woman stops at the bottom of the stairs, staring expectantly at Elise.
“Disappear.”
I’m disappointed when she does.
“Thanks, Freedom,” Ryan says, walking up to the woman to give her a hug.
It doesn’t bother me the way Elise’s hands on him did. My veins don’t run hot, my hands itching for a fight. For a knife.
“No problem,” Freedom tells him warmly. “Your brother would never want to see you around a girl like Elise and neither do I. But what are you doing here? You’re not fighting tonight are you?”
“No, I got called in to see the Boss.”
Freedom looks at him long and hard. “That’s never good.”
Ryan shrugs. I t looks stiff. “I think he just wants to talk about the fights I was in recently. I’m not signing on with him. Don’t worry.”
“Anytime anyone goes in to see the Boss, I always worry. Be careful, alright?”
“Yeah.”
“Freedom!”
She closes her eyes briefly. I imagine her counting to ten in her head. When she opens them, she turns to face a tall, shirtless bald guy stalking toward her.
“What do you want, Dante?”
“Are you seriously giving me attitude right now? You’re supposed to be in the Arena at the table full of Westies. The other girls are already there but they’re asking for you .”
Freedom rolls her eyes at this hulking man covered in tats, towering at least six inches over her. “Why are you even doing business with them? I told you, they’re idiots.”
“Idiots with deep pockets. Get in there.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Freedom, I’m not dealing with you tonight. Get in there now.”
I hold my breath as I watch his hands, worried he’ll hit her soon. I’ve seen women treated worse than that and this one is pushing the limits. Inside, I’m begging her to just go.
“Dante,” she says quietly, her accent becoming more pronounced. Less sweet. “If you tell me to get in there one more time, I will cut you. Do you understand me? I will cut you so deep your grandma in the grave will feel it. Now, I said I’ll be there in a minute and I meant it.”
Dante shakes his head, a harsh breath coming out his nose, but I see his mouth twitch at the corners. “One minute.”
“Isn’t that what I said?”
“You’re insane.”
“Get out of here.”
He turns to leave, shouting over his shoulder, “Fifty seconds!”
“Unbelievable,” Freedom mutters. She turns to Ryan. “You better get to that meeting. You know where to go?”
“Yeah, unfortunately.”
She pats him affectionately on the shoulder as she steps past him. “You need anything, you come find me, alright?”
“Thanks, Freedom.”
“Thirty seconds!”
“ Oh, Grandma Jean is gonna be in a world of hurt, I swear to you!” Freedom shouts as she saunters off in the direction Dante is disappearing.
Ryan looks at me, his face tense. “You could wait out here. Trent could stay with you.”
“You shouldn’t go in there alone,” Trent tells him.
“She can’t stay out here alone.”
“So she won’t stay out here at all,” I snap.
I’m grateful for the rage I felt toward Elise. The excitement at the idea of dismantling her has chased the shakes away. I don’t feel any braver, but I’m not outwardly pissing myself in fear either. Progress.
“We do this together or we don’t do it at all,” I say, my voice a little softer.
Ryan sighs, but he nods reluctantly. Trent and I follow him toward the reception desk where we cut right down a dark hallway. Another bouncer with dark almond eyes and perfect mocha skin stops us, gives Ryan the runaround about fighting just like everyone else, then finally leads us to a closed white door. I’m surprised that he doesn’t knock. Just opens it up and sends us right in.
The office isn’t much, but it is large. There are small square tables arranged in every corner, all of them occupied by a few people speaking in hushed voices, but at the far end of the room there’s a large half circle of couches
“Disappear.”
I’m disappointed when she does.
“Thanks, Freedom,” Ryan says, walking up to the woman to give her a hug.
It doesn’t bother me the way Elise’s hands on him did. My veins don’t run hot, my hands itching for a fight. For a knife.
“No problem,” Freedom tells him warmly. “Your brother would never want to see you around a girl like Elise and neither do I. But what are you doing here? You’re not fighting tonight are you?”
“No, I got called in to see the Boss.”
Freedom looks at him long and hard. “That’s never good.”
Ryan shrugs. I t looks stiff. “I think he just wants to talk about the fights I was in recently. I’m not signing on with him. Don’t worry.”
“Anytime anyone goes in to see the Boss, I always worry. Be careful, alright?”
“Yeah.”
“Freedom!”
She closes her eyes briefly. I imagine her counting to ten in her head. When she opens them, she turns to face a tall, shirtless bald guy stalking toward her.
“What do you want, Dante?”
“Are you seriously giving me attitude right now? You’re supposed to be in the Arena at the table full of Westies. The other girls are already there but they’re asking for you .”
Freedom rolls her eyes at this hulking man covered in tats, towering at least six inches over her. “Why are you even doing business with them? I told you, they’re idiots.”
“Idiots with deep pockets. Get in there.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Freedom, I’m not dealing with you tonight. Get in there now.”
I hold my breath as I watch his hands, worried he’ll hit her soon. I’ve seen women treated worse than that and this one is pushing the limits. Inside, I’m begging her to just go.
“Dante,” she says quietly, her accent becoming more pronounced. Less sweet. “If you tell me to get in there one more time, I will cut you. Do you understand me? I will cut you so deep your grandma in the grave will feel it. Now, I said I’ll be there in a minute and I meant it.”
Dante shakes his head, a harsh breath coming out his nose, but I see his mouth twitch at the corners. “One minute.”
“Isn’t that what I said?”
“You’re insane.”
“Get out of here.”
He turns to leave, shouting over his shoulder, “Fifty seconds!”
“Unbelievable,” Freedom mutters. She turns to Ryan. “You better get to that meeting. You know where to go?”
“Yeah, unfortunately.”
She pats him affectionately on the shoulder as she steps past him. “You need anything, you come find me, alright?”
“Thanks, Freedom.”
“Thirty seconds!”
“ Oh, Grandma Jean is gonna be in a world of hurt, I swear to you!” Freedom shouts as she saunters off in the direction Dante is disappearing.
Ryan looks at me, his face tense. “You could wait out here. Trent could stay with you.”
“You shouldn’t go in there alone,” Trent tells him.
“She can’t stay out here alone.”
“So she won’t stay out here at all,” I snap.
I’m grateful for the rage I felt toward Elise. The excitement at the idea of dismantling her has chased the shakes away. I don’t feel any braver, but I’m not outwardly pissing myself in fear either. Progress.
“We do this together or we don’t do it at all,” I say, my voice a little softer.
Ryan sighs, but he nods reluctantly. Trent and I follow him toward the reception desk where we cut right down a dark hallway. Another bouncer with dark almond eyes and perfect mocha skin stops us, gives Ryan the runaround about fighting just like everyone else, then finally leads us to a closed white door. I’m surprised that he doesn’t knock. Just opens it up and sends us right in.
The office isn’t much, but it is large. There are small square tables arranged in every corner, all of them occupied by a few people speaking in hushed voices, but at the far end of the room there’s a large half circle of couches
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