The Fighter

by Leslie Georgeson

  Something flickered across that stony expression of a face. Then he made a sound that resembled a snort, or maybe a laugh. Or was it a mix of the two? I wasn’t sure. This guy was scary. And a total asshole. I refused to let him intimidate me.

  Another man stepped out into the corridor, followed by a third. They must have heard our conversation. The first was dark-haired and sported a prosthetic arm. The second was blond and had a slight hobbling walk. Then two more men emerged, joining the others. One had shaggy blond hair, the other, short-cropped light brown hair. They were all large, bare-chested, powerful-looking. Intimidating. Holy crap on a barn door! That was a lot of muscles! Had I interrupted their workout session? Jacob had said they were all big, scary badasses like him, and he hadn’t been lying. As they moved closer, my heart rate quickened. And as they reached me, surrounding me, I glanced nervously at each of them, noticing they were all extremely good-looking.

  Wow. I hadn’t expected that.

  To hide my nerves, I blurted out a silly comment. “Geez, did I just stumble into the Chippendales’ dressing room or something?”

  There was a moment of silence, then the shaggy blond-haired guy barked out a laugh and exchanged glances with the light-brown-haired guy standing next to him. The others all chuckled softly, except for the Hispanic man, who was still glaring at me.

  “Chippendales, huh?” The dark-haired guy with the prosthetic arm grinned. “Hmm.”

  “Chippendales are strippers,” the Hispanic man said in obvious disgust. “We are not strippers.”

  “She’s saying we’re hot,” the guy with the prosthetic arm said, winking at me. “She’s got good taste.”

  My face burned. Hell yeah, they were hot.

  The Hispanic man waved a hand at me, his expression filling with contempt. “She’s looking for Nate. She said Jacob sent her. What should we do with her?”

  “I say we listen to what she has to say.”

  The voice came from the open doorway. I turned my head as another dark-haired man stepped out of the room and approached. He was as big and muscular as the others, and as he drew nearer, I noticed he was every bit as good-looking. Damn, it was getting hot in here with all these hunky guys. I felt extremely small and feminine being surrounded by so much powerful masculinity.

  The newcomer reached me and paused, his gaze direct as it held mine. “I’m Nate.”

  I drew in a deep breath and nodded. “Jacob said you would be the most likely to help him.”

  Nate’s eyes were green, I noticed up close, and filled with an intensity that made me squirm as he studied me.

  “I’m not the enemy,” I stressed quietly. “Jacob needs your help. Please. He’s been captured by a criminal gang called the Spartans. They kidnapped Hazel to make him fight in an illegal underground fight a few hours ago.” Emotion clogged my throat and I swallowed hard to push it back while I continued. “They forced him to fight ten guys at once, then fifteen, and on and on. It was to the death.”

  “Jesus.” The blond guy with the hobbling gait swore. “How many did he kill?”

  “I don’t know. Fifty? Then Jacob collapsed, and they sent in five more guys, but these guys weren’t normal-sized men. They were huge, muscle-bound giants. They attacked him while he was still down.”

  I drew in a ragged breath, closing my eyes as the memory of those brutes attacking Jacob filled my mind. Slowly releasing the breath, I opened my eyes. “I thought he was dead. But then he disappeared and reappeared outside of the octagon. They shot him with a Taser and chained him up and hauled him away. I don’t…even know if he’s still alive.”

  Silence stretched for several moments.

  “I hate fucking Tasers,” the blond guy with the hobbling gait muttered. Several of the others murmured in agreement.

  I felt Nate’s gaze on me again and turned back to him. “And who are you?” he asked quietly.

  “I’m Anna. Hazel’s nanny.”

  The dregs all exchanged glances, but their expressions were unreadable, so I had no idea what any of them were thinking.

  “Please,” I begged. “You have to help him.”

  The Hispanic man let out a snort. “He’s an outsider now. A traitor. We don’t help traitors.”

  I lifted my gaze to his, fury and frustration sweeping through me. Why was this guy such an asshole? “He only did what he had to do to save his daughter. Have you ever cared about anyone before? I’m guessing not, because if you did, then you would understand.”

  His gaze hardened as it bored into mine.

  I refused to cower. Jacob’s life depended on me getting these guys to help. “What would you do if someone kidnapped one of your dreg brothers and said the only way you could have him back was if you handed over another one of your dreg brothers? What would you do?”

  His scowl deepened. “That’s an impossible situation.”

  “Exactly,” I whispered, my eyes swimming with tears. “Jacob was faced with an impossible situation and he did the only thing he could do. And all of you assholes kicked him out instead of understanding and being there for him.”

  Silence stretched.

  “Please,” I tried again. “He’s one of you. He needs you. Hazel needs you. If you don’t help him, he’ll die.” I hitched in a breath. “And Hazel could die.”

  Several throats cleared.

  “She’s right.” Nate glanced around at the others, making eye contact with each of them. “Jacob had an impossible decision to make and he did the only thing he could do. We don’t know what he went through, because none of us has ever been faced with that decision before. None of us has a kid.”

  No one spoke for several seconds as Nate’s words sank in. I glanced around at the group, looking at each face. Even the Hispanic man was quiet, contemplating.

  “Jacob’s one of us,” Nate continued. “And he always will be.”

  Murmurs of agreement arose from around the group.

  The man with the prosthetic arm said, “Let’s do this. Let’s get him out of there.”

  All eyes turned to me.

  “Can you take us to him?” the shaggy-haired guy asked.

  Relief swept through me. They were going to help Jacob. Fresh tears sprang to my eyes. I blinked rapidly, forcing them back. “Yes.”

  “Get your gear,” Nate told the others. “We leave in ten.”

  Everyone turned away, disappearing into different rooms. Except the Hispanic man. He remained standing a few feet away, contemplating me with those black eyes. I forced myself to meet his gaze and not cower under the force of his glare.

  “Just so you know,” he said, “I’m only doing this for that little girl. She’s the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.” His gaze softened, just barely, before it hardened once again. So the man did have a heart somewhere deep inside. If Hazel was what it took to get his help, then that was just fine with me.

  “Yes, she is,” I agreed. “And I know Jacob will be grateful for your help, too.” I didn’t point out that if he was doing it for Hazel, then he was doing it for Jacob, as well, because I didn’t think this man was quite willing to admit that just yet.

  He grunted. “You remind me of someone.”

  I did? “Who?”

  His lips twitched, but I wouldn’t call it a smile.

  “Jess-i-ca.” He enunciated each syllable of her name, his accent more pronounced as he drew it out.

  I smiled. I’d only spoken to Jessica briefly, but I already liked her, so if I reminded him of her, then that was a good thing in my mind.

  “She said if you guys didn’t help me, she would kick all your asses.”

  His lips twitched again, and this time it was a real smile, just a brief flash of teeth, then was gone. “That sounds like her.”

  He was handsome when he smiled. Strikingly so.

  Shocker.

  What had made him so cynical, so rude?

  Didn’t matter. He was going to help Jacob.

  “When did you talk to Jessica?” This ti
me there was curiosity in his gaze.

  “Right before I came here. I called all the numbers in Jacob’s phone. Tracker was the only one who called back.”

  He smirked. “Did he tell you to fuck off?” The look on his face said that was exactly what he thought had happened.

  I held his gaze. “No. He said he couldn’t help me because he was in Idaho, but he said if I found you guys, you might help me.”

  “Really?” He turned away with another snort, sounding like he didn’t believe me.

  “You know, if you drop that attitude, you might make friends easier,” I called after him. “It doesn’t hurt to be nice once in a while.”

  He turned back to me, a gleam in those black eyes. “I don’t do ‘nice’.”

  He opened a door and disappeared inside.

  And I was left standing alone in the dark corridor to wait for the dregs to return.

  They had agreed to help Jacob. Even the dark one with the attitude.

  But would we get to him in time?

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Jacob

  I disappeared into a dream world, fading in and out of consciousness for the next several hours as the pain became unbearable. I’d learned in the past to beat the pain by drifting off, going to a different place. Dreams consumed me now, memories of the past swamping me. Battles fought and won with my dreg brothers. Our escape. And losing Ralph.

  Since Ralph had died, I’d lost that connection with him. I’d distanced myself from the other dregs, feeling like an outsider without my partner to help bond me to the others. This past year since we’d escaped, I’d felt so lost and alone in the world, no longer belonging to the group. Teetering on the edge that with one tiny push, I would topple over into an abyss of soullessness.

  Then Anna had come into my life. She made me feel things again. She reminded me I was still human somewhere deep inside. She’d yanked my soul back, forcing me to acknowledge that it still existed, forcing me to admit I wasn’t alone anymore. I didn’t have to be alone anymore.

  And Hazel. Sweet Hazel. God, what would I do if I didn’t have her? She softened me, gentled me, pushed the harsh warrior aside, and made the man want to live again. I kept sending her comforting thoughts through our bond, trying to help soothe her in this scary time. But I didn’t know if she felt our connection, if she heard me in her mind.

  The demons pulled at my soul again, pushing thoughts of Hazel aside, barreling down on me like a violent hurricane, whipping away at my humanity.

  I’d been forced to kill again. To become a monster. A soulless beast.

  I moaned, my soul screeching in agony, as all those men I’d just killed flashed through my mind. The violence. The brutality. The stench of death. It haunted me, pulled at my soul, yanking it away once again. The monster returned in full force, battering the man aside, shoving him away. I wasn’t human anymore. I was a killer. A murderer. A beast.

  I didn’t deserve Hazel. Or Anna. I didn’t even deserve to live.

  So I stopped fighting. Stopped trying to live.

  And let the demons drag me under.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  Anna

  True to Nate’s word, ten minutes later, we were all heading out. I hobbled along with them through the maze, my feet stinging with pain. It would be nice to get off my feet for a while.

  When we reached the surface, Nate narrowed his gaze on me. “Why are you limping?”

  My face heated as I felt six pairs of eyes studying me. I quietly explained jumping out of the warehouse window and racing for freedom. “I sprained my ankle when I landed, and then I had to travel barefoot along the side of the road for several miles after my car ran out of gas.”

  Sympathy filled Nate’s eyes. “Here, sit.” He motioned to a boulder a few feet from the entrance. “Let me take a look.”

  My face grew hotter. “No, that’s okay.”

  He sent me an exasperated look. “I’m The Healer. I can help you.”

  “Oh.” I settled onto the boulder and removed my shoes, gently peeling my socks off. Then the Band Aids.

  “We’ll bring the cars around.”

  Nate nodded at whomever had spoken, but I couldn’t make out their faces in the dark forest, so I wasn’t sure which one had. They all moved off, leaving me alone with Nate.

  He removed something from a bag he carried. “This is going to sting, but just for a moment. Then I’ll take the pain away.”

  O-kay…

  “How do you see so well in the dark?” I asked. None of them had used a flashlight to navigate the way through the maze to the surface. I’d been the only one who had a flashlight, and would have stumbled blindly through the dark without it.

  He shrugged. “I’m a dreg. We all have excellent night vision.”

  Oh.

  I sat still, holding my breath, as he gently rubbed an alcohol wipe across the bottom of my feet. I hissed, closing my eyes at the sting. Then he placed his palm against the bottom of each foot. Instantly, the pain went away.

  “You said you sprained your ankle, too? Which one?”

  I motioned to my injured ankle, curious what he would do. I waited while he cupped my ankle in his palm. Moments later, the dull throbbing went away. I was pain free.

  He sat back, zipping up his bag. I pulled my socks back on, then my shoes. There was no pain anymore. Not even a little bit.

  “What did you just do?” I whispered, rising to my feet. Even standing, there was no pain.

  “I healed you. Come on, let’s go.”

  He headed into the trees. I hurried after him, no longer in pain. Wow. That was amazing.

  Lights approached, then several vehicles halted in front of us. The dark Hispanic man jumped out from the driver’s side of a large black SUV, and Nate climbed behind the wheel.

  “Get in the back,” he told me as the Hispanic man moved around and slid into the passenger’s seat.

  I opened the back door and climbed inside.

  Then we were off.

  No one spoke for several minutes. I stared out the window at the dark forest around us, while Nate and the other man were silent up front. The other dregs followed us in separate vehicles.

  “So,” I said, breaking the silence. “If you’re Nate, The Healer, then who are you?” I glanced at the dark Hispanic man.

  He let out a soft snort and turned his head toward me. His gaze appeared blacker in the dark car. But he wasn’t as intimidating as he’d been in the beginning because now I knew he was human just like the rest of them. And though he acted like he didn’t care about Jacob, I think deep down, he did care. He just didn’t want anyone to know that he had feelings for some reason. Maybe he thought feelings made him weak.

  When he didn’t answer, I glanced at Nate.

  Nate chuckled. “Anna, meet Antonio. He’s The Smuggler.”

  Antonio scowled, glaring at Nate. “It’s Tony. No one calls me Antonio. Asshole.” Then he turned that hard gaze on me.

  I held back a grin. “Nice to meet you Tony.” I held my hand out to him. He glanced down at my hand, then back to my face. I waited. He let out a low growl and shook my hand. Then he faced forward again.

  “Was that so hard?” I asked. “I don’t have cooties, you know.”

  Tony muttered something under his breath in Spanish, then glanced out the window.

  Nate barked out a laugh, his gaze meeting mine in the rearview mirror. “You’re funny, Anna. I like you. Are you and Jacob…you know, a couple?”

  “No,” I murmured, my face heating as I looked away. “Not yet, anyway.”

  Nate’s lips twitched. “But you want to be.”

  How did he know that? My face grew hotter. I stared out the window, unable to meet the knowing look in his eyes. I cleared my throat. “Jacob’s a good man.”

  Tony grunted. “Jacob’s a traitor.”

  I sighed. “Are you going to keep holding on to that conviction? I know he would have already forgiven you if your situations were reversed.”r />
  “She’s got a point,” Nate said, glancing at Tony. “Deep down, Jacob’s a better man than both of us.”

  Tony turned away. It was obvious he was contemplating Nate’s words. I liked Nate. He was a pretty cool guy.

  “Hey, Nate?”

  He glanced at me in the rearview mirror with a raised brow.

  “I like you, too. You’re a good guy.”

  He chuckled and jerked his head in a nod.

  I glanced at Tony. “And you, Tony. But I’d like you even better if you smiled for me, just once.”

  He turned back to me and bared his teeth.

  Nate and I both burst out laughing. And then Tony actually grinned. It was so sudden, so shocking, I almost thought I’d imagined it. But as he turned away, I caught a glimpse of humor in his eyes and knew it had been real.

  We grew silent after that, lost in our own thoughts. And I began to worry about Jacob. Was he okay? Would we get to him in time? What about Hazel? Would we ever find her?

  An hour and a half later, we reached Augusta. Nate drew the vehicle to a halt at the military barricade. He rolled his window down to speak to the guard on duty. I pushed the button on my window, and it rolled down as well. I stuck my head out the window.

  “Hi.” I waved at the man. “Remember me?”

  He glanced at me, then back at Nate. His eyes widened. “Yeah. You’re the one I let through a few hours ago. Looks like you found them. Tell Jacob hello when you see him.” He nodded at Nate and waved as we drove through.

  “How did you get through the barricade when you left the city?” Nate asked curiously. “Do you know that guy?”

  “No. I told him Jacob was in danger and needed his help. He said Jacob had helped him once, so he owed Jacob. And he let me through.”

  Nate and Tony exchanged a glance.

  “What?” I asked, glancing from one to the other. “You don’t know what he was talking about?”

  “No. Jacob’s…been kind of on his own since Ralph died. He withdrew from the rest of us, going off and doing his own thing. I think it really messed him up.”

  I cleared my throat. What were they talking about? “Who’s Ralph?”