Kristy stumbled back in shock. “M-Max...” she stammered. “I...”
“Let’s finish the fight,” Max growled, getting to his feet. “Come on.”
She braced herself.
“If you win, you live,” Max told her. “If you lose...”
“I remain dead,” she finished in a hard voice.
Max smeared his own blood over his face and grinned devilishly at the spectators. He knew he looked dangerous and deranged.
This was what the crowd wanted.
They wanted Mad Max.
They wanted to see that mad, mindless, tortured beast demolish his opponent and rip her to shreds.
He turned around and saw Kristy lowering herself to a crouch. She jerked visibly at the sight of his gory, blood-smeared face and glinting fangs.
Max roared and golden fur raced up his arms. It was all sound and fury. The crowd was here to be entertained and to win some money.
Max almost laughed out loud. He was pretty sure that the majority of the crowd had bet on him to win.
Well, these people were going to lose a lot of money tonight.
Max jerked back when Kristy rushed him. Her arms whirled as she slashed at him repeatedly.
She struck again and again. Her movements were fast, sure and forceful.
Max felt her blade slice across his back and chest.
Max reared up and swiped at Kristy. He missed on purpose and she smashed the hilt of her dagger into the back of his head.
Max smiled and bared his bloody fangs.
Kristy was a good fighter. Her moves were well-timed and decisive.
“You’re still not fighting me,” she panted angrily.
Max took a sharp breath.
Kristy was right. It wouldn’t be believable if she walked out of the arena with only a teensy weensy scratch.
He didn’t want to hurt her, but...if her prize money was forfeited because of him, it would kill her.
Max lurched forward and bit into Kristy’s arm. She screamed loudly and he released her at once. Blood flowed down her arm as she staggered back.
“Good,” she muttered under her breath. “Do it again.”
Max leaped and his jaws closed around Kristy’s shoulder. She screamed like a banshee when he bit into her flesh.
He pressed closer to her and felt a sharp pain in his chest.
Max growled and backed away slowly.
He looked down and saw the hilt of the dagger sticking out of his chest.
Kristy stood in front of him, rooted to the spot.
He couldn’t see her face behind that dark tinted visor but he could feel her intense, horrified gaze on him.
Blood flooded his mouth as he grinned.
Max dropped to his knees and looked up at her.
“Kristy,” he said her name with pride just before he collapsed face down in the dirt.
CHAPTER NINE
Kristy tried to look back at Mad Max as she was ushered out of the arena, but those burly vampires blocked her view.
“Is he…?” she stuttered. “Did I…?”
Did I kill him? She wanted to scream.
“Yeah you won,” one of the vampires declared. “You can go collect your prize money at the counter.”
The words finally sank in.
This was the last installment.
She was free at last!
Kristy felt giddy, light-headed and sick to the stomach. She wanted to throw up.
She never wanted to hurt Max like that, but...everything just happened so fast.
She had been holding the dagger out in front of her when Max slammed into her. When he backed away, the blade was deeply lodged in his chest.
She had watched in shock and horror as he collapsed at her feet.
Before she could get to him, the vampires had swarmed into the arena and declared her the winner.
Kristy hardly felt her feet touch the ground as the vampires escorted her past the wild, thunderous crowd. She looked up, incredulous and disoriented.
She had defeated Mad Max.
The noise in The Pit was deafening, and everything was just a crazy, breathless blur. She suddenly found the stench of blood and sweat nauseating.
“Please make sure that Max is okay,” she wheezed to the stern-faced vampire at her side.
He raised a brow at her but didn’t answer.
“Please,” she pleaded.
The vampire rolled his eyes. “He’s not dead, if that’s what you’re worried about. Mad Max is indestructible.”
Kristy released a shaky breath. She tried to look over her shoulder but couldn’t see past the press of huge bodies. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to see Max again.
He wasn’t what she expected at all.
Mad Max wasn’t mad at all. He wasn’t brutal, savage and out of control. On the contrary, he was sensitive, perceptive and intelligent. He knew her purpose and motivations, and he knew what to do to make the fight both convincing and entertaining. Yet he had been very careful not to inflict any serious damage and injury on her.
She had won because Max let her. He had let her wound him on purpose.
She owed him.
Kristy took a painful breath. If only she could see him just one last time...
As Kristy approached the counter, she spotted Roland strolling towards her.
“Kristy,” Roland called out. “My little champion!”
She turned around to face him. “I’m not your anything,” she said flatly. “I’m free now. I’ll hand you all the money I’ve won. You don’t own me, Roland. Not anymore.”
Roland laughed. “Why don’t we negotiate a satisfactory arrangement? You can still work for me, and I’ll pay you well. You can be my fighter, and we can split the prize money. It’s a generous offer, Kristy. Think about it. Where will you go? You don’t have a home, a family, a job. You’ll be set adrift in the cold, lonely world.”
“I’ll take my chances, thanks,” Kristy said stiffly. “I’m not going back with you, Roland.” I’ll never be a slave again!
She stepped up to the counter and the vampire slid a thick envelope over to her. “Here’s your money,” he said. “Come back again, little lady. The crowd loves you. A full-human combatant is a novelty. And a pretty female like you...” He whistled and winked. “We would love to have you back in The Pit.”
Kristy took the envelope. “Thanks, but I’m not coming back.”
“That’s what they all say.” The vampire shrugged. “But when they need the money, they always come back to The Pit.”
Kristy opened the envelope and saw all the cash inside. A thought struck her. Did Max need the money? Was that why he came back to The Pit? The vampires had told her that Max hadn’t been back in decades. Maybe he had fallen on hard times.
Kristy slipped her hand into the envelope and took out a wad of cash. Even after taking out that amount, Kristy knew that she was giving Roland more than the stipulated sum. But she figured it was better to pay him extra to make him happy. As long as she was free, he could keep the extra money.
She stuffed the cash into her pocket before turning around to face Roland.
“Here,” she said and thumped her chest. “Paid in full.”
CHAPTER TEN
Kristy walked out of The Pit and looked around uncertainly. She had handed Roland the money and she was free now. But she didn’t know where to go.
Roland came up behind her and said, “Come on, Kristy.”
He took her arm but she shook him off. “Don’t touch me, Roland,” she warned.
Unfazed, he chuckled and said, “I never noticed how much you’ve grown and changed, Kristy. When you first arrived, you were a scrawny, skinny, angry girl.”
He clucked his tongue at her. “The anger hasn’t left. You’re still angry, but now you’re an angry young woman. I could use all that drive and anger. You can be a great help to me, Kristy. I’ll promote you and I’ll pay you a generous wage. You can be my personal guard and assistant...”
Kristy whirled round to face Roland. She tried to keep her voice calm and reasonable. “Thank you for the generous job offer. But I’ll make my own way in the world. I don’t want to work for you.”
She attempted to walk away but Roland blocked her. He wasn’t smiling now. “This is not an offer you can refuse, Kristy.”
“Excuse me?” She scowled. “I’m a free woman now. I can choose...”
“Everything you won as my slave belongs to me, Kristy,” Roland answered, waving the envelope in her face. “This money isn’t payment for anything. It rightly belongs to me, because...you belong to me. I registered you for the fights as your master. You win the fight, I win the money,” he finished smugly.
“No. We had a deal,” Kristy said, her mouth going dry. “You agreed...”
“I agreed to nothing.”
“That’s not true! You wrote down the amount that I had to pay you for my freedom. I kept the paper.” Kristy reached down and produced a carefully folded piece of paper from her pocket. “I kept a record of all my winnings, and I wrote down the dates I handed those amounts over to you. This...is the final payment.”
“That’s just a piece of paper. You can’t prove anything, Kristy. You are still my slave.” He smiled nastily. “And I can make you fight in The Pit for as long as I want.”
“No, no...you can’t do that,” Kristy whispered.
Roland pointed at the collar around her neck. “Until I unlock the collar, you remain my property.”
Kristy touched the silver collar around her neck. Shit.
In her excitement and euphoria, she had forgotten all about her collar.
“I gave you the money,” she said tersely. “I made the full payment. You got your money’s worth and then some. Unlock my collar now.”
Roland laughed. “I’ve changed my mind. I’ll keep the money, and I’ll keep you.”
He grabbed her arm and started to drag her towards his car. “Know your place, Kristy,” he hissed. “You are my slave. Whatever you earn as a slave belongs to me.”
“No! Let me go!” Kristy screamed. “I’m not your slave! I am free. That was the agreement! I paid everything!”
Roland was about to shove her into the car when Kristy heard a distinct growl behind them.
“Let the lady go,” a deep voice said.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Kristy twisted around. She gasped when she saw Max. Her anger, anxiety, fear and confusion melted away into pure joy and relief.
She had never been so happy to see anyone in her life. “Max! Max, you’re okay!” she cried.
Max flashed her a grin.
Max saw her staring at his torn, bloodstained t-shirt and smirked. “A flimsy little blade can’t do much damage to me,” he said. “I’m really hard to kill.”
Kristy managed a smile.
Max turned to Roland and his entire demeanor changed. His expression hardened and a fierce, predatory glow entered his eyes. The tips of his fangs gleamed and his muscles seemed to grow bigger as he advanced towards the warlock. Kristy could sense that his bear was ready to rip out of his skin.
“Unlock her collar,” Max ordered.
“Why should I...” Roland began.
“She has bought her freedom from you. Let her go.”
The warlock narrowed his eyes at Max. “This is between me and my slave. You should just...”
“She. Is. Not. Your. Slave.” Max’s deadly fangs and claws were on full display now.
Roland started to back away but Max’s clawed hand shot out. His fist closed around Roland’s neck.
“You...won’t...dare...kill...” Roland wheezed, struggling to free himself.
“I can do whatever I want.” Max’s smile was chilling. “No one will come to your aid.”
Roland’s chauffeur remained in the car, not daring to come out and risk his own neck.
“You...”
“We’re not in The Pit anymore. The vamps don’t care what happens outside The Pit. People have been killed in the parking lot and the vamps simply turn a blind eye. It’s none of their business, and it won’t affect their business. Those vamps know better than to get their hands dirty.” Max smirked. “I doubt anyone will miss you.”
Roland paled.
“You have the money. Now unlock her collar,” Max repeated. When Roland didn’t respond, Max spun round and slammed Roland against the wall. Blood began to trickle down Roland’s neck.
Clumsily, Roland fished out a key from his pocket and tossed it to Kristy. Kristy unlocked her collar and flung the collar far away from her.
Max shoved Roland towards his car and snarled, “Get out of here, scum.”
Roland scrambled into the back seat and snapped a command to his chauffeur. He glared at Kristy as his chauffeur drove off.
Kristy saw the rage and hate brimming in the warlock’s eyes. But she stared right back at him unflinchingly.
Roland no longer had any power or control over her.
Once Roland’s car was out of sight, Kristy released a quiet, shuddering breath.
She turned to Max. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you for everything, Max.”
“What are your plans now?” he asked softly.
“I...” She stopped abruptly. “Oh, I just remembered.” She pulled out the stack of notes from her pocket and pushed the money into Max’s hand. “Here. Take this.”
Max looked bewildered. “Why?”
“You’ve been fighting in The Pit for a long time. I hope that this will help you,” she said earnestly. “You don’t have to keep coming back. This isn’t the place for you. You...you’re a good man, Max. You deserve better.”
Max blinked at her. “Wait. You think that...”
“I wish you well, Max,” Kristy said, stepping away. She took a deep breath and said, “We’re even now.”
Max frowned.
“You helped me.” Kristy chewed her lip. “I...I don’t like owing anyone.”
“Ah...”
Kristy took a step forward and wondered why the world seemed to be swaying around her. The ground felt kind of wobbly and everything looked out of focus.
She felt so tired and weak all of a sudden. All the fight and energy drained out of her in a rush.
Kristy felt Max’s strong arms around her. He’d managed to catch her just before she hit the ground.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Max stared at the unconscious woman in his arms. Kristy was breathtakingly beautiful. He hadn’t be able to see her face behind her dark visor in the arena, but her sweet, alluring scent had been seared into his senses.
After Kristy had been ushered out of the arena by the vampires, Max had opened his eyes with a grunt and pushed himself up. He had staggered out of the arena hoping to find Kristy, but a heavy hand on his shoulder had stopped him in his tracks.
Max knew who that hand belonged to. He also knew that he wasn’t going to be able to shake that hand off. Draven never let go once he’d grabbed ahold of something or someone.
In exasperation, Max had turned around to face his oldest friend.
The first thing Draven said to him was, “Aren’t you going to take that out?” When Max growled at him, Draven huffed and pointed to the dagger which was still firmly embedded in Max’s chest. “This dagger-in-chest look doesn’t suit you.”
Max had yanked the dagger out of his flesh and threw it over his shoulder. He didn’t care about some stupid dagger. He wanted to find Kristy.
As Draven hurled questions at him, Max simply ignored his friend and scanned the sea of faces. He sniffed the air and managed to pick Kristy’s scent out from the maddening swirl of hard, acrid scents.
Determinedly, Max followed her scent out of The Pit and as he strode towards the parking lot, he saw a red-haired beauty going toe to toe with a warlock.
He recognized her voice and her scent. This fierce, fiery redhead was his Kristy.
Kristy was the most beautiful female he had ever seen. Her green eyes burned with resolve a
nd passion, and her red hair fell in waves past her shoulders. She had high cheekbones and an adorable upturned nose. She was fearless, tenacious and indomitable.
Max caught Kristy in his arms as she collapsed from exhaustion.
He carried her and walked swiftly towards his car.
Out of nowhere, Draven appeared and fell into step beside him.
“I suppose you were watching everything from the shadows,” Max deadpanned.
“Yup. You had everything under control. I didn’t want to interrupt your romantic interlude,” Draven answered sarcastically, glancing at Kristy. “That warlock is a nasty piece of work. What are you going to do with her?”
They’d reached his car. Max opened the back door of his Bentley and gently laid Kristy down.
He slid behind the wheel and started the engine.
To his annoyance, Draven hopped into the passenger seat and strapped on the seat belt.
“I didn’t agree to give you a ride,” Max said.
“I flew all the way here,” Draven grumbled. “I’m tired. I don’t want to shift to dragon form and fly back.”
Max shot the dragon shifter a look before pulling out of the parking lot.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
They drove in silence for a while. But Max knew that the silence wouldn’t last.
Draven was his oldest friend. Max had gotten to know a lot of people in The Pit over the years, but Draven was the first real friend he’d made.
Like him, Draven had been enslaved by a witch. Max had first met Draven in the arena.
They had both been forced to fight by their mistresses, and after facing each other in the arena time and again, they slowly grew to respect and trust each other.
Together, they had quietly planned to put an end to their captivity. They would rebel and fight for their freedom when the opportunity arose.
Draven was the first to get free. After a few attempts, Draven finally slew the witch who had enslaved him since he was a boy. Draven ran and hid himself, and Max didn’t hear from him for years.
Billionaire Beast Bear (Beast Bears Book 3) Page 3