Hard Betrayal (Michelle Angelique Avenging Angel Series 2) Read online

  Table of Contents

  HARD BETRAYAL

  HARD WIN

  Copyright

  .

  HARD BETRAYAL

  Action Adventure Pulp Thriller Book #2

  Michelle Angelique Avenging Angel Assassin Series

  (Adult Content & Strong Language)

  Jason Stanley

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  Although Hard Betrayal is a standalone novel, many readers suggest starting with book one, Hard Revenge, as it establishes Michelle Angelique and her two lifelong besties, “row dogs,” Nikky and Deja.

  A college dropout and self-made woman, Michelle faces great odds in a male dominated world without the resources or training of the FBI, CIA, military, or even the local police. She’s an “everywoman,” the girl next door that said, “Oh, hell no! That’s not happening!”

  Though you won’t go into the bedroom with her, at least not for the actual deed, Michelle is sexually quite active. She enjoys good sex and relishes the occasional excellent one-night stand — but won’t tolerate a bad lover.

  While Michelle becomes a successful business woman, her roots are from the hood and her language reflects it. When she’s pissed, polite language flies out the window.

  Loyal to a fault, Michelle never gives up on her friends or anyone who she takes responsibility for. She is the friend we want, and in crunch time, the one we truly need.

  One more thing. If forced to choose between the law and doing the right thing, right always wins.

  So, if you enjoy spending time with a hard-hitting real woman who sometimes wears her emotions on her sleeve and always tells it like it is, then you’re gonna love Michelle.

  Finally, you may ask, who is Michelle modeled after? That’s easy; my wife, Pjae, my mother, Lori, one very tough college professor, Mildred, and a hugely capable boss, Nguyen Ngo - powerful women all!

  HARD BETRAYAL

  ***********************

  One: A Worthy Opponent

  THE SMELL OF LEATHER, SWEAT, RUBBER AND LINIMENT wasn’t the first thing Trevon noticed. It was the lack of an upscale, modern entry, then the bare cement floor, plus the single, raised boxing ring dominating the center of the room. Those things all came first. Last, the unmistakable smell of a serious gym for serious athletes sank in, demanding recognition.

  Trevon caught Deja’s eye. He waved and walked over. “Sup?”

  “Hey, Trevon.”

  He looked around. “This is a real, no-bullshit gym.”

  “What did you expect?” Deja asked.

  “Don’t know. Maybe something a little more — well, I can’t say ladylike. Not when she’s getting into a ring. I guess I thought something less old-school. You know, with lots of treadmills and mirrors; the kind of gym that smells like a spa and sells smoothies in custom-printed cold cups.”

  Nikky looked up from her phone and tipped her head. “Sup?”

  “Hey,” Trevon replied.

  An Asian man with close-cropped black hair, wearing a black referee shirt and black pants, climbed into the ring.

  Nikky tilted her head toward the ref. “I’m pretty sure that means they’re about to get started.”

  Michelle came out of the dressing rooms wearing her Muay Thai kickboxing clothes and gear. Except for bare feet and headband, her outfit closely resembled that of any American female boxer; loose shorts, tight halter top, and padded gloves. Bouncing like an excited boxer, she skip-hopped toward the ring.

  “Hey, Michelle!” their voices chorused.

  “Hey,” came the friendly, but rather abrupt reply. Without pausing, she bounded past them to climb up onto the ring apron and through the ropes.

  “Is this the same thing as kickboxing?” Deja asked.

  “No,” Trevon said. “Muay Thai is not as flashy, and is often more vicious. They can use their elbows and knees. It’s a lot more like street fighting, with rules.”

  “That sounds dangerous.”

  “It can be,” Trevon said. “Do you know anything about her opponent?”

  “Michelle said her name is — now get this: Sumanwan Upananchai,” Nikky said. “No wonder she goes by Kim. Apparently, she’s some high-ranking fighter in Thailand.”

  “How high?” Trevon asked.

  “Top twenty? Yeah, that’s what Michelle said. This Kim is a top-twenty ranked professional.”

  “No shit!” Trevon let out a low whistle. “And they’re fighting here, in what, a sparring match?”

  “Uh-huh. Something about Michelle not wanting people to know about it,” Nikky explained. “The other woman agreed because apparently, it’s some inside pride thing their trainers set up.”

  “That’s probably an understatement,” Trevon said. “The Muay Thai thing is a huge national pride issue with the fighters. Everyone involved in the sport is extremely serious. When a boxer here in the U.S. loses, he loses a fight, maybe some ranking and money. For a Thai fighter, losing a match to a foreigner is to lose face, for him, his trainers, his club, and even the whole country.”

  “You seem to know a lot about it,” Deja said.

  “Yeah, when Michelle invited me, I read up on it, watched some of the more famous fights on YouTube . . .”

  While they talked, Trevon kept an eye on Michelle. Her fidgeting virtually screamed of tightly wound energy begging for release.

  After the short preamble, Michelle stood in her corner, poised, quiet, a picture of focused intensity.

  At the opening bell, Michelle exploded forward much faster than any professional boxer. No testing, no sizing up her opponent.

  In the first few seconds, she made a quick feint right, then left, then a feint with the left foot, a lean back on the right, a twist of the hips, and a solid snap-kick to Kim’s right ribs. Kim’s eyes widened in surprise.

  Michelle danced out. Excitement in her eyes, she dove back in, landing two of five punches.

  Wham, wham, BAM, wham, BAM . . .

  Kim, lips compressed, eyes narrowed, countered with an attempted swing and head kick. She found air.

  Michelle landed a low kick to the back of Kim’s knee, knocking her slightly off balance. Equally unbalanced, Michelle nonetheless landed a right haymaker, slamming her right fist into the side of Kim’s head. It was awkward and ugly. It was also quite effective.

  “Holy shit!” Trevon yelled and jumped out of his chair.

  The war was on. Both fighters attacked with a ferocity Trevon had never seen — in the ring or on the streets.

  When the bell rang, visibly shaken, Kim found her corner.

  Michelle bounced to her own, where a petite Asian woman waited for her. She made Michelle lean against the corner pole and worked on the swelling below Michelle’s left eye.

  In the second round, Kim landed a huge right kick to the side of Michelle’s head. Michelle’s legs wobbled, her guard dropped, and she fell back against the ropes, stunned.

  “No!” Deja screamed, launching to her feet. In one, long step, she reached the edge of the ring. She started to climb up but Trevon grabbed Deja’s jean’s waistband and yanked her back
.

  Kim moved in for the kill and it looked like the fight would end. But coming in, she met a strong jab to her nose that snapped her head back. Michelle got her legs under herself and danced away.

  Michelle took two steps away, then snap reversed and charged in with a brutal combination — a low kick, step in, two punches, and a knee kick. None of them did any damage, but the message was clear. Kim needed to either break bones or knock Michelle out to stop her. That killer kick had only been a short-lived inconvenience.

  The bell rang for the end of round two, and both fighters dropped their arms, ignored each other, and headed toward their corners. This time, Michelle relaxed on the offered stool. Breathing hard, shoulders back, head up, eyes on her opponent, she exuded confidence, telling the world she was focused and in charge.

  Three rounds to go.

  Again, Trevon pulled Deja back by her waistband when she tried to crowd up to Michelle’s corner. “Not now, Deja. Any interruption could break her concentration. Sit back and watch.”

  “I don’t know if I can,” Deja said. “I mean, my God! I knew it would be a fight, but not this. This is, it’s, it’s . . . I don’t fucking know. This is vicious!”

  Over the following three rounds, Michelle hit, kicked high, kicked low, and spun using the backs of her elbows, faster and more frequently than Trevon had seen. Kim matched her, if not quite blow-for-blow and kick-for-kick, then certainly in heart.

  Late in the fourth round, both fighters were knocked down. The fight continued. Kim’s left eye became a small, swollen slit, while her nose dripped blood. Michelle spun, landing a solid blow with the back of her left elbow, and Kim dropped a second time in the round. The referee stepped in. Kim barely struggled to her feet. Hands propped on her knees, she hung her head.

  “That’s gotta be it,” Nikky said.

  Kim shook her head, then straightened up. The ref asked her a question. She nodded, then nodded again. The ref stepped back and motioned for the fight to continue.

  Kim bounced on her toes, rolled her neck, nodded, hunched, then relaxed, set her shoulders, and moved in. Michelle landed a low kick to Kim’s calf, then danced back. The bell rang.

  In the fifth round the punishment showed, with determination and grit marking the fight. Breathing through their mouths, both opponents wore the effects of the exhausting pounding they gave and received in the first four rounds. But there was no clenching or holding. From the first bell to the end, they threw out a constant barrage of kicks and blows, dancing back and pressing forward. The sheer brutality of it eclipsed anything Trevon had ever seen, in or out of the ring.

  At the end, even though both fighters bled from several cuts, when the bell rang, they hugged and found their corners where their trainers waited.

  Trevon reviewed the bout in his head. Had the match been sanctioned, the victory could have gone either way. Michelle led some rounds, while Kim took some; overall, on points, the fight was too close to call. Between the two women, though, fighter against fighter, the fight was not as close. Many of Kim’s blows landed but did no damage where most of Michelle’s blows were punishing.

  Deja, Nikky, and Trevon all climbed into the ring, getting in the way and congratulating Michelle.

  A moment later, Kim approached and bowed deeply. “Honorable Michelle, thank you for teaching me so much humility. Never before did I feel my life could be forfeit in a fight.”

  Michelle bowed in return, showing respect for her opponent’s skill. “Honorable Sumanwan. Your talent, style, and training have made you into the champion you are. Between us, you’re the better boxer. I’m happy we met in the ring, where I could learn from you.”

  Michelle’s bow was not quite as deep as Kim’s had been. The shorter bow told the story Trevon suspected.

  “Michelle,” Trevon asked, “if the fight had been on the streets, no ref, would Kim have been able to walk away?”

  Michelle paused, eyes looking up left, then right, then she shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Holy shit, girl!” Deja said. “How are you acting all casual-like as if that wasn’t just the baddest fight of the whole damned century? Jesus Christ, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed what you did.”

  “Yeah, it was a tough fight,” Michelle replied, “and I won. To still be standing feels good — real good. What else can I say?”

  “We know what to say,” Deja said. “You’re badass. Probably the badassest woman ever.”

  Trevon stood back while the women jumped around and talked.

  Mr. Kobayashi, the owner of the gym, stepped up to Michelle. She bowed to him, then turned to her friends. “Hey, guys, I need to talk with my sensei a bit, then I’ll get cleaned up. How about we meet for lunch at Scott’s in, say, an hour?”

  “Sounds good,” Trevon said. “Or, we can wait here for you.”

  “No,” Nikky said. “You guys go ahead. We already agreed, she’s riding with me. We’ll get there as soon as we can.”

  * * *

  “Hey, Scott!” Deja boomed when the they walked into Scott’s Diner. “Michelle and Nikky are on their way to join us for lunch in a while. This is Trevon, one Michelle’s friends. It is okay if we hang out here to wait for her?”

  Scott waved. “Hi, Deja. Hey, Trevon. No problem, if you don’t mind sitting at the counter until a table opens.”

  “Hey, Scott.” Trevon gave him a nod.

  Deja lifted her brow. “You guys act like you’ve met before,” she said. “Do you know each other?”

  Trevon winked at Deja. “I’ve come in for take out.”

  “Oh, silly me,” Deja said, laughing. “I’m always missing those things.”

  “Can I get you anything while you wait?” Scott asked.

  “Just drinks, for now,” Trevon replied. “We’ll wait for Michelle before we order lunch.”

  About forty-five minutes later, when Michelle and Nikky walked into Scott’s, Trevon, and Deja stood up from their newly acquired table to clap. The other patrons stopped and stared, and Michelle responded with a huge grin and a theatrical bow.

  Deja addressed the lunch crowd. “Everybody, this is Michelle, and she just kicked ass this morning in a monster boxing match. Give it up for my good friend and champion, Michelle!” The crowd joined in the second round of applause.

  “Thanks, everyone.” Michelle said.

  Deja gave her a hug, then pulled her over to their table. “Girl, you’re the shit! I didn’t know anyone could fight that hard. That was some kind of something.”

  Scott came over. “Big day?” he asked.

  “Man, you shoulda’ seen her,” Nikky said. “Our girl raised the roof. She kicked ass.”

  “Oh, Scott,” Deja said, “she was like, what, the fucking energizer bunny!”

  “No you didn’t!” Nikky cried. “Did you just call Michelle a funny, furry bunny toy?”

  “No, you know I didn’t mean it that way.” Deja cocked her head as her eyebrows tried to crawl up into her hair. “I meant, she didn’t stop for nothing, like the Terminator. Yeah, like the Terminator.” She laughed at her screw up. “What, you want me to have the right words when I’m this excited? Oh, Michelle, you were awesome!”

  Scott raised an eyebrow at Trevon, who lifted his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I know when I’m outclassed. Good thing when it comes to women, I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

  “I hate to disappoint you,” —Michelle winked at Trevon— “but I’ve already been a fighter, and as far as the rest of this day goes, I’ll be a sleeper more than anything.”

  .

  Two: Gangsters

  AFTER OVERLY INTIMATE SEARCHES D’andre and Sugar were motioned through the door.

  The dead smell of cigarettes lingered in the outer office, the same way a previous tenant’s smoke clings to an upscale hotel room, even when masked with fresh linens and scented sprays. The more masculine inner office reeked of expensive Persian rugs, furniture polish, cigars, and scotch.
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  The ambiance was as lost on D’andre as much as it overwhelmed to Sugar.

  From behind his large, sleek desk, Mr. Ascia, a middle-aged Italian, presided over the meeting. He neither stood nor offered to shake hands. “Welcome to Houston.”

  D’andre swaggered in, glanced around, and plopped deep into the maroon upholstered chair in front of Ascia’s desk while Sugar — a wary, skittish kitten in a strange house — appraised both the office and the man.

  They’d gathered in Ascia’s private office on the top floor of a seven-story business building in downtown Houston. His outer office, private office, and apartment took up the entire floor.

  “Yeah, Texas is all right,” D’andre said. “You brought us here. What’s on yo’ mind?”

  Ignoring D’andre’s comment, Ascia caught Sugar’s stare. “Miss Sugar, would you like some coffee or something cold to drink?”

  Her eyes briefly darted over to D’andre. “No, thanks. Mister, um, how do you pronounce your name?”

  “It’s old Italian and comes from ax man. It’s the same as Baker coming from the men who baked stuff. What we don’t know is if the men made their living cutting down trees, or cutting down men. You say it, ax-see-a.”

  “Thanks, and um, no on the drink.” Sugar said.

  “How about you, D’andre?” he asked.

  D’andre slowly turned his head toward Sugar, eyes narrowing down to slits, and without looking at Ascia, he said, “I’m good.”

  Ascia smiled and leaned back. His leather executive chair silently tilted. “I brought you here to discuss our interests in Anglewatts. The recent loss of our key managers created a large hole in the organization. BamBam, one of their lieutenants, moved up. We’re disappointed in the way he’s conducting business.”

  “What does that mean to me?” D’andre asked.

  “What can you tell me about BamBam’s operation?”

  D’andre shifted in his seat. “Why should I conversate with you about that?”

  “We’re businessmen,” Ascia said. “We’ve been doing this for a long time. Our partnership provides several advantages BamBam doesn’t seem to understand. Hi previous bosses gave us a reliable market for the Anglewatts area, and in return, we supplied them with high-quality products at a fair price. BamBam appears to be purchasing local product from the Mexicans.”