by L. P. Dover
She turned to Paxton, who approached her slowly with a devilish smirk on his face.
“That’s true, sunshine. It might be something you don’t want to do. But then again, maybe you’ll like it.”
Gabriella rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t matter, Paxton. Ryley and Ashleigh are my two closest friends. There’s not anything I wouldn’t do for them. So, in other words, don’t tell me. I’d rather go into this not knowing.”
Paxton looked down at me. “All right, you heard her. She doesn’t want to know. Just remind her of that when the time comes for her to pay up.”
Gabriella turned on her heel and marched to the door, opening it wide.
“I have a feeling she won’t forget,” I murmured. “We’ll see you in just a few.”
After we left, Gabriella remained quiet the whole way to our room. It was hard to decipher what was going through her head, but I had a guess. She would figure it all out eventually. All I knew was, I was indebted to her and Paxton.
“I can’t believe I’m wearing this much makeup,” I muttered, looking at my reflection in the mirror.
“Neither can I, but we have to play the part.”
Gabriella laid it on thick and put me in one of her dresses; thankfully, it wasn’t too tight around the stomach. It was red and strapless, falling mid-thigh. I had to admit, I didn’t look like myself. Gabriella didn’t either in her midnight blue halter dress.
My stomach was in knots, probably from the pregnancy and being scared shitless. I forced a couple of peanut butter crackers down my throat and guzzled some water, hoping it would help. Nothing was going to help my nerves.
“I don’t think I know of any female fighters that look and act like you. It’s strange to think that someone so dainty can kick ass.”
Gabriella smoothed on her deep red lipstick and pouted her lips. “It’s part of my charm, and my cover. Everyone underestimates me. I guess that’s why I’m undefeated.” She brushed out her hair and turned in front of the mirror. “All right, let’s go. We need to hurry. Paxton texted and said to meet him in the lobby.”
It didn’t take us long to get ready, but we knew we had to look the part. I had to make sure Scar didn’t recognize me. “Thank you for doing this, Gabby. Paxton is taking a huge risk taking us.”
Grabbing her purse, she opened the door and nodded. “Yes, and I’ll keep my promise and not say a word about it to anyone. I trust you to do the same.”
Once out the door, it slammed shut and we were on our way. “After tonight, I want to forget any of this ever happened. It’ll be like it doesn’t exist.”
“That’s not going to happen, Ash. Sadly, this is a night you’ll remember for the rest of your life. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but you need to keep your feelings in check. If you see Ryley, don’t make a scene. He can’t fight his brother if he’s worried about you.”
We got into the elevators and descended the fourteen floors to the bottom. The Bellagio was one of the best hotels in Las Vegas and I loved staying at it. Just a few weeks ago, I’d been here taking a pregnancy test with Gabriella and Ryley by my side. It was strange to think how so many things had changed in a month.
“What if something happens to him?” I asked as the doors opened. “What if he needs help?”
She stopped in front of me and put her hands on my shoulders. “Then we’ll help him. I have no problem getting up there and facing Camden myself.”
As soon as she turned around, Paxton was up ahead holding what looked to be scarves in his hand. When his face lifted, he looked at us once and then did a complete double take.
“I guess he didn’t recognize us,” she murmured. “It is kind of hard with an inch of makeup on our faces, dressed like whores.”
Paxton approached us, his hesitant smile slowly turning to a frown. “When I said to change, I regret that now,” he said, staring at Gabriella. “Unfortunately, we have no choice.” He handed us each a black silk scarf.
“What is this for?” I asked, smoothing the silky fabric through my fingers.
“It’s part of the rules. They won’t let you anywhere near the entrance without it on. Are you ready for this?”
He held out his arms, so I looped mine on his right while he waited on Gabriella to take his left. Sighing, she slowly slid her arm through his and glimpsed up at him.
“I’m ready,” she assured him. “Just as long as nobody touches me, I’ll be fine. I’d hate to get kicked out because I ripped some guy’s balls off.”
Paxton pulled his arms in, drawing us closer. “No one is going to touch either one of you.”
We started toward the hotel exit, my blood racing in my veins. We were about to cross over to the Dark Side . . . literally.
THE RIDE WAS silent and judging by the tension in the car, I was afraid Paxton was going to think better of the situation and turn us around. I could see it in his eyes—he regretted agreeing to our demands. He’d put his trust in us, and if we waivered from that trust, he would pay the consequences. Surely, Gabriella could see that he was trying to prove himself to her?
“All right you two, put your blindfolds on. It’s almost show time.”
I glanced back at Gabby who smiled reassuringly before tying the scarf around her head. I saw enough of our surroundings to know we weren’t exactly in the good parts of Vegas. My skin prickled, but I put on my blindfold and sat back in the seat. My world felt like it was quickly spinning out of control.
“I’m warning you,” Paxton began, “you’re going to hear me say and do things I don’t want to do. Just smile and go with it. Ashleigh, you’re my guest, which means you’ll be glued to my side. For Ryley’s sake—stay there. I don’t even want to know what happens to women if they venture off into a dark corner.
“Gabriella, as much as I hate you doing this, you’ll be taken to sit with the other females who were gambled off. They’re going to slap a bracelet on you when we walk in and when the time comes, you’ll have to go. As soon as the fight’s over, I’ll come get you.”
“Great,” she mumbled sarcastically. “Nothing like being treated like a herd of cattle. I guess I just have to sit pretty until Ryley kicks Camden’s ass.”
“Let’s hope so,” Paxton remarked. “If not, then we’re going to have some serious problems getting out of there.”
The blindfold made me feel vulnerable, weak. I had to protect not just myself, but my babies as well. This was a nightmare. For the rest of the way, I blocked out every sound and movement, and focused on one thing . . . Ryley. He made me stronger, showed me what life was like outside of the box. Colin had always been my safe place, but Ryley was the area outside of that, an adventure. I wanted more adventures with him, and now I was afraid we wouldn’t get them because something bad was going to happen.
“We’re here,” Paxton noted. “Just be quiet while I talk. That especially goes for you, Gabriella.”
She snorted. “I know what’s at stake, Paxton. I care about what happens to Ryley.”
The car slowed and Paxton rolled down his window. The smell of cigarette smoke wafted into the car and I almost gagged. Smells were a lot stronger now that I was pregnant.
“Show me the mark,” the man barked.
I couldn’t see what was going on, but Paxton must’ve done something right because the guy chuckled. “Well, I’ll be damned, if it isn’t the Reaper. We haven’t seen you much around these parts recently.”
“Not been in town much, man. I heard there’s going to be a killer fight tonight. Thought I’d come check it out.”
The man chortled. “Fuck, yeah. We got the Twins of Terror battling it out. And it looks like you came bearing gifts. The one in the back looks mighty tasty. Got a nice set of tits on her.”
“You got that right,” Paxton agreed. Biting my lip, I waited on Gabriella to start cussing, but she kept her mouth shut.
“You know the rules, Reaper. Surely, I don’t need to repeat them, do I?”
“Nah, I’m good. They’re not going to use
their lips for much of anything, other than sucking my cock.”
“I hear ya on that. If you get tired of ‘em, let me know.” The sound of a rusty gate creaked in the night air and soon we were on our way.
“Good luck with that, cocksucker,” Paxton grumbled as he rolled up the window. “Keep your blindfolds on. We’re not in the clear yet.”
“I can’t believe you’re a part of this shit,” Gabriella snapped. “And you wonder why I don’t want to go out with you.”
“I was a part of it. Let’s get that straight right now. And as far as going out with me, you don’t have a choice anymore. Shall I discuss the terms with you now?”
She scoffed. “Can we please talk about that later? I don’t want to stress Ashleigh out any more than she already is.”
“That’s fine with me, sunshine. We can discuss it later tonight, alone.”
“Joy,” she mumbled.
I’d had enough. “You two are driving me insane. It’s obvious you both want each other, so stop playing the mind games and do what feels right. The more you fight it, the harder it is. Trust me, I should know.”
The car filled with an awkward silence, but I didn’t care, it just proved I was right. I’d spent a month away from Ryley when all I wanted to do was hop on a plane and beg him to take me back. I wasn’t the type of girl to beg, but when you’re faced with the fact you could lose someone forever, you’d do just about anything. Gabby kept pushing Paxton away, and if she wasn’t careful he’d give up and move on.
“Are we almost there?” Gabriella complained.
Paxton slowed the car until he came to a complete stop. “Now we are. You have to keep your blindfolds on until we get inside. Just sit in the car and I’ll help each of you out. There are some expensive wheels on both sides and if I have to pay for damages, you’re going to owe me a lot more than what I’m already charging you.”
When he got out of the car, I tilted my head toward the stubborn girl in the back. “Stop being a bitch to him,” I hissed low.
She sighed. “I can’t help it, Ash. He drives me insane. I can’t let him wear me down.”
“Suit yourself. Be miserable. I can’t force you to see reason.”
Paxton opened up my door and took my hand. There were voices all around and then whistles as I stepped out of the car. He put his arm around my shoulders and led me around to the other side to get Gabriella. Once she was out of the car, Paxton walked slowly since he was guiding two blind women into the unknown. The gravel crunched beneath my heels and it was a wonder I didn’t trip and break an ankle.
“Once we’re through this line you can take the blindfolds off,” Paxton murmured. “Gabriella, they’re going to put a bracelet on you. Don’t fight it when they grab you. You’re supposed to be willing.”
“I’ll be fine,” she answered.
“And Ashleigh, do not run off from me.” Instead of a reply, I nodded my head and kept walking. Judging by the voices up ahead, we were almost at the entrance. “Okay, here we go.”
“Well, well, if it isn’t the one and only Reaper. Congrats on the title fight. You haven’t been here in a while. Wanna challenge someone?” The guy’s voice was deep and gruff, and I could just imagine what he looked like, all bulging on steroids with a neck as thick as my thigh.
“Not tonight. I’m here to watch the twins battle it out. Maybe next time though since I have some time on my hands.”
“I hear ya. We’d love to see you back in the ring. So what are you offering tonight?”
Paxton’s body moved and I knew he was guiding Gabriella forward. “I’m bidding this little kitten,” he said. “She may look innocent, but she’s a pistol in the bed, if you know what I mean.”
I heard a smack sound, like he’d slapped her on the ass. Here we go.
“Very nice,” the guy added. “It’s a shame I’m not fighting tonight.”
And just when I thought I had heard it all, Gabriella’s voice spoke out and Paxton tensed. “Oh, don’t worry, big man. I’m sure I’ll be back again sometime.”
As soon as I heard him snap the bracelet around her wrist, we were off. Paxton pulled us fast inside the door and let us go. When I lifted my blindfold, I watched him take Gabriella’s off, fuming at her. “I swear you’re trying to fucking kill me, aren’t you? Don’t speak to anyone Gabriella. These are not the type of people I want you being around.”
Her smile faded and she nodded, especially when she noticed me glaring at her. She had a mouth on her, and luckily, it’d never gotten her in trouble. We weren’t exactly in a place where she could joke around.
“Noted. Where do we go from here?”
Paxton looked at us both and sighed. “We’re going to go through another set of doors and down a flight of stairs into a basement of sorts. Since it’s late, most of the other fights should be about over. There’ll be a hallway we walk through that has windows into other rooms. Ryley will be in one and Camden will be in another. This is where you decide on who you want to bid on.”
I gasped. “Will he be able to see us?”
We started down the hall and through the other set of doors. It was dark and dank, smelling of mildew. The stairs didn’t look too inviting either with only a blinking light illuminating the path.
“No. We can see in, but he can’t see out.”
Taking the steps one at a time, I half expected a line of people to follow us, but we were the only ones. It was eerie. Eventually, we got to the hallway where it was nothing but separated rooms on each side with a glass panel to look in for each section. There was a man at the end of the hall with a bald head who beckoned us closer with a wave of his hand. He was a fighter as well, judging by the build and stature.
“They must be at the end of the hall,” Paxton explained.
Sure enough, when we got there, I looked into the room on my left and saw Camden, lifting a set of weights with his muscles bulging. His body was bigger, more muscular. No doubt the product of steroids. Turning away, I couldn’t stomach to look at him anymore. Even Gabriella couldn’t stand it any longer. I wanted to say that it wasn’t fair, but then again, the Dark Side had no rules.
Next, we ventured over to the other side of the hall and I was afraid of what I would see. Would Ryley be in there looking ravenous like his brother? What I didn’t expect was to see him sitting there with his head down and leaning over on his elbows. I could only see his profile, but even then I could feel the rage radiating from him.
With my hand on the glass, a lone tear fell down my cheek and my heart broke. What if he didn’t win? Camden obviously wanted to have the advantage in this fight. It made me wonder what else he had up his sleeve.
“So have you decided which one you want to go to?” the bald headed guy asked.
Gabriella jerked in surprise, her gaze torn away from Ryley. “Oh wow, let’s see. I think I like that one,” she said, pointing at Ryley’s room. “He seems mysterious.”
“Yeah, we’ve gotten that from a few of the women.”
I bristled at the mention, but Paxton squeezed me around the waist before he spoke.
“Honestly, I think the dude’s going to have his ass handed to him. Don’t know what drove them to hate each other, but it had to be something drastic.”
“Who are most people betting on? If you don’t mind my asking,” I inquired curiously.
Bald guy looked down at his notebook and pursed his lips. “Most people are rooting for Striker—he’s grown to be a legend here.”
“Well, ladies, I do believe it’s time to go,” Pax announced. He nodded toward the bald guy who opened the door behind him and let us pass. It was another dark hallway, but this time the noise was deafening. There were shouts and screams, along with the sound of fighting, like metal clanging against metal. I didn’t like the sound of it at all.
Surely enough when we stepped into the doorway of the open room, my whole world came crashing down around me. There were dozens upon dozens of people surrounding the cage in the center
of the room. It was a literal cage with barbwire circling around the top. If someone wanted to climb out, they couldn’t. My attention was then brought to the fighters in the ring, wielding what looked to be swords. Holy fuck! I was speechless, frozen in place.
“Swords, Paxton? What the hell is this shit?” Gabriella protested. “Is Ryley going to have to do this?”
Paxton shrugged. “I don’t know. Camden is the one responsible for this fight, so it’ll be up to him. There’s no telling what he’ll come up with.”
The guys in the ring were bloody, gashes marring their skin. The room reeked of blood, making my stomach turn. Slapping my hand to my mouth, I turned away and swallowed over and over, hoping to keep everything down.
“Ashleigh,” Gabriella murmured, putting her hands on the side of my face. “Breathe through your nose. You can do this.” She watched the fight over my shoulder and we both winced when the guttural scream of one of the fighters echoed through the underground dungeon.
“What happened?” I asked, squeezing my eyes shut. The guy kept screaming until he was taken out of the room, and even then I could still hear his tormented cries.
Gabriella blew out a nervous breath. “The fight’s over. Let’s just say the guy’s arm is hanging by a thread.”
Oh, please God, don’t let Camden choose swords. “What happens now?” I asked, glancing up at Paxton. Turning my attention to what he was looking at, I saw two men rush into the ring to clean up the puddles of blood. One had a squeegee and was just slushing it off the edges of the cage. It was a scene from a horror movie. Again, I had to turn away for fear of throwing up.
“Right now, we wait until they clean the mat. Then all of the women who were auctioned off have to go sit around the ring. I guess you can say they’re the trophies to go along with the money. After that, it’ll be time for the fighters.”
“What if Ryley sees Gabriella?”
Paxton shook his head, his expression weary. “He’s not going to notice, Ashleigh. When you’re up in the ring, you can’t afford to lose focus. That’s when people get seriously hurt.”
