On The Ropes (Tapped Out 3)

I rushed over to the SUV, wondering if he’d shown up to drive me to class. That was sweet. I frowned. But how had he known I’d be late?

As the hairs on the back of my neck rose, I stopped and squinted at the driver. I couldn’t make out anything but a dark hoodie. Gio rarely wore his hood up.

Why wasn’t he looking at me? What the hell?

The back door slid open soundlessly and a pair of men all in black jumped out. They surrounded me before I could draw breath to scream. One grabbed each elbow and they tossed me inside the back like a sack of potatoes, knocking the wind out of me.

My mind whirled, my jumbled thoughts crashing together. Not Gio. They’d tricked me.

Facedown, I felt a streak of pain shoot down my arm as my purse was ripped away. When I would’ve screamed, my head was smashed against the cushioned seat. Darkness swam in my vision an instant before the door shut behind me.

Both men hurtled into the front of the oversized SUV, and I fought to sit up as the truck raced away from the curb.

I’d made it to my knees when one of the men reached back and fisted his hand in my hair, slamming me into the back of the front seat. “Say goodnight, Carly.”

Twenty-Four

I paced the length of the makeshift locker room and pressed a finger in my opposite ear to block out the dull roar of the crowd. They were already pumped, and the undercard hadn’t even started yet. “Are you sure you’re all set?” I asked again.

Dante heaved out a breath. “Vaffanculo. Okay? Seriously.”

My brother telling me to fuck off shouldn’t have made me smile. Nothing should have right now. I was on the verge of fighting a man I considered a friend, just for the privilege of maybe laying eyes on Roberto Andretti before the night was through.

In the meantime, I had to put on a good enough show to ensure my worth in the Andrettis’ eyes until I got close enough to take out their leader.

That wasn’t even mentioning the hit I was supposed to pull off once the fight had been called, assuming I was still in the position to be taking out anyone. Fox might like to play the laidback card, but he was one hell of a competitor, and that wasn’t taking into account the payback he’d want for our fight last January. He wouldn’t make it easy for me tonight.

I didn’t want easy. I just wanted this goddamn fight in the books, and me on the other side of it—preferably without having to hold a gun to someone’s temple, unless it was Roberto Andretti’s.

And without one getting held to mine.

“It’s going to be a simple nab and grab.” Dante sounded bored. “You told me she danced in a cage, and Luke and I will take care of it.”

“Don’t scare her.” I was already doubting the wisdom of this plan, but I didn’t have a lot of options. I couldn’t be watching her at the club while I was fighting Fox—and then there was everything that was supposed to come after. “She’s been through a difficult experience recently, and she’ll spook easy. Be gentle. Explain you’re with me.”

“Let me handle it, little brother. You’d be surprised, I have some skill with women.”

Yeah, I didn’t really need to be thinking about his supposed skill when it came to Carly. I’d lost more than a couple girls to my dangerous older brother as a teen, and it wasn’t entirely because he knew all the important people in the old neighborhood back home in Vegas.

Women liked him. Too much.

“She’s not on the market,” I said through gritted teeth, though that really wasn’t true. Carly was available. Just not for me.

“Noted. So don’t you have a fight to get ready for?”

“Yeah. Dante—”

“Skip the soliloquies. I owed you.” He paused. “Kick ass, little brother.” He clicked off.

I prepared for the fight the same way I prepared for each of them. I said a quick prayer on my mother’s rosary. It was only when I reached for it out of habit that I realized it wasn’t mine anymore. The other half of my heart had it.

So I prayed for her and for tonight’s results. Not that I asked to win. That would happen as it was meant to. I asked for guidance and for help to complete what I was supposed to do.

How that would play out remained to be seen.

Once the undercard battle had been fought and a winner declared, I strolled out like it was any other night. My music was playing, an old Jay-Z song, and my corner mates were waiting. I had a couple of trainers I worked with, Timmins and Bufort, but Timmins was back in Fox’s corner like the good ol’ days. Bufort was in mine, along with a couple guys I sparred with now and then.

I didn’t need anyone behind me. I’d gotten too used to operating on my own.