Fighter

by Kristianna Sawyer

  After another strenuous bout with the heavy furniture, I left the room, flash drive shoved into my bra and laptop secured in the bag I’d bought at a small shop during a layover on the bus trip. I was literally shocked not to have more trouble than a couple of lewd comments as I hurried from the area. I didn’t know if I would return to the room I’d rented. The key—an old-fashioned kind on a chain, not the electronic swipe style—was in my pocket, but I was reluctant to come back.

  It all depended on Lila.

  I hailed a cab to take me to “SINuous.” My heart sank at the line extending around the corner. I glanced down at my dirty clothes and tangled hair before leaning forward to ask the driver, “Is there somewhere you can take me that I can get glammed up?” I hated to waste the time, but I knew the bouncers would never let me past the velvet rope looking as I did now. There were stunning women far more attractive than me being forced to stand and wait, so I’d need every advantage to get inside.

  With a nod, he drove away from the club and took me farther down the Strip. I quirked a brow when he stopped in front of a two-story salmon-pink building with a foreign word I didn’t recognize as the sole means of identification. “What’s this?”

  “Spa. Ask for Abibi. Tell her Hamal send you.”

  With little choice but to trust him, I nodded and showed my thanks with a generous tip. I tried not to think about how quickly my cash was dwindling as I slid from the car and walked to the glass doors. It was after dark, but the door opened easily, and there was a discreet “Open” sign in the window.

  I stepped inside and was immediately met with a tropical scent. A second later, a stunning Middle Eastern woman came forward, and I told her Hamal had sent me. She introduced herself as Abibi and straight away escorted me to a scented oil bath. I didn’t want to linger, but she insisted on at least thirty minutes.

  I spent the time agonizing, torturing myself with images of my father bursting into the private spa with some nameless goons. As far as I knew, he didn’t actually have any goons, but I didn’t know anything about the real him.

  Finally, Abibi returned for me, and I persuaded her to speed up the rest of the process. Less than an hour later, I was primped, polished, and dressed in a sexy black dress and moderately high heels. I paid her exorbitant fee with a small swallow and emerged to find Hamal waiting for me.

  I slid into his cab, my eyes darting to the meter. “You didn’t have to wait for me.”

  He smiled. “I did not. My sister called when you nearly finished.”

  Ah, so Abibi was his sister. The information was trivial, but it gave me something to focus on—as did the uncomfortable press of the flash drive against my breast, still tucked securely in my bra. Soon enough, we were back at the club, and I paid my fare with a small wave.

  I eyed the line uncertainly, knowing I didn’t have time to waste standing in it. Firming my shoulders, I sauntered to the bodyguards at the front. I ignored the catty comments about waiting my turn and other less polite things as I shook my hips and smiled up at the two large men.

  The first one didn’t even bat an eye. “Get to the back of the line.”

  That would have been a blow to my ego if I hadn’t already realized there were even more beautiful girls than me who hadn’t gotten through. I turned my attention to the other one, who at least had a gleam of interest in his eyes. “How much to let me in?”

  He arched a brow. “You talking money or something less tangible?”

  I barely held back a grimace. I would do a lot for Paxton, but not sleep with a stranger. “I have some cash,” I said demurely.

  His interest faded. “Back of the line.”

  Shit. With a sigh, I moved closer to the other one. He was older and probably easier to convince, since he didn’t find me attractive. I stretched upward, putting my hands on his chest for support so I could whisper in his ear. “I need to see Lila. It’s about Paxton.”

  He stiffened, and his gaze shot to mine. Finally, I had his attention, and it wasn’t sexual. “Nice try.” He sounded bored, but his expression betrayed his curiosity.

  “Please just ask Lila to meet with me.”

  He hesitated for a second before taking out his phone. “What’s your name, kid?”

  “Mia.” I didn’t bother with a last name, as I assumed she wouldn’t know who I was. I doubt Paxton had ever mentioned anything about his stepsister, and it seemed unlikely he’d talked about our brief affair with the older woman—especially if they were fucking too.

  The bouncer spoke to his boss for a moment before asking me, “She wants to know why she should make time for you?”

  “Tell her I might have a way to help Paxton get justice.” If she was as close to him as I thought, she might understand what that meant. Had he told her about his past and the horrible things my father had done? I hoped so. I wouldn’t be jealous of that. It would be a relief to know he’d spoken to someone else about it and hadn’t carried the weight alone for eleven years.

  He repeated my words and then hung up the phone a second later. I watched eagerly as he stepped back from me, forcing my hands to drop to my sides, and opened the red velvet rope. “Go to the bar and order a daiquiri. Lila will find you.”

  I nodded, murmured my thanks, and slipped inside amid protests from others waiting in the line. The club was dark and crowded. Cigarette smoke burned my lungs and made my eyes water, and I longed for home, where smoking in public places was illegal. Coughing as inconspicuously as I could, I moved through the gyrating crowd while I made my way to the bar.

  Finally, I claimed a stool at the crowded teak and glass expanse, climbing onto it with some modicum of dignity as I strove to keep from flashing my private bits to everyone in the vicinity. My skirt was really short, shorter than I’d normally wear, but I hadn’t had the time to hunt for something else when Abibi had offered it to me.

  I ordered a banana daiquiri and searched the crowd for signs of Lila. Mostly, I just saw underdressed, horny people rubbing against each other. Perhaps under other circumstances, it would have been arousing, or made me want to be on the floor with Paxton, but I was just too anxious to focus on anything besides the flash drive in my lingerie.

  She kept me waiting twenty minutes before she appeared behind me. I yelped when her finger tapped my shoulder, nearly spilling the two-thirds of the drink still clutched in my hand. I had nursed it slowly, knowing I needed a clear head.

  I hopped off the stool and turned to face her, finding she was even more stunning in person. The faint lines at the corners of her mouth and eyes only enhanced her beauty, not added to her age. I wanted to hate her, but I needed her help.

  “Come with me.” She turned and began walking without waiting to see if I would comply.

  I walked around the bar to catch up with her. She led me through the crowd, which seemed to magically part for her, to a door marked “Private.” It led us down a long hallway with other doors, until we stopped in front of one bearing her name on the plaque. She opened the door and escorted me into a luxurious private office, waving at the brocade velvet seat in front of her desk as she walked around to sit behind it in a massive leather chair.

  I perched on the edge of the sumptuous purple chair, my fingers twined together on my lap to hide the shakes. Her shrewd eyes were piercing, cutting right through me, and I shuddered slightly.

  “Who are you, and what do you want?”

  “I’m Mia.”

  She scowled. “Yes, but who are you to Paxton, and why are you here?”

  “He’s my…stepbrother.” That sounded so inadequate and also just wrong. I’d wanted to say lover, boyfriend, or even fuck buddy. They all sounded more accurate than a sibling-like moniker.

  Her expression closed. “Hasn’t your family hurt him enough?”

  I swallowed thickly. “My father has,” I agreed softly. I reached into my bra hesitantly as she watched with confusion, withdrawing the flash drive and putting it on the desk. Maybe it was too early to reveal it, but
I needed her help. “This might help him get some justice.”

  Lila tapped her long nails, painted deep red, as she stared at the device. “What’s on it?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s encrypted, and I don’t have the skills to access the files. I just know he went to a lot of trouble to hide the flash drive, so I think it could be important.”

  She made a small sound in her throat as she held out her hand. “Give it to me.”

  I hesitated, wishing I had thought to make a backup.

  “I want to help Paxton too.” It was the first sign of softness she’d displayed.

  Slowly, I lifted the drive from the desk and placed it on her hand. In a flash, she had whisked it away and plugged it in the computer on her desk. She had a large monitor, so I was able to observe her screen as she typed.

  It took several moments before she sighed and shook her head. “This has some serious encryption, Mia. I’m going to need to get an expert for this.”

  I nodded, still uncertain about letting it out of my sight, but also recognizing only someone with the right skills could access the data. “Do you know someone?”

  She nodded briskly before reaching for her phone. I watched her type a quick text message before she looked up at me. “Where are you staying?”

  I hesitated. “Well, I took a room at this place on Main Street…”

  She arched a brow. “Really? I thought your family was loaded.”

  I tried to keep my expression impassive. “My father will be looking for me. I can’t stay where I’d usually go.” I’d never been to Vegas before, but I always stayed in four-star or above hotels, and those would be the places my father would start looking for me.

  “Hmm.” She tapped her nails on the desk again before nodding. “I know a place where you’ll be safe. It belongs to a minor mobster, so I doubt anyone will get past the security.”

  I blinked. “A mobster?” Holy crap. That sounded as dangerous as taking my chances at Main Street. “Who?”

  I couldn’t help the curiosity, though I doubted a name would mean anything to me. I had no idea which families made up the mafia. Like any average American, I knew names like Gotti and Hoffa, but only in a vague sort of way, along with the knowledge that they probably didn’t control things these days. Especially Hoffa. He was dead or something.

  She smiled softly. “Me.”

  I gulped. “Oh.” Did Paxton know? Surely he must, if they were as close as they seemed. “Um, thanks?” I meant to sound more confident and less uncertain, but the words emerged as a question.

  Lila laughed. “Don’t worry. There won’t be any horse heads in your bed.”

  “Um, okay.” I didn’t get that reference, so I figured it must have been before my time—not that I would insult her by saying so. “Thanks,” I said again, more confidently this time. I still wasn’t sure about getting mixed up with the mafia, but I figured the woman across from me was more than a match for my father.

  14

  Paxton

  I’d considered ignoring the text Lila sent me, figuring I’d be facing another lecture, since I had a grueling match tomorrow night. It was tempting, but I owed her too much—and cared too much about her—to just turn my back on her. That didn’t mean I was eager to answer her summons like a well-heeled dog either. I’d have to make it plain to her that I wouldn’t routinely show up at mysterious addresses with the only information being a time to arrive. This was a one-off thing.

  I knocked on the designated apartment door, awaiting entry. I’d had to pass through four big dudes in suits to get to this point. I’d recognized them as part of Lila’s security detail, though I didn’t know their faces personally. They just fit the type—dark suits, large builds, dead eyes, and discreet bulges in their jackets that hid guns.

  I expected her to open the door, or perhaps one of her bodyguards, so it was like a fist to the gut when the door swung open to reveal Mia. I reared back a step, literally shocked at the sight of her.

  Shocked, but instantly turned on. Fucking dick. It didn’t lead me, and I reminded myself of that as I scowled at her. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  She flinched, and I hated how her blue eyes shadowed with pain. “Will you please come inside so we can talk?”

  I wanted to refuse, but somehow, my feet were already stepping over the threshold. I hovered off to the side as she locked the door. I wasn’t sure whether to be amused or annoyed by her careful attention to each of the three locks before she slid the security chain in place. “Are you expecting to be robbed?” I asked with a hint of mocking.

  She shrugged. “Or maybe murdered.”

  Her seriousness got through to me, and I dropped the smartass routine. Crossing my arms over my chest, I asked, “What’s going on?”

  She didn’t answer as she led me to the living room. It was a swanky place, and she seemed right at home. Her bare feet peaked out from under her legs as she curled up on the couch, clutching a pillow on her lap. The white-knuckled grip on the black linen betrayed her fear. Or maybe it was just nervousness?

  I was feeling a heaping amount of that myself as I sat down, keeping a cushion between us. I’d done my best to avoid seeing or talking to her again, so being here, ambushed and trapped, left me unprepared. My emotions swung between annoyed and angry—with more than a little dash of pure joy at seeing her again.

  I didn’t let that part show as I eyed her with no expression. “Why are you here?”

  She licked her lips. Definitely nervous. “I know you don’t want me anymore, Paxton, but I couldn’t just walk away.”

  I snorted, biting down the fierce urge to deny I didn’t want her. Of course I wanted her. I dreamed about her every fucking night and couldn’t banish her from my thoughts unless I was fighting or training. I just couldn’t have her and didn’t deserve her. “Are you a stalker now?”

  Her lower lip wobbled, but she firmed her shoulders. “I found a flash drive in my dad’s office. I don’t know what’s on it, but I hope it will give you enough information to ruin him. It’s been too long to go after him for…what he did to you, but maybe you can still bring down his empire or something.”

  I scowled. “The fuck are you talking about?” My mind spun as I tried to understand her words. I hadn’t lost my grasp of English, but what she’d said made no sense. Was she really trying to help me bring down Dirk Gaithway? I shook my head.

  She licked her lips again, hands bunched together on the black throw pillow. “Lila has someone she knows breaking the encryption. It might be nothing, but he went to a lot of trouble to hide it and protect the files, so maybe it’s something.” Her head bent forward, a swath of honey-blond hair hiding her face. “It can’t make up for what he did to you, but maybe you can have a little justice.”

  Without my permission, my body shifted so I could clamp my hands on her upper arms. I shook her lightly as she lifted her head. Her top teeth threatened to wear a groove in the soft flesh of her lower lip. The surge of irrational anger faded, and I let go of her arm to bring my hand to her mouth, smoothing her lip away from her teeth. “I’m sorry.”

  She blinked in shock, and it mirrored my own. I hadn’t expected to utter those words.

  “For what?” Her lips trembled as she asked the question, and I wanted to lean forward to kiss her so badly.

  Somehow, I managed to find a shred of self-control, trying to do the right thing for once in my life. “I shouldn’t have left like that, and I shouldn’t have ignored your calls. You had a right to some closure.” I sighed in disgust. “Fuck knows I never should have shared that poison with you.”

  She shook her head. “I’m glad you told me.” Tears welled in her blue eyes, and she blinked rapidly. “I’m just sorry you carried it alone for so long.” The tears spilled over, making liquid trails down her cheeks. “I hate what he did to you.”

  My other hand released her arm, lifting to wipe away her tears with my fingers. I just wanted to comfort her, but I knew if I took
her into my arms, I’d end up fucking her. I didn’t want to use her for pain relief, and she deserved more than the dark, tainted bastard I was.

  She pressed her hand to mine, bringing my palm to her lips. I shuddered when she pressed a tender kiss there. “Don’t.” I tried to pull away, but her grip was tenacious.

  “Why?” she asked softly. “Did you stop wanting me?”

  I groaned softly. “Of course not, but you deserve better.”

  She seemed shocked by my announcement. “What?”

  I shrugged, trying to hide my reaction when she kissed my palm again. How could one little kiss feel so damned good? “I’m not good enough for you, Mia.” If I had to, I’d be even blunter, but she was a bright girl. She should be able to figure out for herself why I wasn’t fit to be at her side.

  She shook her head. “That’s bullshit. If anything, I don’t deserve you after what my father has done to you.”

  I glared at her. “That’s stupid. You had no control over what your father did or does.”

  “Neither did you.”

  I jerked at the softly spoken words. They were simple and stark, but they struck right through to the center of me. I shook my head. “I should have fought more or left sooner.”

  She shook her head, her voice still gentle, but with an underlying thread of steel. “If a guy raped me today, would you blame me? Tell me it’s my fault or say I should have fought harder?”

  My muscles tensed at the thought of some animal taking anything by force from Mia. Red scalded my vision as rage bubbled to the surface. “Has someone hurt you?” Had that loathsome fuck turned on his own daughter?

  She shook her head. “No, but if they did, would you blame me?”

  “Of course not.” I didn’t want to give that answer, because I knew where she was going with this as soon as my rage started to cool. “That’s different.”