AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Before I can say more, force him to tell me what the hell he’s getting at, my phone rings from my bag. The shrill text tone echoes through the dorm. I glance at Noah, who sends me a shrug and a wry smile.
Big girl.
Right.
Pulling the phone out, I swipe over the notification, though, my face wrinkles in confusion at the text. It’s just an address. Nothing exciting and not at all what I was expecting. Though a second later, another text comes through, this time from the person I was expecting.
Theodore: Rule number eight - be at the address in an hour.
The staircase creaks under the weight of my footsteps as I make my way down them. A single lamp illuminates the long hallway, leading into the basement of the abandoned warehouse. I almost lose my footing on the last step so I grip onto the rusty handrail to keep my balance, narrowly avoiding going face first down the remaining few steps. Reaching the bottom, I can hear the echoes of the crowd gathered in the room ahead of me.
A large burly man stands at the doorway, shadowed in the darkness. Pulling my phone out, I show him the text with the address and with a nod, he pushes the door open and gestures for me to head inside. Sliding past him, I pause when the door slams shut behind me.
The excitement is palpable as the crowd stares ahead to a raised square platform in the centre of the room.
Anxiety creeps in, a familiar buzz in my mind.
A warning.
The vultures swarm, their gazes pinned at the two men fighting in the centre of the platform. One guy ends up pinned against the ropes with the other swinging his fist at him. Once, twice, three times before he ends up cold on the floor.
I slowly make my way through the crowd, avoiding the stares that burn into me. The passed-out boy from the ring is taken out while the other laps up the cheers of celebration. His wrapped hands clench into fists as he punches the air.
My stomach churns as cheers go through the room, following him as he exits.
The crowd around us falls into a low hush when a new figure steps into the ring. I can’t see his face because of the black hood pulled over his head. I don’t need to.
I’d recognise that body anywhere.
How could I not?
The hood drops, and my heart races.
His dark hair is as familiar as my own, the ink that spreads across his chest and travels down his stomach is something I’ve dreamt about a thousand times. When he turns, his forest green eyes land on me and a slow smirk lifts at his lips.
Trapped under his stare, my breath shortens.
I’m here for him.
Because of him.
He looks deadly as he stares me down, watching the way my slow steps bring me closer to him.
“Hey, Casper,” he murmurs when I reach the leather ring, my fingers running along the mat as I avoid his gaze.
“What’s going on?”
“I told you. You let someone touch what’s mine, and there are consequences to that.”
The crowd cheers again, the noise deafening as another figure steps into the ring behind him. My eyes widen as I take Adam in. He looks around, his eyes darting across the room without ever settling on anything. His white vest shirt is tight across his chest and he’s wearing dark shorts that fall to just below his knee.
“You can’t kill him,” I tell Theodore, keeping my voice low. I lift my gaze, my eyes locking on his. That smirk is still plastered on his lips, though, there’s a flicker of something else in his eyes.
“I won’t kill him,” he comments with a sigh, reaching a hand out to pull at the strand of hair that’s fallen across my face. “I’m just going to teach him a lesson.”
The bell rings, and Theodore steps away from me. My heart races as he stands there, in the centre of the ring, unmoving while Adam bounces around on the balls of his feet circling him. Adam’s fist flies out, aiming for Theodore’s temple, but he only brushes air, and a second later, Theodore is behind him, his arm wrapped tightly around Adam’s throat.
He smiles widely; though, it’s not a nice smile.
