by Roxie Rivera
Sergei thought of the cash he had tied up in bets. "I'll be safe."
"You had better be or else I'll kick your ass all the way to the hospital."
Sergei snorted. "Da."
Ivan slapped his hand against Sergei's back. "I'm sorry about the girl. I know it hurts."
Sergei stared at the opposite wall. If any man could understand what he was going through, it was Ivan. "It was stupid of me to think that I could have something normal."
"It's not stupid to have dreams or to want better things, Sergei. How the hell do you think I got where I am in life? I let myself dream of how it could be someday." Ivan hesitated. "But I never let myself fall in love when I was still deep in the family."
"That was smart."
"No, it was simply good timing. If Erin had walked into my life back then? There's no way I could have ignored what I feel for her. It would have been hard not to cross that line, but I would have tried. I would have reminded myself that she deserved something better. Even now, I struggle with the idea of tainting her life with my sins."
Sergei glanced at Ivan. "She loves you. I don't think she cares."
"If she does, she's made peace with it. God knows I don’t deserve her selfless love, but she never stops giving it." Ivan squeezed Sergei's shoulder. "You're a good man, Sergei, but you can't have everything. At some point, you have to choose—Nikolai's family or your own."
After having a taste of freedom and a glimpse of the possibilities, Sergei had never wanted to break free more. "How?"
"I don't have that answer, Sergei. It's different for all of us."
"Do you miss it? Do you ever feel guilty about walking away?"
Ivan considered the questions. "I miss the brotherhood, but I don't miss the violence or the gut-gnawing fear that came with every night. And guilt?" He shrugged. "In the early days, yes, I felt guilty about walking away from the only life I had ever known and leaving everyone else behind. Now?" He shook his head. "I get to go home every night to Erin. I get to climb into bed with her and make love to her and dream about the babies we're going to have without worrying that I might get shot or stabbed at work."
Ivan rubbed the back of Sergei's head. "If you get the chance to get out, take it, Sergei. Then run like hell."
"You might get that chance sooner than you had expected."
Sergei's gaze jumped to the doorway where Nikolai leaned against the frame. How long had he been there? Obviously long enough to hear Ivan's advice.
Sergei didn’t want to cause any problems, especially not tonight, and he didn't want Nikolai to doubt his loyalty. "I'm your man, boss."
"No, Sergei, you're not."
His stomach rolled with anxiety. That was the sort of statement that usually preceded a man getting clipped. "What do you mean? Is this because I took Vivian to see Hagen?"
Two days ago, Kelly Connolly's girlfriend had come to Vivian's studio seeking help. When Vivian had asked him to drive her to see the loan shark Hagen, he had argued with her, but she wasn't easily swayed once her mind was settled. Rather than risk letting her go alone with the girl, he had taken Vivian and escorted her inside. Needless to say, the boss had been less than pleased to find out about their excursion.
"No. It's about this." Nikolai pushed off the door frame and reached under his suit jacket to retrieve something hidden in the pocket there.
Sergei saw only a flash of something dark before it was presented to him on Nikolai's palm. His heart skipped a few beats as he stared at the chotki resting on the boss' hand. The Orthodox prayer rope was the gift that was given to men who got out of the family with the blessing of their boss. Certain he was hallucinating, Sergei didn’t dare touch it. "I don't understand."
"Your debt has been settled. You're a free man, Sergei. After the fights, you can walk away with no strings attached."
"Settled? But—how?"
Nikolai shot him a look. "How do you think?" When Sergei didn't answer, the boss said one name. "Bianca."
He nearly fell off the bench. "Bianca?"
"Apparently, she's rather wealthy." Nikolai studied him. "Did you know?"
He shook his head. "She said she was comfortable. I never thought—but why?"
"Because she loves you," Nikolai replied matter-of-factly. "She wants a future with you. If you're out of the family, there's no risk to her. You can be together."
"And you said yes?"
"You came into this family under duress. It wasn't your choice, Sergei. When that debt was paid, I planned to let you go. Bianca merely accelerated the timetable." Then, with a careless shrug, he added, "Her offer came at a useful time for me. The land we needed to unload? We made a fair trade. She gets you and the land. I get the money and the peace of mind that goes with having that land stay in the family."
Dazed, Sergei took the chotki from Nikolai. "I don't know what to say."
"You should probably start by telling Bianca thank you."
"I will."
"That will have to wait," Ivan interjected. "You fight soon, Sergei. It's time to clear your head. This first fighter is garbage, but I think Kelly Connolly will make it to the finals. He has heart, and he's fighting for something real. He's fighting for his family. What are you fighting for, Sergei?"
Kissing the rope beads that gave him the freedom to walk away and start anew, Sergei experienced the strongest surge of hope. "I'm fighting for my family."
* * *
"Are you sure we'll be able to get inside?" I warily eyed the double doors of the abandoned meatpacking plant where the tournament was being held.
"Yes," Vivian said, clutching my hand a little tighter. "One of the perks of being Nikolai's wife is that no one has the balls to tell me no."
"We're going to get into so much trouble for this," Lena warned as she pushed Erin forward. "I can already hear Yuri's lecture."
"I thought Kolya was going to stroke out when he found out about my trip to see Hagen but this? He's going to blow a freaking pupil when he sees me."
"Yeah, well, Ivan is probably going to toss me across his knee and smack my backside for this stunt." Erin kept close as we weaved our way through the noisy throng.
Lena snorted. "I knew that dirty Russian of yours was a kinky bastard."
We reached the door, and Vivian took point. The two bouncer type guys there recognized her instantly. They seemed uncertain about the proper protocol and wavered a moment too long.
"Are you going to open the door or do I need to call my husband to come get me?"
They profusely apologized for making us wait and hurriedly wrenched the double doors open to let us pass through and shut them quickly behind us. We all wrinkled our noses at the awful stink that permeated the place. It was stale and musty and reeked of sweat, alcohol and worse. Men clumped together in groups in the wide hallway and leered at us.
"Okay, I know this is really kindergarten, but let's hold hands and stick to the buddy system," Lena suggested.
"Which way do we go now?" I wondered as my eyes adjusted to the dim, shadowy lighting.
"I guess we follow the noise," Vivian said and led us forward.
Following our intrepid leader, we made our way down the creepy passage and into a massive open space. From the ragged, old bloodstains on the concrete floor, I deduced this had once been the main butchering floor. Gross.
A huge crowd of men surrounded a tall metal cage, the sides lined with chain-link fencing. I swallowed hard at the sight of it. Sergei, my Sergei, would soon be locked inside there. The only way out was to put down the other man or make him tap out in surrender.
"There are the bleachers Danny told me about," Vivian said and pointed to spots that seemed to be reserved for the betting heavy hitters and VIPs. "Let's go there. It's probably the safest place for us."
"That's not saying much," Erin said nervously and glanced around the rough crowd. "Now I know why Ivan said this place was forbidden to me."
Holding hands, we moved as one solid unit toward the bleachers.
As we neared the metal stands, Kostya stepped in front of us. He frowned at our group and shook his head. Without saying a word, he gestured for us to follow him. He pointed out a row of seats. Once we had taken them, he growled, "Don't move."
We didn't dare.
Kostya assigned two men to watch us and then took off through the crowd, shoving guys out of the way to force his way through. He was probably running off to tattle on us. When Nikolai, Dimitri and Yuri appeared a short time later, all three of them wearing sour, disapproving expressions, I figured my instinct was right.
Like the freaking queen of the underworld, Vivian rose from her seat ever so calmly and gestured to the open spot next to her. She held out her hand in silent invitation for Nikolai to join her. His eyes narrowed to slits before the slightest, almost imperceptible smile lifted one corner of his mouth. For all his intimidation and ruthlessness, it was clear to anyone watching that Vivian owned him, body and soul.
When he sat down next to her, he curled his arm around her waist and hauled her tight to his side. Cupping her face, he said something that made Vivian lower her gaze almost submissively. He traced her bottom lip with his finger and then claimed her mouth in a very public and very possessive kiss.
Yuri shook his head as he took a space next to Lena. He seemed to know better than to try to rein her in while in public. After seeing Lena in action, I doubted Yuri wanted a taste of the Dragon Lady's waspish tongue where others might overhear. Not that he seemed to mind her feistiness. I suspected he found it rather sexy.
Looking every bit the tired new father, Dimitri sat between me and Erin. He sighed and patted both of our knees. Addressing Erin first, he said, "Ivan told me to tell you that you are to stay here with me until he's finished tonight. I'm not supposed to let you out of my sight." He glanced at me. "You either, Bianca."
"I'm not going anywhere," I promised.
Loud rock music blared out of speakers mounted around the warehouse. They seemed to signal the start of the first fight of the night because men moved into better positions around the cage. Up here on the elevated bleachers, we had an unimpeded view. My stomach started to churn violently. Could I really sit through this?
But I had to do it. I had to let Sergei know I was here for him and that I would do whatever it took to make a future possible for us.
The man who came out of the tunnel first looked pretty tough. He was a good-sized man, close to Ivan in height and build, and had a grizzled appearance. I zeroed in on the pudginess at his hips and decided he had nothing on Sergei who was lean and mean and all muscle.
"He fights for one of the outlaw motorcycle clubs," Dimitri explained, leaning close enough that I could hear him over the crowd. He touched his arm to indicate the tattoo the fighter had there. "He's a Bandit."
I noticed the group of loud, leather clad men who cheered him on. Their vests were embellished with the same tattoo. They didn’t seem like a crowd I wanted to cross.
When the crowd went wild, I glanced to the tunnel again and spotted Sergei coming into view. He wore red trunks and nothing else. I had hoped that his hands would be taped for protection, but his bare knuckles were clearly visible even from this distance. The nearer he came to the cage, the easier it was for me to see him under the bright lights illuminating that central space.
He hadn't shaved in days. The slight beard covering his cheeks was a strange sight for me because I had only ever known him to be clean-shaven. I noticed the faint bruising along his jaw and the ugly cut under his eye. It would be yet another scar that he would bear.
Inside the cage, he advanced to his corner while Ivan made the walk outside the fence to take up his coaching spot. Standing there, waiting for his match to begin, Sergei searched the bleachers—for me. Our gazes met across the distance, and my tummy flip-flopped. He slowly brought two fingers to his lips and kissed them before holding them out toward me. Grinning, I mouthed the only three words that mattered right now. I love you.
Rolling his shoulders, Sergei faced his opponent. I started to breathe faster as an announcer came out to get the fight started. There were very few rules that he listed. I understood then how outrageously dangerous these matches were. When the referee waved his arm to signal the start and a bell clanged, I thought I was going to vomit. My stomach lurched painfully as the man I loved rushed his opponent.
At the first traded punches, I nearly passed out. Dimitri seemed to sense my wooziness and put his hand on my back. He gently rubbed circles there and gave me the support I needed to keep going. This was so much worse than the one punch I had witnessed Sergei throw at Lulu's wedding.
Earlier, Erin had explained that part of the reason Sergei was so damned good at this was because he understood showmanship. The people who bet on these fights wanted their money's worth, and he made sure they got it. That's why everyone loved him. He had the stamina to give them the bloody street brawls they wanted and the skill to avoid getting seriously injured.
The nasty fight inside the cage was worse than I had ever imagined it would be. The bloodthirsty crowd cheered every time Sergei landed a blow. By the time the second round started, the floor was already splattered with blood. When Sergei took a hit to the ribs, I cringed. I wanted this fight over with, like, right now.
Just as the second round neared its final seconds, Sergei connected with a powerful jab that sent the other man whirling to his left. He wavered on his feet before falling forward. Sergei actually caught his opponent on the way down, preventing a nasty head wound, and gently lowered him to the concrete floor.
Relieved that it was over, I jumped to my feet and whistled and hollered. The other guy's trainers rushed into the cage to help him. I heard someone shout for an ambulance but I had a feeling there wasn't one coming. All around me, people yelled and clapped and went wild.
Sergei walked to the fence, gripped it in his massive, brutal hands and stared right at me. One long finger crooked and made a come-hither motion. Powerless to refuse the man who owned my heart, I slowly made my way out of the bleachers to meet him at the cage.
So many eyes were trained on me as I pushed my way through the crowd. Lena had suggested we wear black dresses and gold embellishments so we could be seen as one cohesive unit, much like the gangs and crews of men here. More than one loud catcall and high-pitched whistle cut through the noise of the crowd. Considering the way Sergei looked at me, I could tell he approved my curve-hugging black dress and the golden belt that nipped in my waist.
He bent down until we were eye to eye. His gaze zeroed in on the medallion around my neck. "Come here," he ordered huskily.
I gingerly rubbed his bruised, bloodied fingers and leaned forward until our foreheads touched through the fence. "I really love you, Sergei."
"I know what you did for me, Bianca. I'm going to spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret it."
Smiling up into his loving face, I said, "Just get through this last fight so we can go home and put all of this behind us, Sergei."
"Done." Kissing my fingers, he gave one final instruction. "Stick close to Vivian. No one will touch you if you're with her."
"I will." Noticing Ivan's impatient stare, I backed away from the fence. "Good luck."
Sergei nodded and left the cage. Ivan trailed him into the tunnel, and they disappeared from view. I rejoined my friends and managed to sit through Kelly's fight. Watching a friend was just as bad as watching the love of my life. Knowing Kelly had been forced into this tournament to save his family just made the whole thing impossible to stomach.
Kelly's opponent, a stocky fighter, landed some powerful kicks, including one that caught him in the ribs. I winced and silently urged Kelly to watch that guy's leg. The two fighters traded punches, and then Kelly stunned me by taking the man to the ground. The guy shouted with pain as his shoulder slammed into the concrete.
Catching his opponent's arm between his thighs, Kelly jerked hard. I thought for sure he was going to dislocate the guy's shoulder. Unable to
watch, I averted my gaze and listened to the crowd for clues.
Next to me, Dimitri leaped to his feet. He had come to cheer on Kelly. It wasn't that Dimitri didn't support Sergei, but Kelly was his employee and in an incredibly untenable position between his father and the two loan sharks who owned the old man. "Come on, Kelly. Harder. Harder. Yes!"
I looked up and saw Kelly untangling himself from the other fighter. He tried to help the man who had surrendered, but the guy spit at him and shot him the finger. Jesus. So much for sportsmanship!
The break between fights wasn't nearly long enough. My stomach was still in knots when Sergei and Kelly marched back into the cage. With so much trepidation, I watched the two men stand across from each other while the referee spoke to them. They knocked together fists, and Sergei said something that made Kelly's stoic expression slip fractionally.
And then the battle began.
The two earlier fights hadn't been anywhere near as brutal as the brawl that occurred before me now. Kelly managed to sneak in the first punch, but Sergei's answering blow knocked Kelly back a few feet. Blood sprayed from the contact between their bodies, and I grimaced at the awful sight.
Kelly shook it off and avoided taking another hit. He punched Sergei in the ribs and slammed his knee into Sergei's belly. I saw my man's rough and pained exhale and felt tears pricking my eyes. A second later, Sergei snatched Kelly's leg and jerked the former Marine off his feet. Kelly hit the concrete ass first but he was quicker than Sergei and managed to avoid being pinned down.
The air horn blasted, signaling the end of the round. Both men returned to their corners to receive attention from their trainers. In no time at all, they were brought back to the center of the cage. The second round began, and I wasn't sure how much more of this I could stomach. Only the knowledge that Sergei needed me to show my support kept my butt parked on that bench.
Inside the cage, they were kicking and punching. One of Sergei's powerful kicks left Kelly limping as they entered the third round. I don't think Sergei expected Kelly to last that long. My big, handsome Russian was breathing hard and looking frustrated.