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HAYLEY
Against Everyone
“HOW IS THIS even fair? You have a fucking weapon, and I don’t.” I place my hands on my hips, scowling at Cooper as he stands across the ring, resting his back on the flexible wires. Bright lights shine above us, making it hard to see anything outside of this fighting ring.
“You’ll thank me later. Most of the fighters only keep their weapon for a couple of minutes. You need to know how to protect yourself without anything. You need to learn how to punch, choke, break bones, bite, scratch to bleed someone out, and do anything you can to drop your opponent.” Cooper smacks the flat side of his blade against his palm. “This is more than a performance. These strategies can save your life.”
I’m already a dead woman walking. Even if I could manage to drop my opponent to their knees, it doesn’t change anything. I’m still a prisoner. I’m still at risk of dying a second later. Just because Cooper wants to make sure I survive in the ring doesn’t mean I can survive outside of it. Lawrence made himself clear. He’s the only reason I’m alive right now. If I don’t obey him or if I go against him, I’m dead.
“You mean save my life only to live a life of torture. Fucking awesome.” I turn my back on him and stride toward the flexible wires wrapping around the fighting cage.
I realize a little too late that Cooper moved. My neck stings, and I feel blood trickling from the knife wound. He stands behind me and holds me by my stomach, stopping me from walking forward and directly into his blade, but I still nick myself.
What the actual fuck?
“Don’t turn your back on anyone, including me, ever. Do you understand, Hayley? Look how easily you could’ve died.” Cooper’s deep voice vibrates against my ear. “I know you have no respect for your life, but if you die, I’m going to end up fucking dying, and I want to live. I have people who care about me and still need me.”
I frown at his admission and lace my fingers around his wrist, forcing him to pull the blade from my throat. He eases back, allowing me to spin around to face him. His gaze darts from my eyes and to the blood on my neck, and he instinctively licks his lips.
Pulling up the front of my shirt, I staunch the bleeding and hide the cut from him. “Stop looking at me like you’re going to bite me again. If you fucking bite me, I will show you what it’s like to face someone who doesn’t respect their life, as you said.”
I brace myself to be slapped by him for talking back, but all Cooper does is put another foot of space between us. It’s the strangest thing. It’s unlike someone trying to control me not to physically hurt me to put me in my place. I don’t know if I should be concerned or thankful. Maybe he’s bottling it all up to unleash it on me later.
Groaning, Cooper throws his blade and sinks it into the concrete wall outside the fighting ring. The place we’re practicing in isn’t where we’re going to perform, but Cooper said it was similar enough. I asked him about the others he mentioned before, and he told me the only time I will ever see them is in the ring. Lawrence doesn’t allow the fighters to interact. He’s afraid that if we do, we’ll team up against him or something. Maybe refuse to fight. Because the Fright Fights are supposed to be us against them. Me against everyone else.
I don’t know how I feel about it. I’ve never wanted to be against anyone in my life. I just want to dance and to be safe and loved. I want to go back to the Bella.
“This isn’t fucking working. I don’t know how to get through to you.” Cooper scrubs his hands over his face and shakes his head. “There has to be something you’re willing to fight for. If not yourself, what about someone else? Maybe Alex?”
Fury ignites inside me at his words. I would never in my life fight to survive for Alexander. It’s his fault I’m in this situation.
Cooper raises his hands, his eyes widening as he drinks me in. He notices my reaction immediately, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was afraid of me. “Or not. I’m guessing he was a dick? Of course, he was. You were his property.”
I tighten my mouth and don’t respond. I’m not going to tell this asshole about my life or my past. I’m not going to let him try to get into my head to manipulate me into being the show’s headliner. If I’m any good, it’ll be the end. I know what it’s like to have the weight of acting as the perfect performer on my shoulders, and I know the consequences of letting people down. They’re not good. I can’t strive to be the best here. I’m taking Mya’s approach and will only do what’s necessary. With the thought of my best friend, a wave of worry crashes through me. I hope she’s okay. Fuck.
Cooper clears his throat, tugging me from my sorrow. “How about we get you something to eat and sneak a peek at the Fright Fights happening tonight? We have to be careful not to get caught, though. Do you think you can manage that? Lawrence disagrees that it would be better for you to see one in advance, but I think it’ll help you realize why you need to be my good little showgirl and listen to what I have to teach you.” Cooper holds out his hand to me. “What do you say? We can even dress up. I bet you want a shower, don’t you?”
This fucker. It’s like he knows that I’ve never gone this long without bathing. The thought of cleaning up, eating, dressing in something other than these filthy clothes, and getting to see somewhere else besides the grimy basement of The Whiskey motivates me. I can’t resist. I don’t have it in me. At the Aris, I was taken care of far better than this, even though Alexander was a monster.
“I don’t want to get in trouble.” I try not to react and keep my gaze trained on the floor.
Cooper smirks. “It wouldn’t be you to get blamed. So don’t worry your pretty little head, my showgirl. I’ll take care of you. Promise.”
I frown at his words. The way he says it makes me feel as if he’s my caretaker. But he’s not. He can’t make these kinds of promises. He’s a prisoner just as I am but has been given extra benefits for assisting Lawrence. In the end, he has no say or power.
But my damn human rationale wants me to trust him. All I have to say is that it better be the best fucking shower of my existence. Anything less and I’m sure I’ll live the rest of my life regretting it.
I don’t get a chance to respond because Cooper closes the space to me at vampire speed, hooks his arms under my legs and around my back, and lifts me off my feet. The world blurs as he carries me from the basement far too quickly to see our surroundings. It’s like he doesn’t want me to learn my way around this place. I can’t plan my escape if I don’t know.
One second, I’m in Cooper’s arms, and in the next, I find myself standing in the middle of a tiled room with showerheads lined along the walls. It’s completely open and without privacy curtains unlike anything I’ve seen before. This wasn’t the kind of shower I had in mind.
Flicking on the water, Cooper turns on two of the faucets, sending steam through the air. I gape at him as he strips naked in front of me, showing off his ripped body. The guy has absolutely no shame and only smiles as he turns around and steps into the water, rinsing off the blood and dirt from however long it’s been since he’s last bathed.
“I’d hurry if I were you. The hot water only lasts for five minutes. After that, it turns ice cold.” Cooper peeks at me from over his shoulder.
I’m torn between stripping in front of him and a hot shower. Of course, I’m going to choose the hot shower. Practically all the vampires in La Vega have seen me naked. At least my boobs.
With a sigh, I tug my shirt over my head and kick out of my pants, rushing toward the steaming shower. Keeping my eyes trained at the tile wall, I ignore Cooper the best I can. I wish he hadn’t picked faucets next to each other, but it is what it is.
