“You’re not seriously going to go through with this over some girl?” Luka is at my side.
Is he trying to convince me to give her up to Aaron?
No way in hell am I letting that asshole lay a finger on Madisyn.
She’s mine.
And while I’m still pissed at her and want nothing to do with her, somehow, I’ve managed to get myself involved in a ‘fight night’ with the cartel. We’re escorted down into the basement and through a corridor of dark tunnels until we reach a small room to get ready.
It feels like we’ve been walking for miles.
“Strip down. There are shorts in the bin,” one of the men says as he points at a bin by the wall.
The room is tiny. There are no windows and no other exits, only the door we came through. There’s no escaping the room.
I throw a jab at the guard’s face, and his neck whips back. Within seconds, he’s got his gun poised on me. “Don’t make me piss off the boss,” he says, pushing the barrel into my forehead.
“Go ahead, shoot me.”
His gaze tightens. “No, I’ll shoot the pretty girl, your prize, first. And make you watch.”
Luka subtly shakes his head, warning me that this man isn’t worth the hassle.
The guard slams the door shut behind us and latches it shut. We’re locked inside. Wonderful. How the hell am I getting out of this mess?
“Any news at home?” I ask, glancing at Luka.
He reaches for his phone. The cartel is sloppy. They checked us for weapons but didn’t so much as steal our phones. I was careless, leaving mine in the vehicle outside.
“No signal,” Luka says. He carries his phone around the small room, lifting it higher as if that will help him get a signal to make a call. Who is he going to call?
Are the Feds really at the compound? If they are, maybe I am safer here with the cartel.
“This is ridiculous,” Luka says and shoves his phone back into his pocket. “You can’t fight that guy out there. You’ll kill him.”
“That’s the point.”
I’m not the least bit bashful as I strip out of my clothes and reach for a pair of black gym shorts in the bin. I lift them to my nose and grimace at the stench. They haven’t been cleaned and reek of sweat and blood.
I opt to wear my black boxers that were underneath my clothes. They’ll suffice for Aaron’s ass-kicking.
“The cartel is setting you up, sir. Carlos will blame you for killing Aaron, a federal agent, and will have you arrested.”
“He’s not stupid enough to bring the Feds into his home,” I say.
The lights flicker, and the roar of the crowd ripples through the small room. It’s practically a closet, but the walls are made of brick and aren’t budging.
Heavy footfalls approach the door, and the clasp of the lock clicks as one of the cartel’s men pulls open the door. “It’s time.”
“Sir, let me fight in your place,” Luka says.
It’s noble, but I’m not letting him get in the ring with Aaron. I want to punch the son of a bitch who left a mark on Madisyn’s face. Aaron had no right to touch her.
“That’s not going to happen,” I say. “This is my fight.”
“Come with us,” the guard says and gestures for us to step out into the hallway and follow him.
He’s not alone. A second guard accompanies him, and both have their guns ready if we try to fight. While the thought has briefly crossed my mind, I don’t know where they’re keeping Madisyn, and I didn’t show up to abandon the mission and leave her behind.
She’s coming with me and going to pay for her betrayal.
We follow down the long, narrow hallway. It’s dimly lit and grungy. The basement could use a scrub and a fresh coat of paint. The sound carries men’s boisterous shouts and cheers as we grow near.
There’s a cage in the center of the room. Overhead halogen bulbs brighten the dark, damp space.
Already, there are dozens of men lined up, drinking and cheering on the activities to come. Men are taking bets, specifically Carlos’s men.
Aaron stalks in from the opposite end of the room. Another hallway leads into the pit.
“You’ve got this,” Luka says, cheering me on.
I don’t need his reassurances. “Find Madisyn,” I say, leaning closer into his ear. “Get her out of here.”
The lights overhead flicker once again. Carlos steps into the crowd and the jeers and excitement further intensify. It’s as if electricity flows straight into the heart of the cage as the men step aside for the cartel leader.
They’re making way for us to fight.
Carlos opens the metal cage door and gestures to step in first. I don’t suppose that he will lock me into the enclosure and leave me. There’d be quite a lot of disappointed attendees.
He begins the announcement, introducing me as if I need any introduction. The booing commences, and when I win the fight, I’m beginning to question how I will get out of here.
Is Carlos a man of his word?
One problem at a time.