Just who is this man

Sara didn't have time to ponder on why Sean was there when Rob grabbed her and said "Hurry up pumpkin, Miranda told me you have a banquet tonight." Sara went to the dressing room and changed and got with Rob to begin training. After a while Rob left her at the bag to practice and then Sara heard the cold voice behind her. "Your right jab is too slow, the left cross is to telling and the left hook has no power. All in all your form is poor"

'Does this guy have anything good to say ever?' Sara thought while gritting her teeth. She turned around and glared at Sean "I can't even practice with out you bothering me either?" Sean slowly approach her, before walking to the bag and saying "with a hook and jab like that you wouldn't hurt someone half your stature much less someone trying to harm you. If you want pointers I can help but there's a price."

"I'm sure you're price isn't exorbitant considering you're working for our failing company." Sean look at the woman as an unfathomable light passed through his eyes. "Your chairman is paying me 3 million for one month. However I have a reputation that allows me to command that amount. My reputation if fighter training you can't buy with money." Sara coughed as she couldn't imagine what he just said. "3 million for one month! I'm in the wrong business."

Sean chuckled as he looked at Sara. "Take Rob for instance a few years ago he only knew boxing, wrestling and some taekwondo. I then took him under my wings and now he has multiple top professional fighters training in this gym under him."

Sara froze "You trained Rob? That mustn't have been cheap. I remember he got selected to apprentice under someone for a year and had to go to Europe to receive it. So what was his price?" Sean moved towards Sara looking down at her as he spoke "This gym. In fact I own 51% of his gym franchise so when his fighters compete and they get payouts which in turns pays me. I'm always thinking long term." Sara squinted at Sean "You are a sly businessman, so what is the cost for me to be trained by you?"

"I'll decide that at a later date but for now let's begin." As Sean was giving pointers and helping Sara train, Claire was watching in the corner when her phone suddenly rang. She looked down and saw a text from Frank "trouble" she looked up and started to walk over to the couple when what she saw next made her freeze in her shoes.

At this moment Sean was standing behind Sara adjusting her posture,little did he know what he was actually doing to Sara. As Sean's hands where adjust the position of her shoulders all Sara felt was electricity running from his fingertips. His warm breath on her ears and the beard tickling her neck. Then she smelled a faint scent of wood and tanned leather, her brain went into over drive thinking back to that night. "Sean." Her hoarse voice croaked out. "Mhm yes" the normally icy voice sounded deep and warm like it could hold her and protect her. "Were you at Swan Restaurant the other night?" Sara said in a tiny voice as she took a step away and turned around looking at him expectantly. Before Sean could respond Claire walked over and grabbed Sara's arm and stated in an icy voice that seemed to freeze everyone even Sean "ma'am we need to get you out of here now!"

However before anyone could move the gym doors slammed open and a group of men walked in. "This place now belongs to the Lagarde. So everyone time to pay up." As everyone looked at the group carrying bats and clubs they all backed away. However Sean walked away from Claire and Sara and walked towards the man. His eyes seemed to turn dark as he looked at the men, his normal unapproachable and distant aura turned into one of bloodlust. Before anyone could stop Sean one of the thugs approached Sean. Before anyone knew it and before the thug could say or do anything he was quickly knocked out with a series of punches. Then the rest of the group reacted and began to approach Sean.

Sara was about to call out to Sean when she saw Claire walking behind him picking up the knocked out thugs bat. She then saw Frank come in and stand on the other side of Sean. The sight that Sara saw was Sean's back to her with Claire on one side and Frank on the other staring down the 30 or so men that had barged into the place. Then she heard Sean's voice but it was too low and too far away to catch the words.

Sean staring down the group spoke first. "Lagarde isn't even commissioned what makes you think you have a right to claim this." The leader seemed to have lost his courage for a moment before speaking back "to become commissioned you have to take an official organizations operation away. So we're here to take this." Then the mans eyes landed on Frank before he froze. 'Isn't that Frank Thomas? The Black Wolf's official protection man. If he's around then someone here is under his protection!' Then the leaders eyes landed on Claire 'Holy shit it's Claire Marquez, the Wolfs official mouthpiece. When she states a command in the Underworld it's the same as coming from Him.'

Soon after the leader made the connections to two of the people most of the group had too as these two had their photos passed around the Underworld so most people involved in that life knew what they looked like, with most committing it to memory better than their own mothers name. Before anyone moved the group of men heard growling behind them and the leader turned around to look at the newcomer. The sight made him instantly freeze. 'Mr. Berkowski, judge, jury and executioner of the Underworld!!! Why are there so many high profile people here. Just who is this man to have these people around him.' Little did everyone know they should be more afraid of the dog Berkowski had with him than the man himself. The dog was trained to only listen to two people in the world:Berkowski and Sean, and the dog had somehow survived more gunfights than Claire.

The leader feared the worse when he heard that cold voice "now let's make a deal." He turned back to Sean and stared at him. Sean smiled but the smile never reached his eyes, instead it was sinister making him look like the devil. "Now this operation is under protection from a black mark deal, even if you took it over the Wolf would make you return it, and you'd be back to square one. However I know a little smuggling operation out on the docks that needs a new owner." The leader glanced at sean before finding the confidence to speak "how do I know that you aren't setting me up." Claire responded first "Mr.Hayes here is the official deal maker for the Wolf. You see the old owner offended the Wolf and Mr. Hayes is tasked with finding a new owner. So deal or do we need to pound your heads in." The leader knew that he couldn't turn down the offer now. He nodded his head ready to leave with his men before Frank stopped them and handing the leader a document. "This is a Black Mark deal?" The leader exclaimed shocked as he read the document. Sean coldly stated "that the price of doing business with me impromptu" before he turned around and walked to the dressing room. The leader turned around and lead his men out only to see about 50 well armed men standing out side of trucks looking straight at the door. The leader breathed a sigh of relief he may have signed a deal with the devil but at least he escaped his wrath today.

However the sight that Sara saw was the two men exchanging words then Claire saying something then the men just left like that after allowing Sean to walk away. 'Weren't these guys here to collect protection money. Why did they leave without a dime?' However before she could ponder any longer that smell of wood and leather filled her nose again and she heard the cold voice right next to her ear "you should hurry home, you still have time to get ready for the banquet." Then she saw Sean walked past but unable to see the smirk on his face.

Rob walked over to Sara and calmly stated "pumpkin if you fall for him, no one will be able to harm you." Sara seemingly ignored the first part but responded "what do you mean no one will be able to harm me?" Rob shook his head as he knew his little pumpkin had intentionally avoided the first part.

"When I first met Sean we played chess before I could make my third move Sean said something that truly embodies who he is and just how dangerous he is to his opponents. He said 'I have defeated you 68 times already and you have defeated me 0.' And here I am thinking he's talking about the chess game again but he continued 'I disarmed you 14 of those times, 11 times I defeated you before you had time to grab something and the others I wasn't bothered by whatever you grabbed. All while you still lose this chess game.' When we first sparred I realized just how right he was when he seemed to know what I was going to do as soon as I decided to do something. Remember at the time I was still a championship caliber fighter, but his speed, strength and ruthlessness is so far unmatched in my eyes. So again I fear for anyone who crosses him."

Sara listened to Robs story as she was still looking at the doorway before she just responded "hmmm" before making her way into the dressing room to leave to head home to get ready for the banquet. Before she left she heard Miranda perk up "I'll stay here with Rob." Sara shook her head before leaving thinking to herself 'should I tell Miranda that Rob would rather go after Sean than her?' She chuckled to herself as she entered Franks car and they drove away.