Page 104 of Cruel Legacy

What the other guests and fighters don’t know is this warehouse used to be an art gallery with a passageway that connected to the restaurant next door. I pull her through the door that leads to the hallway where the restaurant bathrooms are, then over to the stairs that lead to the roof of the building. Once we exit the roof, we cross over two more buildings before taking the fire escape down to the streets.

“Wolfe. Wolfe!”

“What?”

“Where are we going?”

I don’t have an answer for that. My only goal was to get us to safety and make sure we didn’t get arrested. I’ve already accomplished that. We’re away from Club Dredd and nobody will suspect we were at the fight. I slow down, but I don’t let her hand go. Something tells me if I do, she’s gonna take off and I need answers. Like what the hell was she even doing there?

Red Cliffs is a long forgotten town, with one working gas station - convenience store combo. Nobody comes here unless they’re coming to Club Dredd or in a pinch for gas on their way to Palisades Shores. It’s depressing. I walk us another few blocks before stopping in front of a closed down comic book store. “You wanna tell me what the hell you’re doing out here?”

“Nature walk.”

“Don’t start with your shit, LaReaux. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you to be at Club Dredd? What am I saying? Of course you don’t. Pampered princesses just want the excitement of doing something dangerous.” I spit out, “Your boyfriend didn’t even wait around for you to make sure you got out safely, and that’s the guy you’re protecting. If there’s any justice in the world, he got caught up in the sweep.”

She asks, “How did the cops even know there was a fight going on tonight?”

“Someone snitched. We made it almost halfway through the night before the raid, so it was probably someone who lost a lot of money.”

I take in what she’s wearing, and slowly, the pieces slot into place. The reason the ponytail on that grainy ass video seemed so familiar is because I watch it swish and sway away from me all the fucking time. Like some goddamn pendulum keeping time with the rhythm of her hips as she walks.

“You’re the girl who fought Big Jim.”

She gifts me with a smirk. “No, Wolfe. I’m the girl whobeatBig Jim.”

Chapter47

Finn

I’m bored. It doesn’t take much to make me feel that way, and it’s getting harder to find ways to entertain myself. I’m in the eighth-floor lounge, scrolling through my phone, trying to find someone who might be able to distract me for a few hours. The elevator doors slide open and Thea walks out carrying a bag.

I get to my feet and follow her. I usually avoid the laundry area. It’s too hot and too crowded. I don’t need to go in there, because I have a roster of people who fold and fluff my towels. But today I do. By the time I get to the door, she’s leaning over, pulling things out of her laundry bag.

I hop onto a table behind her, taking in the view. God, she’s got an amazing ass. She’s got her headphones in and is dancing around as she sorts her clothes.

I groan as her ass wiggles back and forth, begging me to touch it. She turns her head to look at me, then goes back to what she’s doing. Ass wiggle and all.

I hop off the table and walk over to the machine she’s using and stand in front of it to make her acknowledge me.

“Move.”

“I don’t think I will, Pet.”

“I’m using that machine, Finley. Move!”

“This one? So it’s yours?”

“For now.”

I bless her with a smile. “Then I really don’t think I’m gonna move. This one has a good view of the tv. I think I’ll just take it for myself.”

“Oh, really?” She looks around the room. “Where’s your laundry?”

I shrug because I don’t know. I leave my bag outside my door and someone takes it away dirty. Two days later it’s back, clean.

“Do you even know how to do laundry?”

“I understand the principles of it.”