by Ellie Jean
“Do you know where the music is in this place?” The alcohol flows through me nicely and my legs are bouncing.
“How the fuck would I know, I hadn’t been in here before you became a permanent fixture. No one came in here. Only the boys.”
“Crap…I’ll search.” No women in here? I mentally fist pump and go investigate where he could be hiding a stereo. Looking over the walls, the electronic gadgets on the desk and on the bench, nothing sticks out to me.
“Is it this one?” It’s on a box and I press it, nothing. “What about this silver knob?” I turn it, but there’s silence, only the two reveling in my distress can be heard. “Wait, what’s that?” I walk to the side wall near the fireplace and press a black button. Above me, the ceiling has a hatch that opens and down drops some chains and levers. It must be for his fighting. To train with.
Lace comes over to inspect. “Hell. That’s no stereo.”
“It must be something for his training.” I walk past it, giving up on finding the music, I’ll just use my phone.
“Girl, it’s a fucking sex swing.”
Abruptly I stop in my spot and turn. Emerald has grabbed her crutches and is slowly moving to the black ropes and silver chains.
“Lace, what?” A giddiness takes ahold of my limbs and I almost break a land speed record getting back to touch it. “Should I ask how you know? No, don’t tell me, some images I can’t erase.” My finger touches the metal. A coolness sweeps up my arms. The black material is leather, and it’s soft. Touching the top of it, my finger falls down the length of it.
“Why would he have a sex swing in here if he doesn’t have women in here?” My eyes are transfixed on the ornament hanging in front of us.
“Waiting for the right one?” Emerald shrugs and laughs. “We know what you will be doing later tonight.”
My organs beat rapidly in panic. “He can’t know I found this. Shit…” I’m not doing very well with my ban on swearing. “It will be humiliating, him knowing I’ve found it. Quick, how do I get it to go away?” My hands try pushing the chains up, but of course that does nothing but gives me sore arms. “Lace, can you try the button?” No one seems concerned about my embarrassment when Tanner comes strolling through the door tonight. My arm pushes past her, vying to press the button again.
“Come on, you motherfucker.” I stab the button over and over and nothing happens.
“I’m gonna pee my pants if you keep this up, girl.” Lace bends over, like she’s in pain. Bitch…
“Leave it. He won’t even notice it’s down, it’s so far over there in the corner.” Her hand covers her mouth and she holds back her roar of laughter. “It blends so well against the white walls.”
Tears stream down her face.
“You’re both no freaking help.” I stomp over and pour a tequila shot, at least it will assist in my dilemma or make me drunk; either way, I don’t care anymore. Hopefully it will just all go away overnight.
A ring sounds through the apartment. We all look at each other. “Phone? Must be the apartment one.” Shaking my head, I’m still trying to get over the hidden toy I just found by pressing a button. “Where is it?” Casting my eyes around the room, I am at a loss.
“Let’s hope you don’t have to press a button to find it.” Emerald crashes back on the couch choking trying to suppress her laughter as Lace is hiccuping.
“Shhh…” Listening, it keeps ringing. I try to follow where the noise is coming from. Walking around, I spot it in a corner near the shelves covered in magazines. “Found it.”
Should I be answering the phone? Living here now for three weeks and I am still unsure of the protocols that come with it. I haven’t stepped foot back in my apartment since the wedding. He said I wasn’t to leave here until Liza had been caught but does that mean I need my apartment anymore. Do I even want to give it up? Stupid question. I’d move every scrap of my belongings in here in a heartbeat. Living in the now.
“Hello.”
The girls are drinking and chuckling. I put my finger up to my mouth to ask them to shut up, but I’m smiling from ear to ear.
“Oh…Who’s this?” A severe woman’s voice cuts to my ear.
“I’m not at liberty to divulge that.” My back straightens as I try to remember where I know the voice from. “Who are you? You called here.” This reminds me of the telemarketers who call you and ask for your personal details. The irritation is real, and my hand is about to slam the phone down.
“I was hoping to talk to Tanner.” Her voice sounds refined, snooty.
“And I was hoping to go to Paris for fashion week, but it’s not happening. He can’t get to the phone at the moment.” I roll my eyes at the person on the phone and myself. I should just tell them he’s not here.
“I’ll leave a message then.” There’s a long pause.
“Yes.” Of course she would think I’m his secretary, over here on a Saturday night so I can take messages for him.
“It’s urgent I see him. We have some business to finalize before his father and my wedding.”
Crap. It’s Elektra.
“Let him know I’ll be over soon.” A dial tone hits my ear before I can get a word out.
Over soon? What does that mean? Tonight, during the weekend, next week? “Girls, we could have a problem.”
“Who was on the phone?” Emerald moves her leg so it’s up on the sofa.
“Elektra. She’s found a sugar daddy in Tanner’s dad.” I plonk my ass on the seat and take another shot of tequila. “She’s coming over…soon.”
“Tonight?” Lace looks at me while she shovels chips into her mouth.
“She didn’t say. She can’t get in here though, can she?” I hold my head.
“I don’t see how. She’d have to get past security first. Then she’d need the password or key to get in the apartment.” Emerald would know the protocols of the apartment.
“She better not have it, I don’t even have it.”
My head is feeling light and I don’t want to be thinking about these hard things tonight. I lean back and look around the apartment. Lace turns up her phone, drowning us in Maroon 5.
“Is it bad if she comes here?” Lace gets up and dances, the tequila’s finally kicking in.
“Tanner was overtly rude when we went there. It was strained.” My legs start bouncing and I get up, joining Lace. We haven’t been on a girl’s night since Lace got married.
“When your leg’s better, we have to go out for a girl’s night. I miss our girly time.” We all have been holed up in this apartment block for way too long. We need some freedom.
“Shame you don’t know where the fight is.” Lace casually throws the words out there. Emerald and I look at her. “What?”
“If we knew where Tanner was fighting, we could go and watch. They’d be there. They couldn’t argue with us for being somewhere without them. We could have some fun afterward.”
Giddiness swims through my limbs. “What do you think, Em? Could you manage it on your crutches?”
“To get out of this room, I’ll work it out.” A mischievous smile brightens her face. “Only problem is, we don’t know where it’s held.”
Raising my finger, I go in search of my mobile. Holding it up when I reach it.
“What’s that going to do?”
“Tanner, being the overbearing brute that he is, made me join my phone to his so he could track me on Find My iPhone. His phone should show up his location.”
Tapping on the app, I type in the code.
“It’s loading.” I tap my foot and spin around in time with Imagine Dragons. “We have to leave this apartment anyway. If Elektra comes here and can get in, I don’t want to explain why there’s a sex swing hanging in the room.” I almost start to panic and the girls giggle. “He’s there.” A small phone lights up on the screen. Zooming in, I track his exact location. “A place called Max’s.” I smirk and glance up at the girls. “Are you sure about this?”
“I’m in.” La
ce swallows the rest of her drink.
“Let me get my keys, Crystal you had better drive since Lace here has consumed a half a bottle of tequila.”
“Wait, I have to change.” I dart into the room and rifle through my clothes.
“Five minutes, then we are leaving.”
“I’ll be three.” I pull on slim-fitting jeans and a black low cut shirt. I grab my black lace-up boots and decide I can put them on while we wait for Emerald to get the keys. Her crutches will make it impossible for her to go at her usual rapid speed.
“Let’s go have some fun.”
Is fun the right word to use when we’re going to watch the man I am falling deeper for every minute of each day get attacked by a barbarian?
I’ll have to squeeze my eyes shut until the fun bit begins after the fight.
“Are you sure this is it?” Lace was in the back of Emerald’s Mustang. Yes, she let me drive her pride and joy. “It looks like a dingy old pub.”
“Tanner’s phone is flashing here, so it must be it.”
We’d managed to get to the basement without any of security noticing us. Emerald’s broken leg was hiked up under her in the front, and the crutches only just fit in the back across Lace and close to Emerald’s head. We nearly had to become her crutches for the night. At least until we found Slate.
They would be pissed. But it would be too late. They wouldn’t miss Tanner’s fight no doubt delivering their punishment to each of us afterward.
“Park my baby somewhere safe.”
I’d sized up a spot up ahead under a light post, few from other vehicles. “This okay?”
“Perfect.”
It took us ten minutes to walk back slowly to the bar.
Men were drinking around the tables, laughing and enjoying their Saturday night. It was late, so many were drunk and obnoxiously loud. The three of us walked through the doorway and scanned the room. I couldn’t see any fighting. Perhaps we would make use of a pool table instead if we couldn’t find them.
“Let’s go to the bar.” I paved the way through the crowd so Emerald could get her crutches through. Lace came up behind her. Men gave us the once over; some licking their lips, others more vocal. I’d be upset if we didn’t turn heads, especially when my ass looks so terrific in these jeans.
“Where’s the fight?” Lace yelled so we can hear her over the volume. “Unless they plan on fighting on top of the bar or pool table, there’s no fucking room in here.”
Emerald planted her ass on a stool and looked at the alcohol behind the bar. Good idea. A drink, then we will assess where to go.
“I could call Caden.”
Emerald death stares at her. “Don’t fucking do that, I’m finally out of that godforsaken apartment. Give me at least an hour.”
“What do you ladies want to drink?” An old guy places some coasters on the worn-out wooden bar and waits patiently.
“A cider, make it two and Lace, you want another shot?”
“No, cider for me.”
“Three ciders, please.” He nods and fills up three glasses. I hand him the money and wait for the change.
“Any reason why you lovely ladies are here tonight?” Using a cloth, he wipes up the spills in front of us and keeps busy.
“My boyfriend, oh, fudge that’s so ridiculous. My partner sounds just as bad. My guy is supposed to fight tonight, and we thought it was here.”
His arm slows down and raises his eyes to look at us again. His head stays down.
“What did you say his name was?”
“I didn’t.” I take a mouthful of cider, Emerald and Lace are checking out the patrons, enjoying the music that you can hear marginally through the male voices.
“You don’t happen to know of somewhere around here they would hold fights? I had wanted to surprise Tanner.”
He keeps smearing the rag over the same area, you would think it would be clean by now.
“But if we don’t find them, then we will be on our way sooner.”
“It might be for the best, this place can be dangerous at this time, especially for young ladies.” He leaves us and we look at each other and burst out laughing.
He doesn’t know who we have in our midst; A skilled knife-wielding MC princess.
“Looks like we are outta luck, girls. Want to try your hand at pool, Lace? Emerald, you can keep score.” Grabbing our drinks, we move through the ogling men and place our drinks next to the pool table.
I take the stick and go to place the money in the slot.
“Heard you ladies were after the fight.” A young guy, dressed in a black suit jacket and jeans approaches us and speaks quietly.
I check out the bar and see the old guy looking at us before he busies himself with serving.
“You know where it is?” Emerald pipes up.
“Follow me.”
Looking at each other, I raise my eyebrows and shrug. Lace pats her tit, explaining she has her knife and Emerald starts to get up, so she’s in.
Taking ahold of Emerald’s glass, I take mine and walk close behind the stranger.
“Once you’re in, there’s no coming out ‘til it’s over.”
Mysterious much “Right. Okay.”
The corridor is dark before he stops and holds back a door for us to walk through.
“Special seats for tonight’s main event. Enjoy, ladies.” Then he’s gone.
“What the fuck was that?” Emerald goes through first and we see a huge cage under heavy lights with people gathered around it. Fold up chairs are scattered, people preferring to stand and drink. We are on an elevated section, still close to the action. Anywhere you positioned yourself, you would be close.
A metallic smell is rife in the air, sweat, beer and body odor sticks to my nose. “It’s not like the ones we see on TV; Clean and family-friendly.”
Lace and Emerald look at me and laugh. “Girlfriend, totally nothing like it.”
I inspect the chair and wipe it. Who knows what’s been on this seat. A roar erupts from the crowd and a man who looks as huge as The Rock, covered in skulls, vipers, and flames walks up to the cage, entering it. Chest the size of a bull and limbs just as huge. His team sits behind him on this side of the net. A ball of lead forms in my stomach. What was I thinking coming here?
“He’s a big fucker.” Lace watches on with interest. Being around fighting at her MC club she’s been seasoned to this destruction.
“Tanner’s bigger.” Wiping my face, I breathe deeply. My head is feeling lighter than it should.
Cheering, screaming, yelling makes me look up and I see my man covered in a hoodie and black shorts, springing to the cage. Slate, Caden, and Ocean follow him. Pride written over their faces.
Once inside, he discards his hoodie. Ecstatic applause follows. His skin sheens under the light. The ink I ran my fingers over last night will be hurt in a matter of minutes.
My eyes widen as he stands toe to toe with the other fighter. Tanner is shorter than him, but the vicious look in his eyes lets everyone know he is deadlier.
Emerald was yelling from her seat, Lace watching on with eager anticipation. I sat down and hoped for the best; That Tanner wouldn’t get any broken bones.
The bell dinged and the fight was on. The Rock, I’m going to call him that, charged at Tanner. Tanner dodged him quickly and moved around on his toes. He used a hand to entice him to try again. He moved close to him, swinging to hit his sublime face. Please miss. But he didn’t and Tanner’s head flew backward knocking him off balance. He recovered fast, grabbing his opponents’ shoulder and head, ramming his knee into the guy’s face two times. He stumbled but started swinging again, trying to land punches in Tanner’s abs. With a quick change of direction, he lands a blow across Tanner’s chin. Tanner moves, shaking his head.
The noise around me is electric, yet it’s muffled. My focus is solely on Tanner and his enemy. He looks devastating out there, but he is only made of flesh and blood, anything could happen.
A kick l
ands on the guy’s head, forcing him back. Another kick from Tanner and the rival is forced way back. The noise levels rise, and the bell rings. My eyes follow him like a hawk to the side of the cage, Slate hands him a drink and they exchange words then he’s back at it.
Blood appears over his chest and I cringe, the other guy’s dripping blood from his cheek. Tanner pounces, attacking his head, slamming it down on to his knee as he thrusts it up. Over and over until the guy goes limp. Tanner releases him and moves back. Blood is spurting out the guy’s nose. My face pales and my stomach is churning. I’m the minority as everyone else is yelling like they have seen my fabulous designs for fashion week. Emerald and Lace are enjoying the atmosphere and fight as their eyes are glued to the cage. Emerald doesn’t hide the fact she is looking at Slate more than Tanner, which is completely fine.
A man yells over the crowd from the side of the cage, “Deathmatch.”
Deafening roars surround the room. My heart stops and I choke on limited breath.
Leaning across to Lace, I quietly ask, “What does that fucking mean?”
Emerald and she look at me like they ruined my designer Chanel dress. Shaking all over, I plead with them not to tell me the truth.
“They fight ‘til one dies.”
My head spins, my chest constricts, and I drop my head trying to make sense of those words. Someone has to die before the fight ends?
I didn’t come here to see this. The man I’ve given my heart to could be killed by a manic all in the name of a fight. Pushing up, my legs almost give out as I shove past Emerald’s broken leg. I reach the door we came through and thrust my entire body at it to open.
It doesn’t budge.
The crowd’s elation thumps through my ears, swamping me. Are they cheering because I can’t get out? Caged, like a frightened bird, I turn and stare at the netting. My eyes are huge as saucers. Tanner is kicked in the face, his head snaps back. I shudder and hold my breath until he rights himself. Blood’s seeping out of his eye socket, there are cuts on his decorated abs oozing blood.
His face is focused, steely and terrifying. I shut my eyes, sitting back in my seat. This isn’t the male I saw in his apartment. He isn’t the one I bantered with over pool, or about my clothes. I don’t know this animal.
