Thicker Than Blood (Thicker Than Blood #1)(75)

“I liked it,” he admitted, his voice hoarse.

I let out a sigh of relief and fatigue. I was exhausted, tired, and sore to the point where I knew I wouldn’t be able to stand upright for much longer. But this moment, it was an important one, a turning point in both my life and Alex’s, in our blossoming relationship, in finding our places within a world we hated, and I didn’t want to dismiss it or him.

“Alex,” I said, arching my neck and brushing my lips against his. “I liked that you liked it.”

What I didn’t say, what I couldn’t even admit to myself, was that some small part of me had liked it as well. Though, for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why.





Chapter Thirty



Evelyn

It was midday before Leisel finally began to stir, and Alex still had yet to sleep. After carrying her back to our room, her cradled against his chest, he’d held her for hours, watching her sleep, staring at her so intently, so full of sexual energy, that I barely recognized him. Gone was the silent, brooding, usually moody man who’d saved our lives. This was an infinitely more sexual version of Alex, reminiscent of a man possessed.

As for me, I hadn’t been able to stomach an entire night of watching Leisel dance in that ludicrous cage, watching the men and women below her using her body as a sexual stimulant, pleasuring themselves as they stared up at her. But Alex, he’d been the opposite, seemingly obvious to everyone else in the room, to anyone but her. With his hands shoved deep into his pockets, his eyes glazed over with raw fascination as he simply stared.

He was still staring. Leisel hadn’t had the energy to even change her clothes when we’d gotten back to our room. Sprawled across the dirty mattress, she was still wearing the same provocative ensemble, and Alex still couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her.

I, however, was staring at the delivery that had arrived a few hours ago for Leisel. Leisel’s old clothes, and her payment for services rendered—a pitiful bag of canned food, bottled water, and a single T-shirt emblazoned with a trucking company’s logo. That was her wages for an entire night of dancing nearly naked, for giving those greedy bastards a part of her she never should have had to. And how had she been repaid? With virtually nothing. Her soul and her pride were only worth a couple of meals and a lousy T-shirt.

Even worse was the stream of visitors we’d had. Mattie had dropped by first, informing us that Leisel would be working again tonight. After that, two men had knocked, wanting to speak with Alex. I hadn’t told him what they had wanted, how they had tried to barter for Leisel’s body. Then Liv had graced us with her horrible presence, simply to inform us that Alex and I would both be participating in the fights today.

Through it all, Leisel had slept.

“Do you think we should wake her?” I asked Alex softly.

“No,” he replied without bothering to look my way, his gaze fixed firmly on her sleeping form.

My shoulders slumping, I turned back to Leisel’s insulting payment and fell silent again, wondering what it would be like to be a man in this new world instead of a woman. Wishing, not for the first time, that Leisel and I didn’t have to rely on Alex for safety, unable to trust anyone or anything.

“Will you be okay?” Alex asked suddenly, and I turned to face him, surprised.

“What?”

“The fight,” he said, finally looking away from Leisel. “Will you be okay?”

My brows raised; I was shocked that he was even asking. “I think so,” I said slowly. “I guess it depends on my opponent.”

What I didn’t say was that I wondered if it was going to be worth it. After seeing Leisel’s meager earnings, I couldn’t help but doubt it would be. It just made it clearer to me that we needed to bargain, beg, or earn what we could as quickly as we could, and then get the hell out of here. Sooner rather than later.

Alex suddenly stood, towering over me as he rolled his shoulders. His usual scowl missing, he looked younger somehow, more like the young man he would have been if the world hadn’t gone to hell.

“Do you even know how to fight, Eve?” He quirked one thick, dark eyebrow in question.

Rolling my eyes, I snorted out a laugh. “Yes, Alex. I know how to fight.”

“Show me,” he said as he slowly approached me, his hands raised, his palms facing front.

I shrugged, figuring a bit of practice might actually be good for me. Who knew what kind of training my opponent would have? Plus, I hadn’t fought in years.

Getting to my feet, I shifted my body into position, raising my arms and curling my hands into fists. Smirking, Alex circled me, assessing and judging my stance until he was once again standing in front of me.

“You’ve fought before,” he said with a small smile, appreciation warming his eyes.

“Three years of kick boxing.”

Leisel’s quiet voice shocked us both, and immediately I dropped my arms and rushed to her side. As I knelt on the floor beside the mattress, Alex took a seat beside her on the bed.

“So, did I earn my millions last night?” She laughed softly, looking at me. “Am I famous now?”

“You did great,” Alex answered. Glancing over top of her head, he gave me a stony look, silently telling me to keep my mouth shut regarding her pathetic earnings.

“More than great,” I said, my smile suddenly strained. “How are you feeling?”