AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 6
Gage knocked on the backstage door in Brawl.
“What?” Dustin barked from inside his dressing room.
“Backstage” consisted of a long corridor drenched in shadows and a few candles from candelabras in the shape of hands on the wall circling the outside of the fighting pit, all concealed by curtains. There were three doors back here. I had no idea what was in the other two, but Gage had led me directly to the one with a punched indent in the wood.
Gage stared down at me, giving me the arched brow look that said,you sure about this?
I nodded. Because goddammit, I’d been beaten by the gargoyle so many times that having survived so far, I’d make it through this as well. And my priority was gaining freedom, not cowering in fear. Otherwise, I might as well have been dead.
“You decent? Got a visitor,” Gage called out.
“Come in already.”
Gage opened the door to a small room with stone walls. A long table sat against one end… No, it was too low to be a table. A bed perhaps, as it had a sheet over it, or maybe space for Dustin to be bandaged if wounded. Speaking of whom, the man in question lounged on a chair near a dressing table with no mirror. He had his legs propped up on another seat across from him, and nearby was a small table with a bottle of what stunk like fermented prunes. Homemade vodka. He wore only baggie pants the color of the sunrise, reminding me of a genie, but with the way his lips curled into a wry grin, I doubted he’d find my observation funny.
Dustin swung back a shot of the drink that reeked of poison, and I was convinced it could burn away my nose hairs if I sniffed it. The burped, and I scrunched my nose. Damn he grotesque.
“You brought me a groupie. A bit skinny for my liking, but she has a good ass on her.” He rubbed his hands and lowered his feet to the ground.
Fire jostled through my veins. “I am not a here for your pleasure. And for your information, I’m considered medium-build.”
Dustin boomed with laughter and clapped. “I like her. She’s feisty.”
“She’s here with a proposition for you,” Gage said, squaring his shoulders, his voice deep.
“I’m all for being solicited.” He remained seated, but his lingering gaze didn’t go astray as it sailed down my body and back up, halting on my chest. I resisted the urge to cross my arms and held his stare.
“I’m not here for something like that,” I insisted. “Otherwise, I’d be talking to Gage.” I turned to Gage, and he winked my way, smirking his devilish grin. Damn, the guy had my insides twirling. “Can you leave us for a bit please?”
Dustin howled with laughter. “You heard the lady; she doesn’t want an audience.”
The corded muscles in Gage’s neck twitched, yet he didn’t move.
“I won’t be long—promise. Give us a moment alone.” I touched Gage’s forearm and gently nudged him toward the door. I’d come to the conclusion that Gage wouldn’t go far, so if Dustin pushed his luck, I’d scream for help.
“Little girl, I can promise you that I will need more than a moment. Give us an hour, Gage.” Dustin grunted like a boar, and I might have thrown up in my mouth.Eww.
Unless of course he was the world’s most gracious lover, yet somehow I struggled to believe it. Yep, by day he slaughtered villages without a sliver of emotion, but by night, he seduced females and pleased them to the nth degree. Something wasn’t right with this picture.
“I’ll be right in the hallway.” Gage eyed me for a long moment before marching outside.
I quickly shut the door behind him and turned to the bull of a man with beady eyes, a crooked nose, and way too many scars across his bald scalp. He was someone I’d steer clear of because just the way he stared at me made me sick to my stomach.
He studied me with a confused look on his face, as if waiting for me to strip or dance for him. Not in this lifetime.
I crossed the room and sat on the chair across from him while pulling out a pouch jiggling with money from my pocket. Money I’d saved for years. How much did one pay a mercenary?
His gaze narrowed and he leaned into his chair. He placed his hands behind his head, smiling. “I won’t deny a woman the chance to pay me for the pleasure.”
“Well, this is your lucky day. Umm, no, that came out wrong.” My face burned up, and I fiddled with the cord from the money pouch. “I mean, I have money for you and you will do a job for me.” Did I need to act tough and bargain? At the markets, I always haggled over the best price, but this wasn’t me arguing over the cost of a dress.
One of his eyes closed, as if it normally did when he thought. Maybe he’d been hit too many times in the face. “Keep talking.”
I swallowed past my dried throat and lowered my voice. “I need you to take out a gargoyle.”
“Come again?” He boomed with laughter, his hand slapping his thigh. “One of the guys put you up to this, didn’t they? Who was it? I’m gonna get him back good.”
