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Dad goes to walk away from me but I latch onto his hand again.
“You are so close to being free of this life. Why?”
He pushes me toward the front of the match just in time to catch a face full of hurling blood flying through the air. Bone cracks and the smaller guy crumples to his knees holding his face.
I wipe at my cheek, but I can’t clean off the blood splatter fast enough.
Around us, the crowd grows quiet. The fighter in the dress slacks and no shirt falls forward and then chaos ensues. The roars and cheers grow in intensity until my eardrums vibrate and my teeth nearly rattle.
When I force my eyes off the dead man three feet in front of me, what I see next has the blood draining from my face.
“Kincaid. I didn’t think you would come. You’re fucking late. We had to put Manny in and look at the fucking mess Animal made. That should be you in there.”
A man with a bun hanging from the back of his head, a crooked nose and a ring for every finger comes out of the crowd. The cross tattooed down his throat marks him as De La Rosa’s enemy. Which makes him my dad’s enemy. So why is my dad shaking his hand?
“Abel. You shouldn’t be here. I told you I understood the rules, and I told you I would be here on my time. Tell your boss to chill the fuck out. I know what I gotta do.”
Millions of questions bombard my brain. In truth, none of them matter. I don’t need answers anymore. We just need to get out of here. There are enough eyes in this place that my dad’s boss will hear of this encounter sooner rather than later. They are not exactly keeping their voices down and people are starting to pay attention. I know little about the intricate details of a mafia lifestyle, but I can apply some common sense. Bad guys keep tabs on each other. Bad guys keep tabs on the men under their employ. Both of which are standing in front of me having a little meet and greet in the middle of a very public underground fight.
Dumbass men doing dumbass shit.
“Dad, seriously? What is going on?” I make it no secret what I mean when I look at the newcomer, his tattoo and then Dad’s. He has a rose on the back of his hand representing his loyalty to the De La Rosa name.
“Stay quiet. When I finish, be ready to leave. And you, I told your boss he makes the deposit and I’ll do what he needs. He doesn’t, I don’t throw shit.”
Abel puts his barrel chest in my father’s face who doesn’t look as intimidated as he should.
“The agreement was you throw the fight. All we need is Animal left alive. This has nothing to do with De La Rosa. You get two million dollars for your troubles.”
“I throw a fight as one of De La Rosa’s enforcers, it has everything to do with him. If he finds out I’m dead. So is my girl.”
That has my ears burning and me looking over my shoulders.
Abel isn’t backing down. “Good thing you’re already out. We know you don’t work for him no more. Do as we agreed and you’ll get some traveling money. Win-win.”
The more he talks the more onlookers turn in our direction.
This is not good. I look around to see more men with the same tattoo stretched down the length of their necks watching my dad. And then those same men turn in my direction.
I gulp air and try to step as deep into the shadows as possible, but it is too late. They’ve already seen me.
“I see you have your little girl here. Good. She can be collateral to make sure you do the right thing.” Rough hands come around my arms and I’m hauled between two tattooed men working under Abel’s command. I never understood why the bad guys brand themselves, but at least they are easy to identify if I ever make it to a police station.
“Dad. You lied to me. You didn’t come here because De La Rosa needed one more fight out of you. You came here out of greed.” I fight back the tears from his betrayal.
“This is for you, baby girl. It’s always for you.”
I’m shaking my head before he finishes. Fire and acid swirl in my stomach. “You did this for you and now you will betray the one man who will kill you and me if he ever finds out. And he will.”
I can’t see my father retreating through shimmering tears as he makes his way to the ring.
Punishing fingers dig into the flesh of my arms when I fight to free myself.
I’m so focused on what is going on in the center of the ring, I don’t notice the massive beast shoving people out of the way until the aura of his power knocks into me. I swivel around in time for crystal blue eyes to meet mine.
Goosebumps erupt. Chills scale the length of my back as he passes in front of me.
Tall. Commanding. Wide across the shoulders. He has all the right angles in the face to make him playboy material. But the scars down the side of his left side mar the perfection of his beauty. The very presence of the man sends my two captors running for the nearest exit.
