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“They want their money, or you hurt,” he says plainly.
“Fuck,” I whisper.
“Lucas,” Logan rasps. “Tell me now.”
“I’ll give you guys some space,” Quinn says while walking to the front door. “I am around if you need help. You may need it if what I heard and found on the man running these fights is true. I have someone following the two men. The good news is they haven’t moved from their location. I will know the minute they step this way. I’ll be back.” The door closing echoes in the silence of his departure.
I look up to all the attention on me. How do I explain my reasons when I can’t fully talk about Logan in the games? I don’t think he had time to tell Breeane yet, plus I know he wanted to do it privately and when he was ready.
“I had a loss…” I meet Logan's eyes. “I was furious and sad.” I close my eyes and lean back. “I was not dealing with it well. I got drunk every night. Las had to pick me up off numerous bar room floors. One night, I was walking into a new bar and overheard betting going on. I listened more and learned there was organized shifter fighting—or what they claimed was organized.” I rub my eyes and stare at the wall above Breeane’s head. “Shifters of all kinds could enter, fight, and move up. Easy. Easy money. It's easy to win—at least for me. I had always been a good fighter and had rage to burn. I thought, what the fuck, why not. I followed the men down some stairs and, at the bottom, entered a different world. They had security at the door, but the two men were occupied with breaking up a fight and didn’t notice me. I slipped past them.
“They had a full fighting ring in the basement, with dozens of chairs around it. There was a bar along the wall and people yelling at the two men in the ring. It was intoxicating. The atmosphere was exciting. I sat back and watched a cheetah and a wolf beat the shit out of each other.”
“Did they shift?” Logan asks as he sits beside Breeane.
“No,” I answer. “I was told it was against the rules.” I sigh.
“That didn’t last long, though,” Logan guesses.
“It did not.” I clench my jaw. “A man approached me. He was slick. He was dressed in a shiny black suit, black shoes, and a black tie.”
“What was he?” Logan asks.
“I don’t know.”
“How could you not know?”
“I have never smelled anything like him.” I have my suspicions. “The rumors about him were ridiculous. It was difficult to sort out the lies. He never admitted anything. He was dangerous and private.”
“What is your guess?”
“I think he is some type of reptile.”
“Dragon?”
“No. Since being around the dragons here, I know their scent. He isn’t the same.” I move on. “He asked me if I wanted to fight. The rules were that you didn’t shift during the fight. Once one of your knees hit the pad, you lost. He offered money as an incentive, but I didn’t care about the money.”
“He didn’t care that you snuck in?” Breeane asks. I avoid her eyes.
“He did at first. He motioned to his guards, but he must have seen something in my eyes. He’s very experienced with desperate.”
“He put you in the ring. Did you fight that night?” Logan asks.
“Yes, he had to make sure I was good. I won. I wanted to make as many people bleed as possible. It was easy to take out all my rage on whoever they put in front of me. It was addicting—the fight and the money. I didn’t lose. He arranged all the fights, gave me a time, and told me to win. I did. I kept winning. I didn’t care about the people betting on me. I didn’t socialize and left right after a fight. The other fighters would sometimes go for a drink afterward. I thought, fuck, why would you be friends with someone you hope to hit?”
“Did you ever bet on the fights?” Breeane asks softly. Her tone tells me she doesn’t approve, and my heart contracts.
“No,” I say firmly, meeting her stare for the first time. “I wasn’t there to make money. I had a purpose. I needed the fight to make it through the days.”
“What changed?” Logan’s voice is hoarse.
“I went there when I wasn’t expected. I forgot to take my payment the night before. Usually, when I fight, I see the same people. It’s not like they advertise it to everyone. The place is still packed, but hardly anyone new is watching. I went the next day. There were more guards, but they knew me, so they didn’t even question my presence; I wish they would have.”
I haven’t revealed all the details about that day to Las. “There was a cougar male and a female lion in the ring. I was surprised because women only fought other women. It shook me, but not enough to leave. I wanted to get my pay and get the fuck out. I decided at that moment that I would stop. I had used up most of my anger, which wasn’t helping erase what happened.
“It was supposedly against the rules that we go too far and kill who we were fighting. That was not the case that day. The cougar killed the lion. The cougar shifted and killed her brutally,” I whisper; the scent of her blood is stuck in my nose for days. “She didn’t have a chance. She was following the rules, but the cougar shifted in a blink and was on her. I must have hidden my shock enough because the Boss saw me and came over.” I cringe. “He slapped me on the shoulder and asked why I didn’t tell him I was interested in the day fights. He told me that they were rigged. The winner was determined ahead of time and given the go-ahead to shift.”
“He trusted you that much?” Las growls.
