Chapter 3 Seth
SETH
The second Kali walked out with Wren by her side, the men in the club went crazy.
Kali was in a skintight emerald dress, showing off every curve of her body, but my focus was on Wren.
She wore a black sports bra and shorts, focusing solely on her opponent in the ring.
There was a fire in her eyes that made me smile. She was a fighter through and through.
Valentin tensed beside me and growled under his breath. “I fucking hate this.”
It was getting harder for him not to claim what was his, but that was the choice he made when he decided to get involved with a woman who was supposed to be off limits.
The truth was, we didn’t take orders from anyone.
If we wanted something, we took it. If anyone stood in our way, we’d deal with them.
However, in this case, it wasn’t that simple.
“Are you meeting her again tonight?” I asked.
I looked over at him and he never once took his eyes off Kali. “She’s supposed to meet me at the hotel later if she can get away. Like always, she doesn’t want to risk her brother and the others finding out about us.”
Hearing that made me shake my head and laugh. “I think you’re safe from that. Ripp’s been on my ass about staying away from Kali. He seems to think I’m the one who wants her.”
Valentin sighed. “Yeah, I know. Not that he can do a fucking thing about keeping either of us away from her. The problem is . . .”
I knew what the problem was. It lingered in the back of my mind whenever I got involved with a woman who wasn’t part of our inner circle. Kali had friends and family who could physically keep her safe, but they were no match for mine and Valentin’s people or our enemies.
I placed a hand on Valentin’s shoulder. I’d never seen him look at a woman the way he did Kali.
It was clear he was in love with her. Unfortunately, that made her his weakness; it also made her a target.
If our enemies were to find out about them, there was no telling what they’d do to Kali in retaliation.
“I promise to look after her, too,” I told him. “She has my protection.”
Valentin nodded but kept his eyes on Kali, who snuck a glance his way, giving him a small smile. “Thanks, brother. I promise to do the same if you’re ever in the same situation.”
I had plenty of enemies and knew they would come after me one day, but that didn’t scare me. My time was coming, and I knew who would lead the attack. But I was ready.
Valentin nudged me with his elbow and pointed at the ring where Wren and her opponent circled each other; the fight was about to start.
The electricity in the air surged all around us, fueling the anticipation of the fight.
I was sure everyone around us could feel it— it was apparent who the winner was going to be without a single punch being thrown.
Wren wasn’t your stereotypical MMA fighter.
She hadn’t been born into the sport like many of her opponents, nor had the same privilege as Kali or most other women fighting here at the Labyrinth.
There was a toughness to her that could only be seen in people who had experienced life at its hardest—it made her lethal .
. . and more than anything, it fascinated me.
“Have you met Wren?” Valentin asked.
I shook my head. “I’m sure she knows of me, but we’ve never met face-to-face.”
A scoff escaped his lips. “I have no doubt Ripp and the others have warned her to stay away.”
Wren bounced on her feet with a sly smile as she stared down her opponent. The muscles in her legs tensed as she sprang from foot to foot; I knew she was about to attack. All my attention was focused on her, how powerful and confident she looked as she moved forward.
In a single movement, she sent her opponent flying through the air and crashing onto the mat, making it clear that this fight was over. The crowd cheered so loud it thundered through the club.
Valentin clapped and blew out an exasperated breath. “Wow. She’s amazing.”
“That she is,” I agreed, watching Kali and Ripp jump into the ring and lift Wren’s arms victoriously in the air. I looked forward to watching her again.
Wren hopped out of the ring, where she was met by James Callahan, who I knew was a scout for the UFC. He shook her hand, and I watched her eyes light up the more they spoke. If she started fighting professionally, she was going to dominate the circuit.
Valentin clapped a hand on my shoulder. “I’m heading out. If you speak to Kali, tell her I’ll be waiting for her at the hotel.”
I turned to him and nodded. “Will do. I’m about to leave myself. I’ll grab our share of the fight money.”
We’d bet on several of the fights before Wren’s and won all of them. The night had proven to be quite lucrative; we were going to pocket a quarter million each.
He disappeared through the crowd, and I made my way to the back, where the secret hallway of the club was guarded by Reggie, one of the bouncers of the Labyrinth. He was over three hundred and fifty pounds of pure muscle.
As I approached, he nodded and stepped out of the way. The hallway was dark, but a light came from the last door on the left. I knew Kase Rushing, the owner of the Labyrinth, would be in his office, counting out all the earnings.
I stopped in the doorway, and he knew it was me without looking up. There were piles of money spread out over his desk.
“I’m almost done,” he said.
I leaned against the doorframe and slipped a hand into my pocket. “I’m not in a hurry.”
Kase lifted his head and gestured for me to come in. “It was a good night.”
“Yes, it was,” I agreed, stepping into his office. I glanced down at the bundles of cash. “How have you been liking our arrangement?”
Kase tore his gaze away and sighed when he focused on the money. “It has its perks. I just never thought I’d be in business with someone like you.”
He was four years younger than me and a savvy businessman.
He wasn’t a part of my world by choice, but I knew he couldn’t resist what I had to offer.
The Labyrinth was a high-end club that appealed to the elite, but it was also a place where people could fight clean and get noticed.
I knew many high-stakes gamblers who loved putting their money on the line for a good fight.
All Kase had to do was say yes. His fights would stay legal, but now he’d get a cut of the profits.
I made him a more prosperous man, and if it weren’t for me, he’d be fighting in illegal death matches for my brother.
“It’s better than the alternative,” I said matter-of-factly.
Kase scoffed. “That’s for damn sure.” He slid a wad of cash into an envelope and met my gaze. “Do you need Rossi’s earnings as well?”
I nodded. “If you don’t mind. He had to leave.”
Kase gathered Valentin’s money and put it in another envelope for me, handing me both before sitting down behind his desk.
“How long are you planning to stay in Vegas this time?”
I tucked both envelopes carefully into the pocket of my gray suit jacket, my fingers brushing against the cold metal of my holstered SIG Sauer P210.
“I’m not sure,” I responded honestly. “I guess until I’m needed back in California.”
A look of understanding passed across Kase’s face. “Have you heard from your brother?”
“No,” I replied, keeping my face blank.
Nikolai’s silence could only mean one thing . . . he was planning something big. He had a lot of targets on his list, and Kase was one of them.
Kase huffed and ran a hand over his face. “Great. I’m just waiting for the day that cocksucker shows up here.”
I shook my head. “Not if I can help it.” Voices echoed down the hallway, so I buttoned up my suit jacket and stepped toward the door. “Until next time,” I said, walking out.
Coming down the hall was none other than Kali Andrews. She glanced behind her and seemed relieved that no one else was around except for the burly bouncer standing guard at the end of the hallway.
“Hey,” she said, keeping her voice low.
“Good evening,” I responded.
She stepped closer. “Did Valentin say anything to you before he left?”
I gave her a slight nod. “He said he’ll meet you at the hotel if you can get away.”
Her lips pulled back into a smile. “Perfect.”
She started toward Kase’s office, but I grabbed her wrist. Kali was an MMA fighter, and I knew she could take care of herself in the ring, but in the real world with my people, I questioned whether she could handle it on her own. Valentin would protect her, but even he wasn’t invincible.
Kali tilted her head to the side, her gaze narrowed questioningly. “What’s wrong?”
Sighing, I let her wrist go. “Be careful, Kali. Valentin cares greatly for you, but being associated with people like us puts you in danger.”
Kali smiled sadly and gave a shrug of her shoulder. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
And with those last words, she disappeared into Kase’s office. If she only knew of the things we’ve done and how evil we could be.
Turning on my heel, I headed for the exit and the bouncer stepped out of the way. However, standing right off to the side was Ripp, with a scowl on his face and arms crossed over his chest.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Jameson?” I said, walking past him.
His nostrils flared and he spoke through gritted teeth. “We need to talk.”
Clenching my teeth, I stopped abruptly and turned to face him. “About what?”
He huffed. “Kali, that’s what. She doesn’t need to get involved with you.”
A low chuckle vibrated from my chest. If he only knew the truth. My response pissed him off more, judging by how he balled his fists.
“You seriously think this is funny?” he spat.
Dropping the smile from my lips, I stepped closer to him. I didn’t consider Ripp an enemy, but I didn’t think of him as a friend either. He wasn’t a bad guy, and I knew he was only protecting Kali; I couldn’t fault him for that. I would do the same if I were in his shoes.
“What Kali does with her life is her business,” I replied, my eyes never leaving his.
His anger started to rise, but I cut him off before he could speak.
“I’m going to tell you this once and then I want you to back the fuck off.
I’m getting tired of you insinuating this shit.
You’ve been on my case for months now.” I moved closer.
“Nothing is going on between me and Kali. If you have questions, ask her. All I want is to keep her safe, the same as you.”
His jaw twitched as he processed my words before finally releasing a long sigh from his lungs, signaling an understanding between us. If there was one thing I was known for, it was my honesty.
Ripp held up his hands. “Okay. I believe you. But I know something is going on with her.”
“And if there is,” I said, stepping away from him, “it’s not my story to tell. Have a good night.”
I walked away from him, but not before meeting Wren’s emerald eyes from across the room.