Dangerous Game

by L. P. Dover

  Sighing, he slowly backed away, but kept his eyes on mine. “What you saw tonight was nothing compared to what I’ve done. The fights aren’t legal, and yes, I’m making a shit ton of money off them, but no one’s going to get hurt. The pit is my version of my father’s casino. The city has belonged to my family for generations. Showing that I have the upper hand in both money and strength is what I need.” He turned his back on me and walked over to the windows where the city lights twinkled below. “This isn’t the first time I’ve dabbled in fighting, Faith.”

  The way he said it made my stomach drop. “What do you mean?”

  When he didn’t answer, I walked down to him, but he wouldn’t look at me. He kept his eyes on his own reflection in the window. “Remember how my father refused to let me get in the ring?” he asked, his voice dark and dangerous.

  Shivers ran down my spine. “Yeah.”

  “Well, I didn’t listen.” He looked down at me, and I trembled. “After you got married to that bastard of a husband of yours, I left town for a few months and went to Vegas.”

  “And?” I prodded, swallowing hard. It was like listening to a scary story and waiting for the climax.

  His jaw clenched. “There was a place called the Dark Side. It was an underground fighting ring where there were no rules. Every fighter knew the risk.”

  He didn’t have to explain for me to understand. I already knew. “By risk, you mean death?”

  With a heavy sigh, he nodded. “Yes. It was the way it worked. The skull tattoo on my back was my ticket in. Nobody could fight unless they got one.” So that was the reason behind the skull tattoo. “What’s even more fucked up,” he explained, “is that I loved it. I got high off the power, of knowing I could kill someone with my bare hands. I didn’t need a gun or the Corsino name. People feared me because I was that damn good.”

  I could see it in his eyes; he was addicted to power. His father was the same way, but Dominic wasn’t evil like him. “Why do you need to be the best, Dominic?” I asked, placing a hand on his cheek. “You have all the money you could ever want. It’s dangerous doing what you’re doing. Can’t you just stop?”

  He leaned into my touch. “I don’t know how. This is all I’ve ever known. All I know is that I don’t want to lose you.”

  His life wasn’t like mine. I grew up by the ocean where making sandcastles was the joy of my life. Dominic had to grow up way before his time. He was surrounded by lies and deceit. Not with me though. Through hell or high water, I was going to make him see that he could have a normal life, that the money and power didn’t mean anything. I just prayed it worked.

  Dominic pulled me into his arms and held me tight. “I thought for sure I’d lost you tonight.”

  I breathed him in. “I don’t scare that easily. There is, however, something you should know.” I looked up at him. “Cadoc’s the one who gave Sam the invitation. He sought me out when we got down there.”

  Dominic’s face darkened. “What did he want?” Cadoc might’ve scared me, but the look on Dominic’s face scared me even more. I didn’t want to start a war, but I had a feeling it was what Cadoc wanted. “Tell me,” Dominic demanded. “He didn’t touch you, did he?”

  “No,” I lied, even though Cadoc did kiss my hand and touch my cheek. Even his slimy nephew touched me. I figured it was best not to disclose that. “But he did notice my shock when I saw everything. He said he was looking for your weakness and he thinks he found it.”

  Dominic clenched his fists. “Fuck that son of a bitch. If he so much as breathes near you, I’ll rip off his arms.” He stepped away from me and paced the floor, his body shaking with rage. “I knew he’d bring you into this somehow.”

  He continued to pace, but I stepped up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, hoping it would calm him down. His breath started to slow, and I smiled. “Am I your weakness?”

  Taking my hands, he pulled me around to his front, his gaze boring right through mine. “You know you are. That’s what makes this so difficult. I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to you.”

  I squeezed his hands. “I’ll be fine. I’m strong and a complete pain in the ass. The Cartwrights aren’t going to want to mess with me.”

  A small smile spread across his face, but then it disappeared. “You’re right, they aren’t. That’s why I’m not letting you out of my sight.” He lifted my hands to his chest and placed his on my waist. “What would you say if we left town for a few days?”

  Excitement bubbled in my chest. “And go where?”

  He shrugged. “Anywhere you want. A tropical island, Europe, the mountains, you name it. Cadoc won’t be able to get close to you, and not to mention, the shit’s going to hit the fan on Monday when your ex gets fucked up the ass. It’ll be good to get away from here. I don’t trust what I’ll do if either one of them try to come after you.”

  Getting away was exactly what we needed. I hadn’t been on a vacation in years. Squealing, I jumped in his arms and kissed him. “I am so down for a vacation. I don’t care where you take me. Just being alone with you is all I want.”

  He swung me around and chuckled. “Done. There’s only one problem though.”

  “What is it?” I asked as he set me down.

  The troubled look on his face came back. “We have fights booked on Saturday night. I must be there. If you don’t feel comfortable …”

  I placed a finger to his lips. “I’ll be right by your side. Cadoc thinks he put a wedge between us, but we’ll show him. If he tries to do something to me, I’ll cut off his balls and shove them down his throat.”

  Dominic burst out laughing. “Remind me never to piss you off.”

  His phone vibrated in his pocket and he groaned when he looked at the screen. “Who is it?” I wondered.

  He turned his phone toward me. “Layla. This is her fifth time calling me.”

  Sheepishly, I bit my lip. “That could be my fault.”

  He groaned. “You told her, didn’t you?”

  I held up my hands. “Not exactly, but she knows you’re up to something.” Huffing, he walked over to the couch and sat down. I took the seat beside him and reached for his phone. “We’ll tell her the truth together,” I offered. “She’ll listen to me.”

  Dominic scoffed. “Not when she finds out her husband knew everything before her.”

  I gasped. “Seriously? Bryce knew about the fighting?”

  A heavy sigh escaped his lips. “Yep. I’m going to need a good stiff drink once this is over.”

  I kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry, I’ll loosen you up later.”

  Taking my hand, he rubbed it over the hardness between his legs. “Sounds good. I’m starting to feel a little tense.”

  So was I, but in a good way.

  Chapter Twelve

  Dominic

  Things between me and Faith seemed to grow stronger since I came clean. I’d underestimated her. I didn’t think she’d understand the real me. It turned out she probably knew me better than I knew myself. We spent the rest of the weekend at the hotel, and I wasn’t about to complain. The more time I spent with her, the more addicted I became. Now it was early Monday morning and I promised her we’d get away. That was why I planned to surprise her with a four-day trip to Aruba, and then end it by making a pit stop somewhere else.

  “Dom!” Marco shouted.

  I threw a couple more T-shirts into my bag. “Be right there!” I shouted back.

  Once I had everything packed up, I carried my luggage into the living room where Marco was there, sitting on the couch. Marco was loyal to my father, and I often wondered what his life would’ve been like if he’d made different choices. He could’ve been a pro football player, but chose to follow my father and the Corsino legacy. It made me think of the choices I’d made and were still making. They all seemed to head toward bad, except for Faith. She was the only thing I had that was right.

  I tossed my bag onto the floor. “Is everyone on their way up?” I a
sked.

  Marco nodded. “Should be here in a minute. I got Reed, Micah, and Connor as requested.”

  A few seconds later, the door opened, and Isaiah walked in with all three behind him. Micah took a seat next to Marco, looking all laid back as if he didn’t give a fuck about anything while Connor and Reed stood off to the side. Reed stayed with me through the fight, but when he saw Faith in the pit, he wanted to rush to her. His loyalties were with her. I couldn’t blame him. Mine were too.

  “Now that you’re all here. I wanted you to know that Faith and I are leaving town in about an hour and we won’t be back until Saturday morning.”

  Reed crossed his arms over his chest. “Where are you going?”

  “On a little vacation,” I said. “With Layla confronting Philip’s lawyer this morning, it’s going to piss him off when he finds out. I know Philip. He’ll show his ass.”

  It was only part of the truth. Cadoc was my main reason for getting Faith out of town, but I wasn’t about to tell Reed that. If I did, he’d be demanding she go to Wyoming. I had enough on my plate. I didn’t need a fight with him to add to it.

  Reed sighed. “Since you’re not going to be here, I’ll head back home for a few days.”

  I nodded. “Go. There’s nothing going on here.”

  Micah stood and stretched his arms behind his head. “I’m staying. Taylor fights this weekend and I want to make sure he’s ready.”

  Connor agreed with a nod. “Same.”

  I shook both Micah and Connor’s hands. “Thanks for being here. I really appreciate it.”

  Micah smirked. “No problem. You’re paying me a fuck ton to be here. It’s a whole hell of a lot more than what I get from the FBI.”

  Micah slapped a hand on Reed’s shoulder before heading to the door while Connor did the same. Reed watched them leave, and then turned back to me. “I’ll get a flight out this morning, but I want to talk to Faith before I go.”

  He’d been trying to convince her to leave New York ever since he got into town. She trusted him, and I wasn’t going to lie, I fucking hated it. Maybe it was because I knew he was better than me. He didn’t have the demons following him around like I did. Her life would be a whole hell of a lot less complicated if she’d chosen him.

  “She’s in the princess suite packing up her things,” I said, nodding toward the door. I just prayed like hell she didn’t tell him about Cadoc. Reed was a Chandler and I knew how they worked. Plus, he had the skills to sneak her away from right under my nose.

  Reed nodded his head at both me and Marco, and then disappeared out the door. It took all I had not to follow him. I didn’t want to smother Faith, but dammit to hell, I didn’t want her to change her mind and leave me, not when I knew I could keep her safe.

  Marco chuckled under his breath. “You got it bad, son.”

  I glared at him over my shoulder. “No shit.”

  His grin broadened. “Faith’s a beautiful woman. She’s got fire. I can see why Reed wants her.”

  It was too early for a drink, but I needed one. “Reed’s not the only one who’s showed interest in her,” I confessed.

  Marco’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”

  “Cadoc Cartwright.” The muscles in my jaw clenched so hard I could feel my teeth grind. “He’s the reason why she showed up in the pit. He thinks she’s my weakness.”

  “And is she?” he asked.

  Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair. “Yeah, she is. And we all know the Cartwrights like to manipulate their enemies’ weaknesses.” Layla was my father’s weakness, and people targeted her left and right. To this day, she still had no clue how many people I had to kill to keep her safe.

  Marco stood. “That’s why you’re taking her away, isn’t it? I knew it couldn’t be because of her pussy of a husband.”

  I scoffed. “Hell no. I’d put that fucker down in a heartbeat if I knew I could get away with it. The police would come straight at me if anything were to happen to him.”

  “You’re right,” he agreed. “With Sheriff Moneta gone we don’t have the police in our pockets anymore. In the meantime,” he said, slapping a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll keep an eye out on the Cartwrights. When you get back, we’ll make sure he doesn’t get anywhere near Faith.”

  I hugged him. “Thanks, Uncle. I hate I drug her into this.” There was no way to have her without putting her in danger.

  Marco hugged me back. “You love her, and she loves you. Not many people in our situation are that lucky.”

  That was for damn sure. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t call myself lucky. I was selfish. I wanted a woman who deserved to be kept safe and not have to worry about someone taking vengeance on her to get to me. One day I’d have to pay for my sins … I just prayed it didn’t involve Faith.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Faith

  Dominic wouldn’t tell me where we were headed, but he hinted about it being a tropical paradise. That was why I packed all my bathing suits, sun dresses, and floppy hats into one big suitcase. It was going to feel good to get away. The past couple of days were almost like a vacation. Dominic and I stayed hidden in his suite, watching movies, eating Francis’ amazing food, and spending every other free moment in bed. I couldn’t get enough of him.

  Someone knocked on the door, and I raced over to it, thinking it was Dominic, but when I opened the door it wasn’t him. “Reed,” I squealed, throwing my arms around his neck. “Long time no talk.” I hadn’t spoken to him since before I saw him in the pit. Dominic had made it clear he didn’t want anyone bugging us over the weekend.

  Reed hugged me back. “That’s because you’ve been a little busy.”

  My cheeks burned and I could feel them reddening by the second. I let him go and hoped he couldn’t see my embarrassment. “The weekend went by too fast,” was all I could say. I motioned for him to come inside. “What’s going on?”

  He reached for a black duffel bag that was on the floor and stepped inside. “With you leaving town with Corsino, I thought I’d go home for a couple of days to see if my brothers need help with anything. Micah and Connor are staying here to keep training with Taylor and Darius.”

  I nodded in understanding, but he kept his curious gaze on mine, almost as if he was studying me. “What is it, Reed?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “Just curious as to what you think about all of this. I haven’t been able to talk to you about it since you found out.”

  “You mean about the pit?”

  He nodded. “Does it bother you?”

  “Not really,” I lied. “Dominic promised that the fights were fair. No weapons and no fights to the death.” The only thing that bothered me was the clientele like the Cartwrights. Friends to your face, but secretly plotting your demise. It was another world, a world I wasn’t used to. It was obvious Dominic didn’t tell Reed about what Cadoc said to me. If he had, Reed would’ve demanded I leave town. It was a fight I surely wanted to avoid.

  Reed sighed. “As long as he keeps it that way, I’ll be fine. The second Corsino steps out of line, I’m coming straight to you. I don’t want you getting caught up.”

  That made me smile. “He’s not going to do anything stupid. Trust me.”

  By the look on his face, he had doubts. “We’ll see about that.” He glanced down at his watch and picked up his bag. “I should get going. There’s a flight leaving for Wyoming in two hours. I want to see if I can get on it.”

  I grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door. “I’ll walk you down then. I need to grab a coffee from the café.” There was a café connected to the hotel that had the best coffee. With the late nights Dominic and I had been having, I needed the boost. We walked out into the hall and got onto the elevator.

  “I know you’re sick of me asking you this, but are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Reed questioned, his voice concerned.

  I squeezed his arm. “I’ll be fine, I promise. Will you be back on Saturday?”

  A small smile spread across his face.
“Of course. I’m not leaving you alone here.” The elevator door opened, and we stepped off. “Just be careful, Faith. Dominic’s playing a dangerous game. You may not see it, but I do.”

  “It’ll be okay,” I assured him, hugging him one last time. “Go home and send my love to Layla. She’s probably almost done with her video conference with Philip’s lawyer.” My goal was to be on a plane before word got back to Philip.

  Reed squeezed me tight and let me go. “I will. I’m sure she’d love to see you. Maybe you can get Corsino to fly you out there on his private jet.” He winked and lifted his bag onto his shoulders. “Call me if you need me.”

  “Of course,” I said, winking back.

  I watched him walk out the door before heading over to the café. My nerves were shot. Any minute, I kept waiting for a phone call from Layla. I had no doubt Philip had tried calling me over the past few days, but I had every single one of his numbers blocked. That wouldn’t last long, especially after today.

  The morning rush of people had obviously come and gone so I was happy there wasn’t a long line from what I could see. However, before I could even make it through the door, a sharp pain shot up my arm as I was drug to a secluded corner. The breath whooshed out of me as my back slammed against the wall. It all happened so fast I didn’t know what was going on. At least, not until I met my attacker’s eyes. I’d looked into them many times over the years, but never had I seen them so dark and angry.

  I sucked in a breath and jerked out of his hold. “So help me God, Philip, that’s the last time you’ll ever put your hands on me.”

  He reeked of alcohol and looked as if he’d been through hell. His wrinkled white button-down shirt wasn’t even buttoned properly, and his tie was loose around his neck. He grabbed both my arms again and squeezed, bringing me closer. Out of all the years we’d been together, he’d never used force on me. He held me so tight my hands started to go numb. “You took everything from me, you stupid cunt. First, you sell my things from the condo, and now, I find out that Randall went to the judge and said I falsified papers. This will ruin me.”