimes he fought to forget.

This morning, Jake was all about the forgetting.

‘So how’d it go?’ said Luke as he shed his T-shirt and shoes and waited for Jake to do the same. Bare chests, bare fists, black cotton trousers, and neither of them giving a damn about the colour of their belts.

‘How’d what go?’

‘Last night. Seeing Jianne again.’

‘About as well as expected.’

Luke rolled his shoulders. Worked his way into a stretch. ‘You talked for long enough.’

‘You here to fight or to gossip?’

‘Either. Both. Whatever. I’m here for you, precious. Never forget that.’

Jake favoured his brother with a smile a smart man would have been wary of. ‘When’s the wedding, again?’

‘Three weeks.’

‘I’ll try not to mark you up.’ Jake let his fist connect with Luke’s unprotected jaw. ‘Much.’

Luke countered with a knee to Jake’s groin and followed up with an elbow that would have taken a rib out had it connected. Game on, with Luke’s reckless smile signalling that if Jake wanted to play by nobody’s rules, Luke was perfectly happy to comply.

They fought with fury and catlike grace. Jake had the edge when it came to technique but Luke had a knack for delivering the unpredictable. They both had a generous supply of killer instinct. It was exactly the kind of mindless pleasure Jake needed to take his mind off the living, breathing ghost that was Ji.

It was always going to end in bruises. Jake’s meeting with Jianne. This bout with his brother. They hit the floor hard, no mats for the wicked, and Luke groaned and Jake saw stars on the ceiling that he was pretty sure hadn’t been there earlier.

‘Are you going to look out for her?’ asked Luke as he fought free and staggered to his feet.

‘She doesn’t want me to.’ Jake didn’t bother to get up, just kicked out with his leg and took Luke down again with ridiculous ease. ‘Why do you never guard the backs of your knees?’

‘Because I like looking at your ceiling.’ This time Luke did not get up.

‘Hnh.’ Jake attempted to rise and decided against it.

‘I think you should watch out for her,’ said Luke.

‘She doesn’t want me to.’

‘Yeah, like that’s ever stopped you.’

‘You’re family. It was my job.’

‘And Jianne’s not family? So you’ll be divorcing her, then?’

Jake had his knee to Luke’s chest and his hand to Luke’s throat before his brother had time to draw breath.

‘Guess not.’ Luke’s words emerged breathless and strangled.

Jake loosened his grip, and staggered to his feet. He held out his hand to help his brother from the floor. ‘Sorry about that.’

‘It’s fine,’ murmured Luke hoarsely as Jake hauled him to his feet. ‘I’m fine. Are we done yet?’

‘Yes. You staying for breakfast?’

‘Only if it comes with painkillers.’

‘Wimp.’ As they hobbled towards the door.

‘Moron.’

Jake slid his brother a sideways glance. ‘That bruise on your cheek is never going to clear in time for your wedding.’

‘Dimwit,’ muttered Luke. ‘Idiot.’ And after a couple more shuffles towards the door, ‘So you’ll be seeing her again, then. Calling her. Asking her along to some highbrow show or charity do?’

‘She’ll never agree.’

‘Not if you don’t ask. Maybe I’ll get Maddy to call Jianne this morning,’ said Luke as they hobbled towards the kitchen. ‘See if she’s had any unexpected callers. Or gifts. Jianne’s suitor’s big on gifts, according to Maddy. A week ago he sent Ji a wedding dress. Custom made by some fancy fashion house to her exact measurements. She sent it back to him by courier.’

‘He sent her a wedding dress?’

‘It gets better,’ said Luke. ‘The courier company said they couldn’t deliver it because they were told that no one of that name lived at that address. Ji checked with friends in Shanghai. Her gift giver hasn’t moved house. But the dress is back with her because the courier company is no longer willing to deliver it. Ji’s uncle reckons he’s going to hand deliver it. He’s currently debating whether to slice it to pieces first.’

‘What’s to debate?’ rasped Jake. ‘The size of the scissors?’

Luke smiled ever so slightly. Jake scowled and turned to the fixing of breakfast. ‘Jianne doesn’t want my help. Besides, her uncle’s looking out for her. So’s Madeline. And so are you. What more does she need?’

Luke reached for a couple of mismatched coffee cups and the tin of instant coffee. ‘Some would say you.’

Luke headed out of the dojo some time after nine, fully fed and limping only a little. Jake closed up behind him, for the dojo was closed to the public on Sundays. Nothing to do with prayer and everything to do with rest and retreat and time he could call his own. The dojo phone rang not ten minutes later. Hallie trying to organise a Sunday evening meal for the Bennett clan before everyone headed off to their various destinations the following day. Then it was Madeline on the phone arranging an impromptu lunch at her place. When the phone rang for the third time Jake glared at it and almost didn’t pick up, but Tris and Pete were around too and they hadn’t checked in yet this morning and like as not they would.

Jake loved his siblings, unconditionally and always, but when everyone got together it reminded him of days long gone when his first priority had been to keep them together and inevitably his thoughts would turn to Jianne and then the guilt would kick in that he should have done more, that he could have done more to help her fit into the chaos that had been his life.

When he picked up the phone and Jianne said hello he almost dropped it. When she said hello again because he still hadn’t spoken he put his fingers to his temple and summoned a reply. ‘Are you in trouble?’

‘Is that a regular greeting for you?’ came the softly spoken reply.

‘Regular enough.’

‘What’s the usual answer?’