Dark Horse
Authors: Rhea Wilde
Tags: #Romance, #Contemporary, #Military, #Literature & Fiction, #Contemporary Fiction
DARK HORSE
by Rhea Wilde
Published by Rhea Wilde, 2014.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
DARK HORSE
First edition. January 30, 2014
Copyright ©
2014 Rhea Wilde.
Written by Rhea Wilde.
Table of Contents
An appetite can never be completely satisfied. Because even if you find whatever it is you crave, that craving will always return. I realize that. And I enjoy it. My thirst will never be quenched. The pleasure comes in that brief moment when you think it’s been done.
I sit on my golden throne. The red velvet underneath me cushions my ass and allows me to sink even deeper into my chair. From here, I can see everything. There is no better seat in the house.
To my left and right are the bourgeoisie. These are the city’s elite. They’ve got more money than they knew what to do with, so that’s why they come here. Men dressed in overpriced suits fresh from the cleaners and shoes that have been polished by some poor sap living out on the street. The smell of their cologne wafts through the air and mixes with the rest of fragrances, creating a toxic combination. They look upon the display with their noses in the air and do their best not to flinch.
The women accompanying them are floozies. Hookers and personal escorts desperate t
o become part of the social elite. They wear their tight dresses that show off their asses and push their tits up in an attempt to make these men forget about what they really want. Everybody wants to be an aristocrat. Women around here tend to have it easier. They powder their nose, whisper their talents into a gentleman’s ear and then spread their legs with their back against a mattress. And just like that, they go from walking along the streets to living the rest of their lives like they’re on vacation.
We
’re all gathered inside of my personal little den. The walls are thick so not even the sound of a vibration can even escape. Bodyguards line the perimeter to ensure that nobody can get even a peek inside. To get inside here, you need the money to back it up. Or you can get in here the hard way.
The sound of the men around me starts to grow. They scream and shout, cheering on the spectacle in front of them. From my throne, I look down into the pit several meters below along with the rest of them. I
’d prefer not to call it that but the name stuck.
The walls are made of solid brick. The canvas is painted with artists
’ depictions of warriors of days past. The ground inside of is solid concrete. Not really that big of a deal except for the people unfortunate to crash into it. But whether it's the concrete or the walls, the people inside always get a chance to add their own little touches to it. They call it a pit but truth be told, it’s more than that. This right here in front of me is a work of art. And the people surrounding me are connoisseurs of the highest art.
The crowd roars their approval as the two latest artisans step into view. The first is a man who looks like he stepped out of a comic book. His muscles bulge all over his body. His veins look like the
y could be confused with the rest of the striations on his body. His neck is practically gone, his head being held up by his massive shoulders. Not even a mad scientist could come up with a specimen like this. And it was probably a scientist that did come up with this, as lifting weights and eating lots of meat are not the only thing to get this kind of physique. Wearing nothing but a pair of torn jeans, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were police looking for this man this very moment.
He slaps his palms a
gainst his bald head. He opens his mouth and lets out a primal scream like some kind of beast in the wild. His eyes are bulging out of his skull and once again, the audience acknowledges their excitement.
The man standing across from him isn
’t nearly as large. His tan skin is stretched tight over his muscles. He’s lean and fit. His dark hair is combed neatly over his head like he just got back from a modeling spread. There’s a bit of stubble on his face but I don’t mind it. There’s nothing wrong with a man looking like a man.
His demeanor is calmer than the other man. He stands there in nothing but a pair of black slacks and matching boots. With his fingers interlocked, he stretches his arms to the ceiling and inhales a deep breath. The muscles of his abdome
n tighten as his chest rises. He closes his eyes as if he were regaining his focus.
While the two men prepare to create a masterpiece for its captivated audience, I sit there and listen to the men standing next to me.
“Who is that meathead?” I asked the man standing next to me.
“
The bald one goes by Rhino,” he said to me. “And the other one is—”
“
Fabian. I know. I’ve seen him before. He’s efficient. He’s almost as good a fighter as he is good-looking.”
“
And the other one?”
“
Hmm…”
I twisted my mouth as I exa
mined the beast below us. Muscles and insanity can take you far. But not enough to get past someone like Fabian.
“
No,” I said. “Fabian will take care of him.”
“
Are you sure, Ms. Zara?”
I turned and looked at him as he questioned me. He realized the mistake
he’d made after only a split-second.
“
Of course,” he said as he bowed his head. “I’ll let Francis know.”
He slowly walked away from me and headed toward the man that was now being engulfed by everybody.
Octavio knew better than to question me. I think that’s why I’ve kept him around for so long. I don’t know how long it’s been exactly but I’m used to having him by my side. He’s more than capable of handling himself, having been in a few scraps. But he dresses up nicely. I might even say that he looks respectable in the suit and tie that he’s wearing at the moment. His brown hair is groomed and polished so that he blends in standing next to someone like me. In a world where men hold all of the power, it’s nice to be in a position of control. After all, what’s the point of sitting on a throne if nobody acknowledges you as their queen?
Octavio returned to me shortly and took his usual place next to me.
“Francis is giving you two to one odds on Fabian,” he said. “That’s $2,000 if Fabian walks away. Everybody seems to like Rhino.”
“
Good,” I said. “That’s better than I was expecting.”
Francis waved his arms in the air to let everybody know that he was done taking bets. With all of the money on the table, there was nothing left to do but find out whom it was going t
o.
Fabian and Rhino knew why they were here. They could see the visible blood stains on the walls. There were dents on the ground from men who had, unfortunately, had their heads smashed in. Now it was time to see w
hich of these men would add to the masterpiece that belonged to me.
The tension in the air was thick. I
’d been through this so many times but I’d never gotten used to it. My thirst would never be satisfied but now I would get a little something to try and quench it.
As I leisurely sat in my throne and waited for the proceedings, the rest of the audience stood around anxiously. Octavio stood firmly but shifted back and forth in his place. I crossed my legs to get more comfortable. It was just on the tip of m
y tongue and all I had to do was wait to swallow it.
Fabian started to pace back and forth in the pit. He locked his eyes upon Rhino. There was a focus and determination that made it seem like he had blocked everything else out. Rhino, on the other hand, s
eemed to be fuming even more than he was at the start. You could almost see the smoke coming out of his nostrils as his body began to tremble.
Without warning, he yelled and charged at Fabian. Fabian ducked out of the way and spun around, delivering a heft
y roundhouse kick to the back of Rhino’s head. The large man stumbled into the wall. His forehead crashed against the bricks to the delight of the crowd. Rhino pulled himself away from the wall and the blood began rushing down his face. My mouth started to water at the sight.
Fabian slowly started to move backward as Rhino began to stalk him once again. He charged forward but this time he was ready. When Fabian ducked out of the way, Rhino was there to meet him. He tackled Fabian down to the ground. He proc
eeded to rain down heavy blows upon Fabian’s head and chest.
“
It’s not looking too good for him,” Octavio mumbled to me.
“
Patience,” I said. “This fight isn’t over.”
The blood started to trickle from the side of Fabian
’s mouth. He was going to pay for this in the morning but he was still conscious at this point. That’s all that mattered to me.
The crowd cheered at Rhino
’s display. Every punch was like the stroke of a brush. The picture was nearly complete. Rhino raised both of his hands and balled them together. I leaned forward in my seat. I felt a delicious wetness building between my thighs. Like he was swinging a sledgehammer, Rhino brought his fists down with all of his might. But as he did, Fabian managed to use the beast’s own momentum against him. He shoved Rhino off of him and crawled away.
After Fabian made his escape, he quickly made his way back to his feet. Rhino struggled to do the same. The man had used all of his energy to try and end the fight and now he had nothing left.
“That’s the problem with muscles,” he said. “They run out of fuel so quickly. You can only get so far on a single tank of gas.”
Fabian had him right where he wanted him. He wiped the blood from the side of his mouth and suddenly, he was the predator. He stalked Rhino very slo
wly. Rhino swung his arms in an attempt to catch him but there was no life in his punches. The energy of the crowd was beginning to dissipate as they saw the inevitable beginning to unfold.
Fabian began to dance around him. He dodged all of Rhino
’s slow punches and responded with several of his own. Rhino could take a punch. That was obvious. But eventually Fabian would leave his face swollen, bruised and bloodied.
Even though I knew it was coming, I didn
’t grow tired of it. I leaned forward in my seat to get a better look. Fabian was clearly the better fighter and now he was proving it. Finally, my craving was being satisfied.
Rhino fell down to one knee as if to beg for mercy. His arms were down at his sides. He struggled to keep himself up. Fabian walked
up slowly and looked down upon him. He then turned his attention to the crowd around him. The crowd began chanting. Their bloodlust had not yet been satisfied despite the red that had been sprayed all over the canvas.
Fabian obliged. He put his hand undern
eath Rhino’s chin and pointed his head upward. With one swift punch, Rhino went crashing to the ground unconscious. The sound of groaning echoed through my den. Just like that, thousands of dollars had gone down the drain.
“
I told you,” I said.
“
How did you know?” Octavio asked me.
“
I could see it in his eyes. There’s a difference between a guy who plays the part and a guy who actually lives it. You need to do more than lift weights to make it out here.”
Two attendants dragged Rhino
’s unconscious body from the arena. A trail of blood smeared against the ground where his head was. Fabian stood triumphant in the center of the pit. He looked around and basked in the glory of the people smart enough to wager on him. Then he turned his attention to me. I stared back at him, not letting him know what I was feeling inside.
“
You,” I shouted as I pointed to him. “Come here.”
The crowd became silent. Fabian slowly began to ascend the stairs toward me. When he finally got in front of me, I could examine him more closely
. His body was covered in a tinge of sweat and blood. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath.
He stood there while I looked him over with my eyes. He didn
’t say a single word. He knew his place. And that gave me even more reason to like him.
I st
ood up from my throne and raised one of my gloved hands up. I wiped some of the blood from his mouth as he stared at me with his deep brown eyes.
“
You fought well,” I said to him.
“
Thank you, Ms. Zara.”
“
And you have manners, too. You know, Fabian… You have the ability. You can go far. Real far. But only if you let me take you there. Will you let me take you there, Fabian?”
“
Yes, Ms. Zara. Of course.”
I couldn
’t fight the smile off of my face. It was nice to be appreciated. Francis made his way to me and handed Octavio my winnings for tonight. Octavio counted the money then placed it in my hand as I held it out.
“
I’m not like most of these people you see around here,” I said to Fabian. “They’re all just here because they think they have an eye for talent. But this is my house. And the house always wins. You won, as well. That means you get your cut, too. Ten-percent.”
I counted out $200 then held it out to him. He took the money from my hand and bowed his head in thanks.
While he shoved the money into his pocket, I examined him closely. Watching a man use nothing but his raw talent and physical attributes always did something to me. I was the same as any other woman. I had other cravings that had to be satisfied.