Pushing the Limits by Jennifer Snow Read Free Book Online

I’ll have one of the on-camera guys take a look.”
    She clenched her jaw, biting back her argument. If and when she got a good story, she wouldn’t be handing it off to anyone. “It’s not done yet, and actually I was thinking that it would be my story to report. You know, if you decide to promote me.”
    He finally glanced at her and his expression spoke volumes as he said, “Colby . . .”
    â€œDane Hardy,” she said quickly. She refused to let this opportunity slip through her fingers.
    As expected, her boss stopped. “What about him?”
    She sat across from him, taking full advantage of his attention. “He’s the story angle I’m working.”
    Unfortunately, Ari sighed. “Colby, that story was publicized to death—pardon the pun—last year. Most people don’t even remember him anymore.”
    â€œThat’s not true,” she said, ready with the footage from the
Against the Ropes
show last month. She waved the tape in front of him.
    â€œWhat is that?”
    â€œThe interview Faith did with Rico ‘The Bulldog’ Mendez last month. The one where he said he would be retiring once his contract with the Maximum Fight League was done later this year. And also the one where he said he’d love to retire undefeated, but he can’t because he lost to one fighter in his career . . .”
    â€œDane Hardy?”
    â€œExactly.” Her excitement rose. “This would be a fantastic story. A man coming back from the ashes of tragedy . . .”
    Ari raised an eyebrow.
    She sighed. “I’ll word it better than that. But you get my point. This comeback fight for Dane and this chance for Rico Mendez to retire avenged? This is good and you know it.”
    â€œOkay . . . maybe it would be a good story. But no one has even seen Dane for almost a year. He quit fighting, he quit training. The MFL certainly isn’t eager to have him back, even if Mendez does want a rematch.” He shrugged, already dismissing her. “I don’t even think anyone knows where he is.”
    â€œI do.”
    He glanced up.
    â€œWell, sort of. I’m working on it.”
    He grabbed some files and headed toward the door. “Out, Colby. And until you have something solid, you don’t have a story.”
    She blew out a breath as she watched her boss walk away. Something solid. Oh, she would get something solid all right, and it would be the sport story of the year. One she would be covering. No one else.
    As long as she didn’t fall off the side of a cliff.
    * * *
    â€œWhy is it so busy here tonight?” Dane grumbled, going to the bar inside The Vault later that week.
    â€œDouchebag’s birthday,” Jax, the club’s weekday bartender, said, sliding him the first of many cups of coffee that evening.
    Turning, he saw Lee’s cousin, the guy he’d tossed into a taxi the weekend before, celebrating with a group in the corner of the bar. Dane lifted the cup. The steam burned his top lip, but he took a gulp anyway. He was going to need caffeine to deal with the crowd that evening. Leaning against the bar, he scanned the people inside the club. If they weren’t over capacity, they were close, and he hoped the casino’s manager didn’t pop in. “Why does Lee allow his cousin to use this place as his own personal hangout?” he mumbled, watching the cocky asshole hand out a round of shots to his buddies.
    â€œI don’t know. I heard he helped him out financially in the beginning.” Jax stocked beer glasses on the shelf behind him and Dane continued to scan the crowd. “Helped him buy the place.”
    No wonder he acted like he owned the joint. Dane took another gulp of coffee and checked his watch. He had ten minutes before his shift. “I’ll be back in ten.”
    Carrying his coffee, he walked out onto the casino floor. The place was