“I need three of you on watch tonight at an apartment across town and five to remain here with us while this deal goes down with the Italians. I don’t care who goes to the apartment and who stays here. Decide amongst yourselves.” I say with no patience before leaving and making my way down to the bottom floor of the club.
I need to relieve some stress. The meeting with the Italians has me on edge and now knowing that someone is stalking Willow and I just dismissed her makes me want to kill someone.
I’m filled with hate, anger and adrenaline by the time I make it underground. I push the doors open aggressively and see fifteen of our fighters training for some of the bouts coming up. ????? ?????? - Geo Pika is blasting through the speakers as I walk up and grab Anton by the back of the neck and dog walk him to the cage before I throw him towards the open door. He’s our second best fighter under Lev, he’ll do.
“Get in.” I say to him in a venomous tone while beginning to unbutton my shirt.
“Boss. What are you doing?” I hear Mikhail ask as he approaches me cautiously.
“Stress control Mikhail. So fuck off before I decide it’s you in the cage with me instead.” The room goes silent.
My men have never seen me lose control like this before, actively seeking out a fight with one of them, never mind talking to them with disrespect as if they are my enemy. I don’t care right now that I’m being a bastard. I just need an outlet.
I throw my shirt over one of the front row spectator seats, empty my suit trouser pockets, toe my suit shoes off and climb the steps into the cage. Anton is standing in the middle of it with his fists by his side like he thinks I’m about to tell him I’m kidding.
“Are you a pussy Anton?” I snarl at him.
“What… Sorry… no, boss.” He says taken back by my question.
“Then come on. Fight me.” I edge closer to him in orthodox stance with my fists raised. He realises I’m out for blood and finally raises his own hands to his face and bounces on his toes before jabbing towards me. He may as well of just remained standing there with his hands down, because he doesn’t see my right hook to his ribs coming. I hit him hard and the crack echos round the room.
He’s tough, as tall and as muscular as Lev, been bred his whole life for fighting, and yet it doesn’t stop him from grunting and bending over slightly, bringing his hand down to grip his ribs.
I take the opportunity of him dropping his hands to send a sharp left jab to his nose and it crunches under my knuckles. I step forward again with my left foot and throw a faint left jabbefore another right hook, this time to his jaw before landing an uppercut to his chin.
“BLYAT’, OSTANOVIS’!” I hear my men shouting from all around the outside of the cage, but I pay them no attention as I keep going.
I keep going until I don’t know how many minutes have went past, all I can feel is broken flesh under my fists, a ringing in my ears and droplets of blood hitting against my skin until I realise I’m being dragged off and away from Anton by four of our men. I thrash against them for a few seconds as they all shout and then I see a couple of them rush to Anton.
He’s lying unconscious on the cage floor as they get him on his side and one of the doctors rushes in with oxygen for him.
I suck in air trying to catch a breath, blood dripping from my hands and sweat dripping from my hair. I yank out of the grip I’m being held in and storm out of the cage, across the arena and out the door that leads to the back entrance, leaving my shirt and belongings behind. Once I’m outside and the cold air hits me I slump against the cold wall and slide down it. Resting my hands on my knees in front of me and seeing Anton’s blood on them, I start shaking, the adrenaline rush exiting my system at an alarming rate.
The last time I felt anger and loss of control like this was when my grandfather found me in the forest behind his estate. I swore then I would never lose it like that again, but there was no amount of deep breathing I could do that would have calmed me down after learning about Willow being stalked. She isn’t safe with me, but now she is more unsafe not being with me.
After this meeting with the Italians tonight I’ll go over to her apartment and I’ll apologise. I’ll get on my fucking knees and beg for forgiveness if I have to. I can’t leave her unprotected.
I close my eyes as the sweat running down my forehead starts to sting them and I inhale deeply, just like grandfathertaught me to. To control my inner urges of wanting to kill someone. To not show loss of control. I also need to go find Anton and make sure he’s okay.
I sit out in the back alley for a few more minutes controlling my breathing before deciding I need to get up and head back inside to address my men. I push up, open the back doors and make my way through the corridor to the arena. Every pair of eyes turn to me as I walk in.
I see Anton on a stool in the cage, oxygen mask on him and his face a mass of bruises, brutal cuts and with one of his eyes swollen shut.
Fuck.
I stride over to the cage and Mikhail cuts in front of me putting his hands on my chest, pushing me back.
“Dragna, calm the fuck down and go. We got Anton.” He says sternly.
“I’m calm Mikhail. Move.” I say back to him as I shove him aside and step into the cage making my way to Anton. His head is hanging between his shoulders and he leans on his thighs looking defeated.
“I’m sorrymoy brat.” I say as I crouch down in front of him. I place a hand on the side of his neck and he looks at me like he doesn’t even know me anymore. I don’t blame him, because I feel like I don’t even know myself anymore.
“I’ll pay you compensation for the fight you had coming up next week. Full pay plus extra.” I tell him as he continues to stare at me with a lost look in his eyes.
I know it won’t be enough, men like him live to step inside the cage. They put everything into training and preparing for upcoming bouts, so for him to know everything was a waste and he won’t be fighting next week, there’s no amount of money to replace that. Not to mention the fact that I am the reason for ittoo, someone he trusted. He doesn’t say anything back, he just hangs his head again.
I stand and exit the cage, grabbing my phone from where I had thrown it when I see missed calls from Lev on the screen. I put my shirt and shoes back on, grab the rest of my things and make my way back to the lounge as I call Lev back.
