Page 12 of Burn for Her

That was the bad part of this underground ring. It was cutthroat, ruthless, and savage.

Holy Hell, how had she gotten to this point? Lena couldn’t even bring herself to connect the dots that brought her down to this level of finding meaning in life by letting it slowly get beaten out of her. She was the only woman in this circuit. No others had ever returned for a second chance at victory. That meant the men Lena fought against were always bigger and stronger than her. At five foot six and a buck thirty soaking wet, she was a joke to them.

A legend too.

It also meant she had to train harder and fight dirtier than most.

“Please,” she said. “Match me with Nekko.”

“He’s not going to like it.”

Lena sighed in relief when she realized Bane was giving in to her request. “He doesn’t have to like it. Just ask him to give me a chance to turn this night around for myself.”

She didn’t want him to throw the fight, but she also knew Nekko was exhausted too. He’d gone against five other men so far this evening. Lena had only fought two. There was a good chance she could beat him.

Bane cupped her face. She could only see him out of one eye because the other was swelling at an impressive rate. “Let me see what I can do.”

Lena grinned and her lip split open more.

“Damnit, woman, don’t look at me like this a good thing. I feel like I’m sending you into an early grave.”

“Well, at least I’ll die swinging, instead of sleeping.”

“Not funny,” he growled. “Not. Fucking. Funny.”

“Still true, though,” Lena called out before heading into the sound of roaring men, the stink of sweat, and the promise of blood that never ceased to fill her soul with fire.

She was a depraved woman with a savage side no man could tolerate except those in this pit.

A loud whistle ripped through the air and everyone scattered as Nekko roared, “Cops!”

Men ran, climbing out the back way. Bane pushed through the crowd and grabbed Lena’s arm. “Go! Go! Shit!” He shoved her forward towards the exit door.

Lena slipped on spilled beer and tried to catch herself. Arms pinwheeling, she pitched forward. A set of strong hands caught her. “Got you,” Nekko growled. “Come on, Bane’s not far behind.”

She nodded and found her footing with his help. Guess she had two friends in this dark life. “Thanks,” she wheezed as they made it to the exit.

“Thank me by never taking a fight like that again,” Nekko’s deep voice rumbled while he pushed her through the opening. “You scared the piss out of everyone with that stunt tonight, Lena.”

“Thanks for not leaving me back there,” she said after climbing out of the tunnel. When she turned around, Nekko and Bane weren’t behind her. Lena hauled ass.

Chapter 4

Dorian was vaguely aware he’d cracked the edges of the mirror with his grip. The black frame was crushed as well. In his dazed and mesmerized state, he tried to reel in his terror and think straight.

Holy fuck, the blood. Her face.

Her mouth.

Dorian couldn’t pull his gaze away from her swollen lips and the blood that dripped from her chin. Whoever hurt her would pay dearly and slowly. His glimpse of his mate didn’t last more than a few seconds, but time stopped the instant he saw her. Dorian couldn’t tell if he’d been standing in front of that damned mirror for a minute or a year.

And what had he done with that time? Wasted it. Instead of trying to piece together where she might be, so he had a shot of finding her, he gawked, snarled, and smashed the mirror instead. His rage was on a tight leash on a normal day, and now this glimpse of that woman pulled the trigger on his control.

“Dorian,” someone spoke behind him.

He didn’t turn around. Keeping his gaze focused on the silvered glass, he practically tried summoning her with his sheer will and fury.

It didn’t work.

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