REBEL: #4.5 The Beat and The Pulse (7 page)

I
glanced
at the text on my phone and smiled.

Rebel: You coming to see me win tonight, Sweet Lips?

I’d put his name into my contacts after leaving his place the day before. We’d decided it might be a good idea to have a day or two apart before whatever this thing was devoured us whole, but it seemed Rebel couldn’t help himself. I’d never shacked up with a man so fast in my entire life, but nothing had ever compared to the bang with which we began. It was dive in the deep end head first or nothing.

Unlocking my phone, I tapped in a reply.
Sure thing, hot stuff
.

Going back to The Underground was a risk, I knew that, and it took walking on the wild side to a whole new level. I wasn’t just having a romp with a sexy fighter, I was dealing with the devil for daring to conceal who I was. They all did it, though. Fighters took on pseudonyms, nobody gave out last names…and everyone kept tight-lipped on what was going on in that warehouse and where they’d come from. I was no different, except for the fact I was the one person who wouldn’t be welcome.

A cop was a cop no matter what you dressed her up as.

I found myself daydreaming all day at work, my alertness off-kilter to my usual performance. I’d been stuck on an armed robbery out in the suburbs. It was an old case that had yet to be closed and I was sure Hunter had put me onto it to punish me for my unsanctioned snooping around The Underground. Man, if only he knew. I’d spent the whole afternoon canvassing witnesses that had already been canvassed weeks ago, or at least I’d tried to. I did end up getting some solid leads that I thought were worth looking into, so it’d suck to be Hunter when I cracked it.

When my shift came to an end, I hightailed it home to get changed and made it to The Underground with minutes to spare until Rebel went in for his fight.

I found him waiting by the cage entrance, shaking out his muscles, looking every inch the pure specimen he was. When he caught sight of me, his lips curved into a shit-eating grin. He stepped into me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him.
Hard
.

“Hey,” he murmured against my lips.

“Hey.”

“You miss me or somethin’?”

Smiling, I replied, “I can still feel you.”

Rebel’s eyes widened slightly, his hands tightening around my waist. “Fuckin’ good.”

“I expect you to win, you know.”

“It’s a sure thing, Sweet Lips.”

“We’ll celebrate later.” I wiggled my eyebrows up and down.

Like a typical man, Rebel’s eyes widened at the suggestion of sex.

“Against the wall, in the shower, on my knees—”

He placed a hand over my mouth and laughed. “Stop it, Charlie, or I’ll skip the fight all together and have you right here. Do you want an audience? Because I sure as fuck don’t want to share you with anyone.”

Wrapping my hand around his wrist, I tugged, freeing my lips. “Then you better win good.”

“Record time.”

Letting me go, he backed away as his name was called. The cage door closed, and he blew me a cheeky kiss. I could feel the jealous eyes on me, but I didn’t give a shit. It was just me and him, and I didn’t like to admit it, but I was in so deep I wasn’t sure I was getting out. If this fucked up, I would never be the same again. What man could compete with Kane ‘Rebel’ Sturgess? None.

Fuck, we were like one of those annoying loved up couples. It was all new and fresh, and we couldn’t keep our hands off one another. I’d used to look at people like that and throw up. Yeah, I’d been jealous, but I got it now. The rest of the world ceased to exist when you felt like that.

The crowd jostled around me as the fight began, and I was pushed backward. Turning, I threaded my way out of the throng and rounded the back of the bleachers. I’d never sat up there before, but it would afford me an uninterrupted view of the fight. Glancing toward the fighter only area, I stilled.

The entry was unattended, and suddenly, my cop sense flared into life.

Looking around, I noticed nobody was watching, all eyes were plastered on the cage. This was my chance if I was willing to take it. Everyone was otherwise occupied watching the fight and wouldn’t notice if I slipped into the office. I’d have to be quick about it.

Not wanting to draw any unwanted attention to myself, I wandered forward. Stepping into the hall, I began walking fast, my boots thudding against the concrete floor.

“Hey!”

I froze, my heart skipping a beat or ten, and I turned slowly, plastering a fake smile on my face.

“Hey,” I said, waving to the security guard.

“You’re Rebel’s new girl?” he asked, looking me up and down.

“Charlie,” I said, fluttering my eyelashes at him.

“What are you doing out here?”

“What do you think?”
Imply sexy thoughts.

His eyes widened slightly, and after a moment, a sly smile appeared on his lips. “Okay, go straight back and wait in the change rooms.”

I flashed him my best smile and backed away. “You got it.”
Idiot
.

Disappearing into the empty change room, I waited a moment before peering back around the corner. The security guard was walking back to his post after having waited to make sure I did as I was told. He moved through the door and back to his post.

The hallway was empty, and I had a chance to get into the office. Pacing back down the hall toward the security guard, I knew I might not get another chance. It was now or never.

An image of Rebel flashed in my mind, and I shook my head. I had to keep my eye on the prize.

Trying the door to the office, I found it unlocked, and I slipped inside, closing it softly behind me. I was alone, the room dark, and I took out my phone to light the way. There was a desk in the middle of the room, the surface littered with papers, and toward the back, there was a huge safe and a filing cabinet. It was pretty bare other than those things, and I wondered if this was it, the entirety of their operation, but experience told me it wasn’t. Not by a long shot.

There was no hope of me cracking the combination to the safe, so I decided to have a flip through the filing cabinet to see what I could find. Any evidence I collected would be useless, but not if I handed it in anonymously. Opening the top drawer, I began thumbing through the files. How was I going to take credit for it, though? Hand it into myself? I’d have to be careful how I went about that and cover my tracks.

The sound of the door opening behind me made me still, and instantly, I knew I’d been made.
Fuck
. I’d been stupid. So fucking stupid.

The light flicked on, and the sound of a low growl echoed from behind. Closing the filing cabinet, I turned on my heel, my hands in the air. My gaze collided with a man I’d never seen before. A hard looking guy, stocky with a shaved head and an air of danger that was all too familiar.

His face twisted into a scowl and he asked, “Who the fuck are you?”

I should’ve listened to my conscience on this one because I was in the shit. How the fuck was I going to worm my way out of this without revealing who I was? I’d promised Rebel I’d play the game, and when he found out… Shit, we’d be over.

I opened and closed my mouth, trying to think of a plausible story for poking around in a filing cabinet at an illegal cage fighting operation, but nothing came out. I had no excuse.

The man strode forward and grabbed me around the arm. I twisted, trying to break free, but he pulled me tight against his chest.

“I won’t ask again, pretty girl. Who the fuck are you?”

Yeah, I was in it big time.

I
t was an easy fight
.

Torment went down without too much trouble—the guy was way too green for this place. He was the same age as me but inexperienced. He held back on his blows like he was afraid of hurting me, but it was his weakness. If he could get over the fact that it took blood to win, he’d be pretty fucking formidable. He’d be a contender for the top prize. As he was now? He was cannon fodder.

I took the win out in record time and left the cage, looking for Charlie. Even to me it was strange how much I wanted to be with her. I’d always been solitary, a fuckin’ loner content to have my fun and be done with it, but with her… I wanted to be with her all the time.

I did a round of the arena, clutching my hoodie in my hand and not giving a stuff that I was wandering around with my shirt off, sweat dripping down my back. The women were loving it, but I couldn’t seem to find the one that I was looking for.

Where was Charlie?

Stopping by the bar, Lori hadn’t seen her. The bookies hadn’t noticed her, and she hadn’t placed any bets. On my way out back, I asked the fuckwits on security, but she hadn’t passed for a while. Charlie was nowhere to be found. Usually, I’d just dismiss it and move on, but now that I knew who she was and what she did—something didn’t feel right. Both times she’d seen me fight she’d waited for me right after. I assumed she’d do the same tonight.

Striding out to the change room, I checked my phone, but the screen was blank. I shot her a quick text and began unwinding the wraps around my hands. Once I was done, I checked the phone again despite it being silent the whole time.
Fuck
.

“Rebel.”

I glanced up at Max as he appeared beside me. He had a grimace on his face, and instantly, my blood began to run cold. There was no reason he’d seek me out unless—

“What?” I asked, slamming the locker closed.

“Your girl—”

“Charlie?”

“She’s a cop.”

My expression fell even further. If he knew…

“What have you done to her?” I asked, getting up in his face. I’d crack his fucking skull open if he’d touched her. I’d kill him with my bare hands.

“I haven’t done anything,” he replied, staring me down. “But Simon has.”

“Simon?”

“You know, Simon, the whiny bastard in charge of bribing the entire police force?”

“I know who Simon fucking is,” I snapped.

“He’s making a play for The Underground,” Max said, ignoring me. “He’s using your girl as an example.”

I knew it. I fucking knew it. I’d told Ryan the other day I’d suspected as much. He’d told me to keep my fingers outta it, but if Charlie had gotten herself mixed up in it, I had to get involved. My hand had been forced.

Flexing my fingers, I asked, “Where is the bastard?”

“Let’s make one thing clear, Rebel,” Max said. “I want The Underground. I want Simon out. I’m prepared to overlook your girl being a cop—”

“You need my help,” I snapped. “Charlie for The Underground.”

Max narrowed his eyes. “We go now, we might get her back before it’s too late.”

Turning, I grabbed my keys and phone from my locker before slamming it closed. “Lead the way, but I’m driving.”

I
’d been
through a lot of fucked up shit in my life. A lot of fucked up criminal activity, but nothing got to me more than the drive to find Charlie. Maybe she was already hurt or worse…dead.

I’d only just found her
.

“Here,” Max said, pointing to a house up ahead.

It looked deserted, or at least it did from the facade. The garden was overgrown, the veranda rotting, and the house itself looked like a squatters den. It was wreathed in a darkness so complete it even gave me the chills.

“What is this place?” I asked, pulling the car up a few houses back and killing the engine.

“Simon used to use it to sell drugs back when he was a dealer.”

Fuck, I knew the guy was a piece of work but drugs were the worst. Drugs were what killed my parents in a roundabout way. The driver of that semitrailer had been loaded, had careened into our car… I shook my head and unclipped my seatbelt.

“Don’t do anything stupid, Rebel,” Max said, following suit. “Follow my lead, and we’ll get her out.”

“I know you’re using me,” I said. “You get what you want, and that means I get her. I’m not a fucking idiot.”

“Then I was right to trust you.”

Glancing at him, I rolled my eyes. “Get out of the car.”

Sliding out, I closed the door behind me, waiting for Max to take the lead. I was the brawn on this operation, and he’d made himself clear. I was the backup incase he needed me to beat the fucker senseless.

The front door was open—the door itself was falling off its hinges—the wood brown, and the paintwork was peeling off in flakes. Inside, the place felt like ice and stunk like rotting wood and damp, the floorboards creaking underfoot. Typical drug den, a squatter’s delight. Fucking filthy.

There was a thud from further back in the house, and Max strode forward through the darkness with purpose. Simon was still here, so maybe it wasn’t too late. As we approached the rear, a murky artificial light began to break the darkness. Someone was home alright.

Max stepped into the room first, and it wasn’t until I’d followed him in that I realized the extent to which things had blown up. Simon was standing in the center of the room, a gun in his hand. A dangerous man with his finger on the trigger, the barrel pointing right at my girl.

My gaze landed on Charlie, and my breath caught. She was sitting on a chair, her hands behind her back—probably bound—her eyes bright and wild. There was a red mark on her cheek, marring her perfect, creamy skin. She’d been hit.
Bastard
.

“What the fuck, Simon?” Max exclaimed. “You tryin’ to fuck us all up?”

“She’s a cop,” he snarled.

“I know,” he replied.

Simon shook his head in disbelief. “You know?” he roared. “You know where I found her? With her fingers in our files, gathering evidence.”

I glanced at Charlie, and her gaze was fixed on mine. I could see the truth echoed in them as clear as fucking day. She’d been using me to get into The Underground. She’d said she’d play the game until I got out. Was that a lie?

“Charlie,” I said, shaking my head.

“No,” she pleaded. “Don’t even think it.”

“
Shut up!
” Simon roared.

“Put the gun down,” Max said calmly. “Last thing we need is to put a girl in the ground.”

“She’s not a girl, she’s a fucking pig, and we need to make an example out of her.”

“Stop fucking around,” Max snapped. “You and I both know that this is your play, Simon. It’s been a long time coming, right?” He edged forward. “You want the entire pie for yourself. The whole fucking Underground. You want to be king.”

“Fucking right,” he spat. “You and Graham are running that place into the ground.”

“That’s bullshit,” I hissed.

“Stay out this, Rebel,” Max said, holding his hand out to silence me. “This is between us.”

“Not with a gun pointed at my woman’s head, it isn’t.” Turning my attention onto Charlie, she shook her head. I could read her thoughts and they said,
don’t try anything stupid
.

“Simon, you know you’re fucked,” Max said. “You kill a cop and you’ll bring everything down.
Everything
.”

Simon’s eyes flashed, and he pressed the gun against Charlie’s temple. “Not if they don’t find her…or you.”

I tensed, my muscles coiling, and I readied myself to lunge for her. Push her outta the way and take the bullet for her. I didn’t give a shit about her motives for being at The Underground. I didn’t give two fucking shits because I saw something between us that was worth saving. Worth taking a bullet for. She saw through my bullshit, through my past, and she saw the real me. That was worth risking my life.

She pulled her hands free and her blue eyes fixed onto Simon. With one swift movement, she was up out of the chair and going for his gun.

Fuck, no!

I let out a roar as Simon tensed, his finger squeezing against the trigger. The rest happened like a slow motion sequence in a movie. Her right hand shot up and grasped his wrist, shoving the gun upward. There was a deafening bang as it went off, the roof shattering as the bullet passed through the plaster. For a sickening moment, I thought she’d been hit, but Charlie was in full flight, her left hand slamming down onto the ditch of Simon’s elbow. As he buckled forward, her knee slammed into his groin, and his grip dislodged from around the gun.

It clattered to the ground, and Max scooped it up as Charlie brought her knee down…then back up into Simon’s face.

Holy fucking shit.
She hadn’t needed me at all.

Simon fell to the ground in surprise, blood streaming from his nose, and Max stepped forward, aiming the gun directly at the guy’s head.

“Get out of here,” Max snapped at us. “This is between us.”

Charlie glanced at me, then to Max. “But—”

“This is your free pass,” he snapped at her. “We will have a little chat later, you and I. For now, get out of here, and be thankful you have your life.”

I held out my hand for Charlie, and she stumbled backward, obviously torn considering her job. She wanted to call it in.

“Charlie,” I urged. “You have to forget about it.”

When she still hesitated, I grabbed her hand and hauled her from the room, and it wasn’t until we were out in the hall that she seemed to snap out of it. She walked easier, following me out of the house and onto the footpath. Without a word, I led her down the street, unlocking the car and easing her inside. Rounding the front, I climbed into the driver’s seat, and as soon as my door closed, I reached out, desperate to touch.

“Fuck, Charlie.” I held her in my arms, my heart pounding.

“I’m okay, Rebel,” she murmured. “I’m okay.”

Pulling away, I settled back into the driver’s seat, unsure as to where this was going next. There were so many things we hadn’t said yet and even more that we both had to explain.

We sat in the car in complete silence. A part of me was listening for a gunshot that would signal the end of Simon, but it never came. We never saw Max, either, but it was none of our business. I didn’t want my hands in that argument—those stains would never come out.

“Rebel…”

I glanced at Charlie in the passenger seat. Her shoulders were stiff, her hair hanging forward over her face. Reaching over, I threaded my fingers through it and tucked it behind her ear. That was better, I could see her blue eyes this way.

“Charlie about—”

Her eyes widened. “Don’t—”

“Don’t what?” I asked. “Let my balls drop off because my girl could get out of a dicey situation on her own?”

“Guys don’t usually like that,” she said with a shrug.

“What, blokes have dropped you because you’re too tough for them?”

“Something like that.”

I rolled my eyes. “Pussies.”

“Kane—”

“They think they’re tough for dropping you? Shit, all that does is make them insecure pussies. Those men weren’t good enough for you.”

“
Kane
.”

I glanced at her, frowning at the forceful tone in her voice. “What?”

“You’re not mad at me?”

“For what?” I asked, knowing exactly what she was getting at.

She cast her gaze away, obviously ashamed. “I lied to you.”

“You wanted to crack The Underground,” I said straight up. “That’s why you were there in the first place.”

She glanced at me, her blue eyes betraying her worry. “It would’ve made my career.”

“Would’ve?”

She shrugged. “Simon was going to kill me. Max let me go.”

I still didn’t get it. “And what does that mean?”

“It means that I was in over my head to begin with. It means I still am. It means I’m in it until you get out.”

I held her tightly. “You—”

“Will let it fly…
For now
.”

“Charlie—”

“I’m sorry I lied to you,” she interrupted. “Everything else I said to you was the truth. All of it.” She sighed, her fingers beginning to worry the hem of her T-shirt. “I didn’t expect to find you there.”

Neither did I.

I began to mull over the last few days and all the things that had happened in such a short amount of time. It only took a split second to turn someone’s world upside down.

All the stuff she’d said to me about my family, about it not being my fault, about wanting me…she’d meant it all? I could be mad at her, and fuck, was I ever, but not for the reason she was probably thinking. She sat there, looking all teary eyed, waiting for me to get up and leave. I’d had a lot of shit in my life, a lot more than most people deserved, but she’d never been able to find happiness in the chaos that was her job. People held it against her for being a cop and being a strong as fuck woman. I could kinda understand how that felt, even though it was from a different perspective.

“You’d drop your investigation?” I asked, reaching for her hand.

Her fingers curled around mine, her thumb stroking my skin. “Until you get what you want. It’s illegal, and I’ve sworn an oath, but you and every other fighter in that place know exactly what you’re in for. Until you’re there under duress…” She shrugged. “It’s a fine line.”