Greyson pressed her cheek against the top of Olivia’s head, trying to reassure them both. “We’re going to get out of here. You can’t give up. You have to keep believing, even if the fight doesn’t go well. You have to keep trying.”
Olivia gasped. It was the first time she had heard doubt in Greyson’s voice. “Who’s the one giving up now?”
“I’m not,” Greyson argued. “But we both know I’m not cut out for this. I’m no fighter, let alone a killer. I can’t just go into that pit and take someone’s life, especially someone that’s in the same situation I am. They aren’t the enemy.”
Olivia was surprised to hear Greyson talk so honestly about the fight, but she wasn’t surprised by the revelation. She knew in her heart what Greyson said was true.
“So what’s the plan? You must have some ideas in that big brain of yours.”
“I don’t really have one. I have bits and pieces in the works, but the truth is, nothing will matter if I can’t find a way to get us outside. Nothing has worked so far. I’m sorry I don’t have better news.”
Olivia’s heart sank. If Greyson didn’t have a plan, there was no hope left.
Greyson tightened her arms around Olivia. “Don’t count us out yet. I won’t give up until the last breath leaves me. I will get us out, or I’ll die trying.”
Olivia bit back her tears. Her heart was breaking. She knew Greyson would do exactly what she said. She just wasn’t ready to let Greyson go. She felt like they were sitting on death row, just waiting for the executioner to call their names. She tried to press closer to Greyson, needing that closeness to chase away her fear. The time they spent together suspended between day and night was the only time she felt hope. After everything they’d been through together, she couldn’t believe she had been so determined to hate Greyson. It had been so easy to put the blame on the first person presented.
Greyson wasn’t anything like she had believed. If she was honest with herself, she had judged Greyson harshly from the first moment fate had brought them together. She couldn’t have been more wrong. She wished she could turn back time and go back to that first day. She would have been nice, for starters, she would have invited Greyson into her apartment, she would have talked through the night, learning everything about Greyson, and she would never have believed the horrible things the Recruiter said about Greyson.
Olivia closed her eyes against the memory. She had thought that job interview was the most important thing in her life. How many more opportunities had she missed because of her narrow view of what was important?
“What are you thinking?” Greyson asked, pulling her back to the moment.
Olivia smiled. “I was thinking about the first day we met.”
“What about it?” Greyson asked.
“I’m sorry I was so awful to you. I’m glad you gave me a second chance. I wonder where things would have gone if you hadn’t left the next day and we would have had more time together. If I ever get out of here, I’m going to be different.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was so determined to have things my way, I missed out on so many possibilities. I don’t think I could ever take things for granted like that again. It took me years to come to terms with my sexuality, and I just expected my momma to get it in an instant, even though it went against everything she’d been taught to believe. I never considered how difficult it was for her. If I ever see her again, I’ll be more patient.”
Greyson ran her hands up and down Olivia’s back. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m sure she knows you love her. That’s what really matters.”
Olivia nodded. “I just wish I could tell her.”
“I know.”
Greyson pressed her lips to Olivia’s forehead. Olivia knew it was meant to comfort her, but it stirred something much deeper. She dreamed of what it would be like to kiss Greyson for real. Not a kiss to soothe fear, but a kiss to test the feelings she felt growing between them. They had one kiss, one real kiss, and it had been enough to spark hope and dreams of more. So much had happened between them now. What would she feel after all they had been through? She could only dream.
Chapter Fourteen
Greyson followed Uncle Dan to the greenhouse. She looked forward to her time here. It was the only time she didn’t feel the walls closing in on her. Over the last few days he had started locking her in the room a few hours at a time alone. It was as close to outside as she was ever going to get.
To her surprise he didn’t leave today. He shut the door behind them and turned to her. “The fight is in two days. You leave tomorrow and you won’t be coming back here.”
Greyson swallowed. There it was. Her time was up. She looked around the room as if needing to say good-bye. “The fight isn’t here?”
He shook his head. He continued, seemingly unaware of her discomfort. “This death match will be different than any other. It isn’t about one fight. Think of it like a tournament. You win the first fight, you advance to the next round. You’ll have to fight until one of you can’t go on or there’s a knockout. The final match is like the championship game. That’s the only fight that has to result in death. The Employers decided there was no point in losing that many investments in one night.”
Greyson thought about this new information. “What happens if I lose early?”
“You’re fighting to prove your value. Girls who lose in the early rounds are seen as scraps. We find other uses for them. Someone’s always looking for something.”
Greyson cringed. She didn’t want to imagine what those things might be.
“The higher up the tier you climb, the more your value. Bets will be made on each fight. The Employers have a lot riding on their girls. They don’t like to lose.”
“Do I have an Employer, or am I selling myself?”
He narrowed his eyes. Greyson guessed this wasn’t something he expected her to know.
“You were a special order. Your Employer will be there.”
“And where is there?” Greyson asked.
“That’s not important,” he answered.
Greyson’s heart sank. As much as she hated this place, she didn’t want to leave Olivia, and from what the others told her, this was the better place to be. One thing was certain, she would choose death before she would allow any of these sick assholes to touch her.
Greyson shifted on her feet, getting a sense of where this was going. “Why are you telling me this?”
“I have my investments in this too.”
Greyson frowned. “You want me to fix the fights?”
“I want you to win,” the old man growled.
“Why?”
“I have my reasons.”
Greyson studied him. She still had no idea what he was up to, but for some reason he thought she had value. “Will you be betting for or against me?”
He smiled. “Maybe both, depending on the fight.”
“Then why tell me this?”
He pierced her with a hard stare. “Because I want to make sure someone else doesn’t win.”
Greyson frowned. “The bean counter?”
His smile let her know she was on the right track.
“You won’t want him to win either.” His voice was flat and cold and sent a shiver up Greyson’s spine.
“Why’s that?”
The old man drew a long deep breath. “Let’s just say he’s ready to start counting his own beans, and he’s got his eye on a girl.”
Greyson’s heart twisted. “Who?” she asked, certain she already knew the answer.
“You played a dangerous game with us. You embarrassed him in front of the men. He’s going to want to see you hurt in more ways than one.”
“Dammit.” Greyson kicked herself. Every move she made was the wrong one. She might have gained an alliance, but she had set Olivia up again. Why did everything she do keep hurting the one person she wanted to protect? “Can you protect her?”
He twisted his mouth, making his bushy mustac
he bristle like a giant caterpillar. “You make sure I get what I want, and I’ll make sure you get yours.”
“I can’t make any promises when I don’t even know what I’m up against.”
He smiled. “That’s why it’s called gambling. I don’t know what cards you thought you were holding, but right now, you’re all in. Win, lose, or die, the girl is the prize.”
Greyson ground her teeth together until she was certain they would break. She had seen how that man looked at Olivia. She had no doubt that if he managed to gain control of Olivia, the hands-off policy would be out the window. Bile rose in her throat at the thought of anyone touching Olivia. Her mind raced, but she just couldn’t see a way out. They were out of time. Disappointment crashed down on her like an avalanche. She knew in her heart that no matter what she did, win or lose, Olivia would never be safe. Even if she managed to win the fight, what would be next? What would be the next evil plot to use them against each other?
“This is never going to end, is it?” Greyson said bitterly.
The old man shook his head. “You are part of the game. You decide how well you want to play, but the game goes on with or without you.”
* * *
Olivia paced the floor waiting for Greyson to return. It was almost time for the Recruiter to send for her, and she was growing more and more afraid she would be separated from the group, and from Greyson. It would be just like the Recruiter to mess with her head by taking Greyson away now. They all knew the fight was close. Everyone grew more anxious and moody with each passing day.
Olivia ran to Greyson the moment she was let back into the room. Greyson took her hand and squeezed. Olivia could feel the tension vibrate off Greyson’s skin the instant she took her hand.
“We need to talk,” Greyson said with a note of caution in her voice.
Olivia was shaking with anticipation as Greyson led her away from the other girls. Something big was coming. “What’s going on?”
Greyson turned to her abruptly. “We’re out of time. The fight’s in two days. We leave tomorrow.”
“Leave? How do you know?” Olivia asked.
“The old man told me. It’s some kind of tournament.”
Shifting feet drew their attention and they turned to see the other girls had started to gather around them.
“What’s going on, Greyson? We know you know something. You have to tell us. You can’t just leave us in the dark,” Raquel said. The rest of the group nodded as murmurs spread around the room.
Olivia touched Greyson’s arm. “They’re right. There’s no point in keeping it a secret. Everyone deserves to know.”
Greyson nodded. She cleared her throat and turned to face the group. “We ship out tomorrow. I don’t know where we’re going. The fight is in two days. Instead of worrying about one fight, we have to keep fighting over and over again in a tournament. The winner of each round is determined by who can still stand.”
Olivia clasped her hand over her mouth as she gasped. “Oh my God. I’ve seen what one fight does. How can they expect anyone to keep that up?”
Greyson closed her eyes a moment before meeting Olivia’s gaze. “I think that’s the point. They want to see how much we can suffer and still come back for more. At least this way we have a chance to survive. Anyone who loses early in the match is considered expendable. I don’t know what exactly that means. The final two women who face off will fight to the death.”
The room was a buzz of noise as the women began to process the information. Greyson raised her hands and shrugged. “That’s all I know.”
Greyson led Olivia to an empty table where they could have a little space. “There’s something else.”
Olivia pierced Greyson with her gaze, her eyes dark pools of worry. “What?”
“There’s this guy I punched at the last fight. He’s out to get me now. He’s going to be betting on the fights to try to buy one of the girls.”
The fear she saw in Olivia’s eyes cut through her like a knife.
“Who?” Olivia whispered.
Greyson let out a defeated breath. “You.”
Olivia whimpered. Greyson held on to Olivia’s arm, afraid she might faint. A moment later, Olivia straightened, a look of resolve settling on her face. She clenched her jaw.
“That’s it then. I lose no matter what.”
Greyson wanted to reassure Olivia, but she knew her words would just be empty promises even she didn’t believe.
Olivia added, “The Recruiter is going to punish me no matter what you do. Then I have to face some sick bastard who wants to use me as a live voodoo doll to get back at you. Great.”
Greyson sighed. “I’m sorry. Every move I make comes back to hurt you.”
Olivia shook her head. “There’s no point assigning blame for any of this. What’s your plan now?”
Greyson swallowed. She hated not being able to put this right. “I don’t have one.”
Olivia nodded.
“There’s more,” Greyson said, watching the muscle at the side of Olivia’s jaw jump. “No matter what happens at the fight, I won’t be coming back here. Whoever paid to put me in this hell will be moving me somewhere else.”
Tears welled in Olivia’s eyes.
“I’m so sorry for all this, Olivia. I’m going to do whatever I can to…” Do what? What could she do? She felt like she was juggling grenades.
“It’s okay, Greyson. This really isn’t your fault. It isn’t fair to keep making you feel responsible for me. From the beginning they’ve used me against you, and I let them. I don’t want that to happen anymore. It’s time that you do what’s right for you.”
Greyson shook her head. “It’s more than that. We’re in this together. I’m not doing this because I have to, I’m doing it because…” Greyson wasn’t sure what she wanted to say.
“Because?” Olivia asked.
“Because…because…” Greyson stammered. “Because I want to know what you like for breakfast.”
Olivia frowned. “I don’t know what that means.”
“It means this.” Greyson placed her hand behind Olivia’s head and kissed her. She pressed her lips hard against Olivia’s mouth with urgency. Weeks of building attraction were expressed in that one kiss. She was out of time, and she didn’t want another moment to escape without knowing the taste and feel of Olivia’s mouth.
The instant their lips met, Olivia responded with her own need for connection. Her mouth parted, allowing Greyson entry. Her lips were sweet, her mouth hot against Greyson’s. Greyson explored Olivia’s mouth with her tongue, searching for time they didn’t have. In the moment of their connection, Greyson felt life and hope fill her again. Everything she had lost was right there in Olivia’s touch.
Olivia slowed the kiss. Her breath was heavy, and she had her arms wrapped tightly around Greyson’s shoulders.
Greyson broke the kiss, pulling away to look at Olivia. She was surprised to see tears in Olivia’s eyes. Her heart sank. “What’s wrong?” Greyson asked, afraid she had just screwed up.
“Why’d you have to do that now, with everything that’s going on?”
Greyson smiled. “I didn’t want to wait until it was too late. I’d always regret it if I’d never tried.”
“This will just make it harder to let go.”
Greyson kissed Olivia lightly, letting the tenderness of Olivia’s lips warm her soul. “I don’t want to let go.”
Olivia shook her head. “You won’t have a choice.”
Greyson sighed. “Pretending there isn’t anything between us won’t make this less real.”
Olivia swiped at a tear trailing down her cheek. She glanced over Greyson’s shoulder. “Everyone’s watching,” Olivia whispered.
“So let them watch. You’re the only thing I care about right now. We’re all listening to the clock tick, grasping for something worth fighting for.” She brushed her fingers across Olivia’s lips. “This is worth it to me.”
* * *
The r
oom was eerily quiet as the women sat contemplating their fates. Greyson looked around her at the defeated expressions, the grief, the despair that was so overwhelming it hung over the room like the outstretched hand of death. She knew they were thinking of home, the families they might never see again. She knew because that was what she’d been thinking too.
Raquel came and sat next to her, her shoulders slumped. “You know I used to like to read. Well, I guess I still like to read, but you know what I mean. I read a quote once that said something about having to give up the ideas we have about our life in order to accept the life before us.” She picked at a string on her sleeve as if she had gotten lost in her thought.
“Are you saying we have to accept this?” Greyson asked.
Raquel shook her head. “No. The despair we are feeling is because we are holding on to old hope. I’m suggesting we start using our training to our advantage.”
Greyson looked at her, giving her all of her attention. “I’m listening.”
“Some of us have been taking orders, training, and fighting for years. We are consumed by the fight and our expectation of what that might mean for our lives. But what if we don’t make it to the fight? What if we take matters into our own hands before then?”
“You mean a riot?”
Raquel shrugged. “I’m saying if there is an opportunity to act, we should take it.”
Greyson looked around the room. “What about the others? Will they take a stand?”
Raquel grinned. “Vinny and I are in. From what I saw a few days ago, Ruby will be too. If Ruby stands, we all stand.”
Greyson nodded. “Okay. I might have a plan, but it’s going to depend on how we’re moved tomorrow. If this place is as big a secret as everyone believes, they’ll have to be discreet. We need to find a way to be seen, set off an alarm of sorts. Count the guards, know who’s with you at all times. If this is anything like what we usually see around here, we have a chance. Just look for the crack in the sidewalk.”
Captive Page 18
