Page 42 of Promise & Artem

“You ran him over with a car. I’d say that’s a decent consequence.”

A smile curled the corner of Nero’s lips. “Perhaps, however, he’s still valuable to me as a fighter. I make quite a bit of money anytime The Bull, fights.”

She arched a brow at the nickname. Not very clever.

“If you want me to call him, you shouldn’t have had your goon toss my phone out the window.”

“I don’t need your phone, I can contact him myself.”

“Then what am I doing here?” She had an idea of what they wanted her for, as bait to force Artem to come fight. A knot formed in her stomach, her wolf growling in worry.

“You have a gift, Promise. And yes, I know your name. I know quite a bit about you.” Nero smiled. “You and your healing abilities.”

She frowned. “You want me to heal someone for you?”

He hummed. “Perhaps. But also, you and your healing could make Artem unstoppable in the ring.” He paused again, which was beginning to get on her nerves. Then he continued, “And if he won't fight willingly... perhaps the right incentive will change his mind."

“You think Artem will do whatever you want because you kidnapped me?”

“He will if he cares about you, which I suspect he does going by that mating mark on your neck. If he doesn’t do what I want, then I will still have use of you. A healing wolf is very remarkable, my fighters would be invincible.”

The SUV came to a stop at an old warehouse. She didn’t know where they were, but she suspected it was where the fights were held.

The male on her left got out and held out his hand. She stared at it, looking past him to see if she might make a run for it.

“If you run, the punch earlier will seem like a pleasant dream,” he said, voice dark and eyes flashing amber.

“You don’t have to be an ass,” she said. She touched her face gingerly, where pain still throbbed. She could feel blood under her nose and used her shirt-sleeve to gently wipe it off. Her eyes watered as she brushed her nose with her fingers as even the lightest of touches hurt. She got out of the SUV and wobbled a little as a dizzy spell made her world turn upside down and spin like a carousel. Her head throbbed as much as her face where she’d been punched. The male’s hand shot out to steady her and she slapped it away, leaning against the open door until the dizziness passed.

They walked inside the warehouse. The air was thick with the scents of old blood and sweat. It was a large open space with a big ring in the center and metal bleachers on three sides. Above was a second story that reminded her of the boxes at sports stadiums. She remembered Artem telling her that Nero watched the fights from an enclosed room.

Nero stepped close to her. His voice was low and laced with danger that made her wolf uneasy. “Now, behave. You will keep Artem in line and fighting, and you will heal whoever I want you to heal. If Artem steps out of line…well, I don’t really need him, I just need you.”

Nero let the threat linger between them. It wasn’t Artem who was irreplaceable, it was her, which meant Artem’s life was the one in danger. Her eyes stung, but she refused to cry in front of him. He nodded and the males grabbed her by the upper arms and took her to a small room. They pushed her inside and she stumbled, catching herself on the stone wall. The door swung shut and locked quickly, and she was alone in the room with only a cot and a bare bulb swinging from the ceiling. She scanned the room and was glad she was alone.

Stark, cold fear washed over her and she sat on the cot, the legs squeaking as she settled on it. She was alone, at the mercy of a male who saw her as a tool—not just to bring Artem back to fight but also to heal on command.

The fear felt like a wave and she had a moment where she tottered on the edge of a full-blown panic attack, but then she felt her wolf let out a single, low growl in her mind.

Artem was going to come for her.

They were marked mates, and he would find her.

He had to know by now that she’d been taken and he would know that Nero was behind the abduction. Hell, he might even suspect he knew where she was right now.

She rubbed her eyes and pushed away the fear.

She was ridiculously outnumbered and out of her depths. She’d been taught by her dad to fight in her shift when she’d been old enough, and she knew how to throw a punch and protect herself if the need arose. But the reality was that she was surrounded by males who fought for a living and her mate, who was the fiercest male she’d ever met in her life, considered these males unhinged and dangerous.

Even if she could get out of the room she was locked in, what could she do if the males decided to hurt her to keep her in line?

She was better off keeping her head down and biding her time. If she could escape, she would. But either way, she knew in her heart that Artem would come for her.

He would get her free and they’d figure out how to get Nero to leave them alone for good.

But first, Artem had to find her.

Artem pulled to a stop in front of his cabin. He’d successfully gotten everything he needed for the most spectacular date Promise had ever been on, and would culminate in him asking her to be his wife.

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