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Taking a step out, her foot was met with the door panel as the idiot slammed it shut. “Such a gentleman,” she muttered, crawling from the back seat.
Sorry, Lys mouthed from across the car. Shrugging her shoulders, Hayes cringed as said idiot put an arm around her neck.
“Well, hell.”
“What’s that, babe?” Dustin whispered in ear, spit flying on her neck.
Grabbing his wrist, she flung his arm off of her. “Not a thing, sweet cheeks,” she said mocking him. He didn’t get it as he smiled at her.
Linking an arm through Hayes’, Lys glanced up at her with a pleading look in her emerald gaze. “Ugh, fine.” It was agreeance to try and tolerate the night. She knew she wouldn’t last more than an hour, but for her friend, she’d try. The night was clearly important to the other woman.
Looking at her surroundings, Hayes didn’t recognize much and hadn’t paid attention to where they were going. Apparently downtown judging by the lights from the buildings—more like the outskirts of it. She eyed up the dilapidated warehouse and the screams coming from inside as the line they were standing in moved forward.
Once they passed through the doors, the noise level jumped from annoying to supersonic deafness. Between the music, the screaming, and what she assumed was an announcer of some sort, she feared significant hearing loss by the end of the night.
“Sweet!” Brett cheered as he led everyone closer to where the commotion was coming from. Finally there, she noticed the Octagon and immediately knew they were at an underground fighting ring.
Concern swarmed her next words. “Lys! Why are we here?” They had to know fights like this were dangerous.
Hands on her waist had Hayes looking over her shoulder to see some guy manhandling her. “Ain’t you a hot, young thing,” he slurred.
“Thanks, but no thanks.” She shot him her dirtiest look and stepped away, sinking under Brett’s other arm with Lys. She wasn’t into him, but he was a big dude, and she knew he could back up the threat.
“Bitch,” was muttered as the drunk guy walked away. Relief swamped her. She really wanted out of there.
When she was about to inform Lys and Brett she was leaving, an announcer appeared, inciting the loudest cheer yet from the crowd.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, are you readdyyyyy??!!” The last word rolled off his tongue as everyone around her screamed and cheered.
“I give you the challenger. Hailing from Miami, Florida…Ashton ‘One Shot’ Rod!” Hayes’ hands flew to cover her ears as the booing started, and cursing, and holy crap! Someone threw a chair as the beast of a man came out from behind a black curtain.
She watched as the behemoth bounced on the balls of his feet a couple times before flipping off the crowd and jumping into the ring. He was massive. One of his thighs was easily the size of her waist.
When the announcer put the mic to his mouth again, the crowd exploded so wildly that she couldn’t hear the name of the other fighter other than that he was new and undefeated with sixteen wins and no losses.
“Holy fuck, this guy’s awesome!” Dustin yelled beside her, pulling her body in front of his so she could get a clear sight of the ring. And so he could get grabby as his hands roamed along her rib cage. Just as she was about to blast him in the nuts with a knee, the curtain moved.
Her vision tunneled.
Her ears rang.
Her heart beat out of control.
“Levi?” she whispered.
That explained the black eye.
Dustin’s roaming hands were no longer a concern as she drank in the sight of her new obsession. All hard muscle, angry scowl, tattoo-covered chest. A single design on the bicep of his arm fascinated her. It was a crescent moon around a star with writing she couldn’t see.
Shrinking back into Dustin’s body so he couldn’t notice her, she really hoped he was one of those guys that could knock someone out with one punch. She didn’t want to see him get hurt.
The crowd went wild as Levi stepped out from behind the curtain. Biggest one he’d seen yet. His opponent was some buff guy from Miami, and he knew he was in for a real fight. It was a night that was either going to make him or break him.
No distractions.
He couldn’t afford it.
So why, when he saw a flash of auburn hair, did he think of her? Of what it would do to him to have Hayes there to cheer him on? To have someone he knew in his corner.
