Russian Beast

by Aislinn Kearns

  McCready stared at him a moment with beady eyes, assessing his sincerity. Alexei kept his face black.

  “Fine. Now get in there and put on a good show. I expect some blood.”

  Alexei charged into the cage where Weston waited for him. Bloodlust surged. He’d enjoy this fight, enjoy pounding the smug smile off his opponent’s face.

  Weston grinned as Alexei crossed the hard concrete, anticipation in his eyes. It looked like Weston looked forward to the fight, too.

  Alexei didn’t paused, didn’t wait for the whistle. He rushed towards Weston and slammed his fist into the man’s face.

  Weston reeled back in surprise, so Alexei took advantage and let off a few quick punches into the other man’s chest. Weston held his hands up in a defensive posture, blocking Alexei’s punches as best he could. Then, he kicked out, catching Alexei’s knee. Alexei sagged but caught himself before he hit the floor.

  Charged silence settled over the crowd, and they were more tense with anticipation than Alexei had ever seen them. But Alexei didn’t have time to wonder about their sudden interest, because Weston stepped behind Alexei and wrapped his arm around his throat.

  Alexei choked, scrambling from breath. When none came, he changed tactics, rising to his full height so Weston had to choose to let his feet dangle from the ground, or let go.

  Weston held on, his arm squeezing tighter. He wrapped his legs around Alexei’s waist to get better leverage. Blackness hovered, waiting to overtake Alexei. His lungs screamed for air, but there was none to be found.

  As a last resort, Alexei closed his eyes and fell backwards in plank position. They hit the ground, Weston absorbing most of the impact from the hard concrete. He grunted as Alexei squashed him to the floor, exhaling as if all the breath had been squeezed out of him. Weston’s grip loosened around Alexei’s throat and his breathing grew laboured.

  Alexei levered up to drive an elbow back into Weston’s stomach, then quickly stood. He took a few deep breaths to get his lungs working again, then turned back to his opponent.

  Wyatt stood outside the cage, right near where Weston struggled to stand. Alexei blinked in surprise, then swallowed as dread slid down his spine. Something was about to happen—something he wouldn’t like.

  Wyatt cast an apologetic glance Alexei’s way. Alexei had a brief moment of confusion before Wyatt raised his hand and slid something through one of the gaps in the cage. It fell to the ground, ringing loudly in the quiet arena.

  Weston snatched it up before Alexei could see it, as if he’d known it was coming. But it was too late. Alexei already knew what it was, and had seen this trick from McCready’s playbook before.

  Brass knuckles.

  Weston straightened, his fist clenching around the glinting metal on his hand. Alexei spared another glance for Wyatt, but he just twisted his face in apology and backed away.

  Alexei turned back to Weston, who grinned. Blood rushed to Alexei’s ears and ran through his veins like lightning. Fury clutched at him. McCready had never dared pull this trick against him before.

  Well, if that’s the way he wanted it, then Alexei would give it to him.

  He strode forward, itching to do some damage to Weston. The smug asshole deserved to have that grin wiped from his face. He threw a punch, but his anger made him clumsy. His fist glanced off Weston’s cheek, throwing Alexei off balance.

  Weston took advantage of the opportunity, landing a solid punch to Alexei’s side. Agony lanced through him at the contact, stealing his breath. Alexei stumbled into the cage, trying to breathe deeply through the pain.

  Brass knuckle-clad fist raised, ready to do more damage, Weston strode closer. Alexei forced the pain aside and focused, knowing he had to end this quickly. He blinked to clear his mind, watching that metal glint come closer.

  As soon as Weston swung, Alexei stepped out of the way and elbowed Weston in the temple. Hard.

  Weston stumbled and blinked, dazed. Alexei didn’t give him a second to recover. Instead, he punched him twice in the face, and then once more for good measure. Weston fell to his knees, gaze vague. Alexei was too furious, too thorough, to take any chances. Rather than assume the fight was done, he kicked Weston hard in the side and the other man toppled to the filthy floor.

  Satisfaction rose in him at the sight of his opponent in the dirt. But the bloodlust drained out of him when Weston didn’t get up. His opponent was defeated, and there was no fight left.

  Alexei’s gaze found McCready at the back of the crowd. The man’s sour expression was visible across the warehouse even in the dull light. Alexei hoped his win tonight had screwed something over for McCready. The unfair fight had snapped something in Alexei, a deep resentment of McCready flaring to life that he was sure the other man returned. Hopefully, he’d lost money on the fight tonight.

  For now, that was the only punishment Alexei could dish out.

  His side set a stabbing pain through his chest, bringing Alexei back to the moment. He cast a final glance at Weston, who still groaned on the ground, then turned and walked away.

  But Alexei had the distinct feeling his life had just changed, and not for the better.

  Chapter 10

  Evie yawned for the third time in one minute, sinking deeper into her couch. She was too exhausted to move, grateful she got the night off from training with Alexei to get an earlier sleep. It was killing her, bouncing between school, the diner, and the gym. But at the same time, she couldn’t imagine giving one up. Her sessions with Alexei were already making her feel stronger, and less paranoid. She rarely got the feeling someone followed her, these days, which she attributed to her growing belief in herself.

  She had Alexei to thank for that. She’d have to find a way to repay him, she thought sleepily, her eyes drifting closed. But not in a way that would give him the wrong idea. She didn’t want to encourage him, not really. Not when there were moments when he looked like he barely kept control of himself. It wasn’t fair if she led him on.

  But maybe she wasn’t, maybe she’d be ready soon. She’d been alone with Alexei a lot lately, let him touch her, and she hadn’t freaked out. Yes, sex was an extra step, an added level of vulnerability for her, and a bigger commitment than she felt ready for. Her sexual experiences with Jimmy had been mostly unpleasant, and often frightening and painful. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t eventually be ready to try again.

  Heavy, thumping footsteps sounded outside, startling Evie from her daze. She sat up, blinking the sleep from her eyes. Was it Jimmy? Had he come for her again?

  Heart pounding in fear, Evie slid off the couch and made her way over to the door. She hesitated a moment, her eye a few inches from the peephole that would tell her who was there. Did she want to know?

  Yes, she decided. She needed to be prepared.

  As she leaned forward, her hand snaked into her pocket to clasp her phone. She’d call the police this time, send Jimmy to prison where he belonged.

  She swallowed.

  It occurred to her that Jimmy likely wouldn’t be walking so heavily. What did he have to gain by scaring her? It would be more his style to sneak up on her unawares. On the heels of that thought, Alexei stumbled into view.

  He walked far more heavily than his usual controlled grace as he made his way up the last few steps. He was only visible from the back, hunched over, clutching his side.

  Evie gasped. What had happened? His fight had been tonight. Was he injured?

  She unclicked her deadbolt and tore open the door. Alexei glanced up at her at the noise, then grimaced.

  “Sorry,” he muttered, then fell against the wall. Evie hurried forward, closing the door to her apartment as she did so. She could barely see him in the dark, the bulb in the hallway long since blown and the landlord in no hurry to fix it.

  “What happened? Are you alright?” she demanded.

  He nodded, twisting to try to dig his hand into his jacket pocket. He inhaled sharply at the movement. Evie’s chest squeezed in empathy. H
e must be in a lot of pain.

  Her heart ached for him. She knew the pain that fists could cause, even to a man as big and strong as him. Evie stepped forward, hesitating, then gently pushed his hands aside and dug her own fingers into his pocket. Once she’d extract his keys, she opened his door, feeling his eyes on her the whole time.

  Her skin tingled from his gaze as if he’d touched her, making her more aware of him, his size, his presence in the dim light.

  She pushed the door open and stepped into his apartment in a weak attempt to escape his scrutiny. But she’d only served to put herself in a more precarious position, which she only realised as he straightened from against the wall and stalked towards her, his eyes still burning on her. She swallowed again, this time not from fear, but from the dry-mouthed heat that speared through her at the desire in his gaze.

  She was here, now, in his domain. At his mercy.

  And she didn’t want to leave.

  She stood frozen to the spot as he came towards her, feeling like prey caught in the gaze of a predator. She’d never seen Alexei like this. Never seen this hot lust pouring off him, the look of wanting, of claiming, in his eyes.

  He wasn’t holding back. Something had shifted at his fight tonight. Maybe it was his injury, or something else. But he no longer kept himself in check. The restraint she’d so relied on the last few weeks had disappeared, replaced by a man determined to get what he wanted.

  Her.

  Her lower belly clenched. Fear, maybe, yes. Of what he might do, what it might mean. But also with an answering desire. A need.

  He’d awakened her slumbering body with little more than a look, and it overwhelmed her. She wasn’t sure she could handle this. Not now, not yet.

  She tore her gaze from his and stared at the peeling paint on the blank wall beside her. She exhaled deeply, wishing for some ice to cool her heated cheeks. Slowly, so slowly, she brought herself back under control.

  When she was ready, she slanted a quick glance at Alexei and was relieved to see his face was once again the carefully blank mask that was becoming so familiar to her. The one that meant he was under control. But for the first time, she could see cracks in his armour. The fire wasn’t quite banked beneath the mask.

  Bravely, she stepped aside so he could pass her. “Let me take a look at that wound.”

  Alexei hesitated a moment, then slid past her and collapsed on the couch with a weary groan.

  Evie came forward and knelt on the floor in front of him. Though the position made her mind leap to dirty thoughts, the knowledge that he must be in a lot of pain kept her face cool and undisturbed.

  She pushed his hand away from the wound, then slowly peeled up his shirt. His abs were exposed first. She wasn’t surprised he was ripped, like a wall of muscles. Her hands itched to touch them, to explore, surprising herself. She’d never much been one for muscles, and she’d thought after her experiences she’d want a nice, harmless boy.

  But Alexei’s chest was really working for her. It scared her, how much she wanted him, just like it had a few moments before. She reminded herself sternly that now wasn’t the time for either of them. She wasn’t ready, and he was injured.

  She returned her attention to the wound. There was no blood, for which she was grateful. But a dark bruise already bloomed on his skin in a patch bigger than her hand. He’d had it bandaged already, but the bruise was much bigger than the cloth, spilling out from beneath the edges.

  “Who treated you?”

  “Doc,” he said, as if that explained anything. “McCready pays him to look after the fighters. He said they’re just bruised, not broken.”

  “What happened?” she asked again, pressing against the wound with a touch as light as a feather. He still winced.

  “Brass knuckles.”

  Evie’s eyes widened.

  “What? I thought when you said you fought it would be like…like a boxing match. Why would they use brass knuckles?”

  “We need to find a new place to train.”

  Evie blinked at what seemed like an abrupt change of topic. But then it dawned on her.

  “They did this to you on purpose? Because we were training at the gym?”

  He nodded, eyes reluctant.

  Evie clenched her jaw. “That’s awful! And unfair. If anyone…” she hesitated, then plowed on. “It should be me.”

  He shook his head. “My fault.”

  “Don’t be silly. I insisted on you training me. I never knew you might get in trouble.”

  “Exactly,” he said firmly. “You didn’t know.”

  “So, why didn’t they just tell you off? Why this?”

  He shrugged. “It’s their way. They want me to know they’re serious.”

  She huffed and folded her arms. “That’s ridiculous.”

  He gave a hard smile. “They did it in the ring, so the crowd could watch. McCready might have made a lot of money off me tonight.”

  Evie was appalled, even more so because of his cavalier attitude to what had just happened to him.

  “I’m sorry. Even if you don’t care, I’m still sorry.”

  Alexei eyed her for a moment, then sighed. “I’ll be okay.”

  She nodded, sensing he wanted to move on from this conversation.

  “So where will we train now?” she asked. She settled next to him on the couch, and he turned his head to keep her in his sights. She straightened a little, realising how close she’d sat. Her folded up knee was less than an inch from his thigh. She couldn’t move now, not without being rude. But she found she didn’t want to be too far, either. Awareness flooded through her, of him as a man. It sent her nerve endings tingling. And she liked it.

  Alexei was silent for a long moment. “We should stop.”

  Evie frowned. “What? Why? I’m just getting good.”

  “Because there are no more gyms to train in. Not free.”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “So we won’t use a gym,” she countered. Before he could say anything else, she continued on. “What’s this really about?”

  Alexei pressed his lips together, staying silent. Evie waited him out. “It’s dangerous.”

  “So is not knowing how to protect myself.”

  “I think, maybe I shouldn’t be your teacher anymore.”

  Evie’s heart sank, and disappointment washed over her at his words. Her chest felt curiously hollow. She leaned forward to better see his face in the low light.

  “Why?”

  The mask fell away from his face, revealing the heat in his eyes. All at once she became aware of how close they were, their breaths mingling as her own quickened. His eyes darkened. Evie swallowed.

  Her heart fluttered almost painfully in her chest. He was so big, almost overwhelmingly so.

  Alexei shifted towards her, and Evie stood abruptly.

  “I can’t do this.” She faced away from him, breathing hard. “I’m sorry, I just…can’t.”

  “You see now why training is a bad idea.” His voice was low and rough from behind her.

  Evie whirled to him. “But I can’t lose it. It’s the only thing keeping me sane. I no longer feel like I’m being stalked, like Jimmy is around every corner, watching me. And if he is? I’m starting to think I can take him. I won’t just freeze in panic and let him do what he wants to me.”

  She paused, drew in a breath, but Alexei said nothing.

  “Please,” she said. “I need this. I…” She clamped down on whatever words might have come out next. She knew what she was asking of him. It wasn’t fair, not really. Not when she wasn’t willing to take whatever was between them to the next level. But she trusted him in a way she hadn’t trusted a man in a very long time. God knows how long it would take to build that up with someone else all over again. Even if she found a female teacher, she probably couldn’t afford her, and there was no guarantee she’d be as good as Alexei, anyway.

  Fear choked at her. She wanted to beg, plead, but she held firm, letting Alexei make the dec
ision. She didn’t want to guilt him into this—not more than she already had. But she depended on this to build her strength and confidence. Nothing else she’d tried worked like the training she did with Alexei.

  He squeezed his eyes shut. “Okay,” he said eventually.

  “Thank you,” she breathed. She reached out, almost hugging him, but then thought better of it. “Thank you,” she said again, instead.

  Alexei muttered something in Russian that sounded annoyed, but he smiled.

  “So where should we train?” she asked, returning to the original problem.

  Alexei glanced around his apartment, at the empty space that hadn’t been filled with furniture or other person items.

  “Here,” he told her. “We’ll do it here.”

  Chapter 11

  It took almost a week for Alexei to recover enough to be able to train her. In the meantime, she amused herself by doing aerobics routines from YouTube to keep her fitness up. Alexei still walked her home from her shift at the diner, even though he wasn’t training and he was still in pain. He claimed he needed the exercise, but Evie’s heart still warmed at the knowledge he cared about her, her safety, her peace of mind. She’d protested that she was positive Jimmy wasn’t stalking her now, though that wasn’t quite the truth, and Alexei had just shrugged and showed up anyway.

  Maybe he just liked spending time with her, a fact that pleased her all the more.

  The first training session was slow to get into as they rediscovered the rhythm they’d built over the previous sessions. It took them three or four days before they moved onto the more complicated moves they’d been bordering on before the break.

  Alexei demonstrated a takedown move he wanted her to learn by doing it to her in slow motion. He held her shoulders as she hit the ground in a controlled fall as he’d taught her. Her back scratched against the old rug they were using as mats, not an improvement over the specially designed floor at the gym. But Evie appreciated the extra hours of sleep a night, no longer having to bus to and from training.