by Lane Hart
“Thanks, jackass,” I huff in annoyance.
“Sorry, man, but it’s true and you know it.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t so sure I would win that one myself even with the powder,” I admit. “But I’m fucking glad I beat that asshole, for Gabby’s sake. She just may not see it that way if I gave her brother a damn concussion.”
“I still can’t believe he refused to let you win to keep her ass out of a thong,” Knox says with a shake of his head. “What a piece of shit, right?”
“Yeah, he is,” I agree.
“Well, take it easy with training the next few days until your strength comes back,” he tells me without any teasing. “And whatever you do, keep your dick dry. It’s hard to stop once you start, but you’ve got to keep your head in the game, man. If you slip it in before a fight, you’ll pay for it.”
“Yeah,” I assure him. “It sucks, but I know.”
“Speaking of sucking, let me tell you about the girl at Escapades last night,” he starts.
“Yo, what the hell?” I ask. “You give me a lecture about abstaining, but then you fucked around?”
“My next fight isn’t for weeks,” he says with a grin, and then he tells me all the gory details of the stripper he was with when he was supposed to be watching Gabby.
…
Gabby
After I get up from my nap, I lie in bed, staring at the bedroom ceiling, trying to remember every detail from last night and this morning. Even hours later, I can almost feel Cain’s damp lips and scruffy chin on my neck, down my stomach and between my legs.
My first time may have hurt a little, and I’m still feeling that soreness today after another round this morning, but it was definitely worth it. And knowing it was Cain’s first time too makes it even more special, although it is still shocking to find out he’s never slept with anyone. I trust him if he says that he didn’t have sex with Cass the morning I found her in his bed. It may seem hard to believe, but he would’ve been honest with me.
Has he been honest about everything else too, like Robbie selling me?
Needing to talk to Robbie again to clear the air, I get up and start for the bathroom to take another shower.
I push open the door without thinking, assuming all the guys are at the gym and find out I’m wrong.
“Shit! Sorry, Ivan!” I say, slapping a hand over my eyes as I start to back out of the room. But the image of his hand choking his bright red dick is still on the back of my closed eyelids.
“Jesus, Gabby! Can’t you fucking knock?” he asks, shutting the door once I clear it.
“Sorry. I thought you were gone,” I tell him through the door. Then more softly I ask, “Are you okay?”
“Oh, my God,” he mutters. “Please go away.”
“Yeah, okay, just let me know when you’re…finished,” I say.
That’s the one bad thing about this apartment — there’s only one bathroom to share between four people.
Chapter Thirty-One
Cain
I’m about to give up and call it a day when I can barely hold up my gloves in front of my face, sparring with Knox, when he says, “Your girl’s here.”
“Where?” I ask, and he nails me in the face when I turn to the side.
“Asshole,” I tell him.
“Told you to get your head straight,” he says with a smirk.
“Hey, guys,” Gabby says when she climbs in the boxing ring. “Have either of you seen Robbie?”
“Uh, I haven’t seen him today. Have you, Knox?” I ask, avoiding telling her that I kicked his ass last night and he’s probably laid out at the dorms recovering.
“Nope, haven’t seen him today,” Knox echoes.
“Didn’t he have a fight last night?” she asks. “Did he win?”
“No, I think he lost,” I reply honestly. If Knox and I don’t answer, she’ll ask someone else, and they may tell her who he lost to. “Sorry, angel. I didn’t want to be the one to tell you.”
“Oh,” she mutters, her face falling. “That sucks. Do you think he’s back at the dorms?”
“Must be,” I answer honestly.
“Will you go check on him for me?” she asks since women aren’t allowed on the premises. Vaughan takes the no sex rule very seriously, so not even sisters are allowed on the off chance they get the other guys all riled up.
“I’ll go right now,” I assure her.
“Thanks, Cain,” Gabby says before she leans up to kiss me. I kiss her forehead quickly instead, hoping no one saw it. Having even more people aware that she’s my weakness would be a mistake in this fucked-up world of ours.
“Do I get a kiss too?” Knox jokes.
“You can kiss my ass,” Gabby replies with a smile before she starts to leave. “Oh!” she says turning around and coming closer to me and Knox. “While I’ve got you two alone, I wanted to ask you about when I walked in on Ivan earlier…”
“What do you mean you walked in on Ivan?” I ask.
“He was in the bathroom. I thought he was here,” she explains. “Anyway, he was…I saw his…”
“What?” I ask.
“He was…hurting himself,” she says.
Knox and I are silent for about two seconds before we both bust out laughing.
“Oh, sweet cheeks, that’s just how guys get their rocks off while flying solo,” Knox explains.
“I know that!” Gabby says. “But it looked…worse than what’s normal.”
“If you say so, angel,” I tell her. “How about you remember to knock from now on, okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, whatever. Go see my brother,” she orders through narrowed eyes before she climbs out of the ring.
“Guess I better shower and try to find the fucker, see how bad off he is,” I tell Knox.
“Yeah, good luck,” he agrees with a fist bump.
A few minutes later and I’m as fresh and clean as you can get in the grimy gym locker room, and walking toward the dorms. They keep the front door of the small house locked, so I bang my fist on it, then wait. Finally, one of the guys opens up — Tye, a lightweight.
“Hey man, is Robbie here?” I ask him.
“Ah, nah. Haven’t seen him since yesterday,” he answers.
“After his fight?” I clarify.
“Nah, like a little bit before that. He didn’t come home last night or this morning.”
“Where the fuck is he?” I ask, more to myself.
“No idea. Since he lost to you, I guess you can cross off him going home with some chick from Escapades.”
“Definitely,” I agree. “Well, if you see him, tell him his sister is looking for him.”
“Yeah, sure,” Tye agrees before he shuts the door.
Honestly, I wouldn’t give a shit if Robbie disappeared off the face of the Earth, but I know Gabby will worry, so hopefully the shithead turns up soon.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Gabby
As the days pass with no word from Robbie, I grow more and more worried. Fighters don’t just up and walk away. They’re either in the gym training or asleep in the dorms. That’s it, with Cain, Ivan, and Knox being the only exceptions.
In two days, it’ll be Thanksgiving. If Robbie doesn’t show before that, then there’s definitely something wrong. He’s never missed celebrating even a single Thanksgiving or Christmas with me.
“Robbie’s still not at the gym,” I tell Cain when we’re snuggling on the sofa Tuesday night.
Cain goes eerily still and remains silent. “Must still be feeling shitty from his last fight.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I say. “But I went to the gym today and asked Vaughan where he was…”
“You did?” Cain asks suddenly, sounding surprised.
“Yeah, he said he hasn’t seen him. He hasn’t come in to train in a week!” I reply. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Hold on, what?” Cain asks, pulling away to turn me by my shoulders to face him.
“Something’s wrong, Cain. He’s ei
ther hurt or…or…I don’t know. This isn’t like Robbie! He wouldn’t just up and leave without telling me!”
“Calm down. I’m sure he’s fine,” Cain says, even though he doesn’t sound so sure himself.
“I’m going to the police tomorrow,” I tell him, after thinking about doing so for days now. “Will you come with me?”
Blowing out a breath, Cain says, “Wait a minute, Gabby. Let’s talk about this before you go and get the police involved. If Robbie turns up fine and they know he’s been fighting illegally for Mario, he could get in a lot of trouble. Not to mention that if Mario thinks you’re pointing the PD to him, his muscle will fuck us all up.”
“I know that,” I tell him. “I won’t tell them that part, okay? But I need to do this. Thanksgiving is in two days, and I want to be with him. So, will you please come with me?” I plead.
“Fine,” he grumbles. “Like I could ever refuse you anything. We’ll go first thing in the morning. But for now, let’s get to bed, so you can try to get some sleep.”
“Okay,” I agree, even if I haven’t been able to get much sleep lately because I’m too worried about Robbie.
…
Cain
Gabby is silent on the way to the closest precinct, and I feel like I’m marching to my own death. Since I was fourteen, I’ve been terrified of the police. And after the other day, getting questioned by a detective for the arson and murder, I’m dreading going back inside. What if they recognize me even while wearing a black baseball hat pulled down low to shield my face? Or what if they decide to go ahead and arrest me while I’m visiting? That’s why my feet come to a stop when we get to the parking lot.
“I don’t know about this, Gabby,” I tell her, trying to talk her out of filing a missing person report.
“Please, Cain,” she begs. “If they were gonna charge you for the fire, they would’ve already done it.”
Easy for her to say.
Grabbing my hand, Gabby laces her fingers through mine and says “Please” again. That’s all it takes for me to risk my freedom for her. I would do anything for her, even if it means going to prison to make her feel better about looking for her brother. Besides, I’m the one who hurt him. Lots of guys have been knocked out during a fight, so I think there has to be something else going on.
Once we’re inside the police station, I’m relieved when none of the cops surround us with guns pointed at my head. Gabby talks to a receptionist through a hole in a window and then is handed a clipboard with some paperwork to fill out. Mostly they ask about Robbie’s physical description, the last time she saw him, etcetera. When she hands the forms back, the lady tells her that they’ll call her on the number she listed if they find out anything, which makes me glad to have those cell phones.
And yeah, they seem really concerned.
Thankfully, no one asks my name or even glances at me since my tattoos are covered by my black hoodie.
“That was a waste of time,” Gabby says when we hit the sidewalk on the way back to the apartment.
“Maybe, maybe not,” I reply, even though the only way I can figure that the police contact her about Robbie is if he’s unable to do it himself, which wouldn’t be good. “Let’s get you home,” I tell Gabby. “I’m sure Robbie’s fine.”
Those words are a blatant lie.
He’s not fine if he’s been missing for a week.
Something happened.
Something awful.
And I can’t help but wonder if I may be responsible.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Cain
“I need to talk to Mario,” I tell one of the club’s bouncers standing at the backdoor alley entrance to Escapades the night after Gabby filed a police report.
“Tough shit. He’s busy,” the meathead mutters, crossing his thick arms over his chest.
“Could you just tell him I’m here and find out if he wants to see me?” I ask.
Glaring at me while he does it, the goon finally presses the device in his ear and grumbles into it.
“Fine. Go, but he said to make it quick,” the bouncer tells me when he opens the back door.
I slip inside, hoping I don’t run into Gabby. Since it’s not a school night, she’s expected to be here even if it is almost Thanksgiving. Of course, I would give anything to see her while she’s working, but Mario banned me, and I don’t want her to know I’m here talking to him about her brother. Besides, she should be fine since Knox came with me and just went in the front to keep an eye on Gabby for me.
The mafia boss’s office door is cracked open when I get to it, and inside I find him fucking some girl face down on his desk. She has long, jet-black hair. And when she looks over at me, I recognize her as one of the dancers who was flirting with Knox the other night. Based on her grunts I can’t decide if she’s enjoying herself or not…
“What do you want?” Mario snaps at me without missing a stroke.
“Where’s Robbie?” I come right out and ask him.
Mario’s eyes lower to the naked girl in front of him before he answers. “Don’t know, don’t really care.”
“Gabby’s worried about him, and he’s one of your fucking fighters. If you know anything…”
“I don’t know shit about where that son of a bitch is!” he barks in response. “And if I hear you or Gabby say his name even one more goddamn time, I’ll shove my cock so far down her throat you’ll both choke on it! Now, get the fuck out!”
Holy shit.
Mario running his mouth is nothing new, but this is a whole new level of disrespect. I don’t even consider asking him anything else. His angry response is enough of an answer.
He must know where Robbie is.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so fucking defensive when I asked a simple question.
My next stop is the gym to corner Vaughan and see if he has any more details. Thankfully, he’s alone in his office.
“Cain, what’s up?” he asks when he glances over and sees me standing in the doorway.
Blowing out a breath, I say, “You know I don’t give a shit, but do you honestly not have any idea where Robbie is?”
Leaning back in his chair, he meets my gaze and says, “I honestly don’t know. He was still out of it when Mario had him taken out of the warehouse by a few of his bodyguards. Mario wouldn’t tell me anything else the next day, and I know better than to push him. You should too.”
“Yeah, he just went off on me,” I tell him.
“There’s a rumor going around that your girl went to the police. If that’s true and Mario finds out, you both better watch out.”
“Fuck!” I groan, scrubbing my hands over my face. “I tried to talk Gabby out of it, but I went with her, and all she did was report him missing. Nothing was mentioned about the fighting.”
“I believe you,” Vaughan replies with a nod. “But I’m just not sure the boss will.”
“I’ll try to get Gabby to back off this, but she’s worried. He’s her brother, even if he is a gigantic asshole.”
“Yeah, I get it, but it’s best for her and everyone else if she just tells herself that he’s gone on to bigger and better things.”
“Okay, thanks, Vaughan,” I tell him before I turn around and start to leave. Then I can’t resist asking, “Do you think he’s still alive?”
“I wouldn’t expect him to be home for the holidays,” he answers, lowering his eyes back to the paperwork on his desk.
And he doesn’t have to say it for me to understand what he means.
Wherever Robbie is, I doubt if he’s ever coming back.
…
Gabby
“Boss wants you,” Adrianne, one of the waitresses, comes over and tells me at the hostess desk. “He said I should cover the front for you.”
“Oh,” I mutter in confusion. “Cover for me right now or for the rest of the night?” I ask in concern.
“Didn’t say,” she answers with a shrug when she comes around the counter and I stand up from my
seat. “Good luck.”
“Thanks,” I tell her as I start for the back office, gnawing on my bottom lip in worry.
Even though the door to his office is open, I still knock on it before peeking inside. Mario is alone, sitting on the edge of the desk.
“Gabby, come in,” he says, his eyes roaming over me from head to toe. “I’ve decided that you’re dancing tonight.”
“What?” I ask with a gasp of surprise. “You don’t mean…”
“Go to the changing room and ask one of the girls to borrow an outfit.”
“But…but I don’t understand…”
“Don’t be nervous. Just move your body to the music. The customers won’t care if you can’t dance worth a shit. They’ll be too busy looking at your tits and ass.”
“I can’t…I don’t think I can do that,” I tell him as I start to back out of his office.
“Your brother cost me a lot of money. And since he’s apparently skipped town, you’re gonna have to make it up to me.”
“There has to be another way…”
“You will dance tonight. Nothing private. I need the men to see you naked and get excited before I tell them they can’t have you. Within a few days, they’ll be ready to sign over their houses to me just for one night with you.”
Oh, my God. He can’t be serious! There’s no way I’m going to do any of that.
“If you refuse or if you tell your boyfriend, I’ll arrange to have a few of my men wake him and your other two roommates up with a bullet through each of their skulls tomorrow morning. Do you understand?”
“Y-yes,” I stutter in agreement.
“Good,” Mario replies with a smirk. “Now go to the dressing room, find an outfit, and get naked.” I start to leave when I hear him add, “Leave off the slutty clothes, though. Since it’s your first time, I want to personally lotion you up and dress you myself.”
