by Jenika Snow
“And here he is, the one you have all been waiting for. The one. The only. The Cham-p-ionnnn.”
In that moment, that one, twisted moment where she was about to see two men kick each other’s asses for money and entertainment, Tristan felt pride for Kash. She watched him walk out, his expression closed, guarded. He searched the crowd and when his eyes landed on her she saw warmth enter them. She smiled, letting him know that she loved him and was here. For him. When he turned his attention back to Adrian his face grew cold and hard again. His look of determination settled inside of him and she wrung her hands together, her anxiety slowly climbing to the surface. Maybe it was just her, or maybe everyone knew that what was about to happen was far different than any other fight before, but it was as if the room grew quiet. Did everyone feel what she felt? The slow, steady pulse of what was to come?
Before she knew what was happening they were swinging punches and dodging fists. Adrian was fast despite his impressive size. It was like watching two wild animals corner each other. The only things missing were the growls, the snap of canines, and the swipe of claws. Punch after punch was delivered, but it didn’t seem as if either was willing to forfeit. Blood covered both of their chests as it poured out of their noses and mouths.
Punch. Dodge. Punch. Dodge.
The excitement grew in the room as the ones closest to the crudely made cage shouted at the fighters, yelled at them to do the worst kind of damage. The tension grew and Tristan found herself getting pushed forward. The ones behind her wanted a better look, wanted to smell the fucking blood. A scream pierced the room, and despite the ruckus of the people that were crammed inside, Tristan heard it clear as day. She saw a moment’s hesitation from Adrian, but then he was swinging his fists again. Another scream filled the air. It was clearer, more high-pitched. Closer. Did no one else hear the cry of distress? She was surprised she had heard it given the noise filling the room, but it was distinct. Kash and Adrian had stopped swinging at each other and both breathed heavily. Tristan couldn’t help but see the strained look in Adrian’s bloodied face. Kash was still on alert. Smart man. Maybe this was all a ruse from Adrian? Maybe he intended to get Kash unaware?
When the scream rent through the air again Tristan looked behind her. Now she realized why she had heard it so clearly, yet it seemed muted. A young woman, a waitress by the looks of the small apron wrapped around her waist and the small black tray that lay by her feet, cried and screamed as two men touched and grabbed her. Horror washed through Tristan. Memories of that night came crashing back and she grew dizzy. Why was no one helping her? By the looks of nearly everyone in the room, their glazed-over expressions spoke of far too much to drink, but still, no one felt the need to help her. She took a step toward the woman, not caring that she was half the size of the poor girl’s attackers.
Before she could take another step someone pushed her to the side and charged toward the trio. It took her a moment to realize that the huge muscular back charging forward was Adrian. She stumbled back and arms wrapped around her waist. She fought, feeling the remnants of that night crashing in on her. She struggled, but when she heard Kash’s deep voice in her ear, telling her everything was okay, he would protect her, she stilled. When her mind came back to the present she looked in front of her again, saw Adrian slamming his fist into one of the waitress’s attackers, and watched as the other man came forward, intent on helping out with the carnage. Instinctively she took a step forward, knowing she would be useless as help, but wanting to do something and not just watch what was happening. The girl was huddled on the floor, her hands covering her face. Tristan wondered why she wasn’t running. Was she in shock? Was she hurt?
The man jumped on Adrian’s back, trying to choke him, but not getting very far. He was easily half the size of Adrian and struggling to hold on. It was as if Adrian didn’t even know there was a human being wrapped around his body as he repeatedly hit the other man who now writhed on the ground.
Kash turned her around and pegged her with a hard look. “You stay right here, Tristan. Do you hear me?” His face bloody and one of his eyes slightly swollen, he still managed to look beautiful.
Tristan looked back at the small woman huddled on the floor and then back at Kash. “I need to go to her.” He stared at her for several long seconds and then grabbed her hand. He pushed people out of his way, but soon they parted for him, as if they knew what he was capable of.
“You stay right here and if anyone fucks with you, scream bloody fucking hell.” He dipped down and kissed her. “I’ll hear you. I’ll always hear you and I’ll be there. I promise.” Without another word he moved with purposeful strides to where Adrian was.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Tristan saw more people joining in on the fight, the alcohol fueling their own need to have a little taste of the rush. Adrian was a big guy, but there were too many of them, more than he could handle. She now knew why Kash had to go to him. Another little piece of his wall was coming down. He may have just been in a bloody match with Adrian, but he felt the need to help him. That part of him that depended on no one, that person that only looked out for himself, was slowly crumbling. She liked to think she had a little hand in his willingness to accept things around him, accept the things he couldn’t change, but how could she ever know? Maybe one day he would fully open up to her and let her into his heart.
She didn’t waste any more time as she rushed over to the crying girl. The mob of people had now started congregating around the fight, and with her small body curved into itself, she went unnoticed. Tristan crouched in front of her and placed her hands on her shoulders. The girl shrank away for a moment and when Tristan refused to remove her hands the girl slowly lifted her head. Big, blue, tear-filled eyes met hers. A wave of relief passed over the girl’s face when, Tristan assumed, she realized it wasn’t another attacker.
“Are you okay? Can you stand?” She nodded and they both started to rise. Tristan wrapped her arm around the girl’s shoulder, bringing her close and trying to project calm in an otherwise chaotic scene. “Everything will be okay.”
The girl sniffed and wiped the tears from her face. “I need to get out of here. I’m so stupid for agreeing to come down here.” Her voice cracked on the last part.
Tristan glanced around, trying to see if there was any way out. Bodies were crammed shoulder to shoulder and the two of them were in the thick of it. She knew what she had told Kash, and knew he would be furious if she were to not stay put, but she could see the fear in the young girl’s eyes. It was tangible and brought back too many memories. She glanced back to the fight, hoping Kash was okay, but not being able to see anything over all the people. It was then that Tristan realized they were slowly getting pushed farther back as more people tried to get a closer look.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” The girl kept apologizing frantically. Her hands covered her eyes, but Tristan could see the tears streaming from beneath them. Those men had to have really messed with her or there was an underlying issue that caused this girl to act like this. She had a strong suspicion it was the latter. There was no way she could let her stay down here any longer.
“Come on. I’ll get us out of here.” Tristan gripped the girl’s hand and started pushing her way through the throng of shouting people. “Move. Get out of the way.” She tried to show aggressiveness, but it was no use. These people were too juiced up. The harder she tried get away, the farther they pushed her back. Tristan glanced around, saw they were closer than she had realized to the exit that would lead them up to the club. She pushed forward. The crowd of people bowed like a taut arrow about to be released. Tristan’s hands got separated from the girl’s, but thankfully she could still see her. Her eyes were frantic as she glanced at Tristan and then everyone around them.
“Go, get out of here.” Tristan yelled and pointed to the door that would lead upstairs. The woman hesitated for a second and then turned and rushed toward the door. Tristan glanced behind her shoulder and saw that
the fight was now broken up. There was no sign of Adrian or Kash and she felt her heart palpitate. She had been here before alone so she didn’t know why the thought of not having Kash by her side in this madhouse was so frightening. She turned back around and saw the woman was nowhere to be seen. Good, she was glad she had gotten out of this craziness.
“I knew I’d see you again.”
The voice by her ear had her eyes growing wide and her body freezing. Everything around her stopped for that one moment and she fully realized who was so close to her. She would never forget that smooth drawl that had whispered things against her neck as he tried to force himself on her. A hand gripped her upper arm with brutal force and spun her around. Max’s horribly handsome face came into her view and her breath stopped.
“I’m surprised to see you here.” He smirked and leaned forward until his lips brushed the shell of her ear. “You can’t imagine how hard I got when I saw you through the crowd, looking so innocent and frightened.” He ran his tongue along her ear, slowly. “I’ve been waiting all these months for you. I would have just come by sooner, but it seems you’ve had your watchdog staying with you.” When Max pulled back she could see the sneer on his face. “He can’t help you tonight, though. Tonight I’ll finally get what I’m after. You can’t possibly know how much I’ve been thinking about you, knowing you were the one that got away.” When he grinned and his straight white teeth flashed, Tristan knew she had never seen anything more horrifying.
He kept his hand firmly around her arm and all but dragged her toward the door. It was like her body had shut down, like she couldn’t fight for herself, couldn’t stand up. She wanted to scream for Kash, but the chances that he could see her, let alone hear her, were almost nonexistent. It wouldn’t have made a difference anyway. Everything inside of her was stunned, shocked by what was happening. As he pulled her up the stairs, the darkness along with the adrenaline rushing through her bloodstream made her feel discombobulated. She tried to break free from his grasp a few times and Max cursed, pulling her more roughly forward.
When they stopped at the top of the stairs he turned around and grinned. “You have no idea the kind of things I have planned for you.” He sneered at her and she could hear the twisted excitement in his voice.
Cold dread settled like cement in Tristan’s stomach. She opened her mouth to scream, her instincts finally snapping into gear. Before any sound could come out he slapped her across the cheek. Her head whipped to the side and pain bloomed on her flesh. Tears stung her eyes and she lifted her free hand to cradle her cheek.
“If you even think about it I’ll make sure to cause as much pain as possible.” He leaned in until their lips were inches apart. Tristan reared her head back, but when his hand gripped the back of her neck painfully and he sneered once again, she stopped all movement. “Oh, there will be pain, believe me, but if you be a good little girl I’ll make sure you get off.” He pressed his mouth on hers, hard. “The knowledge that you came in my hand will make things so much sweeter.”
Tristan’s anger mounted to swirl with her fear and she leaned forward and bit him. Max pulled back from her and made a sound of pain in the back of his throat. She could taste the bitterness of his blood in her mouth and spit it to the ground. He brought his finger to his lips, and when he brought it down to examine it and saw what she had tasted seconds ago his face contorted into rage.
“You stupid fucking bitch. I’m going to make you pay for that in kind.” He grabbed her around the arm tightly and pushed open the heavy steel door. The bouncer from the time before stood guard and Tristan knew she had to act fast.
“Pl—” Max slapped a hand over her mouth before she could get the word out. Just as she saw the bouncer turn her way, Max was leading her in the opposite direction, toward a back exit. She struggled against him, but Max was bigger and stronger. His arms were locked around hers, keeping her somewhat immobile. He ushered them out the exit so quickly her heart sank at the knowledge that the bouncer most likely hadn’t seen a thing.
When he pushed the door open and the night air washed across Tristan, she knew if she accepted what was about to happen it would be far too late. The back door had led them to the side of the club, a dark alley that held ominous shadows. Once the door was shut behind them he kept a firm, almost painful grip around her and started walking toward the front of the club with long, purposeful strides. Would he rape her right here? He made no motion to stop and stay concealed in the shadows, and it was then, as he was walking toward the streetlights that he planned on taking her someplace else, someplace where she would surely be at his mercy. Tristan needed to think of something fast. She could pretend to go along with it, but would he suspect something? Would going along with him make matters worse? Maybe he wanted her unwilling. She had to do something fast.
“Max.” His name was a whisper from her lips, but she knew he heard her nonetheless because he stopped and looked over his shoulder. “I won’t fight you.” He stared at her for a long moment and she knew he was contemplating whether or not she was telling the truth. At least now she knew her being unwilling wasn’t his driving force.
“Please, I promise I won’t make a scene. I’ll go with you willingly, do whatever you want.” She saw his brow raise at that last part and felt her skin tighten in unease.
“Oh, I know you’ll do whatever I want because you have no choice.” He turned fully around and pressed his body to hers. “When I’ve had enough of you then I’ll let you go. Until then”—he shrugged—“you’ll be my little slut.” He pressed his erection into her belly and she held down her gag reflex.
“You won’t get away with this.”
He tossed his head back and laughed. “You think you’re the first whore I’ve had at my disposal? I would have taken you that night if your fucking henchman hadn’t shown up.” He sneered and came in close, so close she could smell the putrid stench of whiskey on his breath. “It took a long fucking time for my body to heal after what he did. You can’t imagine my surprise when I knew who he was.” He grinned, and even in the darkness she could practically see all the malicious things he had planned for her. “You must not know Kash Alexander that well. His reputation far surpasses my own. You are the last thing he gives a shit about. He uses women like they are nothing but a passing thought. He gets off on throwing them away and beating people’s faces in.” He pressed his lips to hers and Tristan stood still, just closing her eyes and imagining herself far away.
When she didn’t respond, he tore his mouth from hers and gripped her chin roughly. “If you think he will come for you, you’re going to be highly disappointed. You are nothing but a warm hole to him.”
Lies, all lies. Tristan knew Kash and knew that he would find her. She loved him and even though he hadn’t spoke those three words back, he cared for her. She knew what Max was trying to do, but breaking her spirit down was going to take a lot more than that. He ground his shaft into her again and she recoiled. The groan of pleasure that came from him was her undoing. Not thinking, just acting on pure survival, Tristan brought her knee up and connected with his nuts as hard as she could. Everything was quiet for so long that she wondered if she had just imagined doing it, but then his howl of pain coursed through the air. He let go of her and cupped himself. Max doubled over, small grunts coming from him. She took off running toward the streetlights, knowing she would be far safer in the light than the shadows with that psychopath.
The heels had been a poor mistake, but then again she hadn’t thought this would happen when she slipped them on. The closer she got to the opening and the light, the more she became optimistic. So close. She was so close to freedom. There was no looking back, no glancing over her shoulder to see if he was still withering in pain. Those actions got a person killed. She screamed as loud as she could, screamed until her throat felt raw and there was no more air in her lungs. Her feet moved as fast as they could and her arms pumped beside her, hoping to get her to her destination quicker. It was like a d
ream, one of those dreams where she was running and running, trying to get away but making absolutely no fucking progress. Just as she would have broken into the light, she was yanked back, hard. Her skull throbbed from the force of his hand tangled in her hair. When she met the ground, the wind was knocked out of her. Pain exploded in the side of her face as his fist connected with it. She blinked several times, trying to see straight. Blood covered her tongue and she choked on it as it slid down her throat.
“You must be a glutton for pain, a masochist.” He brought his face toward her and ran his tongue up the side of her cheek. He chuckled lightly. “But that’s okay because I’m a fucking sadist.” His hands smoothed over her hair, an act she might have found comforting if the devil hadn’t been doing it. “Do you know I’ve been watching you, waiting until I could have you all to myself?” His groan was like a hot poker against her flesh. “I’ve seen you through your window, seen you do naughty little things only a whore would do.”
Tears tracked down her face and a whimper escaped. “Shh, don’t cry. I haven’t given you anything to cry about, yet.” His fingers pinched her chin until she was staring up at him. “I couldn’t believe my luck to see you here tonight. I knew it was meant to be, that I was meant to have you.” He pressed his erection against her again. “I now know you’re the one.” He kissed her again and she moved her head to the side. “I want you to know I have no intentions of letting you go.” She looked up, so frightened at the certainty in his words. He pressed his mouth to her ear and whispered, “Believe me, I have ways to make sure no one finds you until I want them to. Now be a good girl and tell me how much you want me.”