by JJ Knight
She shrugs. The line of huge hotel and casino buildings seems impenetrable from behind.
Then I realize the men we’ve seen aren’t walking anymore. They’re standing underneath a streetlight, and one of them is holding a metal chain.
Chapter 19: Maddie
“Stay close to me,” Parker says and pulls me in tight.
The men on the corner are right in our path. I think about the contents of my purse, if I can get on my flight tomorrow if they steal it, and try not to panic. There are three of them, watching us. The one in the middle lifts a metal chain from where he’s let it drape around his neck.
And he wraps it around his fist.
I’m not worried about my purse anymore. I’m worried about us.
“Parker,” the one with the chain says.
I feel Parker stiffen. “Striker,” he says. “Lani told me you were in Vegas now. Found some underground action?”
His voice is calm and friendly, but I can feel the tension in his hand.
I feel like I’ve heard that name before, but all these fighter titles start running together after a while.
“Big win tonight,” Striker says.
“Been a good night,” Parker answers.
Striker steps forward. He’s handsome in a cruel sort of way, and leaner than Parker. Now I know who he is. The fighter Parker knew who was part of that attack on Colt. He’s out on bail, waiting on his trial.
I want to remind him he should be careful. He wouldn’t want to risk his bail.
But something in Parker’s stance makes me stay quiet.
“Kinda funny,” Striker says. “You getting to have a good night when the rest of us don’t get shit.”
Parker doesn’t respond to that. We all just stand there under the lamp. The tension is heavy.
“Cute lady you’ve got there,” one of them says. “You might want to send her home.”
“All right,” Parker says. “Maddie, can you find your way back through that hotel?”
I don’t want to leave him. I know he’s a fighter, but by the looks of it, so are they. I picture that chain plowing into Parker’s face and I can’t move a muscle.
“Maddie?” Parker’s tone has gotten gruff.
I know what I’ll do. I’ll walk away, then call the police. That will help.
I let go of Parker’s hand. “I can do that.”
“Leave your phone,” Striker says. “Just drop it in the grass.”
“I don’t have one,” I say.
Striker lets one end of the chain hit the sidewalk with a clinking sound. “Your woman is a liar?” he snorts. “That’s no kind of woman to have around.”
“Kill it, Striker.” Parker’s lost his patience.
“It’s all right,” I say.
“Shut up,” one of the men says. “Keep the bitch quiet.”
I know Parker is torn. He’s coiled up, ready to spring. But there’s me to think about. I don’t know what he wants me to do. Give up the phone and leave? Or can he get us out of this?
“I don’t get your game,” Parker says.
Striker takes another menacing step forward. “If we don’t do league play, you don’t do league play. Fair and square. Let’s see you fight with a few shattered bones.”
The end of the chain swings and hits Parker in the leg. I have to stifle a scream.
Parker looks up at Striker just as Striker’s fist lashes out.
Parker takes the hit.
And then everything is a blur.
Parker snatches the chain and whips it around Striker’s legs in one fast move. Striker goes down, and Parker is on him, fists in his face. The other men jump forward, and the scuffle becomes a mad tangle of arms and legs and feet.
I snatch my phone to dial 911. When the operator asks me if I need fire, police, or ambulance, I scream, “POLICE.”
One of the men looks up, and he disentangles himself to head toward me. I hold the phone behind my back, but I know he’s going to be no match for me. I look around, wildly, trying to think what to do.
There’s a giant set of thorny bushes at the end of the parking lot. I toss the phone into them, hoping the call will stay live so the police can track it.
The man curses and smacks me across the face. I go down, my vision bursting with white stars.
Parker yells, “Maddie!” I hear a sickening crunch of bones, and I pray it’s not him.
Parker breaks free and levels the man who hit me with two hard punches in the gut, then one across the face.
I scoot backward in the grass, finally able to focus again on the scene. Striker is on the ground, unconscious, maybe dead for all I know, the chain lying across him like a silver snake.
The other two are moving, crawling on the ground, probably getting ready for another attack.
I picture Lily witnessing this scene. Crying. Running off into the night. In danger. What sort of life is this? Suddenly I am terrified for her. Is she safe? Who is coming after Parker? Will they go for her?
Parker stands over one of the guys, waiting to see if he’s going to come back around.
In the distance, the wail of sirens is the most blessed sound I’ve ever heard.
Parker glances over at me. “If you don’t want any involvement in this, you need to leave now. Once the cops get here, you’re part of it.”
I look over at Striker, still unmoving on the ground. One of the other two men gets to his feet. He stands motionless, seeming unsure if he should attack again or run.
“We should go, Parker,” I say. “We should get out of here.”
“Nowhere to run,” the other guy says. “Your blood is all over this scene.”
Parker swipes at his nose. His face is cut and bleeding.
“Damn it,” he says.
“They attacked us,” I say. “It’s obvious self-defense.”
“Your word against ours,” the guy says.
The sirens grow louder. I start to relax. This is almost over.
But a black van pulls up and a handful of men pour out. They snatch up Striker and heave him into it. Two of them grab Parker. He starts to fight them, trying to throw them off. But then the original man grabs me and flings me over his shoulder. “Sit tight,” he says.
I scream and struggle against him, hoping to buy enough time for the cops to arrive. But I’m no match for this guy. He dumps me into the van and immediately two girls hold me down and shove a wadded-up T-shirt in my mouth.
I don’t know what is happening outside, but suddenly we’re moving. I can’t see anything but the roof of the van, surrounded by people I don’t know.
“Why did we nab her?” one of the girls asks.
“Collateral,” says the guy who took me.
I survey the faces in the van. Both the guys who originally attacked us with Striker are here. But not the two who jumped Parker in the end. He’s still out there, fighting.
And I have no idea where I’m headed.
This is the end of Fight for Her #2.
Click here for #3 on Amazon.
FIGHT FOR HER is a four-book series about Parker and Maddie.
Make sure you know when each one is released by joining JJ’s list.
Most serials are released weekly.
For a list of all books and projects,
click here JJ Knight on Amazon.
Thank you for reading!
Love, JJ
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