AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Suddenly alone, I bear the full weight of the massive man’s attention alone. My knees threaten to buckle, but I force my backbone to stay solid.
I lift my chin. Our gazes linger. I forget to breathe for the few seconds the blue of his eyes hold mine. My skin tingles with electricity the closer he comes. My fingers move. I don’t know why, but I have this urge to feel his skin under my touch. The pads of my fingers brush over the ink of a blood red rose blooming over the back of his hand.
Warm. Veined. Surprisingly soft.
I shiver to the soles of my feet.
His step falters but he pushes past me.
Did he recognize me? Probably not. Small glimpses here and there are not enough to mark me in a man’s memory.
But he knows my father. I swallow the thick wad of fear choking me. Oh, this is not good. Not good at all.
The man’s street name sweeps across the lips of the crowd.
“The Beast.” There’s awe and fear in their tones. I need to run. But I can’t leave my father to his fate. We are locked in to whatever may come from his poor decisions because De La Rosa is here and his murderous intent has my feet moving.
CHAPTER 2
VALERIAN
I’ve never seen a set of emerald eyes so captivating I lose my urge to kill. The jolt of electricity hitting my system holds the strength of a lightning bolt.
They shine with fear and it calls to the beast inside me and the hunger for blood loosens its grip around my throat. A feeling of overwhelming need to go to her pulls me in her direction. I push aside men when they step in front of me. A few lash out but quickly back down when they see me.
“De La Rosa, sir. I’'m sorry.”
“The Beast,” others whisper in reverence.
I force the crowd to move as I make my way deeper into the basement of one of my buildings. Not many people know it is part of my portfolio and I keep it that way for events like these.
Only this one isn’t on the schedule.
“Kincaid is already in the ring, Mr. De La Rosa.”
My second in command, Raven, tells me what I already know. Darrion’s men think they can hide themselves among the crowd but I can smell the stench of my sworn enemy. Their putrid stench smells of a dirty deal going wrong and in my territory. If my suspicions are right, one of my men is in on the deal. Throwing fights isn’t new in my world, but doing so without my consent is. Loyalty is everything to me. My only rule is don’t break my trust. If you do that, you might as well dig your own grave so you know how deep you want it in the end.
I received a heads up from a few informants paying off debts by being my eyes and ears. A jail bird sings when they want to be set free and those men have beautiful voices.
I acknowledge the information with a single nod, not taking my attention off the beauty wearing the purest white dress I’ve seen on a woman. A small creature like her doesn't belong among the rabid animals here. Who is she and what the hell is she doing in a place like this? Someone will lose their head for letting some lost college kid stumble into my place. The last thing I need is for her to run off to some mommy and daddy with a story about a fight and a dead man.
“You want me to put an end to the fight?” Raven looks ready to have a little fun bashing heads.
I hold a hand up. “Let Kincaid get his ass handed to him a little first.”
Unaware this is unsanctioned, the crowd cheers, throwing out their bets. Most are betting on Kincaid. Smart. He’s my best fighter.
Was. After tonight I’ll have to find someone to fill his slot.
I wonder if he took my advice when I signed him on twenty years ago and has a plot picked out?
I push through the crowd and make my way toward the fighters. The faint touch of fingers across the back of my hand has my feet faltering. Electricity dances over my skin. It’s there one second before fading into a low hum. I inhale. Roses. She smells like red roses in the middle of summer.
Raven notices my pace slow. He jerks his chin as if to ask what I see. “Boss?”
I shake my head. “Keep moving.” I don’t have time for distractions. Some other time I would stop and pluck that innocent little flower from the crowd and show her that true beauty doesn’t belong in the darkness.
Then she would get one look at my face and run in fear.
