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That was good to know.
We closed the distance to the third and final door, and I held my breath as the guard pressed the handle, revealing the hidden room beyond. Finn gently nudged me forward, and when I stepped inside, I gazed around in awe. It was exactly like in the video I saw of Carter, only I didn’t get the full magnitude. The space was enormous and looked as if it went on forever. And right in the center of it all was the fighting ring, surrounded by over two hundred plush red chairs. The walls, carpet, and the lighting were all red too.
Emma said it reminded her of hell, but it was more like the seven deadly sins. Everywhere I looked there was something that represented one or more of them. You could smell the greed and envy in the air. There had to be at least three hundred people in the room, all decked out in their fancy clothes and jewelry—Pride. The women were immaculate and beautiful, all on the arms of men who were much older than them—Lust. Several of the couples looked to have about a forty-year difference between them. Gluttony was represented in the copious amounts of alcohol being consumed. And lastly, there was Sloth. Most of the men around me didn’t take me as the kind of people who would go out of their way to help those in need; they only cared about themselves.
“Are you going to be like that when you turn seventy?” I asked.
Finn turned to me. “Like what?”
I nodded toward the group of seventy-year-old men with their playboy-bunny-looking females. “Are they the mistresses or actual wives?” Clearly, the women didn’t want them for their grandfatherly looks or saggy balls.
Chuckling, Finn leaned in close. “Neither. Those men are the Porcello brothers. They have a thing for renting women for these events.” As I stared at the women, theydidseem genuinely happy. I could only imagine how much they were getting paid. “And no,” Finn added, “I have no desire to be like that. I’ve been lucky enough to have parents who’ve stayed true to each other. What they have is what I want.”
I didn’t see that being very common in his world.
“Is your mother here?” I inquired.
Finn shook his head. “She doesn’t approve of Annika fighting.” A smile formed on his face. “But my father’s here, and he’s headed this way. His name’s Paul.”
Turning to the crowd, I immediately spotted him. Finn’s father looked exactly like him, only older with gray hair and less muscular, and was dressed in a gray suit; he was very distinguished and regal in the way he walked.
Paul grinned at Finn but then moved his dark blue gaze my way. “Reagan Jameson. I am honored to meet you.” Instead of offering me a hand to shake, he cupped my cheeks and smiled wider. “You are just as beautiful in person as on TV.”
“Thanks,” I replied as he slowly dropped his hands from my face.
He winked at Finn. “You’re a lucky man.”
“I wish I was,” Finn said, chuckling. “Reagan’s just my guest, nothing more.”
Paul frowned. “That’s a shame. I wouldn’t announce that, though. There are many men here who might try to take her away.”
I scoffed. “They can try, but they’ll fail.”
Paul’s eyes lit with humor. “I like that. I’m hoping you were able to teach my daughter a few of your tricks.”
“I did,” I claimed. “I just hope Annika uses them.”
He patted my shoulder. “I hope so too.” His gaze caught on someone behind me. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to make my rounds.”
Paul sauntered off and Finn watched him go. “Hopefully, he didn’t scare you off.”
“No,” I said, peering around the room, “but it’s evident this isn’t my scene. If my sister knew I was here, she’d try to beat my ass.”
Finn smiled. “Try?”
“Yep,” I laughed. “Emma’s not as strong as me.”
He stepped in front of me, blocking my view of everyone else in the room. “Okay, Reagan, I’ve had something on my mind, and I need to get it out. I know this isn’t your scene, and I understand that. But, do you think maybe once all of this is done, I can take you on an actual date? It’ll give you a chance to get to know me away from this,” he said, gesturing a hand about the room, “and vice versa.”
I knew he wouldn’t give up. I opened my mouth to speak, but I had no clue what to say other than no, only it didn’t feel like the right time or place.
Before I could respond, Marcus came up behind him and grabbed his shoulder. “We have a problem,” he graveled out.
Finn’s expression darkened. “What?”
Marcus stepped back and waved him on. “You need to come with me.”
Finn huffed in annoyance and sighed when he looked at me. “I’ll be right back. Will you be okay?”
