I glance up at Sim, who has taken it upon himself to act like my support team. His dark eyebrows are furrowed into a'v',and a serious expression graces his strong features. His hand restlessly drags through his golden brown hair as it gets in his face, and I can't stop myself from picturing it as a lion's mane.Meow, sexy Kitty.
"Lavender?"I inquire, my lips twitching as I try not to allow him to witness how cute I think the nickname he's come up with is. He leans forward and takes another sniff of my hair, and I shove my forearm into his stomach to push him away, without much effort. His manly groan has the hairs on my arms standing on end. What is it with this guy? Do men not seriously get how creepy that shit is?Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that, like your nipples aren't hard enough to cut glass right now,my mind croaks.
"Yeah, you smell good, like lavender, and your hair is the right color." He shrugs like it's no big deal that a guy who looks like him knows what that flower smells, and looks, like. He must read my thoughts, because he reaches up and pulls on one of my tight braids playfully. "Don't be judgmental,pretty girl. A man can like lavender too, you know." He's right, and I'm a bitch for questioning it even for a moment. "Besides, my mom used to spray it on my pillowcase, so I could sleep when I was a kid, and I still use it now." Oh, my, that’s the sweetest thing I’ve heard in a long time.
An amusing pink hue starts to creep along his golden tan complexion, as his sparkling blue eyes meet mine. Look how pretty the big baddie flushes.Adorable.I rise up on the tips of my toes, and brush my lips across his stubbled cheek, before whispering in his ear as I drag my fingernail down his sternum. "You won't be needing the lavender tonight. I plan to ride you until you stop breathing, when I'm done beating the shit out of her."
"Fuuuccckkk," he groans as his thick arms band around me, squeezing and lifting me right off the ground. I can feel his harderection pressing into my hip, and oh boy, I hope he knows how to use it cause, with that length, there should be no reason for a girl to be disappointed.
"Put me down,little lion, and let's find out what’s taking so long to get this fight started, so we can get out of here, and onto more pleasurable pursuits."
"Lavender, there’s nothinglittleabout me, and I'm not going to be the only one growling later." He winks as he puts me down, and the two of us walk to the entrance of the cage, and meet my new opponent, Wendy, and the ref. I have to put Sim’s enticing threat to the back of my mind and focus on my next task, the one that's about to bring bloodshed, and hopefully fatten my now-empty wallet.
"Ladies, I expect a clean fight from both of you. The only rule is no eye gouging, and try not to kill each other, yeah? The clean-up after is a bitch. When I say break, you break, and go back to your corners. This is a three-round or more fight, and winning is only by knockout." I nod my head at the gruff-looking ref in all-black, and meet Wendy's enraged gaze.
"You're going to wish it was her left in the cage with you." Wendy nods to her previous opponent, who's still down on the ground on the side of the cage, shrieking in pain, and getting her newly damaged leg looked at. "At least you'll help me put on a good show, and I'll make some serious money when you lose."
I ignore her taunting; it doesn't mean shit. If she's not worried after seeing what I did to Blondie when I wasn't even angry, then she has a surprise coming her way now that I'm thoroughly in my element. For many years now, I have lived and breathed only hot, molten rage. It's a parasite inside of me, feeding off all of my emotions, poisoning and changing every molecule within me, until I'm less human and more of a monster. Fighting is all that I know now. It's what I live for, that and ensuring a demon who destroyed my world payspainfully in blood. Nothing else matters to me. There are no dreams of a future beyond the very next point in my plan. No white picket fence, or a happy marriage, and two-point-five kids and a dog, waiting for me. There is only now, and I have very little left to lose that matters. That makes me very dangerous to those who place themselves as obstacles in my path. That's what Wendy and this fight are:obstacles I have to overcome, before I can move to the next level of my plan.Losing is not in my vocabulary, and Wendy doesn't know that yet, but she'll learn, just like everyone else here tonight.
"Lavender, look at me." Sim uses his thumb to force my chin up until I meet his serious gaze. "Don't kill her. You won't need to, to win.Got it?I'll be right here, don't worry about anyone else getting the drop on you. I'll break their fucking legs." His words, though spoken roughly, are sweetness to my ears. Can I really trust this man, who has put himself right in the path of destruction, for a woman he's just met?
Trust no one; everyone is out to use someone else for their own benefit. He won't be any different.
"Just make sure to collect my winnings,little lion,or you'll be sleeping alone tonight. Well, that is, until I slit your throat." I tap his chest with the palm of my hand, push away from him, and make my way to the cage's entrance without a backward glance.
The crowd's cheering grows even louder, as Wendy makes a show of shadowboxing the air around her. I watch her movements, cataloging her strengths and weaknesses, taking into account her speed, and the differences in our heights, weights, and muscle mass. She has at least three or four inches on me, and a larger wingspan. She's also got more stacked muscle, which adds to her weight. I'm not easily swayed to believe that will make her slower; no, in fact, watching her, I can see she uses it to her advantage. Sim is also right. That right leg of hers is going to be a problem. I have to make sure I removeher ability to stabilize on it almost immediately. I center myself, taking in deep breaths, cracking my neck, loosening my limbs and joints, and allowing the energy of the crowd, and my built-up rage, to fuel and prepare me to severely injure this other woman.
Do I feel even a smidgeon of guilt at what's about to happen to her?Not even a bit.She walked into this cage with me of her own volition. She won't be walking out, however. Whatever her reasons for fighting, they aren't as dire as mine, and right now that's all that counts.
"Ladies and gentlemen, psychos and banshees, for your unhinged entertainment, our next round is about to begin, so make sure you get your bets in now. In the red shorts and dark hair, we have our local destroyer, the one and only Wendy'bone breaker'Chan, and in the black shorts and purple hair, we have her new opponent, Olly'Killer Lavender'erm, what's your last name, sweetheart?" The announcer turns to stare at me with a raised eyebrow. I'm still shocked at the name he's just called me, and give Sim an irate look that promises him pain later on. The ass has the gall to shrug his shoulders, and grin at me, like going ahead and naming me is no big deal.
"Doesn't matter what my last name is. It won't matter when she's KO'd," I yell back, and the crowd goes wild at my reply.
"You heard her, folks, it doesn't matter," the announcer cackles. The cage door slams with an ominous bang, and it's nothing but music to my ears. A wicked grin crosses my lips at the thought that we’re now all locked up tight, and there’s nowhere she can run from me.
I move to the center of the cage, getting into my defensive fighter stance, my eyes focused on Wendy, and blocking out everything else around us. Just before the ref can start the fight, a hush falls across the rowdy crowd. It's so instant and sudden that Wendy loses her concentration, and looks around. I,however, never take my eyes off of her. I wouldn't put it past her team to attempt a bullshit distraction tactic, so she can get the upper hand early in the fight.
"Fuck," I hear the ref swear loudly, as he stretches his arms between us and pushes both of our bodies further apart. "Get back, ladies, the bosses are here."
Bosses? What the fuck is going on?For the first time, I remove my glance from Wendy and look toward the rapidly parting crowd. My eyes land on three large figures, and a sense of foreboding and doom makes its way into the pit of my stomach. As they make their way closer, I realize with disdain that I'm already unfortunately acquainted with them.Dammit, it's the three assholes from earlier at the school, and two out of the three of them are visibly scowling in my direction, while the third, the blond angel, is beaming from ear to ear, and waving his fingers at me.
"Hiya,Hellstorm, you've been a very naughty girl," he calls out to me, wiggling his brows as they stand before the metal cage. "Pretty sure you're about to get a spanking."
The nervous energy of the crowd has a creeping sensation crawling up my spine, like the cold fingers of death. "What the fuck? Who are these demented assholes?!" I groan, already annoyed that we're further delaying this match. Both the ref and Wendy give me surprised looks, as if I've lost my damn mind.
"That'sMayhem. Cross, River, and Damon. They own these fights, girlie. You might want to show them some respect, before your body ends up in a ditch somewhere," the ref mumbles, and I can feel the fear and reverence pouring off of him, as he looks at the three assholes who have plagued me since arriving here in Soule.
Something from earlier nags at my mind.Cross, River, and Damon.Where have I heard those names specifically before? The image of a bright blue bowtie and duckie suspenders fillsmy mind.Joffrey.I rapidly put all the links together; the three masked assholes who terrorized me in the shower are the same fuckers from school, which makes perfect sense, now that I have a proper moment to think about it. Worst of all, one of those pricks is apparently my new stepbrother.Dammit, when it rains, it pours nothing but shit on me.
I owe each of those cunts a serious beating, for all the shit they've pulled in the last twenty-four hours. I wonder if I'll get my chance to teach them a lesson after all? The rage on their faces tells me they didn't enjoy the little surprise I left for them back at the house tonight. Did they think I would sit back and allow them to pull that stunt again?
"Hello,little sister, not happy to see us?" The one with dark blond hair and deep, milk chocolate eyes calls, as he grips the bars of the cage until his knuckles go white, and he bares his straight, white teeth at me. The predatory look in his eyes causes a cold shiver to slither down my spine.
It’s really a shame that all three of them are complete psychopaths. Staring at them through the bars has a tinge of apprehension, but also something akin to desire, racing through me. Of course, they would all be dangerous; the prettiest-looking snakes are the ones that are filled with poisonous venom, and I have no intentions of being bitten.
CHAPTER 13
CROSS
