Game(36)

“Why the f*ck not?”

“Because of what this all means,” Finn said boldly. “What do you expect from us? I’m just a fighter, Fiore. And she’s a runaway. It’s not going to do what you want.”

Fiore laughed. He clapped his hands together. “I know exactly what it’s going to do. It’s going to destroy Zander. It’s going to tear him apart. He’s going to feel the pain I feel when I have something he wants.”

“You need to promise me the protection and care of Shayna,” Finn said.

“What?” Fiore asked.

“You’re not going to do this and then just leave her to die. She deserves more. She never wanted this life, Fiore.”

“Oh, so you’re going to hold me hostage?” Fiore asked. “Do you realize I have three men with me who would be more than willing to tear Shayna apart right now? Right in your precious cabin. Your little home you built, right? Is that what you’re afraid of?”

I felt Finn starting to shake. I worried he was going to hit Fiore.

“Just give us time,” I said. “So much at once…”

“Don’t speak unless I tell you to,” Fiore said to me. “All I need you to do is be naked from the waist down. I’ll even be nice and have you on your stomach. You just stick that ass of yours in the air and let it all happen.”

“This is my fault,” Finn said. “Be angry with me, Fiore.”

“Oh, I want to put a bullet in your head. But I can’t. Not with the opportunity in front of me.”

“Opportunity?” I asked.

Fiore backed up. “I was really hoping to come here and spread all the good news. I was hoping to find you two tired from f*cking so much. Or maybe Shayna feeling pregnant. But I’ve already invested money in this, so I have to ride it out. You have a fight, Finn. Two nights from now.”

“A fight,” Finn said.

“Big money on it. You win and you get a nice cut. A nice paycheck. I’m thinking maybe the heat of the fight and the risk of death will get you fired up, Finn. Either way, I’m going to win. Know why?”

“Why?” Finn asked.

“Because you’re going to win the fight,” Fiore said. “I know that. I trust you. You’re a good fighter. If you lose the fight, I kill you. Right there, right in the circle. So I know you’re going to win. Now, as far as my Shayna problem…” Fiore then looked at me. “I win again.”

“How?” I asked.

“Because I’m done playing this game,” Fiore said. “Starting the night of the fight, Shayna, you become mine. And I’ll make sure I get what I want.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Finn asked.

“I’ll make sure she’s taken care of,” Fiore said. “I have plenty of guys that would love a quick and easy f*ck.” Fiore put his sunglasses back on. “Start training for your fight, Finn. And you might want to think about f*cking Shayna.”

Fiore then walked away. He got into the SUV and it backed away.

Finn and I stood in silence together.

I felt his hand move. I thought he was tearing away from me. But he wasn’t. He opened his fingers and interlocked them with mine. That’s when he squeezed my hand. That’s when he looked at me.

I hoped to see his eyes burning with raging confidence and lust.

They didn’t.

I had no idea what Finn was thinking.

And it scared the hell out of me.





25.


(Finn)



My target was a guy called Brick. His real name was Brian. He was a well trained fighter who had traveled the world. He worked open ground and underground. Walking the best of both worlds, Brian was not known for losing fights. They called him Brick because his hands were so damn big that when he made a fist, his knuckles and fingers squared up and it looked like a brick.

Simple as that.

There was a huge crowd at the fight.

Fiore had tons of security there, making sure Zander or his crew weren’t going to try and make an attack. I couldn’t get involved in any of the background noise.

I had a fight to win.

I stood in an empty room and finished taping up my hands. I made fists then stretched my fingers. I threw a few punches to the air, trying to get my body to loosen up. I then stood there and stared at a wall. It was my pre-fight trick to swipe my mind clean. Nothing mattered but winning this fight. Fiore had made his warning very clear. If I didn’t win, I was f*cked. Dead. Then Shayna was…

Shit.

Fiore was going to take her anyway.

I couldn’t save her. I couldn't protect her. I was a fighter. This deep mob and family stuff was far beyond me. I was some punk kid who grew up on the street. Born of Irish descent, never knowing where my family came from or what they did. Like a stray animal just getting through life, that’s all I was.

I felt Shayna behind me. I turned and looked at her. Again, nothing but jeans and a t-shirt and she had my heart racing.

“I’m sorry about this,” I said. “All of this. I can help you run.”

“I can’t go anywhere,” she said. “There’s no reason why we can’t do what he wants, Finn. Just to try. I mean, we have time. We talked about that. We just have to…”