Page 105 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
I gave him a playful wink, loving the unease in his tone. “Me.”
“Seriously?”
Broadly smirking, I nod. “What's the buy-in?”
“Two G,” the MC replied.
I cursed under my breath. If I had known where Cormack was taking me, I would have gone prepared, but I didn’t carry that sort of cash around, but I knew someone who did.
I lifted my eyes to Cormack, who was watching me curiously. “Buy me in, and I’ll give you a cut of the profit.”
His brows pulled together as he glared at me in disbelief. “Are you fucking kidding me?” His tone was dead serious like he was petrified about my well-being. “He'll kill you.”
“He has to catch me first.”I smirked like the arrogant prick I was.“Trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
He took several minutes pondering my request before he reluctantly yanked his wallet from his jeans. “I don’t care about the money, but if you die—”
“Won’t happen.”
My eyes darted down to my clothes. I’d never fought in jeans before, but I didn’t have anything else to change into, so they had to do. After pulling off my shoes and socks, I handed them to Cormack. He cocked a brow before thrusting my shoes into the chest of the blonde attached to his side.
Her huff of annoyance changed to a gasp when I removed my shirt. With flaming cheeks, her bugged-eyes glided down my body. I winked at her shocked face before shadowing the MC into the ring. Tae kwon do, boxing, mixed martial arts, karate. You name it, I had done it. After being weak and sick the first five years of my life, I became obsessed with anything that required strength and conditioning.
My body showed my dedication.
Halfway back to Cormack’s car, he leaped into the air. “You crazy son of a bitch!”
I smirked; smugness was all over my face. “I told you to trust me.”
The fight had gone as I had predicted. Bruno was all brute and no brains. He was exhausted after only a handful of swings of his chunky arms. That’s when I moved in. Two left and right combinations, then a swift kick to his temple, and he was kissing the pavement. I didn’t break into a sweat, and not one of Bruno’s hits landed on me.
Cormack slid into the driver’s seat of his car before drifting his eyes to mine. “Do you have any plans next Friday night?”
When his curious gaze floated over my face, I arched a brow, unimpressed by his prying glance.
He smiled at my snappy reaction. “We have to play this.” He flattened my hair, then fiddled with the collar of my shirt. After squinting his eyes, he murmured, “Yes.” His rummage through his glove compartment produced a pair of thick-rimmed glasses and an ugly peaked beanie. “Perfect.”
He laughed when I put on the items as requested. All I needed was some knee-high socks, and the dorky, school nerd look would be perfected.
“Now, we’ve got the perfect ruse.”
For the next six months, we jibbed the underground fight scene at any college within a three-hundred-mile radius of ours. I would arrive separately, dressed down in the dorky clothes Cormack supplied, acting innocent and unaware. Only once Cormack negotiated a fight did I reveal my true self.
With my bank balance the highest it had ever been, I quit my barista job at the local coffee shop so that I could concentrate on my new Friday-night schedule. Most circuits had a two to three grand buy-in, but a few men got cocky. They increased the purse, believing they were playing me. I walked away with four grand those nights.
I met Col Petretti's son, Dimitri, on the way out of one fight that netted me a little over three grand. “How long do you think your con will last?” He strolled our way, his strut cocky. “You’re almost out of contestants in this circuit.
I smirked before continuing to Cormack’s car. I had been approached by several wannabe managers the past few months, but since I wasn’t interested in what they were selling, I kept walking. Our days were numbered—I had fought at nearly every college I could—but I already gave a share of my profits to Cormack, so I wasn’t willing to part with more of my money.
My eagerness to get away slowed when Dimitri said, “I can guarantee you five grand a fight.” His voice was void of any emotion. He appeared to have the world at his feet. It was only his eyes that gave away his deceit. They were empty and soulless. “Fight for my father, and he’ll pay you five thousand dollars a fight.”
When I peered at Cormack, he notched up his shoulder, leaving the decision up to me. It wasn’t his life on the line every fight, so he always left that side of the business to me.
“Where are the fights located?”
“Hopeton.” Dimitri stepped closer, his attitude too arrogant for my liking. “Just near your hometown.”
My brow arched. He had done his research on me, making me realize my ruse may end sooner than initially perceived.
