by Jill Shannon
“They don’t say that.”
“Well, you know what I mean,” Sadie angrily whispered. “Then they said that it didn’t matter anyway because they had you two. Do you know what deal they were talking about?”
“I have an idea. I overheard Caleb talking with Nick the other night. They said something about Cameron signing over his company to some guy named Arcola if he loses a fight. But if he wins this guy Arcola is out of business, and out of Cameron and his grandmother’s life for good.”
“So, these guys are holding us to blackmail Cameron into throwing a fight? This is crazy. We need to get to wherever they are fighting so we can let him know we’re safe. He needs to beat the shit out of whoever did this.” Sadie was moving towards the door when she heard something just outside.
She held her finger up to her lips. She yanked a statue off one of the shelves and moved behind the slowly openly door. Sadie brought the statue down with all her might, only to have it caught midway towards the top the intruder’s head.
Sadie tried to wrestle it from his hands, but he held it firmly. “Sadie, stop! It’s me Grayson.” Sadie stopped struggling, and wrapped her arms around hugging him.
“How did you find us?” Sadie asked as she pulled back to look at him. Then she scrambled out of his arms moving back a step. She really didn’t know who she could trust.
“Sorry it took so long, we had to wait until they left for the fight. We knew they would leave a skeletal crew. There was no other way to board without them seeing us.”
“You’re really serious, he’s fighting someone right now?”
Grayson looked at his watch. “I would have to say yes, it was to start at 2:00 pm, but it’s not too far from here. We need to get you out of here and over to there so he can see you’re safe. Who did this to your face?”
Sadie was stunned, she remembered Cameron saying how he had learned to fight when he was younger and that he had never lost. Would he really lose just to keep her safe?
Grayson started to move them to the door when Caleb came busting in. He paused long enough to scan the room. When he saw Isabella, he pushed his way past and wrapped her so tight to him Sadie wondered if she could breathe.
“Let’s go, lover boy, we need to get Sadie to the arena, and we don’t have much time. The fight could be over by the time we get there.” Grayson gently steered Sadie towards the door. “We need to get some ice on that eye.”
Caleb gathered Isabella in his arms. “What are you doing? I can walk.”
“I’m sure you can. Are you questioning your Master? Have you lost all your manners in a day? You should be grateful I came to find you.”
“No, Sir, I was just stating a fact, and I can think of many ways to show you how grateful I really am. Can it wait until later though so I can properly thank you?”
“I believe that can be arranged. Let’s get moving, a lot is riding on us getting there in time.”
***
Cameron had gotten little sleep. When he had arrived back at his cabin, he had checked his emails. Arcola had confirmed what everyone had been guessing. He had the girls. It also laid out the new terms as Arcola now felt he was in the driver’s seat, but Cameron was determined to beat Arcola at his own game. Dimitri had come to his cabin and over coffee had explained the plan.
“He really thinks you’re just going to lay down in the ring? He must be scared of losing his undefeated title. You’re probably the only person who could do that.”
“I could if my hands weren’t tied. That was the whole point of this deal. It put us both on the same playing field. Now with Sadie in his clutches, I can’t do a damn thing. Dimitri, I trust you with my life, make sure she gets back to this ship, no matter what.”
Cameron bowed his head when he spoke again, “The first night we were together Sadie told me what that bastard Ryan had done to her. She was terrified of him; he had almost killed her. I can’t even imagine what he’s doing to her now. He has the ability to trigger her thinking.” He looked at the bed he had shared with Sadie.
“She’s stronger than she was then, you saw that. She didn’t fall apart when you told her what was happening, so I think she’ll be all right. She played her role perfectly, she avoided you while she was on the ship.” Cameron didn’t turn to Dimitri.
“You did tell her about the deal you made with Arcola didn’t you?” Cameron was still silent. “Do you mean to tell me, you allowed her to think you didn’t want her anymore? My God, Cameron, what kind of a Dom are you? Trust. It’s the fabric of our lifestyle. How do you ever expect her to trust you again?”
“I meant to tell her. I was going to tell her.” Cameron was stuttering. “Nothing I say makes any of this right. I have so much to do to make this up to her, I just hope I get the chance to do that.”
“Listen.” Dimitri moved over to his friend. “We will make sure she is safe; you concentrate on keeping your ass alive. I don’t trust that asshole; he probably also has a contingency plan in place.” Dimitri moved to the door.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything. Right now you need to find Harley and get going. You’ll need some time to drive to Rum Point. There should be a car waiting for you on the pier. I’ll be there before it starts. They could have someone watching the boat, and if I come with you. It could send up some red flags. We need the element of surprise with us.”
“You’re a true friend, Dimitri, you always have been. I’ll see you there.”
Dimitri left Cameron to gather his gear and find Harley. He had a fight to win, and a whole lot of explaining to do when it was over. Cameron headed down the hall to find Harley and get the show on the road. Within the next two hours his life was going to change forever.
***
It took about an hour for Cameron and Harley to get to Rum Point. The driver pulled into a gated driveway. After a few moments the gates were opened and they moved forward down the long palm tree covered driveway. They were at the home of Judge Lorenzo Martoni’s brother Vito Martoni.
Both Cameron and Arcola had agreed on the location, as both parties had had previous dealings with Vito and he had been a fair businessman. Not to mention that his home could accommodate not only the ring, but an audience as well. Vito had agreed to the use of his house, as long as he could make money on it.
They approached a tan stucco mansion. This house could fit three football fields in it. Three steps lined the entire front of the building, four white columns towering three stories high held the cover to the entrance. To Cameron’s right, he saw two octagonal open terraces, one above the other. Further off to the side appeared to be another building, possibly a pool house or garage. To the left was more of the house with different heights of the rooflines, ending with a view of the ocean in the distance.
The driver opened the door and Harley whistled as he got out. “This place must have cost a pretty penny. I wonder how many bathrooms it has?”
Cameron gave Harley a look then said, “That’s what you’re worried about?”
“What? I’m just trying to lighten the mood, relax! There’s still time, trust them, Cameron, they won’t let you down.”
“I swear, Harley, if they did anything to her….”
Harley cut him off, “You will take care of her. Focus. You can’t go in there with anger, you need to keep your head. He is going to taunt you and poke you, and do anything else to get under your skin. You can’t let him. You’ll lose if you give him that opening.”
Harley stopped Cameron just as they got to the door. “You toy with him until we have the girls, then you let loose. Don’t hold back. This man has caused enough heartache to this family. No one deserves this beating more than him; he’s just a bully.”
“So, you finally feel like part of this family?” Cameron smiled for the first time in days.
“I watched them band together like a well trained unit, they didn’t hesitate or think of themselves in anyway. That’s a family I would be proud to call mine.”
“Yeah, me too. Now, let’s get in there before he thinks I’ve forfeited.”
The door opened as they approached it. Getting the direction they needed from the doorman, they headed down to Cameron’s designated locker room.
***
“It’s time to go, and you haven’t heard anything yet? Are you sure your phone is on?” Cameron paced in his dressing room.
Harley pulled his phone out to show Cameron that it was, in fact, turned on, and that he had received no messages. “Let’s go. You follow my directions. Hang back as much as you can, and don’t let the bastard get any lucky shots in, while we wait.”
They reached the end of the tunnel; this was Cameron’s first look at the cage he would be locked in with the man he hated more than anything else in the world. Five rounds, five minutes each, that’s all the time he needed.
Everywhere Cameron looked he saw people. He had no idea the crowd would be so big. As he started to walk through the sea of people, he tried to focus on the approaching fight, but he began to recognize faces of passengers from the Onyx. Harley sidled up to him.
“Caleb put out a bulletin on the computer inviting everyone to support you, and to win some easy money. Almost all complied, he even let Martoni know what he did so that additional seating could be arranged.”
“What did Martoni want for it?”
“Ten percent of the winnings. He wanted twenty-five, but Caleb chewed him down. He’ll make a killing either way.”
They climbed the three steps and met the referee at the gate. His mouthpiece and cup were checked. His gloves had already been checked in the locker room. Cameron got into the ring, moving to the far side throwing short jabs, as he went.
The crowd began cheering again as Richard Arcola made his way to the cage. Once Cameron spotted him, his eyes locked on and never left, they followed him onto the mat.
Cameron stood, his entire body shifting, preparing for the onslaught he knew was coming his way. His focus became the cage that surrounded them, measuring the distance in his mind, calculating the height, and then he shut out everything around him.
With the noise from the crowd, the offside betting, even the music wailing in the background, his thinking shifted to survivor mode. He needed to hold back until he was sure they had Sadie, and then all bets were off.
He walked to the center of the ring, face to face with Arcola for the first time in his life. Cameron knew he should be feeling some kind of humanity right now, but staring him in the eye all he felt was anger and disgust. This piece of shit had been walking this Earth and no one had called him on any of his shit.
“You both have come to this ring with the understanding that, only one of you will walk out. The only reason I’m here is to call the rounds and check consciousness. If after the fifth round you’re both standing, a new weapon will be introduced every fifth round. Do you both now agree to these terms?”
Both fighters nodded in agreement, neither one looking away. “All right, let’s get fighting. Touch gloves, and come out fighting at the bell.”
Cameron held his gloves for the touch, Arcola brought his hands down with a hard force sending Cameron’s gloves down fast, leaning forward, growling so only Cameron could hear, “Good luck, boy, you’ve waited a long time for this chance, ever since you found out about your parents’ accident.
Cameron was lunging for him as the ref stepped between them. “Wait for the bell,” the ref shouted.
“I’m going to rip your heart out, you sick son of a bitch.”
“Temper, temper, Cameron, what would Sadie think?”
“I knew you were behind that too, sending your perverted nephew after her. You do know what he did to her don’t you?”
“Of course I do, who do you think taught him? Once this fight is over and your watchdogs are gone, I intend to do the same if not more to Sadie girl. Tia my mate has been itching for her nice round ass since the first night they met.”
“Even if I don’t step out of this ring, my friends will never allow you to do that to her. I promise you will never lay a finger on her.”
That was the end of talking as the bell was rung, moving towards the center of the ring both fighters began to take each other’s measure.
“You may think you have the advantage of age, boy,” Arcola stressed the word. “But I definitely have more experience.” He lunged forward landing a right to Cameron’s ribs.
Buckling under the blow to his ribs, Cameron moved to throw an upper cut, protecting his side.
Through the first, the second, the third, and fourth round, Cameron was on the defensive. Protecting what he now felt were broken ribs, and trying to keep his eye from shutting. He was starting to wonder why Sadie wasn’t there yet.
Arcola wasn’t faring any better, and although Cameron was holding back, what he did dish out hit its mark.
The bell rang for the fifth round to begin, both fighters met in the middle of the ring to touch gloves again. “Will you be taking the dive or would you rather wait till round one of the weapons round?” Arcola spat blood out of his mouth.
“I’ll take my chances with the weapons.”
As Cameron began to focus on Arcola, he started to tune out the crowd, when he heard Harley, “They’re here.”
Cameron looked to where Harley was pointing. Walking from the tunnel Cameron had used was Madison, Dimitri, Caleb carrying Isabella, Captain Josh, Logan, Tyler, Nicolas, Dominic, two guys Cameron didn’t know, and Grayson pulling up the rear carrying Sadie.
He took one look at Sadie’s face, and felt the rage go through his aching body. “Your handy work, Arcola?”
Richard Arcola stood and watched the procession close in around the cage. “As you can see the roles have changed.” Cameron spit blood from his mouth, before it formed a wicked smile. “I’ve have enough fun playing with your sorry ass, I’m ready to end this.”
With that, Cameron let loose, throwing blow after blow, to the body to the head anywhere his fist could land. He was fighting like a man possessed, pounding Arcola, until he was lying on the mat unconscious or dead. Cameron didn’t know which one as he made his way over by where Grayson now supported a wobbly Sadie.
“Are you okay?” Cameron needed to hear her say she was going to be fine.
“Yes, just a little dizzy.”
The bell rang signaling the end to the fight. The ref came to Cameron and dragged him back to the center of the ring to declare him the winner raising his arm for all to see. The crowd that had been watching began chanting his name.
Arcola lay on his side. His corner was trying to revive him with an ammonia pack. As much as Cameron would have liked to kill him, sending him to prison for kidnapping seemed more appealing.
He was starting to come around when Cameron walked over to him. “This is over, keep your syndicate business, and your trafficking, but Arcola Construction is done. Besides, you might need Junior to run the business for oh the next ten years while your ass is in prison. But you’ll probably enjoy it. It’s full of sick assholes just like you.”
Arcola went to reply to Cameron, but Cameron didn’t give him the chance. He threw his last punch and knocked him out again.
Cameron moved to the opening of the cage, his sole purpose to get to Sadie. He jumped from the top step, and a shot rang out. Total chaos erupted, people diving for the floor.
Nicolas, Caleb, and Grayson, all took off after the shooter, while Sadie and Dimitri crawled to Cameron. Harley was already applying pressure to the wound in his shoulder, although he didn’t feel it being unconscious as he was.
Martoni, got the crowd under control, and then made his way over to Cameron, “How can we help?”
“We need to get him back to the ship, any of your guests have a helicopter handy? Would you mind taking care of that piece of shit? He kidnapped these three women,” Dimitri pointed to the women in question. “Would you have any connections on the island to put him away? We don’t know if we can trust the police here.”
�
��I will let you use my helicopter, tell the boy when he wakes, if he ever wants to go a couple rounds again, I would be happy to host it. He is a moneymaker. I knew him as a child, hasn’t changed a bit. We know how to deal with scum like Richard. Leave it to me.” Vito walked away yelling in Italian, and scattering people out of his way.
Two of the guards who had maintained the perimeter came forward carrying a board to put Cameron on. Harley had used gauze from the medical box to try and pack the wound till they got back to Doc.
They heard the helicopter landing out the back doors of the auditorium. Picking Cameron up, they moved quickly, running into Nicolas, Caleb and Grayson, they pushed the two guards out of the way and replaced them taking the pace up another notch.
Dimitri, Caleb, Sadie, Isabella, Madison and Harley all traveled back with Cameron in the helicopter. The rest would travel back by boat, Jungle Jim and Mad Dog included.
Chapter Fifteen
Cameron opened his eyes to a white ceiling, and a hospital smell. He could feel the slight rock of the ship and knew he was back on board, but what the hell happened?
One minute he was on his way to Sadie, the next he’s here. He turned his head to the side; Doc Ashberry was sitting at his desk. Cameron wondered how long he had been here.
“Doc,” Cameron barely croaked it out, his throat so dry.
Doc looked up and swiveled in his chair gaining his feet. “Well, it’s about damn time, I thought we might be docked back in New York before you woke up.” He held Cameron’s head up, giving him some water.
Doc had been a friend of his grandmother’s who had always loved the water but didn’t want to take care of a boat. He had retired a few years ago, and was tired of not doing anything.
When Cameron had come to him with a three-month trial contract, he jumped on it. Medicine and water, this was how he had dreamed retirement would be, to have it on BDSM cruise ship only added to the new chapter in his life.
