Chapter 5

Chapte r 5

Daelyn

I swear this stupid warehouse is gaslighting me. I know damn well this is where that cage fight was two weeks ago. Ace drove me here, so I never got the actual address, but I distinctly remember the faded sign propped on the edge of the roof with the words worn off it. The atrocity looms over me now, taunting me.

That night still feels like a fever dream. The fighter I fucked being nothing more than a fantasy I’d made up in my warped little mind. But I remember, with perfect, clarity how his strong hands grazed my body. How his lush mouth pressed against mine. The scent of his blood while it dripped all over the floor and my chest. His deep voice rumbling against my ear when he asked if I’d come there of my own volition.

All because I can’t figure out how to find this man doesn’t mean he was a figment of my imagination, damnit.

Marching around the building, I look through one of the filthy windows like I have every single time I’ve been here in the past two weeks. And just like every other time I’ve looked, the inside is still completely empty. Not a trace of that night remains. It shouldn’t be possible. I saw the lights and all the equipment the other night. It was all here . That man was fucking here . Larger than life. Unforgettable. But now the cage is gone. The chairs aren’t here. No bars loaded with booze line the back nor are there projector screens covering the four walls. No trashcans, or lights, or people, either. The entire place looks like an abandoned hollow shell.

Frustration makes me want to scream.

Okay. Chill. It’s not like I was in my right state of mind when Ace dropped me off that night. And it was super dark out. There aren’t any lights in the parking lot either, so maybe I’m not in the right place after all.

Shit .

“Can I help you, darlin’?”

Startled, I spin around, clutching my heart. “Oh! Sorry.” The old man coming closer doesn’t look happy to see me, but I am very, very happy to see him. He’s the one who chained me against the wall in the bedroom upstairs. “I’m… um. I was here a couple weeks ago. Do you remember?”

His expression is unreadable.

“For the fight?” I add, hoping I don’t sound delusional.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but this is private property. I suggest you move along. It’s getting late and nothing good happens around here at night. Especially to pretty women like yourself.”

I’m not scared. I’ve faced worse than whatever could come get me here. “I know you remember me. I was the woman you brought upstairs.”

He doesn’t respond.

“I was there for the winner,” I press, starting to second-guess myself again. “There was a cage in there. And hundreds of people.”

The old man purses his lips and shakes his head. “You got the wrong place, darlin’. This building’s been closed for over a decade. And I’ve never seen you before. I’d for damn sure remember a pretty little pussy cat like you.”

“I’m telling you, I—” Forget it. He’s either suffering from memory loss, lying, or I’m certifiably crazy. “Sorry, I’ll leave.”

My heart clammers in my chest as I walk around the side of the building towards the front again. I had to take the bus here, and it’s a long way back home. For the past two weeks, I’ve come here every night, expecting to find that fighter only to leave empty-handed.

He’s not here.

Nothing is here.

Kaleb’s going to be furious that I’ve failed him, but this isn’t the place and I don’t have a name to search. I don’t have anything except the phantom sensation of that fighter’s huge cock between my thighs and the red skin on my wrists from the cuffs, which have already disappeared like they never existed in the first place.

Ace won’t help me either, even though he’s the one who drove me here that night. It’s like everyone’s making my mission more difficult on purpose, and I hate it.

Fuck all these assholes.

Leaving the parking lot, I sense that old man’s gaze burning into my back. Anger spikes in my veins and I ball my hands into fists, relishing the bite of my nails digging into my palms. I want to punch something. Someone. Anyone.

I’m not crazy. This is the right place.

And I’m coming back every fucking night until I find what I’m looking for.

What other choice do I have? The Monarch Club requires a membership, and I can’t afford one, so that’s not an option. Besides, I don’t even know the name of the fighter or if he’s a member or employee there. And I’m not about to bang on the door of that ritzy place because I’m too paranoid that I’m being followed, and I can’t let Kaleb know I withheld any information from him about this guy. There’s no way I could explain showing up at a random fancy sex club for no reason. He'd see right through that lie and knock my teeth out.

Constantly vigilant, I scan the street over and over while making my way back to the bus stop. I’m tired, hungry, and fed up.

Addie’s spending the night at her friend’s house tonight, which is the only good thing that’s happened today. Work was exhausting. I’m flat broke, thanks to all the bills that came in through the week, and I’m sexually frustrated beyond belief.

Headlights shine from behind me, and my paranoia kicks into third gear. I’m sure it’s one of Kaleb’s cronies tailing me. Holding my head high, I don’t dare look back to check. The bus stop is just up ahead, and by the time I reach it, the bus is already pulling over.

The ride home takes forever.

My eyes are burning when I finally make it to my destination. Cars pass by every so often, but I’m not nearly as scared in my neighborhood as I am in others. The streetlights keep things illuminated well, and there are two women jogging on the other side of the road together.

Shoving my key in, I unlock my front door, step inside, and take in a deep breath. Safe at home, I can finally let my guard down again.

Tonight was another bust, but I’m not giving up until I find that guy. I can’t. Kaleb doesn’t make empty threats and there’s no way I’ll risk his wrath. Not when I’m so close to getting out of his circle of Hell.

“There is no getting out,” the darkness in my mind whispers.

I tell it to shut up.

Kaleb doesn’t lie. What he says, he means. He promised I’d be out after this mission, so I have to believe it’s the truth. If it’s not, I’ll die… either mentally, spiritually, or physically. Likely all three, knowing how thorough Kaleb is.

In the dark, I slip upstairs, and stop at Addie’s bedroom. Pushing her door open, I inhale the scent of her perfume and remind myself why I’m doing all of this. Her room’s a mess. I love it. To me, it shows that she’s comfortable and safe. Before she came to live with me, Addie stayed with a foster mom who had severe OCDs and was a neat freak to the nth degree. One sock out of order, or a shirt not hung up correctly in the closet, and she’d beat your ass for it, and the dad was just as strict.

I’m so glad Addie’s away from that foster family, but I’ve dragged her into another bad situation. One she doesn’t even realize she’s in the middle of.

My stomach drops as I close her door and head to my bedroom down the hall.

Clicking on the light at my bedside table, I sit down and kick off my shoes. Too tired to cry, too numb to care, I strip out of my clothes and set my alarm for work in the morning. Five a.m. is going to come way too fast, especially considering it’s already two.

What was I thinking, hunting down a stranger in the middle of the night? I must be insane.

Dragging my sorry ass into the bathroom, I wash my face, brush my teeth, and stare at my reflection for a long time. I barely recognize myself anymore. The dark circles under my eyes make me look like a drugged racoon. I haven’t washed my hair in four days and it’s so greasy that not even a messy bun can help it anymore.

You know what? Enough is enough.

I start the shower and hook my phone up to my little speaker so I can blast screamy music while I reset my life—starting with a shampoo, shave, and sugar scrub. By the time I’m done, I feel worlds better. Now to snag a couple hours of sleep before work.

Sauntering back into my bedroom naked, terror clutches my throat when I see I’m not alone.

It’s him .

Sitting on my bed is the man I fucked two weeks ago. Only he looks completely different from that night. No more busted, swollen face and blood dripping everywhere. In fact, this guy doesn’t look anything like the man I slept with in the warehouse. That one looked dangerous.

This one looks devastatingly dangerous.

The night we fucked, I didn’t get a good look at him, considering one of his eyes was completely swollen shut, and the other was close to the same condition. Not to mention the poor lighting in the room and the fact that I’d shut my mind down and went into autopilot for most of it.

This guy—the way he’s built, the grace with which he moves, the breadth of his shoulders, the clothes, the energy he exudes—he’s the perfect villain for any story.

No wonder I’m attracted to him.

He remains sitting on my bed with his hands clasped and elbows resting on his knees. “What do you want?” he asks in a gruff tone.

My mouth runs dry. I’ve been searching for him for two weeks with no success and he’s found me instead. This should bring me some semblance of relief, but it doesn’t. “How did you get into my house?”

He looks up at me with eyes that are the palest ice blue I’ve ever seen. They almost look silver. “Answer my question first.”

I don’t want to. There’s nothing I can say that will help me. I look like a psycho either way. Stick to the truth. Keep it simple and short . “I wanted to find you.”

“Why?”

He’s not flattered. He’s terrifying.

And my pussy purrs like I’m in heat.

His gaze doesn’t sail lower than my chin, so he can’t see how my nipples are hardening or that my thighs are pressed tighter together. Water drips from my hair, trickling down my back and onto the floor. I can’t budge to grab something to cover myself with. Hell, I can’t even grab my gun, considering he’s sitting on top of where it’s stashed.

“I don’t like repeating myself, but I will just this once.” He rolls his shoulders back and deadlocks his gaze on me. “ Why did you want to find me?”

I don’t have an answer that will save me. “ How did you find me ?”

“I followed you home.”

He’s what I felt watching me, not Kaleb’s cronies. Holy crap. “Why?”

He stands up and must be at least six-four. His black t-shirt stretches tightly across his bulky chest and his arms bulge with muscle. I know he has scars on his chest.

I know the size of his dick. The way it feels inside me.

I know the heat of his touch when he wraps his hands around me.

The stroke of his tongue.

Bite of his teeth.

A breath shudders out of me as I cautiously step back.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” he says.

Bullshit. I’m in the middle of a dangerous game with Kaleb and his enemy. The only one who will get hurt is me.

“What do you want?” I take another step back.

“I want to know why you’re so fucking desperate.”

I stall out and lie. “I’m not desperate.”

“Yes, you are.” He closes in on me. “You’ve been looking for me.”

Lying will get me into worse trouble, but I want to deny the truth. “I was only looking for another cage fight.” There. That’s not technically a lie. If I found another cage fight, I might have also found him. Win-win.

“You got a thing for fighters, little Firefly?”

Firefly ? That’s a weird one.

“Not really.” But the way my body’s reacting to this man says otherwise. “I mean, not all fighters.”

“So, just me, then?” His cocky grin shoots heat to my core.

Is he flirting with me right now? Maybe flirting back will help me out of the hole I’ve dug myself into. I soften my expression and offer a coy smile. “Maybe.”

He prowls closer. My room is small, so it doesn’t take more than three steps before he’s nearly on me with my back against the wall. He could eat me alive and leave no trace behind.

I hate how much that turns me on.

His tone is dark when he asks, “Why me?”

My mouth is so dry, I can’t swallow. “I…”

His frosted gaze roams over my face as if he’s noting every little detail. Then his eyes drop to my mouth. “Answer me.”

Lie, Daelyn. Say whatever you have to . “I want to get to know you.”

He chuckles, amused at my feeble attempt to flatter him. “Why?”

“Why not?”

He twirls a long chunk of my wet hair between his fingers. “I’m not the one for you, Firefly. Don’t mistake the other night for something more than it was.”

“And what was that?”

“You were a prize. A hole to fuck. That’s all, babygirl.”

I hate that nickname so much. “Daelyn,” I correct. “My name is Daelyn, not babygirl.”

“Daelyn,” he repeats like he’s decoding an ancient language.

“Do you have a name?”

“Yes.” He flashes another smile and tilts his head, studying me.

“Are you going to tell me what it is?”

“No.” He tilts his head the other way. It makes me squirm even if I’m not afraid of him as much as I was two minutes ago. If he was here to hurt me, he would have at least touched me by now. “Not until you tell me why you’ve been to that old warehouse every night for the past two weeks.”

How does he know that? Heat fills my cheeks. “I told you. I wanted to get to know you.”

“Why?”

Because it’s the only way out of the trouble I’m in . “Because you… you’re…” Words fail me when he licks his lips, staring at my mouth like he wants to kiss me. It makes all my brain cells flicker and die.

“You’re what?” He continues twirling my hair in his fingers.

“Desperate.” The confession slams down like an axe between us, severing the tension.

His brow crinkles and eyes harden. “Dmitri,” he says darkly, letting go of my hair. “My name is Dmitri.”

Then he kisses me so hard, he lifts me off the motherfucking ground.