Page 91 of Reckless

“Do you want to place a bet?” He asked calmly, but I could see from the look on his face, he wasn’t enjoying dealing with me.

“No,” I shook my head still confused, but somewhat starting to figure out what was happening down there. “No, thank you.”

“Are you sure? The boss is fighting tonight.”

“Your boss?” I asked and already knew who he was referring to. Cold sweat dripped down my back.

“Yes,” the man nodded. “He always fights like his life depends on it.”

“Hannah?” I heard Chloe’s voice somewhere behind me. “She’s with me,” she told the man in black and he left us alone. She pointed at the door. “You should leave. Now.”

Her ordering tone was like a wakeup call. I got out of the trance I was in.

“I don’t think so. I want to see yourbossfight.”

Chloe shook her head, annoyance on her face. “I’m going to find Tyler.” She rounded me, but I grabbed her by the elbow. She shot me a disbelieving look.

“What is he doing here?” I asked.

“What does it look like?”

It was pretty obvious and yet I needed someone else to say the words. It felt so surreal.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” I said more to myself than to her. She shook my hand off of her and placed her own on my forearm.

“Let me get him. He will explain.” She tried to walk away, but I grabbed her again.

“No,” I felt my nose and my eyes burning. “Don’t. I want to see with my own eyes.”

“He will kill me if I let you watch this,” she murmured, but she didn’t try to leave again. She didn’t try to make me leave either.

We stood there together like statues, eyes glued to the ring. When Tyler appeared up there, naked from the waist up, she reached over and grabbed my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“It’s going to be fine,” she said, but I already knew that wasn’t true.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Tyler

Nothingwentaccordingtoplan that night. The men Patrick Hayes sent every Friday to the basement never came. Instead, new ones appeared. They looked and behaved like the others, but at the same time they seemed on edge. Jumpy. On high alert.

I tried to call Kieran, who was also missing, but his phone went straight to voice mail. Something was off. I couldn’t wrap my head around it yet, but I knew something was off.

When the second fight for the evening started and one of the fighters that had to participate in the third and final one was MIA, one of the men Hayes sent, approached and informed me I had to step in and take his place.

And my promise to Hannah to spend Saturday with her flew out the window. Even if I won the fight, there was no way I would do it without any damage to my face and body. I didn’t want her worrying. Moreover, I didn’t want her asking questions.

But at the same time, I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay away from her long enough for all my scars and bruises to disappear, so I would have to come up with a lie.

I hated that I had to lie to her. Keeping secrets about things that happened before she came into my life could be justified to some point, or at least that was what I told myself. But flat-out lying to her for something that happened while we were dating, wasn’t something I wanted to do.

And yet you do it, every Friday since the wedding.

I stepped into the ring, fully aware I was being royally fucked in a way I couldn’t understand yet. My heart pounded in my chest. My opponent was a few inches taller than me, a wall of muscle, but I knew I could take him down. The only good thing about all of this was the fact that if I won, I would get a lot more money tonight.

The bell rang, and we both stepped forward, circling each other warily. He threw the first punch, a right hook, but I dodged it easily, counterpunching with a left jab that connected with his ribs. He stumbled back, and I seized the opportunity, unleashing a barrage of punches on him.

We traded blows back and forth, neither of us giving an inch. My arms and legs ached. My breaths came in ragged gasps, but I kept fighting.

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