Chapter Eleven
Fallon blinked severaltimes to get her eyes accustomed to the dimness inside the club. Scanning the room, she recognized a few faces from the fighting events. Everyone stared at her, and she wanted to disappear in Diablo’s cut.Why did I agree to this?Panic grabbed her nerves with its icy fingers as she walked toward the bar, her hand still in his. In her mind, each step sounded like a wooden block slamming down on the floor in an offbeat rhythm. Even though she stared straight ahead, she could feel all eyes on her.
“You want a ginger ale or something stronger?” Diablo asked as he lifted her and plopped her on the barstool.
“Whiskey and Coke.” She turned away from the people and stared at the wall behind the bar.
“Hey, dude, what’ve you been up to? Shotgun said you cut out early today,” one of the brothers said as he placed his elbow on the bar.
From the corner of her eye, she saw that he was looking at her. Her heart pounded.
“Yeah. I finished my work and had something to do.”
“I can see that.” Fallon turned to him and he smiled, staring at her chest. “I’m Army.” He lifted a shot glass and threw its contents back.
“I’m Fallon.” Turning away quickly, she knocked over her glass. “Damnit!” Before she could grab her napkin, the guy behind the bar wiped up the spill. “Thanks,” she muttered.
“I’ve seen you before. I know I have.” Army picked up his second shot glass.
“Lay off, will you?” Diablo’s stern tone made her turn around.
“What the fuck’s your problem? I was just saying that I’ve seen her before.” Army straightened up.
She placed her hand on Diablo’s arm. “It’s okay, Diablo. You’ve seen me at the warehouse when you came to see the fights. Charlie’s my dad.”
Army snapped his fingers. “That’s it. Who the fuck’s Charlie?”
“Bloody Knuckles,” Diablo said.
Army stared at her again, his gaze lingering on her chest. “I’ll be damned. You don’t look a thing like him, but that’s good.”
She chuckled. “I hate the nickname, Bloody Knuckles.”
“Who’s your lady?” another guy who’d come over asked.
Diablo groaned and looked around the room. “Are you all gonna be creeping over here asking me who the hell this pretty woman is?” He looped his arm around her waist.
Some of the men nodded while others yelled out “Fuck yeah.” The women who wore clothes similar to the ones the ring girls wore stared at her, and she flicked her eyes away from them.
“Then fucking listen up ’cause I’m only gonna say this once. This is Fallon. Her dad is the promoter who puts on the fights in Tula.” All eyes were on her, and she cast her gaze downward as she leaned closer to Diablo.
“Hi, Fallon.” A man next to her smiled. Some of the other brothers started to come over.
Diablo gently raised her chin up with his fingers, locking his gaze with hers. “And these are my brothers.” He named each one of them, but she noticed that the only people in the room he didn’t name were the five women sitting on some of the men’s laps. “No more questions or fuckin’ comments or I’m gonna bust some balls.” He turned his attention to her. “You wanna hang down here or go upstairs?”
“I’d like to go upstairs.” In one movement, she was off the barstool, traipsing behind him as he guided her to his room.
The room in the middle of the long hallway was his. When she entered it, a beautiful vista of the mountains greeted her, as did a large bed that took up a good portion of the room. She glanced around and saw a nightstand, recliner, and tall dresser with a TV on top. The walls were ivory and bare except for a few hooks that held a couple pairs of jeans and some T-shirts. A cool wind blew in from the open windows.
“I like it.” She crossed her arms and stood near the door.
“Make yourself comfortable.” He gestured her to come over to the recliner. She smiled as she went over and sat in it. He sank down on the bed and leaned against the headboard.
Silence fell over them.I’m going to tell him I’ve decided to go home. I don’t think I can do this.But the thought of facing her dad and Shanna made her nauseous, so she just sat there, pulling at a hangnail.I wonder if he wants me to have sex with him. It wouldn’t be so bad. At least he’s good-looking. Not at all like the others.
Her mind drifted back to the times when her dad had brought some men to her and told her to treat them right. She’d known what he’d meant, so she’d spread her legs and let them do what they wanted. In a perverse way, it made her feel pretty and wanted, but she’d felt like shit after the act was over and they left without even a goodbye. After the fourth time, she’d decided she wasn’t going to do it anymore. So when her dad had asked her to do it again, she’d refused, not even caring how mad he’d become. After that, he never asked her again.
“What’re you thinking about? You don’t look too happy.” Diablo’s deep voice startled her.
