Page 86 of Deceived

When he glances at it, his jaw clenches. “How the fuck is there still confetti in this car?”

His hands have a death grip on the wheel.

“Every time I see one I want to kill you all over again,” Aksel says.

“Really? When I see it, it brings me joy,” I say.

Griffyn laughs. “Me too. It’s like a present.”

Blaze ignores us and doesn’t stop cracking his knuckles the entire drive.

The night is hot and humid in the back alley of the city when we park. We get out and gather around the front.

The guys are all in black, jeans for Griffyn and Felix. Of course, Aksel is in a black button-down and chinos. I’m not sure why we all decided black was the look, but an underground fighting ring just seemed to call for it.

My sheer black shirt, a black bralette, black skirt, and heels got me a lecture from Aksel. Although, when he noticed it was the skirt he bought me from the boutique, he did smirk. I’m not trying to draw attention to myself, but fashion is a part of me. I want to match the vibe of this place and I know the women there won’t be dressed as comfortably as the guys. Plus, I have four guys to beat up any creeps who look too long.

Blaze is in a t-shirt and sweatpants, perfect for movement. I was kind of hoping to see him in tiny boxer shorts, but maybe one day.

“Alright, you guys need to stick by me. We don’t want to be separated. Follow my lead and don’t draw attention to yourselves,” Blaze says before pushing the warehouse door open.

A bouncer raises an eyebrow at the rest of us but nods to Blaze and lets us pass.

I can see the fighting from just inside the door.

Sweat drips from the faces of the fighters as they circle each other, sizing up their opponents. The crowd around them is electric with energy, shouting and cheering them on. This illegal fighting ring is a place where beasts come to test their mettle against each other.

This fight begins, and the crowd erupts. Punches fly, kicks are thrown, and the fighters clash. It is brutal, and the crowd is loving it. After a few minutes, one of the fighters manages to gain the upper hand and deliver a knockout punch to his opponent. The crowd roars in approval. He doesn’t stop there, using whips of darkness to flay up the loser’s skin before standing and grinning, sweat pouring down his face as he takes in the cheers of the crowd.

It’s worse than last time. The clientele looks seedy and deranged as they watch the fighters in the ring.

Cold hard cash is changing hands everywhere I look.

The fighters aren’t holding back their magic at all. One fighter’s claws are out as he tries to get a hit in with them. He manages to rake them down the other guy’s face, causing the crowd to erupt with applause.

“Take his eye!” Someone yells near me, throwing their fist up in the air.

Almost everyone cheers.

“Are you going to take that?” Another man yells.

He pins his opponent to the ground but it’s not over yet. The pinned man releases his wings, throwing him off and flying across the ring.

“Blaze, are you sure this is a good idea?” I whisper.

I snag his hand pulling him closer to me like I could protect him from this. I know he can fight. I even know he’s incredible, but this place just feels wrong.

I don’t want it tainting him.

“I’ll be fine,” he says, pulling his hand away from mine and moving towards the ring.

A greasy man with slicked-back hair and beady eyes notices Blaze right away.

“You’re just on time. You’re next. Lose the shirt and get up there.”

Blaze growls but removes his shirt, passing it to Aksel, before turning to me.

He leans in closer and says, “Just in case, what I was trying to tell you earlier, we’re mates Anna.”

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