Page 68 of Forced to Marry the Bratva

I head to the changing room during the break, thinking I need to sit in a quiet space to collect my thoughts. I barely make it, feeling dizzy as I walk.

Am I getting sick?

I find a bottle of electrolytes and take slow sips, my head pounding as I rest it against the wall behind the bench I sit on. My vision feels blurry, and the blood rushes to my head, aching my ears.

Something feels very, very wrong. Have I caught something? Have I lost the strength to fight an opponent his size?

While those seem like reasonable explanations, my intuition tells me that it’s something else, something I’m not able to place a finger on yet… but what?

Those little jabs shouldn’t hurt like knives. In fact, no punch should hurt like knives.

I take a few deep breaths and begin to feel better. I’m about to stand and go back to the arena when the door to the changing room slams open. I turn to see a few figures approaching and do a double take when I observe who it is.

Boris, Lev, Anoushka, and Genevieve are storming in, their faces full of urgency. Their presence is a shock. No one knew of this fight today. In fact, Boris shouldn’t even know I still fight.

My siblings and wife reach my side.

”What were you thinking?” Lev demands, brows drawn together.

“Taking on that brute alone!” Anoushka smacks my arm, eyes flashing. “You could have been hurt, and none of us would have been here to help you, you foolish man!”

“Guys,” I ask, shaking my head. “What the hell are you doing here? How’d you even find out? And you… Boris?”

Boris steps forward, his expression grave. “Anoushka told us when she found out about the event,” he gestures to his sister, who glares at me unrepentantly. “She said you needed our support, and she wasn’t going to let you handle this alone.”

I look at Anoushka, who looks across at Genevieve. “Well,” Anoushka begins. “We’re here to support you, Damien.”

“Handle what? Someone tell me what’s going on, now,” I say, my voice catching in my throat. None of my siblings have ever supported me in my fight. What changed?

“It was Genevieve,” Anoushka admits. “She called me and asked for my help. She brought us all together today and made us swear that no matter what happens, we’ll stand by your side.”

Genevieve? She brought everyone together just to support me? My heart begins to pound in my chest at the thought that maybe we still stand a chance.

“Why?” I ask, turning to Genevieve. I thought she was mad at me. I couldn’t sleep all night yesterday; I couldn’t eat all day. To see her now is a blessing from the Gods themselves, and it takes everything in me to not envelop her in my arms, to not tell her I love her. But before all that, I need to know what’s going on.

“Damien,” Genevieve says, stepping closer and taking my hands in hers. She looks up at me with those beautiful green eyes, and I drown in them. “You don’t understand. I was wrong to let my father get between us. There’s something you should know. My father has been spying on you. He learned about your underground fights, and I’m afraid he might be trying to sabotage you,” she continues, her voice barely above a whisper. “He wants you to lose, and he might even go as far as to harm you. Maybe even kill you…” her voice trails off, and tears form in her eyes.

The weight of her words hangs heavy in the air, casting a shadow over my last fight. My jaw tightens with anger at the thought of Gerald’s interference in our lives, in my fights.

“He’s playing dirty, and I couldn’t stand by and watch. I had to do something,” she continues.

“Are you certain of this?” I ask before making a decision.

“I can’t be certain for sure since I have no evidence. This is just the conclusion I’ve made from the facts I’ve gathered, but if I know my father, then he’s sabotaged your fight.”

I sigh and run my hands through my hair. “It’s my last fight,” I say with sheer clarity. “I can’t just let it go.”

My brain goes in circles, trying to make sense of all that’s happened. My unknown opponent, the pain in his jabs… I begin to put two and two together.

Before I can speak, Boris steps forward, his voice low but commanding. “Damien, regardless of how I feel about underground fighting in general, we trust you. You’re our brother, and we will stand by you no matter what. We’ll support your decision to finish this fight if you so wish.”

“Do you?” Anoushka leans forward, her touch gentle on my arm. “Do you wish to finish this fight?”

I look up at them all, a grin on my face. “Hell yeah, I do—and I know exactly what I have to do next.”

***

I bid goodbye and leave the changing room. Just before I’m about to enter the arena, Genevieve calls out to me, breathless.

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