Eventually, Michael’s people started to filter down the steps. They started to grab the boxes and the barrels and carried them out the back door. Nobody looked at me or said anything to me, and as far as they were concerned, I was invisible. I felt exposed in small sleeping clothes, dirty from wearing them for too long, but nobody seemed to care. I guessed everyone knew what happened with Spud. Or maybe they were afraid I’d bite their faces off.
Soon, the basement was completely cleared out except for my cage. Once that was done, Michael approached me with a shit eating grin on his face.
“Almost time for the big fight, lass.” He smiled down at me.
“Are you letting me out?”
“Yes, we are. Can’t have you sitting in a cage. Bad for morale.”
He unlocked the door and opened it. I shuffled onto my feet and followed him out into the basement. When I was out, a few of his people emptied the space and pushed the cage itself further back into a corner.
“What happens now?” I asked.
“Now, you go to the bathroom and clean yourself up.” He grabbed my still-tied hands and dragged me up the stairs and into the women’s bathroom. I got a quick glance at the bar, and saw that it was empty.
“Alright, change.” He nodded to a stack of clothes on the ground.
“You expect me to wear this?”
He laughed. “You look like shit. Clean yourself up and get changed.”
I gave him a disgusted look. “I can’t with my hands and feet tied up.”
He sighed and then started to untie me. The skin on my wrists and ankles was red and raw from chafing against the ropes for over a day, and it felt amazing to have free motion again. I almost broke down and cried right there on the spot, but I forced myself to stay strong.
“Now, wash and dress.” He stood there, staring at me.
“A little privacy?”
He turned his back. “Best you’ll get. Make it fast.”
I turned toward the sink and began to wash myself the best I could. I looked horrible: exhausted and dirty. I washed my face and my hands, and splashed water on my underarms. I pulled a basic black T-shirt from the pile of clothes and a pair of jean shorts that looked like they’d fit me. I pulled off my clothes, careful to make sure that Michael didn’t peek, and got changed. The stuff fit well enough, and I had to admit it was better than wearing what I had on before. For the first time since I had been kidnapped, I felt like a real human.
“All done,” I said.
He turned back to me. “You look radiant, darling.”
“Fuck you.”
He laughed then took me by the arm and dragged me back down the steps. More people were coming in now, and the basement had maybe fifteen men standing around in a loose circle.
“Where’s your fighter?” I asked.
“He’ll be here soon. Stand with Spud and Clutch and don’t move. If you’re good, they won’t bother you. If you’re not, I gave Spud permission to do whatever he wants.” He gave me a leery grin then pushed me toward the twin pigs. I walked over and leaned against the wall next to them, and they barely gave me a second glance. Michael nodded to them, and then disappeared back upstairs.
I could sense the tension in the air almost immediately. People were hyped up, but also terrified. I guessed everyone knew how important the fight was, not just for Rex, but for the entire mob.
Nobody paid any attention to me, which let me look around at the crowd freely. I didn’t recognize everyone, but they were all dangerous looking people. Plenty of baggy clothing and tattoos dominated the space, and people smoked freely. I noticed that they tended to group themselves in threes and fours, and the room was nearly split in half. I assumed they were the two main factions in Michael’s gang, and I noticed that I was standing on the slightly larger side. More people slowly filtered down the stairs until the room was packed save for a large circular space in the center.
The noise was loud with laughter and cursing. People drank and smoked and joked, but nobody bothered to look at me. I realized I didn’t seem like a prisoner anymore. I guessed that they would look down on Michael keeping a girl in a cage for over a day, and that was why he let me out and had me clean myself up. I looked over at Spud and he grinned back. Chills ran down my spine when I realized he had been staring at me. I mentally promised myself that I could get revenge on him the first opportunity I found.
I had no idea what time it was or how long we had been standing down there before Michael walked down the steps. The room quieted almost immediately. Michael was followed by a tall man with heavy muscles and thick tattoos running all along his body. He wore a tight white T-shirt and gym shorts, and his knuckles were wrapped in white linen. He wasn’t enormous or particularly dangerous looking, but I could tell by the way people reacted to him that he was a tough man. Everyone nodded and gave him respect as he passed, but he ignored everyone but Michael. They came over to where Spud, Clutch, and I stood, and I could hear them talking.