Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Riot

The fight was brutal – a tattooed thug claiming to be a Bratva soldier, whatever that is – more of Parker putting on another display for whoever he’s been trying so hard to impress; there’s nothing unusual about that. But tonight, something’s different.

She’s here.

Even though I left the room under a cloud, I’m still glad to be back.

Ignoring the guards who’ve stopped at the door, I open it and walk in, flexing stiff muscles. I’m bruised. Bloody. The stink of it lingers in my nostrils, mingling with the sweat that coats my skin. I’m exhausted, both physically and mentally, but the sight before me makes me pause.

Raura is asleep on the bed, her body curled up, her breathing slow and even. Despite the horrors of this place, she looks almost peaceful in slumber. I find myself mesmerized, unable to tear my gaze away from her.

Why did I help her?

The question echoes in my mind as I study her delicate features. Parker was hurting her; that much was clear. And he would have sold her eventually, like so many others that pass through these walls. But creatures being sold is nothing new to me. I’ve witnessed it countless times over the years, hardening my heart to their fates long ago. Fighting to save them never got me anywhere.

Why her?

Why did this woman stir something in me? Why did I feel compelled to intervene, to protect her?

As I watch her chest rise and fall with each breath, I’m struck by an unfamiliar urge – a desire to reach out and touch her. My fingers itch to trace the curve of her cheek, to brush aside a stray lock of hair from her face. I clench my fists, resisting the impulse. She’s wearing my clothes, and for some inexplicable reason, I find a strange sense of possessiveness wash over me at the sight. As if her donning my garments marks her as mine, somehow.

That’s wrong. So fucking wrong!

I shake my head, pushing the thought away. I may have told Parker she’s my property now, but the thought of owning another living soul – the way I’m owned – sickens me. Still, I can’t deny the pull I feel toward her, the magnetic attraction that defies all reason.

Leaning back against the door, I allow myself the luxury of taking in every inch of her. She’s lovely, I realize with a start as I study her features, the lines of her limbs. She’s all sweet curves and lines that come together in a picture that’s just…beautiful. Truly beautiful in a way that goes beyond mere physical appearance. And for the first time in longer than I can remember, I feel something stir within me – a flicker of hope, a glimmer of light in the endless darkness that has become my existence.

She stirs, and a pang of guilt sweeps over me, as if I’m overstepping some sort of line by looking at her. But I watch as Raura moves again, her eyelids fluttering open. For a brief moment, she seems disoriented, taking in her surroundings with a sleepy haze. Then her gaze lands on me, and her eyes widen, suddenly alert.

“Riot! You’re hurt!” She bolts upright, concern etching lines across her face as she takes in my battered appearance.

I shrug, aiming for nonchalance despite the ache radiating through my body. “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing?” She frowns, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. “You’re covered in blood!”

Most of it isn’t mine, but before I can protest, she’s on her feet, crossing the room to examine me more closely. She lifts the hem of my shirt briskly to examine my torso – as if she’s perfectly comfortable around me now. Her fingers ghost over the bruises blooming across my ribs, featherlight touches that somehow burn hotter than any wound.

“We need to get you cleaned up.” She raises her head, meeting my eye. There’s determination on her face.

“It’s fine,” I insist, though I make no move to stop her as she takes my hand, tugging me toward the bathroom.

Once inside, she guides me to sit on the edge of the tub, her touch gentle yet insistent. Wordlessly, she begins peeling away my bloodied clothes, exposing the damage beneath. I tense, resisting the urge to shrink away as each new injury is revealed to her scrutiny. Not because it hurts – I’m used to that now – but because of the growing expression of horror on her face.

Her sharp inhalation cuts through me. “Oh, Riot…”

I stiffen, bracing for her pity. But her expression holds none of that. Only concern shines in those deep, honeyed eyes as she wets a washcloth and begins gently sponging the dried blood from my skin.

“I’m okay,” I say. “I…” I stop, not quite sure what else to say. What is there to say? That I’m fine? That I’m alive…even though I’ve left a trail of death in my wake? I try never to think of these things. I do my job and get out. Lingering on it just makes it harder.

And things are hard enough.

The silence stretches between us as she tends to me as diligently as a nurse. There’s nothing sexual about her touch, but it moves me beyond words. In all the time that I’ve been here, nobody has taken a moment to do anything like this. Not that I’d have wanted them to. And they’ve known that. They keep their distance, and I like it that way.

But I’ve missed the sense of touch.

I can’t deny it. The feeling of hands on me that aren’t violent. Not trying to end me. I stare down at hers now. Her fingers are working nimbly over a series of slashes that cut almost to the bone.

“You have beautiful hands,” I tell her.

Raura’s head flies up, her eyes wide. “Oh.” Her lips press together. “Thank you.” She dabs carefully. “I’m not hurting you, am I?”

I shake my head. “No. It doesn’t hurt.”

“I don’t know how that can be.” Her brow furrows, her features darkening. “How can he allow this, Riot? Why do they do this to you?”

“It’s what I’m here for.”

“That’s not good enough!” Her voice sharpens. “You’re not a machine. He can’t expect you to go on like this.”

“He can do what he wants.”

“But why? Why do you do it, Riot?” She’s asked this before. I couldn’t answer then. I don’t answer now. When I say nothing, she huffs out a breath, then rinses the cloth and wrings it out before dabbing gain. The water has run red.

“Riot, I…” She pauses, nibbling on her bottom lip. “I want to ask you something.”

I nod for her to continue.

“I found something. You… You had some photos in your drawer…in a box. I, um…I was wondering…”

What the fuck?

I’m on my feet, fury flaring. “You went through my things?”

Her eyes fly wide as she takes a quick step back. “No…I…I…” She drops the cloth. “Shit…yes…okay, I did.” She clasps her hands together. “I’m really sorry. It’s just—”

“You had no right!” I bark, angry in a way that I can’t quite understand.

She backs away another step. She looks terrified. She should be. I can’t believe she would invade my privacy like that.

“Those are mine. My private things,” I shout.

“I’m so sorry,” she says quickly. “I…I was just…just…” She puts a hand to her throat.

“Just snooping, that’s what!” I have so little in this fucking place…and she just went ahead and delved into it.

But now her eyes are welling with tears.

“I’m really sorry, Riot! I wasn’t thinking.” She stops talking, her throat working. In the silence that follows, I hear the dripping of a faucet behind her.

Yep, definitely tears. One of them tips over her lower lid, hanging from her lashes before tumbling onto her cheek. I watch as it tracks a glistening trail over her skin.

Fuck.

I huff out a breath and sink back onto the edge of the bath. “I apologize,” I say. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No,” she steps forward and puts a hand on my arm, “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have pried.”

My shoulders lift in a shrug. “It’s not a big deal.” It is a big deal. But not enough to attack her this way. “Just forget about it, okay?”

She runs her eyes over my face as if looking for something. “How? How have you managed to keep them? Where are they from? I mean, Parker doesn’t seem like he’d let you have anything in here.”

I shake my head. “He gives them to me.”

“Gives them to you?” She’s incredulous. “But why?”

“He has his reasons.” My voice is heavy with contempt at the thought of his fucking reasons.

“Who…who is she? The woman?”

I pause, wondering if it’s worth telling her. I’ve never spoken to anyone about this. Fuck, I’ve never spoken to anyone about anything. “Willow. My sister.”

“Your sister?” Raura’s eyes are huge. “You have a sister?”

I nod.

“And he gives you pictures of her?” Her features cloud with confusion. “But why?”

“So that I’ll know,” I say simply.

“Know what?” she presses.

“So that I’ll know that he can get to her. That he can do what he wants with her.” I keep my expression carefully schooled.

“Oh, my God.” She moves to face me, her hands on my shoulders. “My God, Riot. That’s why you do it? Why you fight?”

I nod again. “If I don’t do as he says… If I don’t kill for him… He’ll kill her.”

???

Riot

Something is different between us now. Something unspoken yet profound. When I slide beneath the covers, she joins me without question, sliding an arm over my waist and nuzzling her face into my neck.

“We need to get out of here, Riot,” she whispers almost inaudibly. Her lips move against my skin, and the sensation zings through my flesh.

“Shhh. Don’t talk that way.” I raise a hand and stroke my palm over her hair in a gesture that surprises me. I don’t stop doing it, though.

“Why not?” She’s still whispering, her voice fluttering from the darkness. “You’ve been here long enough to know about this place. Surely you’ve figured out a way to get out?”

“I can’t. You know why,” I remind her. Her hair is soft and silky against my fingertips.

She heaves a breath. “Your sister. I know. But surely there must be some way. Something we could do…?”

“There’s nothing, Raura,” I murmur. “Don’t you think I’ve looked at this from every possible angle?”

She tilts her head up and gazes up at me from the shadows, and for a moment, I’m lost in her beautiful eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s just so hard to let go of the hope.”

I nod. “I know.”

I probably know better than anyone.

“We can’t give up hope, Riot. We can’t.” She lowers her head and buries it against my chest. “I don’t want to give up.”

“I know,” I say again. I can sense her frustration. Her anguish. It tears into me. I hold her closer, still stroking her hair. Impulsively, I brush my lips over the top of her head. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” Her voice is small. “I understand.” She heaves a sigh, pressing her cheek against me. Her body is warm and soft, plastered against mine. We’re naked, as we were yesterday, still keeping up the pretense in case Parker decides to barge in. Except, it doesn’t feel like a pretense right now.

“I’m glad I’m here with you,” she says suddenly. “I mean…not that I’m here here; this place is hell. But that I’m with you. You’ve made it bearable. Does that make sense?”

“Yes,” I say because it does. I know exactly what she means. Because for the first time in years, I feel like there’s light in my world.

She stays quiet for a while – something that doesn’t come naturally to her. She likes to talk. I like to listen.

We lie there saying nothing, and the silence stretches until she speaks again. “Good night, Riot.”

“Good night,” I husk out. I’m trying so damned hard to stop my body from responding to her, but my cock is straining against my shorts, so I raise my thigh in case she presses against it. She falls asleep, and eventually, so do I, sinking into a darkness that feels like a warm blanket that covers both of us.

She knows my secret.

It should worry me, but it doesn’t. It feels like a weight has been lifted.

???

Riot

I wake before she does. I know it’s morning, even though there’s no light to mark the change between night and day. My body clock has adapted to this place. My eyes adjust to the darkness as I look down at her, picking out her features among the soft shadows. I watch her sleep, an unfamiliar yet pleasant feeling washing over me.

Raura looks so peaceful, her chest rising and falling with each steady breath. A few stray locks of her rose-gold hair have fallen across her face, and I resist the urge to gently brush them aside. Studying her, I’m struck by how vulnerable she seems, her defenses down and her body relaxed against mine. Yet there’s a quiet strength about her, too, one that I sensed even when we first locked eyes in those cells.

She shifts slightly, snuggling closer, and I tense involuntarily before forcing myself to relax. This intimacy is strange to me after so many years of solitude and brutality. But I can’t deny the comfort that comes from her nearness, her softness so different from the hardness I’ve encased myself in.

I don’t move, content to have this moment of peace while it lasts. Because I know soon enough, the world will come crashing back in.

It comes back all too soon. A sharp knock at the door has her sucking in a startled breath, her eyes flying open.

“It’s okay.” I stroke her cheek, then catch myself in the intimate gesture. “They’ve come to take me to training.”

“Again?”

“Every day.” I smile reassuringly as I rise from the bed and switch on the light. Her eyes trace my movements as I dress. “It’s fine. I get to go outside. I like it.”

It’s true. These hours of physical exertion have been the only thing keeping me alive in here. Except today, I don’t want to go. A thought comes crashing out of nowhere.

I don’t want to leave her.

I want to stay lost in these moments here with her. I want to keep her safe. I don’t like leaving her alone in this place.

What if they take her?

My one ray of sunshine.

What the fuck, Riot?

I can’t think this way. Parker said she could stay. I have to believe he’ll stick to his word. It’s probably the only thing the man has ever shown about himself that isn’t reprehensible. He keeps his promises.

“I’ll be back soon,” I say as I head out the door. The disappointment on her face is the last thing I see before I leave.

Does she feel the same way?

Probably not. I guess I’m some sort of safety net for her now. She’s likely worried about what might happen to her while I’m away. I can’t blame her. I’m worried, too. But I cling to the hope that she’s going to be fine.

“You’re looking well-rested, champ.” Parker’s heading down the hall toward me. “Maybe it was a good idea to give you the girl, after all. Keep you on form.”

I nod, not having an answer. He falls in step beside me as I take the regular route out to the surface of the Enclave.

“I’ve decided to give you a few days’ break,” he says as we walk. I slant a look at him. “Not for too long.” He chuckles. “So don’t think you can rest on your laurels. But I have a big match planned, and I want you in condition.”

“A big match?” I keep walking.

“Yes. The clients you impressed so much. They have a new champion. Some hotshot who’s hit the circuit. Cleaning up, they say.”

“Good to know.”

“They think it’s a sure thing. He’s been cutting a swathe through the underground ranks. But I know he’s no match for you, champ.” He slaps my shoulder.

“Sure,” I say.

“They say he’s huge. Another animal like you. But that’s no big deal. He doesn’t have your experience.”

“He doesn’t?” I slant another look at him.

“No. He’s still a juvenile. The kid’s not even shaving yet.” He chuckles again. “Though who could know how you animals work, right? I bet you shave from birth.”

“A kid?” I frown. “You mean a child?”

He’s got to be joking.

“Not a child. An animal. A bear. Their Russian bear.” He gives a dry chuckle. “Still, you’re more than a match. I’ve seen you in your beast form.”

“You want me to fight a boy?” I can’t believe what I’m hearing.

“Why are you making me spell this out? Age is irrelevant. Besides, animals mature quicker. I had an old Labrador who I had to put down at ten. So, this beast is practically geriatric. Come to think of it, you’re prehistoric.” He laughs as if this is the funniest thing in the world.

“We are not dogs, Parker!” I’m seething. “You’re talking about a little boy!”

“He’s a killer, Riot. Don’t let it bother you.” Parker’s hand is still on my shoulder.

“How could it not bother me?” I shake my head in disbelief.

“You’re making a big deal of this.” He’s scowling now. “I’m not discussing it further. You’ll do as I say.”

I stop. “No.”

“What do you mean no?”

“I said no.” I set my jaw, shrugging his hand off me. “I don’t kill children.”

“You do exactly what I say. You know this.”

“No!” I say more sharply, my body bristling with anger.

“Do I have to remind you why defying me is a bad idea?” His eyes narrow, cruel light flashing in them.

“It’s wrong. You can’t put children in the ring.”

“But you forget. There are no rules in this world, Riot. Aside from the ones I make. And I’m saying that you will take this fight.”

I’m staring at him now, wishing I could get my fingers around his scrawny neck. My hands curl into fists.

He gives a light laugh. “I know what you’re thinking.” He looks down at my fists. “You’re thinking you could take me right now.”

I let out a low growl.

“Think again, champ.” His stance is casual. We could be chatting about the weather. “Because you won’t lay a hand on me. And you will fight.”

“It’s enough. I won’t do this anymore. I’ve had enough,” I snarl. The stakes are high. They always are, with my sister’s life on the line. But this is too far.

“I’ll say when it’s enough. And it won’t be until the day you’re the one being dragged out of that ring in a bodybag, Riot. Until then, you know what’s at risk.”

“My sister,” I growl.

“Oh yes…” He grins darkly. “But now there’s more, isn’t there?”

More?

Cold realization begins to unfurl in the pit of my gut.

“Now, there’s her. And she’s right here, where I want her. Where she’s easy to get to.” He raises an eyebrow. “And don’t try to convince me you don’t care about the bitch – just because you prefer to ‘cuddle’ her instead of fucking her doesn’t mean your feelings aren’t obvious.”

“How do you—?” I start, then stop because I already know the answer.

“You don’t think I’d keep an eye on what’s going on in that room? You’ve barely touched her.” He snorts. “Far be it for me to question how you freaks get your rocks off, but I’m pretty sure that’s not how it’s done, regardless of species.”

Jesus. I feel sick.

He’s been watching us, after all. I suspected as much, but the confirmation of it makes my stomach roil. “You’re a twisted fuck, Parker.”

He shrugs. “I’m just keeping an eye on my investment. In any event, you will step into that ring when the time comes.”

Rage and dread swirl within me. “No,” I say yet again, even though the word means nothing at all. He’s tied my hands once more. Chained me with shackles that weigh more than the heaviest steel.

“Yes.” His smile is smug. “You will take this fight, Riot. Or I will make you watch as I cut your little pet to pieces.”