Page 44 of Fight Me Daddy

"Nothing that will get you in trouble with the Bianchi's," he said. "You've been doing the underground fights and I have one that can make you a lot of money. On top of it, I'll pay you a generous fee just to take part. Win or lose."

"This is sounding more and more dangerous,” I said as I gripped my empty shot glass.

"It is," Conor said. “Dangerous, that is.” He picked up his glass and threw his shot back like it was nothing. "Amadeo and I both have had issues with someone messing with our livelihoods. They're targeting me as well and I need to know who's doing it." He stared ahead as if he wasn't there, but the expression on his face darkened. "I can't have them running around and going after my people."

I shivered. The look on Conor's face was enough to make a grown man pass out from fear. Why do I end up surrounded by these terrifying men?

"Sorry," Conor said as he blinked and glanced around. He leaned forward and I did the same automatically. "I need you to enter that fight and look around while you're there. These men are Russian. Usually, they're not a problem and they might not be. But I need to know what's going on with them. They've been cropping up like weeds." He reached into his jacket pocket and slid me a card. "That's the info for the fight. Ask for Lev. He'll get you in."

I took the card and stared at it. There was a phone number and a street address, but no other specifics. I glanced up at Conor.

I swallowed thickly. "What if I get caught and they find out what I'm doing?"

Conor raised a brow. "I would advise you not to do that. And if they catch you snooping around, find another thing to pin it on because I don't want it coming back to me. You point the finger this way and I’ll have to kill you myself.”

"That's a lot," I muttered as a shudder consumed every inch of me. When I was offered another shot, I took it.

"No risk, no reward," Conor said.

I frowned as I thought it over. Going where Russians hung out and getting involved in whatever shady shit they were doing didn't sound like my idea of a good time. But if I could save Gonzalez and Sons and get away from the Bianchi's sooner rather than later, wouldn't it be worth it?

"How much reward?" I asked.

Conor opened his hands in an "I don't know" gesture. "A hundred thousand for you to go and check it out. If you bring me good, solid information? I'll double it."

My eyes felt like they were going to fall out of my head. Two hundred thousand dollars! If I got my hands on that kind of money, I would only have a little over a hundred thousand left to pay off. My time working with Gabriele would be cut in half if not more.

"Shit," I mumbled. "I don't think I have a choice."

"There are always choices in life," Conor said. "You could say no and walk away. I won't make you do it. Or you could go, give me shit info and you would still make a lot of money.” He grinned. “Granted, if it’s all made up bullshit, I’ll have to break an ankle or two.” He shrugged. “Either way, what you do is up to you.”

I slid another shot toward me when it was dropped off and swallowed it down. I coughed as it burned my chest, but I didn't care. This was to save my gym, my family, and my sanity. And if I solved the problem with the Bianchi's, maybe my father would be able to come back home again.

Conor didn't rush me as I thought things through and I appreciated that. Whoever he was, he knew a lot about me, about the Bianchi's, and I was pretty sure he was just like them. Making a deal with one devil to appease another felt like the biggest joke the universe could play on me. Conor insisted I had a choice, but the truth was that I didn't. Either I could drag myself out of my situation or I would end up drowning.

I stuck out my hand. "Alright."

Conor shook it and smiled. "That's what I like to hear. When you go, try to have a look around before and after the rounds. That'll give you more time to figure out what's going on. " He took out a picture and pushed it over to me. “That’s what you’re looking for. A tattoo. Check out anyone who has it. Keep your head down and your mouth shut and you should be fine.”

"Should," I repeated. "I don't love the sound of that.” I stared down at the tattoo. It was a skull with a snake bursting from the crown.

"It's the best I can do," he said with a shrug. "If I could send my guys in there without everyone knowing who they were, I would do it. Trust me, I prefer a professional, but I'm paying you this much because you're taking a risk."

"Don't think it will be worth much if I end up with a bullet in my head," I muttered and snagged one last shot. When I stood up I swayed a little. "You already know where I live, don't you?"

"Of course," Conor said with a nod and a smile.

I nodded. Yeah, he's one of them. The fact that he knew who Amadeo's family was would have been enough of a tip-off, but the creepy factor, the way they watched people, that was something the mafia apparently loved to do.

"Then I'll ask Mickey to give me a ride."

"Good idea," he said with a chuckle. "I'm sure he's out front smoking."

I nodded. "Okay."

"Carlos," he called and I turned back around. Conor slid me some money. "That's half of what you'll get if you just show up. Keep it safe."

I gawked at the stack of cash. "W-why would you just lay that out like that? Someone might rob you!"

---