Chapter 3 #2
“She’s getting bored of this,” Mystic Frost replied quietly. Most wouldn’t have heard her, but I was close and I’d always focused on training my hearing above all else.
It kept me alive given my past and what I did.
“You need to take her flying,” she lectured. “Don’t neglect your dragon. My tiger is—you gotta take her flying.”
The fighter shot her an annoyed look that was rather sexy. “Right, because it’s not all over the capital to look out for a rare mystic dragon that’s female. Is that your stupid for today?”
“Yeah, I deserve that. Okay, plan B. Exciting and food will make her happy.” Myriam glanced over and saw me watching. “I’m assuming we’re settling tomorrow? It’s going to get crazy and the manager—”
“Go,” I said firmly, realizing the manager might get desperate enough to be lax on security just to get Mystic Frost.
It took a bit to handle what I needed to, but then I ducked out when I saw the manager was trying to wave me over. I didn’t even stick around for the smaller fights that didn’t make me as much money… But again, I was a greedy man.
Thinking about what Myriam said, I figured out pretty fast what she’d probably been referring to. The summer night market in the capital was well known and a huge tourist attraction. It wasn’t simply food stalls, but fortune tellers and other entertainment.
It was where I would take someone from out of town to distract their dragon and hold off flying longer.
They blended well, knowing how to seem unassuming and not take center stage, but there were few who knew Nerthus like I did. Plus, I’d had the upper hand of seeing what they were wearing when they came in off the street.
The dragon threw her head back and laughed and I was struck stupid. It wasn’t just she seemed to glow when that happy, but also I could almost reach out and touch her joy. It was disarming to say the least.
At first, I was just checking in and making sure no one was watching them. The way the manager was acting shook me and I wouldn’t put it past him to send a tail.
And I was right. One was after them and visibly sending in reports.
I made it seem like I tripped and sent an elbow into his face before slipping through the crowd with him. Just a normal guy helping his buddy who drank too much at the street market, right?
Nothing to see here.
Except I beat him and took his phone to figure out what was going on.
“Give me one reason not to end you,” Myriam hissed after her claws were around my neck.
“Because I didn’t send this guy, but I’m pretty sure I know who did, and apparently I have a conscience which I find shocking,” I grumbled, annoyed I’d let her get the drop on me. It wasn’t just her, but this guy could have had a friend and I’d turned my back to the way the alley opened.
I knew better than that.
She let me go and shoved away from me so I couldn’t grab her. It was a smart move that showed she was trained to handle herself in these types of contentious situations. “Talk.”
I told her what I knew about the manager and made it clear I was disgusted and also liked living.
“Glad you understand how Father would behave.”
“Do you know he sent someone last fight to check in on you?” I muttered, snorting when she rolled her eyes at me. “Figured, but I just put it together tonight, so… I don’t know who the owner is.”
She nodded, still studying me and probably getting more off of me than women I’d fucked could. Myriam Metcalf was very impressive like that. “I’ll take advice. You know Nerthus better than I ever could and you want this to work out with how much money she makes you.”
I blew out a harsh breath and crossed my arms over my chest as I leaned against the wall. It was flattering when she took note of it. I was a man who was also vain, not just greedy.
“I’d make it clear to the manager you’re not stupid and you saw the tail and handled him,” I hedged after some thought.
“For the record, I didn’t. I only clocked you, so that’s a debt I’ll repay,” she promised me.
I blinked at her and shook my head. “I heard Metcalfs were honorable, but that—you didn’t have to admit that. I would never have known.”
“I would have,” she replied bluntly.
Fair enough.
“I’d make it known that you’re not stupid and you’ve already talked to your father to get info on the owner and… You know. You already know who it is.”
“I have a few hunches given my day job and the new queen is much smarter than any give her credit for,” she said after a moment.
I nodded but left it alone. There was information that could be more valuable than gold.
And then there was information that got you dead. I survived by knowing the difference.
“I would talk to one of the other club managers and make it clear you are. You have the hottest ticket any of us have seen—even the assholes admit that when they’re honest with themselves. And make it clear it’s because the manager is underhanded.”
She smirked at me. “Let the rats eat themselves for her. Interesting. Yeah, I was already considering that when this fight was only a few million more for an extra fighter. They’re—the disrespect because she’s a she is fucking unreal.”
“It wasn’t always this bad, but we seem to be backsliding instead of progressing,” I grumbled. “Part of me wants to tell you to lay low or go somewhere else, but you’ll make less money and clearly your fighter needs money.”
“Smart man,” she purred.
I snorted. “She’s good enough to go pro, but she wouldn’t make the money she does. She could shake up men’s competitive fighting, but she wants to keep a lower profile. She needs money.”
She studied me a moment. “Not in the way you’re thinking and would make her desperate. She’s already paid the debt her family owed and left her with. Now, it’s a nest egg and never feeling…”
I flinched. “Yeah, I know that feeling well. Really well. She has my sympathy. It’s—I don’t mean any disrespect, but people like you can’t ever understand how hard that is.”
“What do you mean?” she hedged, sighing when I didn’t respond. “I’m not getting personal here, Avior. I’m trying to understand her better. I want to…”
“You want to take better care of your fighter and you realized you missed something big.” I nodded when she did. “Decent of you, really. Hope she appreciates you.”
“Always.”
“Good, because a lot of times the talent gets too arrogant. It’s why I switched from agent to bookie.
” I gave her a look clearly saying that wasn’t to be repeated.
“Being left a burden by the ones who were supposed to love and take care of you is a wound that won’t ever heal.
I don’t think even if they get their shit together and apologize.
“For me, it was my parents. They basically said I owed them for giving me life and told the creditors to get it from me even if meant taking me in pieces. You never heal from that. Ever. That betrayal they didn’t love you enough to do right by you and protect you.
That they only saw you as a way to fix their mistakes. ”
She flinched. It was subtle, but she flinched.
“Just make sure she knows their mistakes aren’t hers. She did nothing wrong and it was them. It’s like—you ever been cheated on?”
“No, but she has been too,” she worried.
I snorted. “She’s never going to trust anyone ever. Not completely. Her family fucked her over and then a lover? She’s an island if she closed her heart. It won’t ever reopen.” I turned to leave, unable to keep talking about it.
“You deserve the love others can give you, Avior,” she said softly as I reached the end of the ally.
Myriam Metcalf was a smart one all right. She absolutely knew I wasn’t just talking about her fighter.
Yeah, but I didn’t want to fix what was broken with me. Keeping it from ever happening again was way more important.