Page 8 of Devil's Bride

That was good for my club and for its reputation.

After dropping him hard, the thud resonating throughout the room, a collective cheer went up. I backed away, a bit amazed the asshole managed to struggle to his feet. I wiped my mouth and issued a hard axe kick, sending his body against the ropes.

He crumpled and I noticed a few others from the adjoining bar had surrounded the enclosure.

Another surprise was when he lunged toward me. I dodged the cross, immediately issuing a back fist. He hadn’t been prepared for the move. With ease I performed a double-leg takedown, toppling him to the mat once again, instantly providing several brutal punches to his face. I was rewarded with blood spewing from his nose as the bones crushed with the force.

There were definite benefits to learning mixed martial arts at an early age.

Now, in a tight hold, I wrapped one leg around his neck. He peered up at me with pleading eyes, slobbering like the fool he’d been when making the decision to betray me.

Suddenly, the entire club became very quiet, the men leaning forward in anticipation of my next move. There was nothing like the raw power possessed when enjoying the savagery of MMA fights. I excelled at it, turning the sport into a profitable business. While I rarely participated, when I did the club exceeded maximum capacity.

Today was no exception.

“You shouldn’t have crossed me. Tonight, you face my punishment.” I lifted my head toward the heavens as I twisted my leg.

The hard crack as his neck snapped was a sweet reward.

Another cheer from the crowd brought another moment of rage. No one dared cross me. They knew better. Why this fuck had done so was a question that would need a decent answer.

Eventually.

What I’d discovered enraged me on several levels, including that I’d obviously become too soft. In enjoying the perks of wealth, I’d allowed the treacherous man to provide intel to the Turks, enemies that had sniffed around Spain for years. That’s why the meeting I’d had in the restaurant had gone south.

I kicked his lifeless body away, taking my time to rise to my feet. When I threw my arms in the air, turning in a full circle, the men in the room began to shout my name.

Even the women were cheering, pushing their way closer to the ring in hopes of grabbing my attention. Perhaps later I would select one to fuck before tossing them away like the trash they were.

But doing so would issue another sign of my control.

This was just a warning.

There would be others.

I moved off the stage, immediately handed a towel. As I wiped the traitor’s blood from my face, Kruz headed toward me. I could tell by his expression he had business on his mind. He held the position of dictator, a coveted role that provided him with my full trust as well as a padded expense account. He was as ruthless as I was, a required trait for advancing within my organization. As always, our profit and loss were on his mind. That’s what I valued most about the man.

He never forgot the bottom line.

I’d also consider him a friend after everything we’d been through. Trust was a commodity well worth cultivating.

And taking with a grain of salt.

A bottle of water was shoved into my hand. I quickly took a swig then poured the rest over my head. After tossing the bottle on the floor, a glass of whiskey appeared. My employees knew what I liked and never failed me.

“What is it, Kruz?”

“Your father. He’s summoned you to his residence.”

I laughed. My father had long since given up control, but even in his retirement, he preferred maintaining avid awareness ofbusiness activities and any threats thrown in our direction. There was no real love lost between us, the savage man all but erased from my life.

Other than for family obligations, I rarely returned to my childhood residence. My absence wasn’t based on disrespect or hatred. Rafael Torres was a legend and the very reason I held my position as a brutal drug lord. The reason was much more simplistic. I was far too busy with our corporate holdings and keeping our product from the grubby hands of our enemies.

“Was the meeting productive?” he asked. I’d taken only two of my men with me as a sign of solidarity, something I now regretted.

“No, although it was interesting.” I grinned as I thought about the lovely woman I’d met in the hallway on my way out. While the stench of the man’s blood remained in my nostrils, so did her scent, a beautiful light floral mixed with exotic spices.

“For you that usually means you hooked up with a woman.”

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