AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“This is not your world, baby girl. It’s mine and I will decide how to handle the men I lead,” I warned her. I leveled her with a hard glare and her lips closed in a firm line.
“You will let me stay for the fight or else I’ll run,” she whispered furiously.
For a long moment, I studied her. Every inch of her screamed with concern and anger and I knew that she was deadly serious. She cared what happened to me.
“You will be escorted by guards of my choosing. That part will not be up for discussion,” I replied firmly.
“Of course,” she responded quickly.
“You will do as you’re told, no matter what,” I continued fiercely.
“I will,” she answered. She dipped her head. “Thank you,” she added.
“You’re welcome. After this is all over, I will take you to your suite so you can begin your work. Now eat your meal for me like a good girl,” I replied.
She blushed a little at that. I deeply enjoyed it.
Her guards would not touch her, but in the event that I did lose this fight and Ronaldo turned his ire on her, I wanted to be certain that they would get her out and that she would be safe.
I ate several more bites of my dinner, thinking over who I would choose. Matt would be one of them. Seth and Samuel might be good choices as well. Maybe I’d send all three.
Once we finished our meals, I stood up.
“The fight will take place in one hour. Seven o’clock on the dot,” I announced. The room was quiet, and I offered Mila my arm. I turned a hard glare across the room and called out several names.
“Seth, Matt, Samuel. The three of you, come with me.”
* * *
I cracked my knuckles, picking up the cloth and wrapping my hands in preparation for the fight. I stood up and glanced back at Mila. She was sitting between the men I’d chosen to guard her. Her eyes flashed when she caught me looking at her. It was clear she wasn’t happy about this entire situation, but she had entered my world now and she didn’t exactly get choices about how this would go.
Her brow furrowed with concern, and I turned away. I wanted to comfort her, but now was not the time.
Ronaldo sauntered into the gym in a pair of black sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt. He’d always been a strong husky guy, but he liked to eat a bowl of ice cream every night. He liked to talk about the different flavors he would mix together like he was some kind of chef. Honestly, he just liked to talk and there was usually someone around willing to listen. In the past, that had occasionally been me.
I stood up and walked to the center of the court. He took his time wrapping his knuckles, looking me up and down as though he’d already won. I lifted my chin, looking down at him as I drew closer. By the time I entered the inner circle, he was forced to look up at me. Of the two of us, I was the one who was well over six foot. He was something around five foot nine at best.
The room filled up with my capos, soldiers, and all of my associates. Word had spread in the time since dinner and there was a much bigger audience seated in the stands. There weren’t enough seats, so there were plenty of people standing along the perimeter.
The room quieted and I glanced to the door.
Cyrus Holt and Ava Richardson walked through the door; his arm interlinked with hers. She looked elegant, dressed to the nines in a body-hugging silk dress, but more important than that, she appeared to be perfectly healthy and glowing with joy to be by his side. I was glad to see that she didn’t appear to be affected by what happened between her and the former Montagna boss.
Cyrus nodded his head in greeting, and I did the same. I had a multitude of respect for the man. He’d stepped out of the game for a long while after losing his wife and child in a bloody turf war, but the woman at his side had brought him back to his former self.
I watched as he leaned down and whispered something in the girl’s ear. She blushed bright red and stared down at the floor, fidgeting with her hands as he wound his arm around her waist. His palm settled on her ass, and she flinched slightly. I knew that look because I’d seen it on my own naughty girl this morning.
I grinned and Cyrus happened to catch my gaze. His eyes sparkled. I’d bet money that Ava had gotten her pretty little ass spanked in the car on the way here.
The two of them took a seat reserved for them close to Mila. In the last few minutes before the fight, a few more stragglers walked into the room, but only one of them caught my eye.
James Monroe walked into the room. He was one of the richest men in the city. I knew he had history in the criminal world, but I’d only heard enough about him over the years to know that he was someone I didn’t want to mess with. His suit was freshly pressed, a luxurious Italian silk that was perfectly sized to his specifications. Mila caught sight of him and looked between the two of us. I smiled knowingly.
I strode over to him and shook his hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mila huff with recognition. James had been the one to tip me off about her and she was only just realizing that. I quieted a chuckle.
“I see you found the source of your problem,” he smirked, glancing purposefully from her to me.
“That I did. I must say, I have to thank you for your help. She’s proving to be quite the handful, but with some proper training I think she can become a valuable asset indeed,” I grinned. I saw that Mila and Ava had moved closer together, chatting with one another. Ava introduced Cyrus and he smiled warmly down at Mila, shaking her hand before turning his gaze back at me.
