CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Victoria
I needed a break from all the testosterone in the house. Time to shore up my defenses before I dove back into a battle of wills with Az. Spending a quiet evening reading in my room seemed the perfect solution to my current problems. I was sprawled across my bed and just getting to the scariest bit of the thriller novel I'd snagged from Mrs. McMillan earlier in the day when I heard my window opening. Turning my head, I nearly screamed before I realized it was Leighton crouched on my windowsill.
"Miss me?" He grinned.
"No, you asshole." I spat, chucking my novel at his head. "And you nearly scared me to death. What the fuck are you doing climbing through my window?"
Leighton frowned, kicking his legs over the sill before dropping into my room. "I want to take you somewhere."
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
"Aw, come on ma petit démone . Don't be like that." He sighed, reaching up to rub the back of his head. "It's not like I wanted to be gone for the last week. I had… work to do. Besides, I figure you've probably been cooped up here the whole time, what with Rich's rules."
I stood from the bed and put my hands on my hips. "Not a fucking chance, asshole. You think I'd agree to anything you have to say after what you did?"
He cocked his head to the side, studying me momentarily like I was some puzzle he couldn't quite figure out. Clicking his tongue to some thought I wasn't privy to, he straightened and turned toward my closet.
"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded, stomping after him.
"You need a different outfit for where we're going." He shrugged, tearing through my closet like a tornado. "Why don't you have anything appropriate?"
"All of my clothes are appropriate. What the hell are you even on about?" I scoffed. "You know what? Don't answer that. Just get the fuck out of my room, Leighton."
"No can do, Petit Démone . We're going to a fight." He turned to me and tossed a pair of jeans in my direction before pulling off his t-shirt.
"Wha–"
"My shirt with those jeans and…." He paused, spotting a pair of chucks along the bottom row of my built-in shoe rack. "Those shoes. I'll grab my leather jacket from my room on the way out to throw over it and you'll fit right in."
Infuriated, I stomped toward him and grabbed his ear like I was some sort of school marm. He cackled as I dragged him toward the door to my room, intent on tossing him out on his ass. I pinched his ear harder for good measure and jerked open the door to find Joey standing outside, poised to knock.
"What's going on?" He asked, his eyes flitting between me and Leighton.
"We're going to a fight. Wanna come?" Leighton grinned.
" We aren't going anywhere. You're getting the fuck out of my room." I hissed.
Interest and confusion flashed simultaneously across Joey's face before he spoke.
"Actually, Sweetheart, I think you might like the fight. How about I go with to keep L in line?"
"Yes," Leighton cheered, fist-pumping the air and pulling his ear free of my grip. "Have her ready in ten, I need to grab another shirt and my leather jacket from my room. Meet you back here!"
I stood there, my mouth open in shock, as Leighton skipped out of my room and down the hallway. Joey gently placed a knuckle under my chin and pushed my mouth shut before guiding me back into my room by the elbow. His eyes scanned my room before catching on the open closet door. Dropping my arm, he strolled inside, and I heard him laugh.
"I don't think this will do." He chuckled, strolling back into my bedroom with Leighton's shirt in hand. "Why don't you find something you're comfortable in instead?"
"Et tu, Brute?" I sighed. "I would be more comfortable not going anywhere with him. "
"As strange as it sounds, Sweetheart, Leighton doesn't invite anyone to his fights. They're where he goes when he needs to do some real damage to someone and regain some control over himself. One of us always goes anyway, of course. Someone has to watch that psychopath's back."
"I'm not stopping you from going, Joey." I shrugged. "But I'm not interested in going anywhere with him ."
One of the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly, and he stepped close enough to me that he could push an errant curl behind my ear. I had to tip my head back slightly to look him in the eye. The sensation of butterflies in my stomach was back. It was becoming a surprisingly regular feeling when I was around Joey or Craig.
"So, don't go with L. Come with me." The warm look in his eyes pulled me in. "I'd love to take you out again, so come see a fight with me, Sweetheart."
After a moment to get my heart rate back to normal, I nodded.
Leighton eased the car to a stop in front of an abandoned-looking warehouse. I'd never been this deep into the south side before. Buildings, streets, and even lawns were in total disrepair the closer we got to the warehouse, until nothing looked remotely functional or inhabitable. Even the building we were now parked in front of looked fit to collapse with a slight breeze. If it weren't for the number of cars and motorcycles scattered in the parking lot, I wouldn't have believed anything was happening inside, let alone some fight.
"Stick close when we get inside, Sweetheart." Joey murmured as he helped me out of the backseat.
I hummed in agreement, moving closer to his side. The dimly lit parking lot gave the place an ominous aura, and my instincts told me that even Leighton was a better option than being in this place alone.
We were met with bright lights and a boisterous crowd of people once we stepped inside. My jaw dropped open at the drastic contrast from the parking lot. As my eyes flitted around the space, I noticed the inside of the building was in much better shape than I had thought. It looked like an almost professional setup, right down to the ring in the center of the room.
"I'm dedicating my fight to you, Petit Démone ." Leighton said, grabbing one of my hands and bringing it to his lips. "I want you ringside when I do."
I shot Joey a curious glance over my shoulder and found him staring at Leighton, perplexed.
"Uh, okay, I guess." I replied, peeling my hand from Leighton's. He grinned in response before slipping off into the crowd. Turning to Joey, I asked, "What was that all about?"
"That, Sweetheart, is the mac-daddy of all apologies coming from L. He's only ever dedicated one fight to anybody and it was to Rich when he'd fucked up so bad Rich was considering kicking him out of the family."
Before I could ask what Leighton had done, Joey slipped his hand into mine and led me through the crowd toward a bar on the far side of the space. He ordered us drinks, causing my stomach to flutter at how he looked me over once before ordering for me. The games I'd been playing to needle Az had resulted in me getting closer to both Joey and Craig and seeing the more in control side of Joey was doing all sorts of things to me I wasn't sure I was ready to explore.
Once we had our drinks, Joey led me through the crowd again. This time, we stopped in the open space in front of the ring. I watched the two men in the ring throwing punches as I sipped my cocktail, wondering when Leighton would be up. As angry at him as I was, I couldn't help the curiosity that had wormed into my brain when Joey told me what the fight dedication meant.
I was starting to grow impatient when the bell rang, signaling the end of the current fight. Neither man had downed the other, and the judges had determined the slightly built blonde was the winner. Someone in a striped shirt stepped into the ring with a bucket and mop and set to work cleaning up the blood.
"Leighton's up next." Joey said, leaning over to speak directly into my ear so I could hear him over the crowd.
"How do you know?"
"Whenever he comes to fight, they always get him on right away. He wins the house a lot of money and puts on a hell of a show."
Just then, the announcer stepped into the ring and spoke into a microphone.
"Next up we have Tiny Gallagher. He'll be facing off against reigning champ Leighton Laurent."
The crowd erupted into cheers as a man the size of a house climbed into one side of the ring. He was easily over six feet tall, all muscle from his bald head to his ankles. The muscles in his shoulders were so large it lent the appearance of not having a neck. As my eyes tracked the detailed dragon tattoo that ran down the entire length of the side of his body, I couldn't help wondering how Leighton expected to get out of this fight alive, let alone win.
"He's going to get himself killed." I breathed, my eyes round as saucers, when Leighton finally climbed into the ring with a massive grin.
Joey gave me a knowing grin and turned his eyes toward the ring. Leighton was hopping around and laughing in his corner as if his opponent wasn't about to completely destroy him. The second the bell rang, his demeanor changed. Gone was the playful, albeit inconsiderate, man I'd met when the guys had moved into the manor as my protection. In his place stood a predator.
Leighton stalked around the edges of the ring, keeping his eyes on his opponent. Tiny lumbered out of his corner and headed straight for him. My hands flew to my mouth to stifle my gasp as I watched in horror. One massive fist, at least the size of my head, swung toward Leighton, the power behind it evident even from where I stood. Quick as lightning, Leighton ducked under Tiny's arm and slipped behind him, landing a blow to the man's kidney.
Tiny roared, turning slowly as he flung another fist out. Once again, Leighton was too fast. He danced around Tiny, landing rapid blows along his back. Enraged, Tiny waited for Leighton to return to his front before kicking out. His foot connected with Leighton's chest, causing him to stumble back, and Tiny's fist hammered down, connecting with his face.
Blood streamed from Leighton's nose, showering the ring as he shook his head to regain his bearings. Tiny turned to face the crowd, raising his arms to their cheers. My eyes were locked on Leighton. I caught the wicked grin that spread across his lips long enough to paint his teeth with blood before he launched forward.
Leighton's lithe form collided with Tiny's back, and he wrapped one arm around the man's throat. With the other, he began to rain down blows along Tiny's neck and face. Tiny reached his arms overhead, grasping Leighton in his massive hands, trying to pull him off. The action only served to cause Leighton to wrap his legs around Tiny's waist. Realizing his error, Tiny jumped off the mat, angling himself to land on his back, and crushed Leighton beneath him.
Panic gripped me as I watched him roll away. For a moment, I was sure Leighton was done for, but then I saw his lips quirk into a smile. Something snapped within him, and he turned on his massive opponent, attacking him with the ferocity and abandon of a feral animal. His blows were quick and brutal, never missing his target. Tiny began to sway on his feet as he stumbled back, unable to fend off Leighton's attacks. And then, the unbelievable happened. The massive man collapsed to the mat, his eyes shuttering closed.
"See, nothing to worry about." Joey grinned as the ref counted Tiny out. "L is a beast in the ring."
I was too stunned to respond. I watched the referee raised Leighton's hand and announced him as the winner. His eyes locked with mine for just a moment before shifting to Joey.
"Stay right here where L can see you." Joey spoke. "I'm going to grab us another round of drinks to celebrate his win."
Leighton nodded as if he could hear Joey before turning his eyes back to me. They held me captive as he listened to the ref say something in his ear before he sauntered toward the ropes nearest me. He was climbing through them when an arm grabbed me around the middle and pulled me back into the crowd behind me.
"What are you doing, Joey?" I demanded before a hand clamped down over my mouth.
"I'm not your fucking Horsemen bodyguard, darlin'." A masculine voice drawled in my ear. "I'm here to collect you for a job."
Another wave of panic seized me, triggering my fight-or-flight response. I slammed my elbow back into the man, who was practically pushing me through the crowd as he held me to his chest. He let out a soft oomph before removing his hand from my mouth and turning me to face him. He released his grip on me just enough to slap me so hard I saw stars. My ears rang so loud I barely heard the feral growl over the man's shoulder before he was ripped away, and I was collapsing against Joey's chest.
If I had thought Leighton looked feral in the ring, it was nothing compared to the sight that greeted me once Joey had steadied me. A trim, black-haired man was sprawled on the concrete floor while Leighton straddled his thighs. He landed blow after blow on the man's face, snarling with each swing. My attacker's features were already obscured from the damage, blood flowing freely from his nose, above his eyebrows, and lips. None of that seemed to sate the beast. Leighton growled like a wild animal, placing his hands on both sides of the man's head and repeatedly slamming it hard on the concrete floor. There was a sickening crack that caused my stomach to roil.
Leighton released his hold and stood slowly. His shoulders heaved with each breath, his fists clenched at his sides. I couldn't see the man around his lithe frame, but I knew in my gut that he was dead. Leighton had murdered someone with his bare hands, not caring who saw.
"L, we gotta go, man." Joey hissed, causing Leighton to turn toward us.
His eyes were wide and wild. A look of hunger painted his face that set my nerves on edge. Instinctively, I stepped back; I needed more space between me and whatever version of Leighton stood before us. His attention snapped to me with the movement, and his expression softened.
"Let's go." He said, not taking his eyes off me.
"Come on, Sweetheart." Joey murmured, wrapping an arm around me. "Let's get you home, okay?"
I let Joey turn me toward the exit and lead me through the crowd. The whole time, I felt Leighton's gaze on me, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed he was keeping his distance, and he raised his hands as if in apology and gave me a half-hearted grin.
"There you fuckers are." I heard Craig's voice just as we stepped outside. I tore my eyes away from Leighton and turned to find Craig and Az strolling toward us.
"What the fuck happened? Why does the Princess look terrified?" Az demanded.
"I took care of it." Leighton answered. "Let's just get back to the manor and we can fill you guys in. What are you doing here, anyway?"
"Rich sent us when he saw you three leave on the cameras and all of you decided not to answer your phones." Craig said.
"How mad is he?" Joey asked, pulling me closer to his side.
"Pretty mad." Craig replied.
"So, the usual?" I snorted. "He's got like chronic constipation of moods, that one."
Az eyed me warily. "Great, the Princess found her voice. I hoped whatever the hell happened would be enough to shut her up for a while."
"Fuck you, Az-hole." I spat.
"Why don't you ride with me and Joey, Princess? We'll make sure you get to your room and by Rich unscathed." Craig interjected before Az, and I could argue further.
"That sounds like a good idea. L, you ride with Az. We'll see you at the manor." Joey added.
I heard the others grunt in agreement before Joey led me to where we parked and helped me into the car. We were just pulling away from the warehouse when my phone vibrated in my pocket. Ignoring the dozen missed call notifications, I noticed another text from the private number.
"I hope you've learned your lesson. You belong to me."