Secret Mayhem (Back Down Devil MC #4)(39)

The two then squared off, fists up.

They each took punches, dodging as needed. They circled each other. With each missed punch, Ava could see the rage on Shay’s face. The same for Nile. This was not just about a fight. Ava was at the center of this. She feared that if Shay lost the fight it would mean Nile would have the power to do whatever he wanted to Ava.

“If I asked you to kill Nile, would you?” Ava asked.

“If Shay wanted it, yes,” Jon said.

Nile connected a punch to Shay’s gut. Then came a quick second punch to his face. Ava jumped and grabbed Jon’s arm. Nile continued to swing but Shay backed up. Step after step, getting out of the way.

“They’re going to cheat,” Jon said. “Fuck, ma’am, I’m sorry for what you’re about to see.”

“What…”

Shay was close to the edge and that’s when a few of the Lost Men grabbed Shay’s arms. They held tight and Nile went crazy with his fists. Punch after punch, he moved fast, grunting so loud that Ava could hear him from where she was.

Jon turned and moved Ava out of his way. He started to move and Ava grabbed his arm.

“What are you doing?” Ava asked.

“I need to… oh shit, I can’t leave you.” Jon looked so unsure about what he should do. But he stayed by Ava's side.

Ava looked at Shay. Finally, some of the guys in Back Down Devil had made their way through the crowd and started attacking the Lost Men. When the guys let Shay go, he fell to one knee. His hands were on the ground.

He’s going to lose… No, he can't…

Ava was like a statue. Everything around her started to go black. All she could see was Shay’s face. Droplets of blood fell down to the pavement. Nile stood before Shay. He reached down and grabbed Shay by the hair and tilted his head back.

“He can’t lose,” Ava said.

The brawl between Back Down Devil and the Lost Men had calmed.

Nile started to say something to Shay and that’s when Shay attacked. He grabbed Nile by the back of his knees and pulled. Nile threw his arms out, losing his balance. Shay then jumped up and threw a hard right, hitting Nile in the mouth. Nile spun around once and stumbled back. Shay turned and jumped into the crowd of Lost Men, swinging like a wild man. Ava had never seen anything like this before.

Shay hit man after man and took punch after punch as though he didn’t feel it. When Shay was thrown back into the circle, he stood with his hands at his sides, blood on his face, his body glistening with sweat and blood. That’s when Ava realized she was turned on.

Extremely turned on.

Shay looked right at her and nodded. Ava nodded back and gave a wave. She wanted to see it now. She wanted to see Shay destroy Nile. The urge for violence was suddenly a fire in her blood. It made her angry. It made her want Shay so badly.

When Shay turned to face Nile, he was ready to fight again. Nile threw a fist and Shay moved to the side. Instead of punching Nile, he kept moving. Shay taunted Nile with his face movements and inability to accept defeat.

Finally, Nile stood in the center of the circle. He looked around. The look on his face showed no fear. He was ruthless. He reached down and lifted the leg of his jeans. When he grabbed a knife, the entire crowd started to stir.

“That’s not good,” Jon said. “Not allowed.”

“They don’t care about rules!” Ava screamed. And that was the truth.

The Lost Men had no interest in stopping Nile and Gaige and Erik went after a few of them. When guys from another crew started to come into the circle to restrain Nile, Shay shockingly called them off. He put his fists up, ready to fight a man with a knife.

Nile came at Shay fast, but Shay moved out of the way and punched Nile in the gut. And then he swung hard at Nile’s face, hitting him. When Nile turned, the knife came across and sliced Shay at his ribs. Shay screamed and dropped to one knee again. Nile tried to take advantage of the move and rushed at Shay, but Shay threw his leg out, tripping Nile. Shay jumped on top of Nile and tackled him to the ground.

Ava saw the knife fall from Nile’s hand and finally let out the breath she had been holding.

Shay began smashing Nile's head off the ground. Over and over. Thud after thud. After a few seconds, Ava expected the fight to be called, but it wasn’t. They were going to let Shay get his revenge on Nile.

“If you disrespect the fight, you pay,” Jon said. “You might want to look away.”

“No,” Ava said. “If he deserves…”

Just then, Trev walked into the center of the circle. He grabbed the knife. At the same time, Miller and Gaige came into the circle. Trev put a hand out and shook his head. Miller and Gaige stopped.

Trev put a hand to Shay’s shoulder. Shay turned and punched Trev in the stomach. Trev stumbled back. Shay stood and looked around. When he saw Miller and Gaige, he backed away. He walked backwards, his eyes on Nile’s body.

“Ma’am, look away,” Jon said. “This is…”

“Shut up,” Ava said. She grabbed Jon by the arm and squeezed tight. She moved to her toes.

“I’m begging you,” Jon said. “If you’ve never…”

Ava looked at Jon and then slapped him. “You listen to me. Leave me the f*ck alone.”

Jon nodded.

Trev moved over Nile and in one swift motion, he brought the knife down into Nile’s chest. And just like that, the fight between Shay and Nile and the fear of Nile having his way with her was over.