Derek lifted his chin and nodded as recognition replaced the previously quizzical look on his face. “Nice to meet you,” he said and clasped my hand with his empty one, while the other held the broom to his side. “AJ is upstairs in the office.”

“I’m not here to see him.”

“No?”

“Listen, Derek,” I sighed. I didn’t have time for small talk. “I’m looking for information on a specific fighter. How well do you know the local scene?”

Derek gave a low chuckle, and began to sweep again. “I know it well.”

“Good, because I need information. Have you ever heard of a fighter named Damian Wolf?”

Derek stopped his cleaning efforts.Good, I got his attention. He knows something.

“Why?”

I edged closer. “I’m not really at liberty to discuss that, but any help you can give me would beveryappreciated.”

“Nice.”

“What?” His response was different than I expected.

“You come in here, name drop your uncle, bat your eyelashes at me, and expect me to sell my boy out,” he said and chuckled again. “Sorry, sweetheart, but that shit don’t work on me.”

“What doesn’t work?” I said in a soft tone.

I had to feign ignorance. Most men in these gyms would jump at the chance to jump my bones, and I’d learned to use it to my advantage. Under no circumstances was I going to sleep with any of them, but they didn’t need to know that. They certainly weren’t going to be forthcoming with information beneficial to me, so we each played the game. No matter how loud I shouted, or how hard I fought to be heard, this was still a man’s game. To get the respect I should’ve been afforded from the start, I had to be a thousand times better than my male counterparts, and a million times sharper and more cunning if we were to ever get ahead.

“Ariana, was it?”

I nodded.

“I’m sure where you come from, the seductress act works well,” Derek stated. “Not here, and not with me. The first rule in fighting is a woman will take your legs. The second rule is she’ll take your sensibilities, so I live by the third rule.”

I could feel the smile building as it crossed my lips. I liked him. Not romantically, but in a professional sense. “Are you going to make me ask?”

“Rule three. Treat everyone you meet with respect. You never know who they are. The man sweeping the floor could actually be the CEO of the company.” Derek paused here, and eyed me up and down again. “Or the manager of your fighter’s next opponent.”

“Good rule,” I said and blew out a breath. “You never know who you’re going to meet in the fight game.”

“No, you don’t,” he agreed with a sly smile on his face.

“Well, I think I’ll go talk to my uncle now. Guess I’ll see you later, Derek.”

“Guess so.”

Dammit. I had to give it to him. Derek was very astute, and Damian might prove to be everything I feared. By Derek’s response, Damian might be too much to overcome. Everywhere I turned there was nothing but dead ends. Alejandro was going to have to give me something this time. Damn his bets, I wasn’t taking no for an answer. He owed us that much.

#

“NO,” I GASPED.

I’d watched Derek as he’d finished his cleaning, put up his broom and exited through the gym doors. He’d given me a mock salute before he left and I’d given him a corresponding nod of my head. Then, I’d climbed the stairs to the second floor and opened the door to office where I came face to face with Tony Schmitt. He stood behind the same metal chair I’d been in earlier, but in his right hand was a revolver. This wouldn’t be the first time I’d been on the wrong side of a gun barrel, it’s par for the course in this game, so I wasn’t scared for myself. My pulse quickened when I saw the end of Tony’s gun was pointed towards my uncle, Alejandro who was seated in his plush chair on the opposite side of the desk.

“Ariana,” Tony said, with fake enthusiasm. “Good to see you. We’ve actually been waiting here for you.”

“What the hell, Tony?” I countered. “You’re not supposed to come after me or Dustin untilafterThe Midnight Prize, and onlyifwe don’t deliver on our part.”

“Oh, I’m not here to kill you, Ariana. I’m here to killhim.”