Prizefight: The Hell Raiders MC Goes MMA

by Aden Lowe

  "He said it's club business now, and don't go in without backup. They got something about that interference, and he's loaded for war."

  Again, I shrugged. "I don't give a fuck. I can't wait for him to get his ass here and more coming up with plans shit." I turned for the car.

  "Brother, you know I can't let you go in there against his say-so."

  The world slowed down while I turned back to face Stella, the barrel of his .38 steady on my chest. "What. The. Fuck. He tell you to throw down on me?"

  He stayed silent for ten heartbeats. "Yeah, brother, he did. Said stop you."

  I've taken some serious fucking hits in the cage, but nothing could have floored me like that. "What now?" All I could do was wait for an opening. I might be down for the count, but I sure as fuck wasn't beaten.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Elena:

  "Ryker!" His name left my lips on a gasp as I woke.

  "I should have known you were cheating on me." The whisper slid through the dim room and squeezed all the air from my lungs.

  "What?" I sat up and scooted back against the pillows, and tried to shake sleep off at the same time. "No!" A dark shape loomed over me, like something out of a nightmare. Was that it? Was I just dreaming? I forced my eyes open, trying to see more clearly.

  Royse stood over me, scowling down, a fist drawn back. "By the time I'm done with you, your boyfriend won't want to look at you."

  Terror hit, and then self-preservation kicked in. "What do you mean? You're my boyfriend." I hated the words. The thought of being involved with anyone other than Ryker seemed crazy wrong. But I had to say them. If I died here, I would never get back to Ryker.

  "Bullshit. You lied." He came closer, snarling. "I should kill you." His fist flew and glanced off my cheekbone.

  I dodged back, wincing as pain exploded through my head. "I didn't, Royse, I swear!" Tears stung my eyes, and I tried to blink them back, but as the pain from his blow vibrated through my cheek, I couldn't stop them.

  My crying just seemed to make him madder. He growled as he drew back again, and I didn't wait around to try and reason with him any longer. I slid to the far side of the bed, frantic to get away. The blankets grabbed my legs and held me tight for too long, as if they were on his side. His hand snagged in my hair as I finally kicked free and rolled to the floor.

  "Get back here, bitch!" He dove across the bed, trying to keep his hold.

  I pulled away with all my strength, ignoring the searing pain in my scalp, and not caring that I left a big chunk of my hair in his grasp. Better to lose some hair than let him get his hands on me again. Part of the blanket came with me, wrapping around my ankle just enough to let him get close again. Fear held me frozen for an instant, but then I started scrambling away.

  Royse crashed behind me with a roar, and grabbed the bottom of the stupid dress he'd made me wear. Knew I should have taken the damn thing off. I kicked at him and pulled away at the same time. My foot caught his elbow, not hard, but enough to loosen his grip a little.

  I spun and pushed up, trying to get my feet under me, but he recovered and made another grab for me. This time, he got a firm hold of the dress and yanked, trying to topple me over.

  Determination gave me a little extra strength, and I fought not to fall into his grasp. A scream tore from my throat as I hung there, halfway to my feet, struggling for balance. A ripping sound filled the air, and the bottom part of the dress started to tear. I leaned a little harder away from Royse and it tore more. He reached for me with his other hand just as the fabric gave way completely.

  I half-fell forward, managing to put a few inches between myself and Royse again. The door seemed like it was miles away, but somehow, I had to get there ahead of him. The slippery floor worked against me, slowing me down. The only good thing was it slowed Royse down, too.

  "You will pay for every second of fighting me, cunt. Hell is too good for the likes of you!" He made it to his feet and ran after me, even though I had only gained a few feet on him.

  Panic hit again. If he got his hands on me, I would never get away, never see Ryker again, never feel anything but pain again. The room spun as I looked for some weapon, or a way out, or anything that might help.

  A fragile looking vase on a tiny table caught my eye and I made a grab for it while I tried to stay ahead of him. Spinning, I threw the heavy vase at him, utterly shocked when the thing hit him.

  He gave another furious shout as the vase hit the floor and shattered. "You bitch!"

  Fear tried its best to paralyze me, make me stand and wait for him, but I resisted. I toppled the little table in front of him and pushed a few more steps toward the door.

  He was gaining on me, reaching for me again. If I didn't do something drastic, he would have me and it would be too late to do anything but pray.

  I stopped by the big mirror in the entry and grabbed the gold frame and pulled for all I was worth. For a moment, it seemed like nothing would happen.

  Royse stopped to stand right in front of me, grinning like some kind of demented thing from a scary movie. He reached for me, and rather than run, I dragged even harder on that damn mirror.

  A splintering noise filled the air, and then suddenly, the mirror came down in slow motion. The bottom edge hit the floor and the top leaned, so I pushed. Glass broke, but it wasn't enough to stop him, and it was too slow.

  I pushed harder, until the top of the frame swung toward Royse's head. The mirror's weight started to help at that point, and it fell faster than he could move. Something like fear filled his face as he realized it was going to hit him hard.

  As much as I wanted to stay and see if it had any effect, I didn't. I turned and raced once more for the door. The knob turned in my hand and glass broke with a heavy crash behind me. I jerked the door open, not looking back.

  In the corridor, Mr. Green headed for me at a run. "Miss? Is everything okay?"

  "No! He's trying to kill me!" I pushed past him, desperate to get to the elevator.

  He grabbed my arm. "No, come on, this way. He can stop the elevator."

  The words sank in past my panic and I allowed Mr. Green to lead me on at a run until we reached a door marked Maintenance. He grabbed it open, shoved me through and pulled the door closed. The only sound I could really hear came from my heart, as it beat so wildly my pulse drowned out anything else.

  "This way." He led me behind a shelf filled with cleaning supplies, and another door slid open. "He won't be able to stop this one. Come on." Mr. Green went first into the more modern elevator, hurrying to push the button for the first floor.

  With no need to run, or fear for my life, for just a second, my brain started trying to work again. "Why are you helping me?" Was he really? Or was he just playing along with Royse's sick game?

  He took a deep breath as the elevator dinged to signal a different floor. "Because I know what kind of monster he is. I can't sit by and let him do this to another girl. You have to get out and tell everyone what he is."

  "He's not going to let me go. He still has my mom, and he'll use that." The sobs threatened to start again and I paused to swallow hard. "It's useless to try."

  "Shh. Your mom is already safe. We moved her while he was out."

  My heart stood still. "What?"

  "Look, we—the other people who work here, and I—have seen this before. I've lost count of the number of girls he's done this to. He rescues them in some way, moves them upstairs, and acts as if they're his fiancé. Sooner, rather than later, it always ends."

  "Ends?" The elevator dinged again, startling me.

  Mr. Green nodded. "Ends. He's insane. He suddenly realizes the girl isn't happy to be here, and he kills her. Every time." He took my arm as the elevator came to a smooth stop. "Come on. None of the other girls had anyone to care for them, or help them stay out of his reach. You do. We're not letting him kill you." He led me at a half-run down the hall a ways, then opened a door. "Mr. Black will take you the rest of the way."


  I spun to find Mr. Black watching me with kind eyes. The door closed before I could thank Mr. Green. "What next?"

  A huge commotion sounded in the hall, and something heavy banged into the door. I jumped, fresh terror filling me. And somewhere, above all the noise, Royse shouted and cursed.

  Mr. Black touched my arm, startling me again. "Here. Climb in." His hoarse whisper seemed overly loud in the small space. He pointed me toward a big wire basket on wheels filled with what looked like sheets and blankets, maybe some tablecloths. "You're going down to the laundry. Mrs. Blue is waiting for you there."

  The nod I gave him probably looked braver than I felt. I climbed over the side of the basked, suddenly aware of how little of my dress I still wore. Sinking down, I covered myself with the stuff around me, and waited.

  The basket started to move with a jolt and a mechanical groan, and I tried to brace myself without moving or making myself visible to anyone who happened to see. Several jolts and a sickening plunge later, the cart stopped moving. I held my breath and waited.

  The fabric above me rustled, as if someone were pulling it aside, and I braced myself for the blow I knew was about to come.

  "Now, now, Miss Kitty. You know you're not to be in the linens." The cheery female voice startled the hell out of me. The soft meow that followed came as even more of a surprise. A cat? "You sit tight, there, Miss. You're safe now, just some waiting to do." Shoes squeaked on the floor as she hurried away.

  Well, what was I supposed to do with that? She said wait. Did I dare take her at her word? Hell, did I even know how to actually trust someone? Yeah, come to think of it, I trusted Ryker. Maybe I could take the next step and count on someone who gently scolded cats and put everything on the line to help a stranger she'd never even seen before. So, I sat there, and waited. And waited.

  All the cuts and bruises I accumulated as I tried to escape Royse ached and burned with a vengeance, reminding me of their presence with every heartbeat. My right eye seemed swollen nearly shut, and throbbed like hell. I probed it with gentle fingers, not shocked to find a gash that could probably use a stitch or two along my cheekbone.

  Worse, doubt came at me from everywhere. How did I know these people were really helping? I couldn't be sure what Mr. Green said about Ryker was true, either. Maybe if I ran now, I could get away on my own. I almost tried it. Almost. But I ended up staying put, relying on others to keep me safe. I figured they were my best chance of escape, even if Ryker wasn't there.

  Hours passed and my stomach rumbled, reminding me of the food I'd left on my tray at lunch. Oh well, it wasn't the first time I'd been a little hungry. In the past week, I ate enough to last me a normal month, or more. Missing a meal sure as hell wouldn't hurt me, especially since having something to eat every day had become an outrageous luxury the last few years.

  Occasionally, some noise startled me a little, but I forced myself to stay put, even while every instinct screamed to get the hell out and run for my life. About the time I thought my damn bladder was about to bust, the squeaky footsteps came back. "Okay, Miss, you can come out now. It's safe."

  I stayed put. How could I be okay if I was still inside Royse's building?

  "Miss, you awake?" The blankets and stuff above me were pulled away. "Ah, there you are." Kind blue eyes peered at me over the edge of the giant basket. "I'm Mrs. Blue. Come on out of there, you must be stiff as a board. Let's get you a drink." She turned away.

  I still didn't move.

  She came back. "It's okay, darlin'. Himself is busy and won't have time to look for you any time soon. Your friends did a good job getting his attention elsewhere."

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Ryker:

  I stared at Stella as rage flowed through me. That motherfucker would die for betraying me like this. Especially for claiming it was at Kellen's order. I knew my Prez. He wouldn't call for this, not knowing my woman's life hung in the balance.

  Stella gestured with his gun. "Get in the car, brother. We have to go meet the others." He gave me a scowl when I stayed put. "What, you don't want to get your woman back? Changed your mind all of a sudden?"

  "What?"

  "Just get the fuck in, man, and drive. I'll tell you where. We have to meet the others before it starts going down."

  "Fine." I could always stand still and get shot later, after I knew what was going on. I got in and Stella slid into the passenger seat.

  "We're going to the warehouse on Water Street. The boys will meet us there."

  Before I got the fucking beater running well enough to go anywhere, the back door opened and Juaquin dove inside. "Ya'll didn't forget that promise you made, did you? 'Cause ain't no fucking way Royse goes down without me there."

  I rolled my eyes and put the car in gear. "I don't give a shit, as long as you stay the fuck out of my way."

  Juaquin laughed. "Likewise, motherfucker."

  All my attention shifted to driving, and getting to that warehouse on Water Street as fast as possible. Stella's car succeeded in pissing me off even more with its sluggish responses. Every single time I had a clear way to make up some time, the thing bogged down like it had paste running through the fuel line. The way the engine knocked and shuddered kept me on edge, expecting it to go up in smoke at any second.

  I avoided the business district in the interest of time, knowing the traffic would be heavier there, and cut through a quiet residential neighborhood instead. A dog ran across the street and I let off the gas a little in reflex, in case it turned back, or another followed. Instead, a kid darted from between two parked cars. I stomped the brake pedal, and my heart sank as a metal-on-metal grind came from the wheels.

  "The fucking brakes are gone?" If I had time, I would jerk Stella out of the car and beat him to a pulp. Instead, I concentrated on getting the damn car to slow enough to miss that kid. By some miracle, the kid ran back out of the street, and we missed him. "What the fuck, Stella?"

  Stella looked shaken. "Don't make sense. I checked it all over less than a month ago. Brake pads were worn, but not bad."

  "How long you had this piece of shit?"

  "I don't know, maybe six or eight weeks. Picked it up for five hundred bucks."

  Juaquin laughed his ass off, and I shook my head. "You know how seriously fucked up that is? You pick a ride to keep from drawing attention. Nothing flashy or memorable. I get that. But damn, this fucking cage draws more attention than my car does. In a bad way."

  "What the fuck ever, man. Just drive. We're late." Stella waved off my insults about his ride the same as he always did. He acted as if I'd forgotten about him pulling a fucking gun on me.

  As I drove, and tried to get us to the warehouse in one piece, I pushed back my anger at Stella. I would deal with him later, after Elena was safe. And no doubt, he knew it was coming. Throwing down a Brother was not a move to make lightly.

  The warehouse drew into view, looking like it always did. Situated in the oldest part of town, near the River, the area had recently become popular with college students and young professionals. When Kellen picked up the warehouse for back taxes a few years ago, he had planned to use the rundown building as temporary storage. That quickly changed after several offers from developers. Now the building sat empty, in the process of being renovated and updated. It was going to become a legit income source for the club with a series of nice rental units on one side, and studio apartments on the other.

  But for the moment, it offered an ideal space to meet up without drawing too much notice. I pulled around the side, where one of the big rollup doors waited open, and drove right inside. The door went down immediately behind the car. I got the damn thing stopped, put it in Park, shut it off, and climbed out. The only light came from the headlights of the nearly two dozen motorcycles sitting to one side.

  Kellen came forward, hand outstretched. "Ryker, good to see you whole, brother."

  I nodded and clasped his hand, as usual. "Good to be whole. Had my doubts of surviving that piece of shit
Stella calls a car."

  Kellen barked with laughter, then shut it off in that eerie way of his. "Look, man, I'm sorry I had him stop you. Don't blame him for it, all on me. There was no choice, though. New info about our interference problem came in, and you could have walked right into a shooting gallery." His eyes widened as he looked over my shoulder. "Who the fuck is that?"

  I turned as Juaquin climbed out of the back of Stella's jalopy. "That's Juaquin. Elena's neighbor, and the man with the floor plans to Royse's building." I motioned the guy forward. "Juaquin, Kellen."

  The two shook hands cautiously. "Anything you see or hear today stays with you, yeah? Hate to have my boys pay you a visit to remind you to keep your trap shut."

  "No prob'm, homes. Same here. Don't want my bidness spread all over fuck and back."

  I winced as I rolled my shoulder. "Take my word for it, boss, his boys pack a punch. Now can we get shit moving? I ain't gettin' no younger."

  Fabio and Crank came forward, and Fabio spoke first. "So, we followed up with what you and Stella got on your little trip, and found a low-life that knew about Royse's deal with those boys down there." Since we had company, the ex-Marine took care not to reveal names or locations, exactly as if he were talking on an unsecured phone.

  Crank put in his two cents. "We started doing our thing, following the trail, and we found where Royse stores the goods he's selling. Bastard couldn't settle for being a middleman. He wanted the whole fucking enchilada."

  The whole dog and pony show sparked nothing but my impatience. "And?"

  "He keeps the shit in his building. Nobody would think to look at a nice, historic place like that. And the fucker lives right there with the goods."

  As badly as I wanted to get moving, I knew we needed a plan of some sort. "What are we doing then?"

  Kellen and Fabio spent the next fifteen minutes outlining the simple plan and making sure everyone had as many weapons as they could carry. Our information had expired, so we had no way of knowing what sort of inventory Royse sat on, or how many men he had there. That meant we were going in expecting to face an army. Especially since Crank had been able to confirm Royse's connection to some Russian criminals associated with the bunch we'd tangled with before.