Fighting for Flight (20 page)

“Oh, Eve, I’m so sorry. You have company. I’ll
go.”

Wait, why does that voice sound familiar?

“No, Rave, wait. You look horrible. Have you been
crying? What’s going on?”

She still hasn’t opened the door anymore, but her
face shows concern. A large hand curls around her waist from
behind, and a tall man comes into view over her shoulder.

Holy shit!

~*~

Jonah

It’s nine forty-five and the club is getting crowded.
Even from my seat at the bar, it’s hard to see through the bodies
filling the place. The girls finally got the hint that we aren’t
here for entertainment. Their advances went beyond annoying to
borderline hostile in the last hour. Blake and I finally had to
tell them to back off and get the hell out of our way.

“Can I get you a drink, man?” the bartender asks for
the third time, irritation lacing his voice.

This kid is pissing me the fuck off. My head swivels
in his direction and I drill him with my stare. A beer would do
wonders to calm my urge to kill, but there’s no way I’ll be
anything less than one hundred percent coherent when I face
Dominick.

He throws his hands up and takes a step back. “Whoa,
I don’t want any trouble. But you can’t sit here all night and not
buy a drink. I’m just following the rules.”

I pull a hundred dollar bill from my pocket and toss
it his way.

“On second thought,” he nabs the cash, “enjoy your
night.”

I go back to surveying my surroundings.

No sign of Dominick. Selena told Blake that he
usually comes in around this time of night to work some of his
girls. We’ve been here for an hour and he’s a no show.

“How long do you want to hang out?” Blake asks, his
eyes scanning the room.

“As long as it takes. Raven’s with Eve so I have all
night.”

I have fight-night focus. My senses are sharp. Every
male voice draws my attention along with every opening door.
Adrenaline runs high, as does my determination. I will not leave
this place until I meet with Dominick.

I swallow a growl when I feel a small, feminine hand
move up my shoulder. Can these girls not take no for an answer?
Turning towards its owner, I cringe. I don’t need this shit.

“Hey, stranger,” Candy purrs, with her fake,
over-affected seduction.

I jerk my head in acknowledgement.

Leaning forward, she brings her lips to my ear. “I
told you, you’d be back.”

“Not in the mood for your games tonight, Candy.”

She gasps when I remove her from my shoulder and go
back to scanning the room.

“Don’t tell me you’re still with that trashy little
girl,” she scoffs.

What did she just say?
My gaze swings toward
her.

Her puffy lips lift into a satisfied smile. “You
never gave me the chance to show you what I could do for you,
lover.” She runs a sharp nail from my shoulder and down my arm, her
eyes following its path. “I’d do things to you that would make you
forget that dirty skank’s name.” She swings a leg over my knee,
rubbing against me like some pathetic animal.

I stand and she stumbles back, my sudden movement
throwing her off balance. She looks up at me and her eyes grow
wide. I would never hit a girl, but this bitch is pushing my
buttons. I’m already walking the fine line of my temper. She picked
the wrong night to fuck with me.

“One night, Candy. That’s all we had and that’s all
we’ll ever have. You need to squash these deluded fantasies you
have about us. It ain’t gonna happen. Ever. Understand?”

She opens her mouth to speak, but I’m not
finished.

“And if you ever speak about
my girl
like
that again, I will ruin you. You won’t be able to move far enough
away to escape the reputation I’ll give you. Only job you’ll be
able to get is shit-pumping port-a-potties. We clear?”

Her eyes narrow and her mouth moves, but for the
first time the bitch is speechless.

“Now, leave me the fuck alone.”

Face flushed, she spins and storms off.

I lean against the bar and go back to scanning the
room. If that speech doesn’t get Candy off my back, nothing will.
It’s then I notice a new group of men standing around a table. One
of them has blond hair, but his back is to me, so I can’t see his
face.

Blake grabs my arm and grins his cocky smile. “It’s
go time.”

He jerks his head in the direction of the
light-haired man. A slight shift in the man’s position and I see
his face. Dominick Morretti.

A low hum of energy coils in the back of my head. My
legs move me forward while my mind visualizes taking this prick-ass
down. Pressing in through the crowd, I force back my protective
instinct and wrestle with reason. I focus on my breathing and
remind myself to stay calm. For Raven.

Don’t kick his ass. Not here. Not yet.

An aggressive presence prickles from behind me. I
look over my shoulder to see Blake, his jaw clenched and his fists
tight at his sides. He’s ready to throw down, and I’m grateful that
he has my back.

I approach Dominick while he’s chatting with a group
of businessmen. I catch a second of the conversation that clearly
involves selling a few of his women for the night. Imagining for a
moment that it’s Raven he’s selling, the buzz in my head explodes.
Fuck that.
My arms burn to reach out and break this fucker’s
neck right here and now.

“Lock it down, man. For her.”

Blake’s words push me forward.

I take the last step, placing me a foot away.
“Dominick Morretti. I need a word.”

He swivels around and meets my eyes. I’m taken aback
by how much his look like Raven’s. There’s no doubt this is her
father. My stomach roils. I don’t smile, and I can only imagine
that my face looks about as friendly as a rabid pit bull.

“Why if it isn’t ‘The Assassin.’” He sneers.
“Gentlemen, what a treat we have tonight.” A slow clap of his hands
has the men at the table’s attention. “The undefeated
contender.”

The men at the table acknowledge me, but my eyes
burn into Dominick.

He must sense I’m not here for a meet and greet, and
he leans in so no one can hear him but me. “I have a feeling I know
what, or should I say whom, you want to have a word about.”

Blake steps close, placing his shoulder between me
and Dominick and making him lean back.

“You want to go somewhere private or would you
rather have it out right here? I’m cool either way,” I spit through
my teeth.

His face turns to stone, his previous bravado gone.
He nods to a man who takes his place and excuses himself from the
group of patrons. I follow him toward the back of the club.

We’re in a dark hallway with doors running along its
sides. I follow Dominick to the very last door and into an office.
He doesn’t move to the desk chair, but instead stays in front of
it, leaning against it. There’s shuffling behind me and I hear the
door close. Two men stand on either side of Dominick against the
wall. My senses go on high alert. They’re here to protect him
against us. Smart.

“Have a seat Mr. Slade and . . .” he looks to Blake
with raised eyebrows. “Mr. Daniels.”

“How the fuck do you know me?” Blake says from my
side.

“I know
everything
, Mr. Daniels. Now,
sit.”

“We’d rather stand,” I snap.

“Suit yourself.” He grins and I don’t miss his eyes
darting to our fisted hands. “What can I help you with, boys?
Looking to set up a date? I’ve got some beautiful girls who would
love to spend some time with you, for the right price.” Locking
eyes with me, his lips curl back from his teeth. “If you’d be
willing to wait a few weeks, I can arrange for you to have a new
girl. She’s never been used before. She’ll cost a little extra, the
virgins always do—”

“Shut the fuck up,” I roar.

“You son of a bitch!” Blake yells at the same
time.

Blood drums in my ears. He’s obviously provoking me,
trying to get me to attack him so he can take me out, leaving Raven
defenseless so he can pray on her like the scavenging fuck that he
is. I fist my hands against the urge to destroy him. My hands flex
so tight, I feel the bite of my nails breaking the skin. The
buzzing in my brain is nuclear. I push through the fog and focus on
Raven. My muscles twitch with unbridled fury.

“What do you want, Dominick? For Raven? I’ll give
you whatever you want in return for her freedom.”

Dominick leans back and props his expensive loafers
onto the desk.

“Whatever I want, huh? Don’t think you have anything
I want, Mr. Slade.”

“Name your price.”

“You don’t have enough.”

“Try me.”

He stares at me in silence while spinning his gold
pinkie ring with his thumb.

“Ten million dollars, cash.”

Shit.
That’s a lot of money. My chest
constricts. This is a lost cause. I can’t afford that. If I sell my
house, my cars, everything I have in savings . . . dammit, that’s
still not enough.

“Or,” he looks at Blake then back to me, “we could
make this interesting.” He taps his bottom lip with his finger.

I’d give anything to bust that lip open.

“I’ll tell you what. You want to win my daughter?
Throw your title fight.”

His words suck the air from my lungs.

“Fuck me,” Blake whispers.

“You boys must be aware of the odds in this fight.
You’re the favorite to win. If I put enough money on Del Toro, and
he wins, I could become a very rich man. You lose that fight, I’ll
release Raven.”

“Done.” My answer bursts forth without hesitation. I
would give up anything for her, including my life’s dream. She’s my
dream now.

“I have one stipulation. The fight must go three
rounds. You can’t just walk into the octagon with your hands at
your side. Make it believable, as if you’re fighting to win.”

Blake steps close and Dominick’s bodyguards follow
suit. “That’s impossible. He goes out there to fight. Del Toro’s
down.”

Dominick’s eyes stay focused on mine. “That’s what
makes it a challenge. Are you up for the challenge, Mr. Slade?”

“I’ll do it.” I can do anything if it means being
with Raven.

Blake murmurs a string of foul words while depraved
satisfaction shines in Dominick’s eyes. He reaches out to shake my
hand. I hesitate.

Rage rides me hard, and I know if I touch this man I
may lose it. I picture Raven’s smiling face and take a deep breath.
I force my hand forward and shake his, harder than necessary.

“It’s a deal,” he says. “Are we done here?”

“No, one more thing.” I place both palms on the edge
of the desk and lean forward, looming over Dominick. His bodyguards
step up close, flashing their weapons under their suit coats. “You
stay the hell away from Raven. I don’t want you to contact her,
threaten her, or even
think
about her. You got someone on
her, you call them off. She’s mine. I’ll do whatever it takes to
protect her. Whatever. It. Takes.”

The all-consuming buzz has me shaking with the need
to fuck this guy up. Blake reaches from behind me and pulls me back
by my biceps. I lean forward on pure instinct.

“Come on, man. You got what we came for. Let’s get
outta here.” Blake drags me backwards, my piercing scowl locked on
Dominick.

Yeah, good idea, before I kill this bastard.

I rip free of Blake’s hold and leave the room.

“Good night, gentleman.” Dominick’s cackling
laughter fades as we walk down the hall.

I’m a bomb, live and loaded, ready to rip the shit
out of anyone that looks at me wrong. My muscles coil, pulse
racing.

I shove the front door open and hear the satisfying
smack as it slams against the exterior wall of the club.

“Easy, man,” some douchebag college kid says
standing with a group of his pissant friends.

I stalk over and step right up in his face. “The
fuck you say?”

“Nothing. It’s cool.” The kid shifts and steps back
into the safety of his friends, unaware they’ve all backed up a
good ten feet.

My lips curl. I advance a step.

“Come on. Don’t make the poor bastard crap his pants
in front of his friends.” Blake’s tone is joking, but he doesn’t
move to touch me. He knows better than to put a hand on me when I’m
this close to lighting shit up.

Dropping the little punk will make me feel better.
Nothing satisfies the beast within like a good street fight—until
recently. There’s one thing that works even better.

I turn away and hear him exhale a “Thank you, Jesus”
as I head to my truck.

“Breathe, brother.” Blake’s voice comes from behind
me.

“Raven. I need her. Now.”

Raven

In shock, I stare silently as Eve tilts her head,
smiling with affection to the man at her back.

“Raven, this is the guy I was telling you about,
Vince. Vince, this is my best friend, Raven.” Eve introduces us
like we’re at a dinner party.

Vince leans forward, sucking Eve’s earlobe into his
mouth. Her eyes flutter closed and a soft moan escapes her lips.
His eyes lock on mine as his lips peel back over his teeth, and he
sinks them into her ear.

Eww.

“Nice to meet you, Raven. Eve has told me
a
lot
about you.”

That’s why he looked at me so familiarly yesterday.
He’s been feeding information about me to Dominick. No doubt Eve
has told him everything. I groan as I think of all the things I’ve
told her, things I confided in her about my life.

I bet he’s the one who told Dominick that I had
fallen in love with Jonah, that I was staying with him every night,
that I was a virgin.

Vince is Dominick’s Ass-In-The-Hole.

He had this planned: having Vince stalk me, violate
my personal life to gain leverage against me, taking advantage of
my best friend, her loving heart and beautiful body, to spy on me.
I lock eyes with Vince, but talk to Eve.