Page 61 of Treacherous

A pair of strong arms clamped around me and lifted me off my feet. "I'll take you home soon, Teagan, I promise," he whispered in my ear. "But if either of us leave now they're gonna smell a rat."

I stiffened and Noah sighed heavily against my neck. "Just…listen to me," he muttered before turning our bodies around and walking back towards the bonfire.

"What are you doing with these people?" I asked him and my voice sounded young – young and terrified.

"I told you," he said in a gruff tone. "I do what I'm told."

"And tonight?" I asked him. "What have you been told to do tonight?"

"Tonight I fight." Noah looked me directly in the eyes when he spoke. "I didn't want you to have to watch – which waswhyI told you to wait in the car."

"Why?" I tried to shake off his hold. "I've seen you fight here before. Why is this different?"

"It just is," Noah snapped. "There's a lot at stake."

"So that's what this place is?" I asked him as I looked around nervously. "A fighting ring?"

Noah nodded stiffly, not meeting my eyes. "Amongst other things."

"And that building back there?" I pointed in the direction we'd come. The huge warehouse a half a mile back the dirt yard with trucks and bikes scattered around it hadn’t escaped my attention either. "Is that…" I paused and pinched the bridge of my nose, desperately trying to keep my nerve. "Is that a part of this?"

"Yes."

"You shouldn't have brought me here, Noah," I croaked out.

"You brought yourself here," he snarled, chest heaving. "I thought I could f…I didn't think…fuck."

"Messina," a man shouted. "You're up."

"It's gonna be okay," Noah whispered in my ear before he pressed a kiss to my cheek. "I promise."

I grabbed his wrist when he moved to walk away from me and held on. "Noah." I begged him with my eyes. "Don’t." God only knows why I was panicking like this, but I couldn’t help it. "Please."

He looked torn.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but dragged his hand through his hair and cursed instead. Finally Noah shook his head and pulled free from my grasp. "I have to," was all he said before walking away.

I stood, with my heart in my mouth, watching as Noah tugged off his t-shirt and dropped it on the hood of a car before balling his hands into fists and settling into his fighting stance.

The man – if he was even human – Noah was fighting was twice his width and a good two inches taller than him which made this man-beast at least 6'5". The crowd of people erupted into madness the second Noah punched the man-beast in the ribs and suddenly I couldn’t look at this anymore.

This was it – his job.

Noah hurt people for money.

This was sick.

This was so wrong.

Turning around, I waded through the mass, not stopping until I reached the car and collapsed into the passenger seat. I wasn't stupid, I knew what kind of trouble came with guys like him. It was in that moment I realized just how stupid men were. Testosterone filled idiots, fuelled by sex booze and the thrill of the chase.

I was out.

I'd rather enroll myself into a convent than have any part of this farce. I should have guessed he was into all things bad the second I set eyes on him. For god's sake, the very first time we met he'd just thrown a man through my windshield. And Friday night, when he pulled me out from under the crowd…god, he was vicious that night. He was eighteen and drove a top of the range Lexus. Who the hell owned a Lexus in high school?

Someone involved in illegal fighting drives a Lexus in high school…

Ugh. Screw this. Once Noah dropped me home I would keep my distance from him...

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