“Anything suspicious?”
“Maybe, and maybe not. The fight that’s happening tonight.” He looks at the clock. “Actually, starting soon, has only initials signed. N.C., and they only signed for the club a few months ago. I can’t find any other records of the person.”
“Who’s the trainer?”
He shakes his head. “Also unknown.”
“Who are they fighting against?”
“Let me check.” He clicks a few times. “Two gyms in Chicago last month. This month with Lisa V. Your wife’s gym.”
I lean back on my chair, my head toward the ceiling. “That’s tonight?”
“Yeah, starting in thirty minutes.”
I pull out my phone. “I’ll check with Valentina. Maybe she knows.” The phone rings and rings before it’s sent to voicemail. I call one more time. Same outcome.
“Fuck. Something is off.” I shake my head and call Boris. He has to have some answers.
“Gabriel. I’m sorry. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Our fighter pulled out at the last moment, so she took her place. She's fighting against Naomi.”
Something inside me breaks, and I can’t move. N.C. Naomi Curtis. “Fuck.” I end the call and rush toward the door.
“Gabriel, what is it?”
I turn to him. “Keep your phone available at all times. N.C is Naomi, and she's fighting against Valentina tonight.” I hear him cursing but don’t wait.
I don’t know how I manage to arrive at the gym without having an accident, because I’m sure I almost caused one. I double park in front of the gym and lunge for the door. The security are my guys, so when they see me, they move aside with a nod. The gym is packed with hundreds of people, and my ears fill with cheers and boos, hinting that the match is in full swing.
I rush toward the ring, my eyes on the figure inside, still standing and kicking. When I’m at the front, Naomi delivers an illegal punch, and the referee doesn’t say anything as Valentina lands on the floor. Her eyes meet mine, disappointment filling them. I need to stop this. She can’t be distracted by me.
I spot Boris across the room, his hand in his hair. I march toward him in a few steps and grab him by the collar. “Find a way to stop this now.”
“I… I can’t,” he stutters.
“Why not?” I roar over the noise.
“Valentina doesn’t want it. I told her just to let them have the win. She refused.” His eyes flick left, and mine follow, straight to Victor’s smug, poisonous smirk. “What does he have?” I growl.
Boris swallows. “There are men here who have Lisa, the other fighter, locked up in the basement, ready to do anything to her if Valentina doesn’t fight instead of Lisa.”
My jaw grinds so hard that it aches. “And you didn’t think this was something I should be informed of?”
“There was no time,” he stammers, “Everything happened too fast.”
Blood simmers under my skin as I shove him back. “Stay put. If anything happens to Valentina, I will destroy you and every bastard involved.” I pull out my phone, already dialing Marco. “Get the men,” I say the second he answers. “This shit show ends now!”
thirty-two
Valentina
Managing the gym wasn’t something I had in mind until Gabriel made it happen. I don’t know how and why Boris agreed to it and stayed to help me transition when he could have left and enjoyed his retirement. However, I’m so glad he did because I would have been at a complete loss tonight. One of our members is fighting, and my gym is hosting the event.
The place is almost packed with patrons, excitement is thick in the air, and I can feel it. Lisa is fighting against a woman in her weight class, but all we know about her is that her initials are N.C. Even though we told Lisa she could refuse to fight, she said she wanted to do it. So, why isn’t she here yet?
