Chapter Nine
Jax catches up to me quickly, swinging his arm over my shoulder and causing butterflies to take flight in my stomach.
"Do you want to come over to ours tonight so we can tell you our theory on what's happening with all of us?" Before I can answer he continues, "although if you ask me it's spot on. Levi insists on calling it a theory until we have absolute proof though.” He rolls his eyes jokingly.
My body tenses slightly and I hope he doesn't notice it. I'm so curious to learn what's happening with us but I have to go to the club tonight so I can get money for mom’s booze.
By this point we've entered the classroom and I get settled in my seat as I think of a way to answer him without making him suspicious.
I know the guys wouldn't want me to go to the club.
I also know that my amazing guys would offer to give me the money themselves and I refuse to be a charity case.
Besides, the reason why I don't go often is not because I don't like it, it's because I like it a bit too much and it scares me.
I like that I can block everything else out whilst I'm there.
"I can't tonight. Can I come over tomorrow instead?"
He looks at me curiously but just as he's about to reply the teacher enters and he simply nods.
I breathe a sigh of relief.
Now all I have to do is hope that they don't ask questions.
The rest of the morning passes in a blur.
I'd like to say that I was listening intently to the teachers but the truth of it is I'm not even sure which lessons I had this morning.
Even though I've made the decision to wait until tomorrow, my need to know why I feel like I do about the guys and why I feel the sparks, even though I've never felt them before, is causing me to have conflicting feelings.
I have to go tonight though; I need the money.
The rest of the day passes fairly quickly, the guys all give me curious glances but obviously decide to leave it alone as none of them questioned me.
I say my goodbyes to them outside of school giving each of them a kiss on the cheek and I have to force myself away from Kai.
It was extremely hard to walk away from him and I can't wait to find out what is really going on with us.
It's pretty obvious it's not normal.
I walk home after refusing a lift from my guys.
My newest Imprint Tattoo burns with each step I take away from them and I can't help but wonder, yet again, if they have something to do with it.
I've never been that fortunate though so I don't know why my luck would change now.
I arrive home and rush up to my room without incident.
Thank fuck.
I grab a pair of tight workout shorts, black sports bra, black tank and a black hoody.
Sense a theme?
I pack a loose, knee length pair of black shorts with a blood red stripe down the side into my duffel bag along with a spare change of clothes and my wraps. As I'm changing, I check my ribs, I'm surprised to see that there's only slightly yellowish bruising and hardly any pain.
They have healed incredibly quickly and I don't know how. Maybe that's something the guys will know about? I'll have to ask them tomorrow. Regardless of how it's happened I'm grateful I have my full movement back. Especially since I'm going to need it tonight.
I change quickly and grab the measly amount of change I have left, which is thankfully just enough for the bus ride into town. I grab my duffle bag and make my way to my door, just as I reach to open it I hear my mother start screaming from downstairs.
"Sage, you useless little slut!" she screams before, predictably, there's a loud crash. "Where the fuck is my vodka?"
I don't stick around to hear anymore, if I stay, she's going to hurt me and then I won't be able to make the money to get her precious alcohol.
I walk as softly as possible to my window and pull it up, taking a steadying breath I jump across to the tree and make my way down ignoring the screaming coming from the house.
The bus ride into town is short and smelly. By the time I arrive the sun is beginning to set. I jog to the club to help me warm up and take a deep breath before opening the door to the large squat, single story building.
The main gym area is silent, which isn't surprising since it's after hours. Two large men approach me, dressed in black, carrying concealed guns that you'd never know were there. After spending so much time with my ex I can spot concealed weapons a mile off.
"Rebel, it's been a while." the first large bouncer with dark blond hair, cropped short and a body built like a tank greets me using the name Brent chose for me, I’m going to have to change that.
"Hey Tommy, I know it's been a long time. I had to take care of a few things." I reply, before looking at the guy with surfer style red hair who is somehow even bigger than Tommy.
"Hey Bradley. How's it going?"
"Good little Rebel, are you fighting?"
"Hell yes I am, it’s Nyx now though." I grin savagely as the name whispers through my mind.
We start walking towards the offices at the back of the gym. At the end of the long corridor we enter a door that leads to what at first glance appears to be a standard storeroom. Tommy moves some of the giant shelving units out of the way to reveal a steel door, with a keypad to the side.
He keys in the code and then pulls the doors open and as soon and as he does the noise level raises exponentially and a sardonic grin stretches across my face.
The sounds of the jeering crowd make me feel sick.
This is the type of crowd that are so filled with bloodlust that they cheer when someone loses a life.
The smell of blood mixed with sweat and bodily odour has become incredibly familiar to me.
We walk down the corridor to the locker rooms where Sam is already waiting for me.
"Rebel, good to see you back. Your opponent is Night Stalker. Since you've been gone, he's become the top fighter. I thought you'd like to claim that title back.” He looks at me and I simply nod once.
“It’s Nyx now.”
He's right. I may I only fight when I have to now, but I still pride myself on being the best, it gives me a sense of security.
"Good, you should know that Eric is here tonight."
I stiffen momentarily before continuing to wrap my hands.
The fight is bare knuckled, but we are allowed to use hand wraps.
Eric is my ex's right-hand man. If Eric recognises me, which he will since I am well known here, he will tell my dickhead ex where I am.
I can only hope that he won't give a crap either way.
If I didn't desperately need the money I would leave right now but since I do I can only take measures to conceal my appearance and hope that Eric is too busy chasing pussy to pay much attention to what's happening in the ring.
It's his fault I know about this place anyway.
I've always taken self-defence and martial arts for as long as I can remember.
I'm not sure why my mother insisted on them, but how could I question her? Her punishments would have been worse.
As soon as my ex learnt that I knew how to fight he brought me here.
I'm ashamed to say he tempted me with money but more than that I wanted to make him proud, so I fought, and I won.
I've only been back here when I have absolutely no other choice.
Only twice since we split and not once were any of his men in the building.
"Thanks for the heads-up Sam."
He nods before leaving. I push all thoughts away; I need to focus. Any distractions and I'll be finished. I need to win in order to get my cut of the winnings.
I shake out my muscles before pulling my hair into a tight bun and pulling the hood up on my jumper to cover my hair and hopefully obscure my face.
I search my bag and finally find some Bobby pins.
I only find two, but it will have to do.
I push the pins through the inside of the material of the hood and then secure them into my hair.
It's not much but hopefully it will work.
Seems like I'm throwing a lot of hope out there just to get booze for my mother.
Although I’m also doing it for the release of my emotions, that's how I knew what Kai was doing when he was beating the ever-loving crap out of that bag.
"Nyx come on, you're up!" Tommy informs me.
I walk through the locker room door and down the long hallway, the sounds of the crowd getting louder. I make it through to the end of the corridor whilst the announcer goes through the usual fan fair that accompanies announcing fighters.
I tune everything out as I walk into the cage.
I eye up my opponent, looking for weaknesses, anything I can use against him.
He's big, very well-muscled and about a head taller than me.
In other words, I look even more tiny next to him than I do normally.
I can, however, use his height and size against him.
He may have a longer reach than me and be physically stronger, but he will be slower too.
The announcer yells 'fight' and we begin to circle.
He has an ugly sneer on his face and seems so self-assured, like he thinks he's already won.
That will make him sloppy. Never underestimate your opponent.
Tired of circling, he lunges for me, and I kick out whilst moving out of the way, getting a solid kick to his thigh.
Not much but having a dead leg during a fight is a bitch.
Not waiting for him to recover, I jab him in the side and hear his rib crack.
He bellows loudly and swings around catching me in the stomach.
I circle him to give me time to recover from the attack.
He charges me again and I dodge a kick aimed to sweep my feet out from under me.
One of the most important things I've learned about fighting is that you never want to go down, especially when you're my size and fighting opponents so much bigger than you.