1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Fourteen

by Kristen Ashley

  “Can I get you a drink, man?” the bartender asks for the third time, irritation lacing his voice.

  This kid is pissing me the fuck off. My head swivels in his direction and I drill him with my stare. A beer would do wonders to calm my urge to kill, but there’s no way I’ll be anything less than one hundred percent coherent when I face Dominick.

  He throws his hands up and takes a step back. “Whoa, I don’t want any trouble. But you can’t sit here all night and not buy a drink. I’m just following the rules.”

  I pull a hundred dollar bill from my pocket and toss it his way.

  “On second thought,” he nabs the cash, “enjoy your night.”

  I go back to surveying my surroundings.

  No sign of Dominick. Selena told Blake that he usually comes in around this time of night to work some of his girls. We’ve been here for an hour and he’s a no show.

  “How long do you want to hang out?” Blake asks, his eyes scanning the room.

  “As long as it takes. Raven’s with Eve so I have all night.”

  I have fight-night focus. My senses are sharp. Every male voice draws my attention along with every opening door. Adrenaline runs high, as does my determination. I will not leave this place until I meet with Dominick.

  I swallow a growl when I feel a small, feminine hand move up my shoulder. Can these girls not take no for an answer? Turning towards its owner, I cringe. I don’t need this shit.

  “Hey, stranger,” Candy purrs, with her fake, over-affected seduction.

  I jerk my head in acknowledgement.

  Leaning forward, she brings her lips to my ear. “I told you, you’d be back.”

  “Not in the mood for your games tonight, Candy.”

  She gasps when I remove her from my shoulder and go back to scanning the room.

  “Don’t tell me you’re still with that trashy little girl,” she scoffs.

  What did she just say? My gaze swings toward her.

  Her puffy lips lift into a satisfied smile. “You never gave me the chance to show you what I could do for you, lover.” She runs a sharp nail from my shoulder and down my arm, her eyes following its path. “I’d do things to you that would make you forget that dirty skank’s name.” She swings a leg over my knee, rubbing against me like some pathetic animal.

  I stand and she stumbles back, my sudden movement throwing her off balance. She looks up at me and her eyes grow wide. I would never hit a girl, but this bitch is pushing my buttons. I’m already walking the fine line of my temper. She picked the wrong night to fuck with me.

  “One night, Candy. That’s all we had and that’s all we’ll ever have. You need to squash these deluded fantasies you have about us. It ain’t gonna happen. Ever. Understand?”

  She opens her mouth to speak, but I’m not finished.

  “And if you ever speak about my girl like that again, I will ruin you. You won’t be able to move far enough away to escape the reputation I’ll give you. Only job you’ll be able to get is shit-pumping port-a-potties. We clear?”

  Her eyes narrow and her mouth moves, but for the first time the bitch is speechless.

  “Now, leave me the fuck alone.”

  Face flushed, she spins and storms off.

  I lean against the bar and go back to scanning the room. If that speech doesn’t get Candy off my back, nothing will. It’s then I notice a new group of men standing around a table. One of them has blond hair, but his back is to me, so I can’t see his face.

  Blake grabs my arm and grins his cocky smile. “It’s go time.”

  He jerks his head in the direction of the light-haired man. A slight shift in the man’s position and I see his face. Dominick Morretti.

  A low hum of energy coils in the back of my head. My legs move me forward while my mind visualizes taking this prick-ass down. Pressing in through the crowd, I force back my protective instinct and wrestle with reason. I focus on my breathing and remind myself to stay calm. For Raven.

  Don’t kick his ass. Not here. Not yet.

  An aggressive presence prickles from behind me. I look over my shoulder to see Blake, his jaw clenched and his fists tight at his sides. He’s ready to throw down, and I’m grateful that he has my back.

  I approach Dominick while he’s chatting with a group of businessmen. I catch a second of the conversation that clearly involves selling a few of his women for the night. Imagining for a moment that it’s Raven he’s selling, the buzz in my head explodes. Fuck that. My arms burn to reach out and break this fucker’s neck right here and now.

  “Lock it down, man. For her.”

  Blake’s words push me forward.

  I take the last step, placing me a foot away. “Dominick Morretti. I need a word.”

  He swivels around and meets my eyes. I’m taken aback by how much his look like Raven’s. There’s no doubt this is her father. My stomach roils. I don’t smile, and I can only imagine that my face looks about as friendly as a rabid pit bull.

  “Why if it isn’t ‘The Assassin.’” He sneers. “Gentlemen, what a treat we have tonight.” A slow clap of his hands has the men at the table’s attention. “The undefeated contender.”

  The men at the table acknowledge me, but my eyes burn into Dominick.

  He must sense I’m not here for a meet and greet, and he leans in so no one can hear him but me. “I have a feeling I know what, or should I say whom, you want to have a word about.”

  Blake steps close, placing his shoulder between me and Dominick and making him lean back.

  “You want to go somewhere private or would you rather have it out right here? I’m cool either way,” I spit through my teeth.

  His face turns to stone, his previous bravado gone. He nods to a man who takes his place and excuses himself from the group of patrons. I follow him toward the back of the club.

  We’re in a dark hallway with doors running along its sides. I follow Dominick to the very last door and into an office. He doesn’t move to the desk chair, but instead stays in front of it, leaning against it. There’s shuffling behind me and I hear the door close. Two men stand on either side of Dominick against the wall. My senses go on high alert. They’re here to protect him against us. Smart.

  “Have a seat Mr. Slade and . . .” he looks to Blake with raised eyebrows. “Mr. Daniels.”

  “How the fuck do you know me?” Blake says from my side.

  “I know everything, Mr. Daniels. Now, sit.”

  “We’d rather stand,” I snap.

  “Suit yourself.” He grins and I don’t miss his eyes darting to our fisted hands. “What can I help you with, boys? Looking to set up a date? I’ve got some beautiful girls who would love to spend some time with you, for the right price.” Locking eyes with me, his lips curl back from his teeth. “If you’d be willing to wait a few weeks, I can arrange for you to have a new girl. She’s never been used before. She’ll cost a little extra, the virgins always do—”

  “Shut the fuck up,” I roar.

  “You son of a bitch!” Blake yells at the same time.

  Blood drums in my ears. He’s obviously provoking me, trying to get me to attack him so he can take me out, leaving Raven defenseless so he can prey on her like the scavenging fuck that he is. I fist my hands against the urge to destroy him. My hands flex so tight, I feel the bite of my nails breaking the skin. The buzzing in my brain is nuclear. I push through the fog and focus on Raven. My muscles twitch with unbridled fury.

  “What do you want, Dominick? For Raven? I’ll give you whatever you want in return for her freedom.”

  Dominick leans back and props his expensive loafers onto the desk.

  “Whatever I want, huh? Don’t think you have anything I want, Mr. Slade.”

  “Name your price.”

  “You don’t have enough.”

  “Try me.”

  He stares at me in silence while spinning his gold pinkie ring with his thumb.

  “Ten million dollars, cash.”

  Shit. That
’s a lot of money. My chest constricts. This is a lost cause. I can’t afford that. If I sell my house, my cars, everything I have in savings . . . dammit, that’s still not enough.

  “Or,” he looks at Blake then back to me, “we could make this interesting.” He taps his bottom lip with his finger.

  I’d give anything to bust that lip open.

  “I’ll tell you what. You want to win my daughter? Throw your title fight.”

  His words suck the air from my lungs.

  “Fuck me,” Blake whispers.

  “You boys must be aware of the odds in this fight. You’re the favorite to win. If I put enough money on Del Toro, and he wins, I could become a very rich man. You lose that fight, I’ll release Raven.”

  “Done.” My answer bursts forth without hesitation. I would give up anything for her, including my life’s dream. She’s my dream now.

  “I have one stipulation. The fight must go three rounds. You can’t just walk into the octagon with your hands at your side. Make it believable, as if you’re fighting to win.”

  Blake steps close and Dominick’s bodyguards follow suit. “That’s impossible. He goes out there to fight. Del Toro’s down.”

  Dominick’s eyes stay focused on mine. “That’s what makes it a challenge. Are you up for the challenge, Mr. Slade?”

  “I’ll do it.” I can do anything if it means being with Raven.

  Blake murmurs a string of foul words while depraved satisfaction shines in Dominick’s eyes. He reaches out to shake my hand. I hesitate.

  Rage rides me hard, and I know if I touch this man I may lose it. I picture Raven’s smiling face and take a deep breath. I force my hand forward and shake his, harder than necessary.

  “It’s a deal,” he says. “Are we done here?”

  “No, one more thing.” I place both palms on the edge of the desk and lean forward, looming over Dominick. His bodyguards step up close, flashing their weapons under their suit coats. “You stay the hell away from Raven. I don’t want you to contact her, threaten her, or even think about her. You got someone on her, you call them off. She’s mine. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her. Whatever. It. Takes.”

  The all-consuming buzz has me shaking with the need to fuck this guy up. Blake reaches from behind me and pulls me back by my biceps. I lean forward on pure instinct.

  “Come on, man. You got what we came for. Let’s get outta here.” Blake drags me backwards, my piercing scowl locked on Dominick.

  Yeah, good idea, before I kill this bastard.

  I rip free of Blake’s hold and leave the room.

  “Good night, gentleman.” Dominick’s cackling laughter fades as we walk down the hall.

  I’m a bomb, live and loaded, ready to rip the shit out of anyone that looks at me wrong. My muscles coil, pulse racing.

  I shove the front door open and hear the satisfying smack as it slams against the exterior wall of the club.

  “Easy, man,” some douchebag college kid says standing with a group of his piss-ant friends.

  I stalk over and step right up in his face. “The fuck you say?”

  “Nothing. It’s cool.” The kid shifts and steps back into the safety of his friends, unaware they’ve all backed up a good ten feet.

  My lips curl. I advance a step.

  “Come on. Don’t make the poor bastard crap his pants in front of his friends.” Blake’s tone is joking, but he doesn’t move to touch me. He knows better than to put a hand on me when I’m this close to lighting shit up.

  Dropping the little punk will make me feel better. Nothing satisfies the beast within like a good street fight—until recently. There’s one thing that works even better.

  I turn away and hear him exhale a “Thank you, Jesus” as I head to my truck.

  “Breathe, brother.” Blake’s voice comes from behind me.

  “Raven. I need her. Now.”

  Sixteen

  Raven

  In shock, I stare silently as Eve tilts her head, smiling with affection to the man at her back.

  “Raven, this is the guy I was telling you about, Vince. Vince, this is my best friend, Raven.” Eve introduces us like we’re at a dinner party.

  Vince leans forward, sucking Eve’s earlobe into his mouth. Her eyes flutter closed and a soft moan escapes her lips. His eyes lock on mine as his lips peel back over his teeth, and he sinks them into her ear.

  Eww.

  “Nice to meet you, Raven. Eve has told me a lot about you.”

  That’s why he looked at me so familiarly yesterday. He’s been feeding information about me to Dominick. No doubt Eve has told him everything. I groan as I think of all the things I’ve told her, things I confided in her about my life.

  I bet he’s the one who told Dominick that I had fallen in love with Jonah, that I was staying with him every night, that I was a virgin.

  Vince is Dominick’s Ass-In-The-Hole.

  He had this planned: having Vince stalk me, violate my personal life to gain leverage against me, taking advantage of my best friend, her loving heart and beautiful body, to spy on me. I lock eyes with Vince, but talk to Eve.

  “I just needed to make sure you were okay. I hadn’t been able to get ahold of you and I worried.” The words flow without emotion. My mind churns, processing how wrong this is. “I’ll let you guys get back to it.”

  “Wait, are you sure you’re okay?” Her words come out on a moan as Vince cups her breast right in front of me. I have to get away from here.

  “Yeah, I have to go.” I run to my car, wishing I had the strength to tell Vince off. His blatant attempt to make me uncomfortable worked.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow, Rave!” Eve yells and I slam my car door shut. My hand hits the lock button and I fire up the engine, my tires squealing as I pull away.

  Shaking with uncontrollable force, I grip the wheel tighter. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse.

  I want to tell Jonah about Vince and wrap myself in the safety of his strong arms until the hurt goes away. I crave his touch like an addict. It doesn’t make any sense. He’s with another woman. How disgusting can I be? Pining after a man who has lied and cheated?

  I hate myself for what I am and how I feel. I’m Dorothy, skipping happily down the Yellow Brick Road of self-loathing. Blasting the radio, hoping the comfort of the music will be a decent substitute for the man, I grimace. Skeeter Davis sings “The End of the World,” and for once, I understand her pain.

  Waves of despair wash over me. The negative emotion, from my childhood until now, bears down. I want it to end, desperate to release my tortured soul from this doomed life I was born into. I would gladly give up this fight. Maybe Jonah and I aren’t that different. I’ve been a fighter all my life too. But I don’t fight against people. I fight against feeling worthless, ashamed, and unlovable. I’m sick of it, and at this point, I’d welcome death.

  Morbid thoughts swirl in my head when I hear the faint chime of my phone. I dig it out of my backpack, grateful for the distraction.

  One new text.

  Raven, I need to see you. Tried calling but no answer. Call me ASAP. xJ

  He must have called me when I was at Eve’s door. But why? What could he possibly want after a night with her? My phone rings in my hand.

  In no shape to drive while talking on the phone, I pull over and check out the caller ID. Tears spring to my eyes as I read the words, “Jonah Calling”.

  I should throw my phone out the window and go home, but I can’t. The pitiful girl in me wants to hear his voice. And why is he calling me now? The phone continues to ring. He could be calling to confess, to end things officially. Or . . . what if he’s changed his mind?

  Hope creeps back in, an energy that ignores my misery.

  I have to know.

  I squeeze my eyes shut and press the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

  “Baby, hey.” I relax against the soothing tone of his words. How did I think I could live without this? “I need to see you. Ar
e you at Eve’s?”

  “Oh, um, no, she uh, had a date. I didn’t want to intrude.”

  Silence.

  “Jonah?”

  “You’re at your place? Alone?” I hear the accusation in his voice, chasing away the calm. Bitterness burns in my chest, squashing optimism and reviving my broken heart.

  How dare he act like I’m a child. He was at a strip club. With Candy!

  “No, I’m not home. I’m out. Why?” My clipped words come out harsher than I intend, but oh well.

  “Where are you? I need to talk to you.”

  “You’ve got me on the phone. So talk.”

  More silence. I wait.

  “Raven, what’s going on with you? You sound, I don’t know, pissed or something.”

  Is he joking?

  “How was your meeting?” I say, my voice laced with acid.

  “It was good.” He draws out his words cautiously.

  Yeah, I bet it was.

  “Oh, yeah? Good, huh? I bet it was. I bet it was real good.” The sarcasm in my voice is so obvious I sound completely ridiculous.

  “That’s it, Raven, where the fuck are you? I don’t know what’s going on, but this attitude you’re throwing is pissing me off.”

  “Oh, God forbid.”

  He growls, and I know I’ve upset him. Ha! Now he knows how it feels.

  “You want to know how my meeting was? It was perfect. Better than perfect. That’s what I want to talk to you about.”

  Did he just say that being with Candy was perfect? Better than perfect? That jerk!

  “You’re a liar!”

  “What? What the fuck are you talking about?”

  I’m breathing heavy, and anger keeps me from articulating an answer. All I want to do is scream.

  “What is it, baby?” His words drip with sarcasm. “You run out of shit to talk? Those sweet little lips of yours can’t keep up with you being a bitch—”

  I gasp. Loud. “What did you call me?”

  “Fuck. That’s not what I meant—”

  “No, Jonah. You just called me the b-word. I can’t believe you just called me that!” The tone in my voice is so high I’m surprised my windows don’t burst.