“Busted knuckles and an inflated ego. I bet some feisty brunette pissed him off and he has some pent-up anger to let go of.” He chuckles under his breath and it takes me a beat to realise what he’s talking about.
Baxter finds us some drinks and an ideal spot beside the ring: great view, but not so close that we get covered in sweat and blood spray.
My mind reels; these fights are brutal. It looks like medical students are set up and tending to the guys who get their asses beat. Shouts and cheers echo through the walls as each fight takes place.
“Elite, and those below us, look who just walked in.”
My head snaps to the entrance. Onyx, Slate and Kalen walk through the doors as if they own them, and hushed whispers fill the room. They don’t notice me and I use the crowd as a shield, shrinking back into the shadows.
Stepping back, I hit a brick wall of a body, and arms instantly encase me, making me lose all train of thought. My vision starts to fade; the heat from the room and his trapping me sends my mind spiralling into the past.
“Let her go,” Baxter snaps. It’s all he says before he yanks the monster from me.
“Hey, hey, you guys! You know the rules, all fights take place in the ring.” A gun cocks at the side of Baxter’s head and he releases the monster's arm. I freeze in fear. Fuck. What the hell just happened?
Holding his own arms in the air, Baxter starts to walk towards the ring, the monster guy following. Fuck, this isn’t good. What should I do?
“You need to come with me, girly,” a slender sleazy looking kid says. I have no choice but to follow.
When we reach the ring, Baxter removes his shirt, and I gasp in surprise. He has the exact same tattoo as the guys, the Celtic Knot, only his is on his left collar bone. I move ringside and Baxter hands me his removed shirt.
“This will be bloody, so put this on over your clothes.”
I nod and pull his shirt on. His fresh scent calms my nerves, and I smile because he smells like the woods. But with the faint smell of tobacco lingering too. I swear he spends most of his days leaning up against a tree, smoking.
The buzzer sings and Baxter watches his opponent, assessing. The guy’s big, but Baxter looks like a killer. His eyes do this weird thing when he gets into the zone. It’s like his souldeparts. Baxter throws the first punch, blood splattering the crowd.
“Wearing his shirt makes me want to bend you over my knee and punish you,” Kalen’s voice melts like butter over my senses.
“What do you want?” I say, not looking back at him. I can feel him standing close. I wish I could lean back into him but I refuse to let my body win this fight.
“You,” is all he says.
“Not interested. Been there, done that, have the broken heart to prove it.”
Kalen gives a sharp intake of breath. He must be close if I can hear it over the chaos around us. I keep my eyes glued to Baxter. He seems to be winning the fight. His opponent is huge, but slow. Baxter is cold, calculating and ruthless. I don’t think the monster stands a chance. It makes me shiver.
“We broke your heart?” Kalen asks quietly. There’s no mistaking the devastation in his tone and I instantly want to slap myself for oversharing. Too much honesty. Thankfully, I’m saved from having to answer by being drawn back into the fight in the ring in front of me.
The crowd goes wild, the Goliath of a man hits the ground, blood smearing his face, out cold. The medics run into the ring to check the guy over. Taco holds Baxter’s hand in the air.
Once his hand is free, Baxter walks from the spotlight.
“Your keepers are here, I’m out,” he tells me.
I gesture to his shirt and he shakes his head. I make a mental note to ask him about the tattoo later.
“How chivalrous of him, to fight in your honour,” Onyx drawls, making his presence known.
I turn to face him, Slate by his side. Kalen is still behind me, not moving from his position.
“At least he gives a shit about me,” I say, stabbing him in the chest. “At least he doesn’t try to hurt me by using the worst thingthat’s ever happened to me, against me. So if any of you think I will forgive you, you’re fucking insane.”
“Like it or not, you’re going to need us. Your little stunt before you left didn’t go unnoticed,” Onyx spits. “People want revenge.”
“I would rather die than ask any of you for help, so get that through your tiny ass brain. I do not need you, or your protection. I can take care of myself.”
“If you say so.”
