The Fighter

by Leslie Georgeson

  Love? Yeah. I was in love with Jacob. I’d discovered it not long after he’d told me his story and then pushed me away. I’d sat in my corner of the cell, thinking about all the things he’d revealed to me. He might not see it, but he was a good man. My heart ached when I thought about all the horrible things he’d had to endure. I knew he cared about me, too. He wouldn’t have held me, comforted me if he didn’t care. Jacob wasn’t a fake person. He didn’t do anything he didn’t want to do.

  Unless he was forced to.

  He’d been forced to betray his dreg brothers to save Hazel’s life. Certainly this Tracker guy would forgive him someday? He had to, dammit. Tracker’s refusal to forgive Jacob hurt Jacob deeply. Jacob needed Tracker’s forgiveness so he could forgive himself, so he could truly justify what he’d done. As if saving Hazel wasn’t enough. He still blamed himself.

  Even after confiding in me, Jacob was still suspicious of me. He still believed I had betrayed him.

  I vowed I would prove him wrong. I would prove my innocence.

  Kenny stood in front of a window, looking out into the warehouse at the fighting octagon below. He glanced back at me as the guards went out and closed the door. Then he motioned below. “See that octagon down there? That’s where your friend The Fighter is going to fight tonight. I’ve already arranged it. I can see the entire fight from up here. It gives me a better view than the spectators will see from below.”

  I resisted looking out the window at the octagon. I didn’t care.

  Kenny waved me closer. “Come on. Take a look. You’ll be up here tonight with me, watching The Fighter from above.”

  I hesitated, then stepped up to the window and looked down. The octagon looked smaller from up here. But up here, I had a clear view of all the blood stains on the mat. My stomach roiled. Jacob would be down there tonight, fighting for his life.

  And Hazel’s.

  Maybe even mine.

  I had no doubt he could defend himself. That he could kill. But it would tear out a piece of his soul.

  Kenny turned back to me. “Is he going to fight?”

  I nodded. “He’ll fight.” He would. He would do it for Hazel. Kenny had told me to try to get information out of Jacob, but I would never share Jacob’s secrets with Kenny. Or anyone else.

  Kenny grinned. “Excellent. Did he tell you anything, give you any information that might be useful?”

  “No. He hates me. He thinks I betrayed him. He wouldn’t even say one word to me.”

  Kenny studied me with his one visible brown eye, his ugly, burned face making me turn away. Then he sighed. “If you can’t get anything out of him, then you’re useless to me. Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you right now.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t have one. Kill me. I don’t care.”

  He snorted and turned away. “I’m not going to kill you, pretty Anna. I have a use for you. And tonight, after the fight, you will see what it is.”

  I could imagine all sorts of “uses” he might have planned for me, none of them good.

  “Where’s Hazel?” I asked. “Can I see her? Please? I want to make sure she’s okay.”

  Kenny turned back to me. “My sister is watching her. She won’t hurt her. Alissa has a soft heart, unfortunately. She likes kids. Don’t worry, the girl will be fine, unless The Fighter refuses to do what I say.”

  I swallowed hard. I had no choice but to believe him. I had to believe Hazel was okay.

  “So what did you want to see me for?” I asked, wanting to get this over with and go back to Jacob.

  At that moment, someone knocked on the office door.

  “Come in!” Kenny called.

  The tall blonde woman from yesterday entered the room. “Alissa is going to measure you, then fit you in a dress for tonight,” Kenny said.

  The woman—Alissa—gave me a sympathetic look, then came forward with a seamstress tape and measured my waist, hips, chest, and inseam.

  “You’re a size 5,” she said, writing on a small notepad. “I’ve got several dresses that will fit you. Come on.”

  I hesitated, but Kenny waved us away, unconcerned. Two guards flanked us as we left the office and went down the stairs. Alissa led me to a room across from the octagon and opened a closet to reveal several different designer dresses. I could imagine Kenny had stolen them. He was a criminal, after all. I didn’t want to try any of them on. I didn’t want to dress up for Kenny. Not at all.

  But I might have to if I was going to free Jacob and Hazel.

  I would do whatever it took.

  So I tried on all the dresses while Alissa watched, and took notes. I didn’t know why she was taking notes or what she was writing down. Was she describing me in the dresses for Kenny?

  Looks ugly in the yellow.

  Looks sexy in the red.

  Looks slutty in the black.

  I tried not to think about why Kenny wanted me to dress up or what plans he had for me after the fight.

  But I would do what I had to do.

  For Jacob.

  And for Hazel.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Jacob

  When Anna came back the second time, there was a determination about her, a strength that hadn’t been there before. As if she was preparing for something big. What had happened?

  I wanted to ask her, but I wasn’t sure if she would tell me. If she was working for Kenny, then she might lie to keep me from knowing the truth.

  I watched her as she paced around the cell for several minutes, obviously deep in thought. What I wouldn’t give right then to know what was in her head. What was she thinking? Something was definitely up. Something had happened. I sensed it.

  I had to know what.

  “What’s going on?”

  She turned toward me, pausing in her pacing. She drew in a deep breath, slowly exhaled. “Tonight is when Kenny is going to make you fight.”

  I sighed. I’d already been expecting that. I shrugged. “Yeah, so?”

  She came forward, kneeling before me and taking my hands in hers. I let her. I liked her touch. It did good things to my soul, pushed the demons aside. Reminded me I was still human. Our bond seemed to be growing stronger ever since we’d been imprisoned here together, as if our forced confinement was bringing us closer. She looked into my eyes. “I’m scared, Jacob. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  I glanced down at our joined hands. “If you’re there tonight, I want you to look away. I don’t want you to see the phantom.”

  “I already saw the phantom,” she admitted, “back at your house.”

  Right. I cleared my throat and looked away.

  “It doesn’t change anything,” she whispered, and I pulled my gaze back to hers.

  “It doesn’t?”

  “No. I still care about you. I’ve seen the man you are. You’re a good person.” She held my gaze, her expression honest, open. I hesitated, then lifted my chained hands over her head and pulled her into my lap. Fuck, even when I was pissed at her, even when I wasn’t sure if I could trust her, I still couldn’t resist her.

  Our mouths met, a mutual reaching for comfort, a desperate desire to be closer, to connect, to bond. To share. To take. To give. To forget about everything but this moment right now in each other’s arms.

  The kiss turned desperate. Needy. Mouths meshing. Tongues tangling. Emotions flowing between us. Anna consumed me. Completely. She was fucking me up. Changing me. Making me want her. So fucking much.

  At last, I leaned back, breathing heavily.

  She lowered her hands to my chest and absently stroked across the front of my shirt. “Kenny expects me to dress up for him tonight.” She cleared her throat. “I might…have to do things with him after the fight.”

  I stiffened, my blood boiling. “No. Don’t do it, Anna.”

  She gave a violent shudder and leaned into me. “I don’t want to,” she whispered. “But I’m prepared to do anything I have to, to get you out of here. To save Hazel.”

&nb
sp; I shook her gently and she leaned back, meeting my gaze.

  “No. I don’t want you risking yourself for me.”

  She sighed, then whispered. “I’m going to try to escape tonight, see if I can disable Kenny somehow. Maybe beat him over his head with his prosthetics.” She giggled. “Wouldn’t that be funny?”

  I snorted. “I’d love to see that.”

  Our gazes met. Then we both sobered.

  She cleared her throat. “Somehow, I will get away tonight. And then I will find someone willing to come back and help me free you and Hazel.”

  I was silent for a moment, considering her words. Was she serious? Would she really do that for me? If she did, then it would more than prove her innocence. But could I trust her? My instincts have saved me many times while out on a mission. Rarely were my instincts wrong. Right now, my gut told me to trust her. I had to, if I wanted to get out of here alive. It wasn’t as if I had anything to lose. I was already a prisoner.

  But if I gave up the dregs’ hideout and she told Kenny…

  I had to believe she wouldn’t do that. I had to trust her.

  I pressed a kiss to her forehead, then looked into her eyes. “There’s an envelope in the nightstand by my bed with your name on it. It’s taped to the bottom of the top drawer. I was planning on telling you about it if anything happened to me, so that you could get Hazel to a safe place. It contains directions to where you’ll find the other dregs.”

  She closed her eyes briefly, drawing in a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again and looked at me, her eyes were swimming with tears. “I won’t let you down, Jacob. I’ll find them, and I’ll bring them back to save you. I promise.”

  She hugged me. Tightly.

  And as I held her against me, I believed wholeheartedly that she would do that. I believed she would try her hardest to set us all free, no matter the risk to herself.

  “They might not agree to help you,” I pointed out quietly. “I betrayed them.”

  She leaned back and looked me in the eye. “They’ll help you. I’ll convince them. I won’t leave until they agree to.”

  I let out a soft snort. “You do realize the dregs are all big, badass warriors like me. It won’t be easy to convince them to help. But the one most likely to listen to you will be Nate. He’s the most level-headed of the bunch.”

  “Nate,” she repeatedly quietly. “Okay. I’ll ask for him when I find them. What’s his dreg name?”

  My distrust was slipping away. I had to believe in Anna. I had to trust that she hadn’t betrayed me before and that she wouldn’t betray me now. She was all I had. As long as these chains were on me, I couldn’t turn the phantom loose. And as long as Kenny held Hazel hostage, I couldn’t do anything that might endanger her. My hands were tied.

  But Anna’s weren’t. If she could pull this off, we might have a chance. But I couldn’t stomach the thought of that punk Kenny putting his hands on her.

  She might have to let him in order to escape.

  I shoved the disturbing thought from my mind. I wouldn’t think about that. I couldn’t.

  Anna was mine, dammit. Mine. Not his.

  She’s not yours. She might never be yours. Especially if you die.

  “Jacob?” Anna was watching me, waiting for an answer.

  I took a deep breath, exhaled. “Nate’s The Healer.”

  She nodded. “And the others? Who are they?”

  I hesitated. If I told her who all the dregs were, she could take the information back to Kenny.

  You have to trust her, man.

  A little at a time.

  “Later,” I said.

  She looked disappointed, but she didn’t argue. Then she cuddled against me again. I held her close, and we shared each other’s warmth in this cold, miserable cell. Right now, in this moment, I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t an outsider. I was just a prisoner sharing a cell with another prisoner. With Anna. We bonded in that cell, clinging to each other, our future uncertain.

  Words weren’t necessary as we thought about the upcoming night and what might happen. I would have to kill whomever Kenny stuck me in the octagon with. I wouldn’t necessarily have to become the phantom to do that. If I could avoid showing off my supernatural ability, I would. But that would all depend on who Kenny expected me to fight. And kill.

  I’d never met a man I couldn’t kill. But there was always a first time for everything.

  The guards brought us something to eat at dinnertime, roast beef sandwiches and fruit and bottles of water. Anna and I ate in silence. Less than an hour later, the guards returned to take Anna away. Once she was gone, I launched into an intense workout of sit-ups, push-ups, squats, lunges, crunches, and then ran around the cell, stopping and switching directions every so often to keep my mind sharp. The concrete floor didn’t slow me down. I’d been through much worse. The goal tonight was to win. So I might someday see my daughter—and Anna—again.

  When the guards finally returned for me, I was ready. I wanted this night behind me.

  Anna had said she would do what she had to do.

  And so would I.

  After that, all I could do was pray Anna escaped.

  And that she came back for me.

  With the other dregs.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Anna

  The guards led me to a room beneath the stairs. The red dress lay across the bed, a terrifying reminder of what I might have to do to escape. Of course, Kenny wanted me to wear the red one. The most-revealing one. The bodice dipped low, nearly to the center of my breasts, and the back did as well, clear to my waist. It trailed just past my knees in a sexy, feminine cascade of flowing red. I wouldn’t mind wearing a pretty dress like this for Jacob, but not for Kenny. Not for any man except Jacob.

  It was true. If I owned a pretty dress like this, I would want to wear it for Jacob.

  I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was about to come.

  You can do this, Anna.

  A knock came at the door, then it opened. Alissa entered. She smiled, though I could tell it was forced. “Come on. Kenny wants you to get cleaned up.”

  Why? So he could rape me later?

  I followed her to another room—a bathroom—with the guards flanking us. She told me to take a shower, then she went out, leaving me alone.

  An hour later, Alissa led me through the now crowded warehouse and up the stairs to Kenny’s office. I was clean, my hair done up with Alissa’s help, wearing makeup, and dressed in the sexy red dress and three-inch red heels. The warehouse was now full of excited spectators, who crowded around the octagon. People were still filing in the door, vying for a position that would enable them to get a good view of the fight. Where had all these people come from? Apparently the gang wars hadn’t affected the underground fight world. There had to be at least several hundred people here, and they were still filing in the building.

  But the large crowd would make it easier for me to escape.

  With that thought in my mind, I reached the door to Kenny’s office. It was open. Kenny was talking to several of his men in the center of the room.

  Do what you have to do, Anna.

  Kenny turned his ugly, one-eyed gaze on me. He looked me up and down, then grinned.

  Nerves clenched my gut.

  Do what you have to do, Anna.

  He leered. “You look fucking hot, Anna. Come in, come in! You can watch the fight from up here where you will get a better view.” I hesitantly stepped into the room.

  Kenny glanced at Alissa. “Go back to your place. Keep your phone on you. The Fighter’s probably going to want proof that the kid is okay, so when I call you, be ready to send some video.” He waved her away. She left, along with the guards, and I was alone with Kenny.

  He hobbled over to the door on his prosthetic legs and shut it. He turned the lock, shutting everyone else out, and locking me in. I swallowed hard and lifted my gaze.

  Be brave, Anna.

  Do what you have to do. />
  He grinned and waved me toward the window that looked down into the warehouse. He pulled it open with a hard shove, and the noise from below floated up to us. The crowd was screaming and cheering wildly.

  Kenny sniggered. “This is going to be one hell of a fight! Oh, look! The Fighter is entering the ring now. In shackles.”

  I didn’t want to look. But I was afraid not to. I stepped forward and peered out the open window at the octagon below.

  Several guards shoved Jacob into the ring. His hands and feet were still chained together. He was helpless, vulnerable like this. How could he defend himself? Would they release the shackles before the fight?

  The guards all carried guns or Tasers which they kept pointed at Jacob. Jacob turned to the man closest to him and appeared to be having a heated conversation with the man. Then Kenny’s phone rang. He sent me a sly look, then answered. He listened.

  “Yeah. I’ll call her.”

  He swiped across his phone, then waited. “Alissa, send video to Jeff. Yes, right now. The Fighter is refusing to engage until he has proof the kid is okay. Hurry up about it.”

  He stuffed the phone in the pocket of his jeans and glanced back out the window. I followed his gaze, watching Jacob below. The man who’d been arguing with Jacob answered his phone, then held it up to Jacob, obviously showing him the video of Hazel. I had to believe the video was real and that Alissa would keep her promise to take care of Hazel. I couldn’t make out Jacob’s expression from this distance, but I caught the slight movement of his head as he gave a quick nod.

  “Excellent!” Kenny clapped his hands together. He grabbed his phone again, swiped the screen. “Bring in the fighters. Just the first group for now.”

  Fighters. Plural.

  More than one. My blood went cold. Kenny was forcing Jacob to fight more than one man.

  My stomach roiled. Oh God. The crowd parted below as Kenny’s men led a group of men toward the ring. I counted them as they entered.

  Ten.

  I turned to Kenny with a gasp of outrage. “Are you kidding me? How is that fair? Ten against one? That only happens in movies!”

  Kenny snickered. “People paid a lot of money to come watch this fight. I’m going to give them their monies’ worth. Besides, your boyfriend can handle it. He took out nine of my men back at his house. You saw it. If he manages to kill these ten, I’ll send in another group.”