Falcon's Prey: A Dark Romance

by C. Lymari

  They would send out fighters two by two for the beginner fights. The winner got some cash with the security of knowing they most likely wouldn’t be dying. The emptier the room got, the more I felt the “champion’s” eyes on me. They called him Claw because the fucker liked to claw eyes out once he got his opponent down. He was cruel and sloppy, and that worked to my advantage.

  Just because he had won the last four fights, it didn’t mean he was a beast. He had never faced off with someone like me. He might be bulkier and have brute strength, thinking himself hot shit because he’d made a few kills, but in reality, he wasn’t a serial killer. He killed to prove a point. He played it safe and let his prey come to him. That was never me. I didn’t give a shit about what was socially acceptable. I killed because after the first time, after the scare went away, I realized that it made me feel powerful. Having someone’s life in my hands didn’t make me feel like the lowlife piece of shit I was. It became an addiction that I couldn’t stop.

  So I let him stare me down and think he had me by the balls. For the first time in my life, I had something to lose. I made my hands punch the bag with a little more pressure than before, anticipating moves in my head. It was a mental game as much as it was physical. I knew that once the cage locked, only one of us would make it out alive.

  A door opened, and in came Ignacio Estacado. He had his security detail with him and two teenagers trailing after him. I looked at the boys, who looked the same, yet different. One of them had a kindness to him that the other didn’t have. They passed by us fighters, going to join the crowd that was outside. Just as they walked to the door, Claw got brave and got up. I kept hitting the bag, taking note of the way the guy walked as if he favored one side than the other.

  “What’s so special about you?” he said in a groggy voice that reminded me of a frog. “There’s a protocol, and you bypassed it.”

  I kept punching. “I don’t make the rules.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I’m still going to kill you, but before I do, you’re going to know what it feels to lose sight and have your eyeballs ripped out.”

  I stopped punching and turned to look at him, giving him my undivided attention. “I hope you at least got your dick sucked, because you’re not walking out of here alive.”

  When I walked away, I prayed that I wouldn’t die because I swear I would come back to kill Gideon for his sex ban. I went to grab a drink of water when I noticed it was only two more fights before mine. Part of me wanted to go out and look at Ember again in case it was the last time, but I wouldn’t think about that.

  Once they took Claw, announcing him to his adoring fans, I removed my clothes, staying only in my shorts. I removed the wrap on my ribs and threw it on the garbage. If I lost this fight, then I deserved to die.

  “You’re up.” One of Estacado’s made men called for me.

  I took a deep breath and walked out. The place was dark as shit. I made my way to the cage, and as soon as I was in, they closed the door. They made a show of locking us in to make it more dramatic that only one of us would survive.

  I tuned out the crowd, the cheering, and the greedy way Claw looked at me. Just like I knew he would, he ran straight to me, trying to take me to the ground.

  I stepped to the side, slamming my elbow with force straight into his rib. Like an enraged bull, he started to seethe.

  “Should have gotten your dick sucked.”

  Just like I knew, his eyes went a little wild. He was top dog here, and he wasn’t about to let me take his throne. We circled each other for a second when he moved to make a punch, and just as I moved the side to block it, he struck his leg out with an agility I didn’t think he possessed. The asshole got me in the back of my knee, causing me to fall to the floor. As soon as I dropped, I rolled, and I heard a thud where he tried to jump on top of me. I was trying to get up when I saw him trying to kick me. I moved my body a bit, and he hit my elbow, knocking me down again.

  Fuck.

  I needed to get up again because right now, he had the advantage. I closed my eyes tightly, gritting my teeth from pain, and then I saw her face, and I wondered what was going through her mind. I wasn’t going to die today. I would make a deal with the devil to keep me here so that I could be with her one more time. I stayed on the floor, knowing he was going to try to go straight for my eyes. As soon as I felt him at my back, I turned around and kicked his balls. It was a low blow, but the moment he tipped over in pain, it gave me enough time to get up.

  “Pussy,” he gritted out.

  Jumping around, I got close to him until I threw three punches, hitting his side, one on his cheek, and before I could land the last one, he got one on my cheek. I extended my arm, striking with the side of my hand to his nose in an upward motion. Blood dripped from his nose, and seeing it turned him in a blind rage. He came at me fast with punches and kicks.

  I blocked some and moved out of the way on others. Sweat dripped down my forehead along with some blood. It fucking hurt to breathe, and I took shallow breaths, short of panting. I wasn’t the only one who was tired; so was he.

  This time it was me who rushed at him, throwing wild punches to get him where I wanted. My chest was taking damage, but I would worry about that later. When I punched the side of his neck, I saw the way he started to blink furiously, trying to stop the dizziness from taking over. Using that as my opportunity, I pulled my leg back and kicked back his kneecap.

  The crunch of bone was piercing. I watched him stumbling backward until he fell to the floor. I kicked his side by his kidney when his arm shot out, trying to get enough balance to get up or, in his case, crawl away. I kicked him in his armpit. A hit there immobilized his arm.

  Knowing this was a show, I knew I had to make this worth their while. Since he wasn’t going anywhere, I circled him slowly, trying to figure out the best way to kill him.

  I stalked him as people started to chant, “Falcon,” aware that I had my prey where I wanted him.

  When I got behind his head, I pulled him into a sitting position by gripping his hair and then threw a blow to his nape, damaging his spinal cord. He howled in pain.

  Pulling him up again, I looked at him in the eyes, and there was fear in them knowing he was going to die. He got cocky. He’d killed in here for the first time in one of the other fights. He got addicted to the high, but was too much of a pussy to do it on his own again. So, he did the ring once, got addicted, and kept coming back for more. When you’re a born killer, you learn everything you can about the human body. Anatomy becomes a necessity. Because by knowing the human body, you know how to tear it apart. Brute strength didn’t do anything against skill.

  “I was going to make this painless, but you pissed me off.” Still holding him, I pretended to turn around, only to slam my elbow to his throat.

  With the force of my elbow, his Adam’s apple broke free. His first instinct was to swallow to clear his throat of the sensation, trying to get some air down his windpipe. As he did that, he pushed the bone down, effectively cutting his throat from both sides. I held his head so the fuckers who got their rocks off this little show could get their money’s worth. The room was silent as blood spilled from Claw’s mouth as he choked to death.

  Then, there it was: the applause. I let Claw’s body slump to the floor, letting out a relieved breath. They announced me the winner, and as they did, the lights in the room came back on as the cage began to lift from the floor so I could get out.

  If you’d asked me a year ago if magnetic pulls existed, I’d laugh it off, but it was the only explanation I had when I found Ember’s eyes. After tonight, she might end up hating me, and I’d lose her forever.

  As the cage pulled up, I stayed rooted in the spot I was in. The smell of blood was heavy now that Claw was dead at my feet. I looked at the table where Ignacio was seated. He was with his two boys. The one with the kinder eyes now looked at me with curiosity, while the other looked bored.

  Ignacio gave me a nod before he got up. I wait
ed for someone to give me the go-ahead to follow him. I had questions, and he had the answers. Looking across to Ember, I was shocked at who was at the table with them. Gideon was standing protectively around Ember, and across from them was Enzo Toscano, the guy whose home I was staying in. I’d heard the rumors about him, and the fact that he was here only confirmed them.

  “Falcon, go back to the room, and Mr. Estacado will be there shortly.”

  I gave a tense nod, wishing I could go to the table where Ember was, but I was so close to getting answers now, and I would not blow it. My eyes met Ember’s, and I still heard the echo of the words she’d said to me. No one, absolutely no one, had ever said them to me. Did I feel guilty for making her say them? No, because at the end of the day, they were just words. But to Ember, they meant more. She needed that admission if I wanted to stand a chance after the betrayal I was about to make.

  My eyes bored into hers, noting the way she looked at me with relief and wariness. She’d just watched me kill a man with my bare hands, and there was no trace of repulsion in her gaze—all her problems and deceptions, all her worries and heartbreaks, she was molded to be the perfect woman for me.

  I looked past her at Gideon, a warning to keep watching her. It wouldn’t be long now before we got to go back home. Hell, that wasn’t even home; it hit home when the owner of the place was across from Ember.

  My eyes met his too, and he smirked at me and raised his glass in a toast. Nodding, I turned around, starting to feel better. As I walked back, I felt a prickle of heat on my skin. I got the feeling I was being watched. My eyes did a quick scan of the room but found nothing. I shook my head, telling myself I was paranoid.

  Still, my end was near.

  The thing about hiding in the shadows was that as soon as someone shed some light, that was it—no more places to hide.

  I washed my bloody hands in the sink and looked at myself in the mirror, and I smiled. I missed the way the adrenaline pumped in your veins, the slight brush with death. Tempting it and saying, “Is this my end?”

  When the door opened, I was already dressed and somewhat cleaned up. In came the guards protecting their New York king. The guards pointed at me to follow him. We went to the back from where he had emerged from before the fight. Inside was a black office desk with a matching chair that had a red cushion. Fit for a king.

  “Ren Falcon,” he said as he took a seat, and the accent of his native tongue was strong. “You’ve made me a lot of money tonight. No one thought you would win.”

  I smiled at him, watching his two sons stand behind him. “You left out my resume. I’m sure that would have changed a few minds.”

  “It’s simply business, boy.” He grinned.

  I’d never seen any of the other brothers, but the vibe I was getting from Ignacio had me on edge.

  “Now, what can I do for you, Falcon?” he asked as he signaled for one of his guys to get him a drink.

  “Just a favor.”

  Ember

  The fights started out small, like something you’d watch on TV. Just guys trying to prove a point. With every couple that went in and out of the ring, my heart beat a little louder, and my hands would get shakier.

  Gideon wouldn’t let me out of his sight, Enzo watched the fights with mild interest, and Pam disappeared for a little while.

  Now all the lights had dimmed entirely.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for your four-time champion, Claw.”

  I watched with avid fascination as men dressed in suits and women in their fanciest pearls cheered like they were in some sort of game. Everyone had shed the skin they showed the world, and in here, they were their true selves. A man stepped into the ring, and I gasped. He was not as tall as Ren, but he was bigger and had a murderous grin on his face, making a show of waving to his adoring fans.

  My breathing got ragged, because now I wasn’t so sure I would see Ren again, and I hated him a little less for forcing me to say words I wasn’t ready to speak.

  “His challenger, standing at six feet five inches, weighing two hundred and twenty-pounds, Falcon.”

  The room hushed with the anticipation of the challenger. Then he came out walking tall and proud, no emotion on his face whatsoever. He looked like Death, and one thing was clear: he would not go down easily. He wore shorts, his chest bare with no wraps, showing no weaknesses, just feeling them.

  I was on the edge of my seat watching Ren circle his opponent. When he would get close enough, I would flinch. I gasped, and I felt Gideon holding my head to his chest as Ren fell to the floor.

  Get up. Get up. Get. Up.

  I whimpered when Claw came behind him. Then Ren turned around, kicking his balls, and it gave him enough time to rise to his feet. Hit after hit and seeing his blood spill, I knew I didn’t regret the words I’d said.

  I didn’t know how it happened or when, but I loved him. Every piece of my tattered soul called to him. He was the first person not to run scared of me. He was the first person to not give up on me. He was the first person I’d ever loved, because love wasn’t heart, flowers, and perfection. Love was rage, betrayal, and deception, things that made you feel so deep, you know that what you felt was real. Love was a beautiful nightmare, a double-edged sword that killed.

  At one point, Gideon relaxed, and Enzo said, “He’s incapacitating him.”

  Ren made it so the guy couldn’t move; then, when the guy was fully paralyzed, he killed him.

  Repulsion was the furthest thing from my mind. All I felt was relief that he was okay and that nothing was going to happen to him.

  When our eyes met, I knew I was fucked. There was no other man for me but him, and I would follow him everywhere blindly.

  Enzo raised his glass to Ren, then turned to us and grinned. “Thank you, Falcon. You just made me a bit richer.”

  “Like you need the money,” I murmured, then turned to Gideon. “You bet on him, too, didn’t you?”

  “Be stupid not to. Barely anyone did.”

  “So, what now?”

  “Now, you wait,” Enzo said. “He’ll meet Ignacio, ask for his wish, then you leave this place and go back to your lives.”

  It sounded simple enough. Now that the anxiety had worn off, I needed to pee. I didn’t know how long this meet would take.

  Just then, Pam came back.

  “Where were you?” Gideon asked.

  “At the bar. Fighting makes me queasy.”

  Figures.

  “I have to pee.”

  “Really?” Gideon said.

  “I’ll take her,” Pam offered.

  “No, thanks.”

  Just then, Gideon stood a little taller, his neck arching and his eyes trying to find someone. “Be quick.”

  I watched him take off in the other direction. Enzo pointed me toward the bathrooms, leaving Pam behind.

  Once in the bathroom, I was quick, and while I washed my heads, some airheads came in talking about how hot my man was.

  “He’s hot, isn’t he?” I grinned at them.

  One of them nodded. “We’re going to stick around until he comes out and offer him a good time.”

  Weren’t they lovely?

  I laughed. “You guys are cute, but I don’t share him.”

  Leaving them gaping, I turned around and left only to collide with a hard body.

  The first of my senses to react was smell because I smelled his cologne the second I was in his arms. The second sense was touch the moment he grabbed me. I felt sick. Hearing him call my name froze me in place.

  “Hello, sweet niece.” His voice was docile, a fake bravado hiding hate.

  My eyes trailed up his body, and the sight of him enraged yet pained me.

  He found me.

  “Let. Me. Go.” I seethed as if I was breathing fire.

  I hated him. I hated myself for falling for him, but most of all hated that he manipulated a little girl who wanted to be loved and twisted her up.

  “I’ve been so worried a
bout you.” He smirked at me, his eyes trailing down my body.

  “I swear to God, if you don’t let me go—”

  “What?” Silas answered smoothly. “Your little boyfriend is going to come after me?”

  That’s precisely what he would do.

  “How do you think I knew you’d be here?” Silas’s hand came to my cheek lovingly, but his eyes were burning with a rage he could not show in public.

  “You’re lying,” I said, trying to pull away.

  Silas laughed, pulling me to the side. “You’re so naïve and pathetic, wanting to be loved. You know what he is, what he does. Do you really think he came to con the company? It was never about you, Ember.” Silas chuckled. “Well, it was, but the Remington Ember. He wanted to steal your family jewel.”

  This was not real.

  “You’re lying,” I said, trying to pull away.

  I needed Ren. I needed to find him so he could tell me that everything Silas said was lies.

  “Oh, God. You really are pathetic.” Pam came out behind me.

  Her smile was victorious, and for a second, my heart faltered, refusing to believe what was being said to me.

  “Did you really think Ren loved you? He said you would pay for what you did to him. It was so easy. He made you believe he wanted you because we still needed you.”

  “You’re lying!” I tried to pull away and hit her.

  Pamela laughed. “He couldn’t even be bothered to make the arrangement himself; that’s how little he thinks of you. Right now, he’s asking the Estacados for protection. He’s going to negotiate the money we just claimed for returning you safely back home for our lives. He might have liked fucking you, but he likes living more. Why do you think he was so adamant you tell him you loved him when he didn’t say it back? It was just another form of payback… You were never anything more than his next target.”

  With that, Pam just looked me up and down. Then she turned to Silas and purred.

  “It was a pleasure doing business with you.”

  Silas smirked at her. “The money is transferred.”