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  Luck was on her side. She passed Andy on his way out, and he gave her a curt salute. However, Hector didn’t let her off the hook so easily. He was leaving the locker room when he saw her.

  “Deva! Rusty told us you were gone on personal business for a few days. Is everything alright? Are you well?”

  She hesitated, not knowing what the fiery Puerto Rican knew about his friend, so she decided to play it safe.

  “All is good, Hector. Everything is under control now. How’s your thigh?”

  His smile was back and dazzling. “Good, but I need your hands on me again.”

  He winked at her and his playfulness somehow dissipated her dark mood. “If I get my hands on you, you will suffer.”

  “Not as much as fighting with the new guy. That dude’s brutal. A machine. I’ll wait until my next fight session with him before booking time with your gentle hands.”

  Deva shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. “Go ice and rest. I’ll think how gentle I can be tomorrow.”

  He winked at her again and left. When Deva looked around, the place was deserted, apart from the new guy trying to kill an innocent sandbag.

  Why did she come here? Now that she had arrived, her legs felt like jelly. There was no way she was getting on that treadmill and surviving it. Instead, she grabbed the change of clothes that she kept at the gym, and went to Rusty’s private bathroom to shower. All her movements were mechanical, as her mind constantly reverted to Aleksei, on what happened in his apartment and his quick chat with his dad. Gaining his trust would be her biggest challenge now, and that might be impossible. Not with the little time they had together and his suspicions. But there was a part of her that wasn’t quite ready to throw in the towel. A debt was a debt, and somehow, Aleksei had shifted in her mind. There was still something she could do, she could feel it even though she didn’t know quite what it was.

  Still playing with possibilities in her head, she shut off the water, dried herself off, and put on clean clothes. Just that simple task soothed her mind enough to calm her down.

  Gathering her stuff, she returned to the gym to see it empty again, the lights dim. The new guy must have gotten tired of destroying the punching bag. Making sure everything was in order, she was about to close up when her phone rang in her bag. Gabrielle.

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  “Just got news from my favorite hacker about Aleksei’s phone. He just got an email about the venue for his next fight. I’m texting you the address right now.”

  Deva looked at her phone to see the message and frowned. “Hell, it’s one of the most dangerous areas around here. I don’t have my nose to the ground like I used to, but this territory is still being disputed by at least three gangs. No cab will take me there, I’ll have to rent a car, and you will pay for the damages my friend because trust me, if I drive it there, it will never be the same.

  “Hey! I don’t want you there. Not alone at least. Let’s plan for someone to go with you. Or maybe I can get an agent to be hooked up with a camera…”

  “Oh, I’m going. And I’m not bringing you with me. No way. Two women would stand out like a sore thumb. Even being accompanied by one of your guys could be tricky.”

  “Well, that’s the other thing, the fight time has been changed. For today, midnight.”

  “Tonight? Shit.” One look at her phone told her that she had an hour to get there and get in.

  “Deva, I’ll send an agent, even Sully is willing to accompany you. Wait for him to pick you up.”

  “I don’t have time to wait for him, you wanted me to stay close to Aleksei, to protect him if need be, then this is it. I’ll contact you when we both get out, and Rusty may be with us too. I’m supposed to hear from Sasha tomorrow morning, try to see if she can come sooner. I’ll let you know where I’m heading as soon as it’s over. And don’t come close to the area, you’ll put me in more danger than you know.”

  Gabrielle growled on the other end. “I don’t like that one bit.”

  Deva exhaled, trying to get rid of her discomfort at what was going to happen. “Me neither, but we don’t have any choice if we want to save Aleksei. Trust me, I know how to deal with the devil, it’s a family thing.”

  As she disconnected the call, she returned to Rusty’s office and grabbed one of the gym’s hoodies he sold. It was dark enough and oversized to hide most of her to the knees. With a jean and her pair of sneakers, she would be good to go. She pocketed her phone and left everything else in her bag.

  She was taming her still wet hair into a ponytail and going for the door when she jumped at a voice behind her.

  “You’re not going in there alone, Deva.”

  She twisted around to see the new guy behind her, tall, very blond, dressed in black and his handsome face set in stone.

  “You’re spying on me now, stranger? And how do you know my name, we haven’t even been introduced yet.”

  The man’s blue eyes twinkled. “The guys only talk about you and your magic hands.” But soon he turned dead serious again. “I’m not spying on you. Not really, but I heard you talking and from what I could guess you’re going into a mess. And I’m good at handling a mess.”

  Was he for real? “No offense, new guy, but I don’t know you, and you may be built and beautiful, but I need someone who can be cool under fire.”

  The man didn’t even seem offended at her words. “I’m a former SEAL. Is that cool enough for you? And I’ve been a consultant for many rescue organizations. I have more experience in fire combat and war situations than you can imagine.”

  She frowned, not quite convinced yet. “If you are lying, you are putting yourself at greater risk. The people I work with will have my head if an outsider comes with me and gets killed. And Gabrielle would have what was left of me.”

  Deva blinked when she saw the change in his face when she spoke the name of her handler.

  “Gabrielle Thorne? Is she the one in charge of you in this? No! Don’t speak. I know her. In fact, she’s the wife of my swim buddy and best friend, Sullivan. He’s a Navy SEAL too.”

  Deva didn’t know what to do. He was dropping names nobody knew about, not even her cousin Sasha. And before he could speak, he continued. “Beatrice Dante is the founder of Purgatory, one of the organizations I worked for. You can call them, call any of them. They will vouch for me.”

  There was no time for double-checking anything, and she had to rely on what she saw and her instinct. Going alone to the fight would be suspicious, especially when she revealed herself at the entrance. No one would come alone. But did she trust him? She was a good judge of character, and her gut told her that she could. And as she didn’t have the time to do a background check…

  “What’s your name, Navy SEAL?”

  “Lance.”

  “Lance, are you related to any mob family, MC or crime association?”

  The man seemed to be taken aback by her question and crossed his muscled arms as he frowned.

  “Hell, no. I come from a simple family. My brothers are crazies, but that’s another story. Why are you asking? It has to do with Aleksei Voronov? He’s stuck in some sort of gang war?”

  “If only it were that simple. To keep it short, his brother, Lazarus King wants to protect him from their father.”

  Lance inhaled sharply. “Lazarus King? I know him. And if we are talking about his father, you must be referring to Jamieson Finch. In that case, you are not only in one hell of a mess but a dangerous one. Just fill me in on the rest while we drive there.”

  Before surrendering with gratitude, there was another question she needed to ask. “Why do you want to help me?”

  The large warrior angled his head as if assessing her question.

  “My first instinct, before you said anything about Gabby, it’s what my mother ingrained in me. Never turn your back on a lady in distress.”

  Time was running out, and if she were going to jump, it would be all the way. And there were worse partners than a seaso
ned warrior. “Sorry to tell you that, but I’m not the one in distress. Stick close to me, act protective, don’t stare at anybody and don’t start a fight. The rest, we’ll decide when we get there. Do you have a car?”

  The giant man relaxed a bit, glad she finally accepted his aid. “My pickup truck is parked on the street.”

  Deva smirked at her new giant friend. “I hope you don’t like it too much, because it may never recover from where we are going.”

  Chapter 13

  Finding the fight location was the easy part. As Deva expected, the whole thing was organized in an empty warehouse in the suburbs. The parking was packed, and what drew her eyes were the endless rows of motorcycles parked all around. She forced herself to take deep breaths and calm down. Not waiting any longer, she put a cap on her head and got out as soon as the pickup truck stopped. Lance stayed by her side, close and alert. She could see men looking in their direction, but none of them were familiar to her. In ten years, a lot could have changed, and she wasn’t known to other families, to begin with.

  Nonetheless, Deva tugged the cap lower on her face before pulling the hood over her head. The last thing she needed was to advertise her real identity. Not yet. As they approached, music boomed from inside the structure, scorching her ears. Some things never changed.

  As expected, at the entrance, security pulled them aside and searched them.

  “Are you invited?” The man addressed Lance, but Deva stepped between the two men before he could answer.

  “I’m always invited.” She turned her back to the man and tugged at her hoodie and t-shirt, showing him her tattoo that adorned her skin just above her buttocks and up her side. It was more than just a tattoo, it had been done to her as a young girl. It was specific to her father, known by everybody as it adorned every one of her family members and some of the most influent members of the MC. Often she’d thought about having it removed, but something had prevented her, and she knew why now.

  Recognizing the symbols instantly, the man didn’t hesitate and nodded at her. “You are welcome, ma’am, you and your guest. Enjoy the show.”

  She nodded and turned to Lance who simply winked and stuck to her side. The place was packed and the music deafening. Deva was aware how dangerous the situation was. Keeping her head low, she looked at the crowd and decided to skim the outer wall.

  The cage was surrounded by bleachers like in an arena. Everything was painted black and strategic spotlights lit the stage. Colored lights blinked in the crowd making faces difficult to recognize. When in place at the bottom of the stairs near the cage, Deva tried to locate Rusty in the crowd. The heavy metal music was pounding through her body, and the crowd was getting wilder in front of the cage. The scene almost looked post-apocalyptic. Scanning the crowd, she saw that it was composed of various groups. This was no ordinary tournament, all the badasses of the city had willingly come together to sacrifice their best fighters so they could consolidate alliances and resolve problems. No rules, no winner until the loser fell unconscious or preferably dead on the mat. Deva battled old memories and suppressed a shiver, trying to concentrate.

  What the hell was Aleksei doing here? When he’d come back from the last fight half beaten to death. What was his purpose? No wonder he wasn’t participating in the official MMA circuit. If the organization knew what he was doing at night, he would be banned for life.

  The crowd roared when two fighters entered the cage. As the first bout was to start, she spotted Rusty coming out from what seemed to be the locker room. Not letting the ginger-haired man get out of her sight, she slithered through the mass of bodies until she could finally reach him. Touching him, the older man snarled and recoiled, ready for an attack, until he zoomed on her face. Shock was quickly replaced by anger.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” And his eyes went wide when he noticed Lance beside her.

  “I could ask you the same question, Rusty. For a man who is dead set on saving Aleksei, you have one hell of a way of showing it. Helping him back into this hell hole.”

  He grabbed her elbow and pushed her against the wall, shielding her from sight, although she knew that her outfit concealed her face well enough.

  “You followed me. You shouldn’t have Deva. And enrolling Lance in your little outing will get him in trouble.”

  “He came of his own free will. And no, I didn’t follow you. I had contacts that told me where the fight would take place. Now that I’m here tell me what’s going on. Do you know why Aleksei is fighting, what’s his goal?”

  “You need to leave. Now.”

  She knew a stubborn man when she saw one, and Rusty was no exception. “I’m not going anywhere, so get used to it. Where is Aleksei?”

  Rusty groaned and shook his head. “He mustn’t see you here. Nobody must know you are here. I’m not even supposed to be here.”

  The man looked around before turning back to her. “You have to go, Deva.”

  She looked over his shoulder and cringed, seeing the two fighters now covered with blood, but still going at it.

  “Why is Aleksei fighting in underground combats while trying to go mainstream with you? It doesn’t make sense.”

  Deva winced when she saw one of the fighters in the cage break the leg of his opponent. The man yelled in pain before crumbling down, but that didn’t stop the other madman from jumping on him, bashing him until two security guys pulled him away. EMTs came running, almost slipping on the blood covering the floor.

  People screamed and shouted all around them, Deva almost couldn’t hear Rusty’s answer.

  “It’s his choice, Deva.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He doesn’t owe anybody. He wants to be here, Deva.”

  The words rang wrong in her ears. But Rusty’s face told her she had heard right.

  “Deva, in the warehouse, right now, there are the most dangerous men in the city. The mafia, biker clubs, gangs… the most ruthless men are here to compete. Aleksei didn’t tell me why, but I guess it’s some sort of debt. Personal. Very personal.”

  Deva ignored his warning. She was a spawn of that world, but she didn’t tell Rusty.

  A cleaning crew appeared in the ring, wiping the mat in preparation for the next fight.

  “You have to go, Deva. Now.”

  “But you came. Do you intend on standing in his corner?”

  Rusty hesitated, and Diva understood immediately. “If someone sees you here, recognizes you as Aleksei’s ally, and friend, you would be tied to whoever he’s affiliated to. No more neutral immunity. And you too Lance.”

  She would protect Lance the best she could so the man would come out of it unscathed. If she were discovered here, her ties would protect her. Partly at least. As she wasn’t yet claimed, it could prove to be problematic as a woman had less power than a man, and even fewer rights unless she was married, sold, or owned.

  “I couldn’t stay away, Deva. Same as you. I went to see him in the lockers. He’s one strong son of a bitch. I don’t know much about his life, but I can see that he went through some tough shit. Worse than anyone I know, and that says something.”

  Two other fighters entered the cage. Deva started to look at the carnage repeating itself in the cage. Other warriors, but the same unbridled determination and rage. Animalistic in the worst way. But she’d seen similar rage in Aleksei’s eyes when he let his guard down. Rusty’s words resonated as true in her mind. He’d gone through hell and was still trapped in there, unable to break free for whatever reason. She should be heading for the door, focus on her life and the future she was still working so hard to grab. But how could she do it knowing that Aleksei was alone fighting his demons?

  “What a mess, Rusty.”

  The coach nodded and turned to look at the cage once more. The fight was still on, both opponents determined to be the last one standing. Hits flew, and Deva saw more and more illegal tricks. Blood started to spill, and as it went on, partly hidden by Lance, she started to examine the
crowd present. Men in suits clashed with bikers’ leathers, and gang members. One constant was the tattoos. Even the men in sharp suits sported impressive amounts on their hands and necks. Most of them had their back to her, except one. A man she recognized. Tall, dark with silver eyes. It was as if he absorbed light. But beyond the jet-black hair, thick beard and clear eyes stood Lazarus King. Damn, the situation was starting to be unbelievably complicated. She needed to get Rusty out of there. It would be impossible to protect both men and Lance had a better chance in her eyes.

  “Rusty, you need to go. Now. Before the fight.”

  The man blinked at her as if she was speaking nonsense. “Are you out of your mind? I’m not leaving, and you should be the one running out of here.”

  Deva prayed for patience and leaned to his ear. “Rusty, I know you can keep your mouth shut, so listen well. I’m an MC princess. My real name is not Deva. I’m part of the Dark Blood Row MC. I’m the daughter of their president. I’m safer here than you would ever be. Trust me. I can’t protect you if everything goes south. I’m here to protect Aleksei. I know how to deal the outside ring and take care of him; I’ve done that before.”

  The man looked at her as if she had sprouted a second head. “You? Why? Why would you do that for him?”

  Why was a good question, and she had to be honest. “He doesn’t want to be here. And I know how it feels to be trapped in this world. I was lucky enough to find someone on my path to help me out. I’ll do what I can for Aleksei too. But for that, he needs to stay alive. Please, Rusty, trust me on this. Leave me to it. I have Lance if I get in trouble, but with you here, it’s getting complicated.”

  Another roar from the crowd drew her eyes away from the older man. Another combat had been concluded with an unconscious man in a seizure on the mat. At least, he was still alive. What a grim thought.