Paxton's Promise (Gloves Off #3)(43)

Camden looked at me and shook his head. “No, not yet. After she almost killed a guy tonight, I got her out of there as fast as I could. When I told her they were coming after you, she snapped.”

“A guy? What was she doing fighting a guy?”

“That’s the twisted part,” he explained. “Scar wanted to cater to his clientele and give them a weak girl they could f*ck around with. He made a lot of money off of her. After tonight, I don’t know what’s going to happen. She did her own thing and dominated the douchebag. The * even pissed himself because he was scared.”

Over my shoulder, Gabriella laid quietly in my bed. She asked me earlier to show her some moves on how to fight dirty. That was the reason why she asked, she needed my help. “So what happens now? You say they’re coming after me . . . when?”

“I don’t know,” Camden answered truthfully. “But I do know they’re going to use Gabriella as bait. They’ll take her and make you fight.”

“Then I’ll fight. I’ll do anything for her.”

Getting to his feet, Camden glanced over at Gabriella, eyes melancholy. “I sure hope so. I’ve never met Rage, but I do know he’s one f*cked up bastard. There’s no telling what he’ll do to her if he wins.”

That was not my worry, because now that I knew, I would be ready. I would fight until the end. Even if I had to kill him.





PAXTON WAS IN the ring with the hooded Rage and the sound of swords clanging together hung in the air. I screamed, but no one could hear me. Rage sliced Paxton’s midsection, and I raced up to the cage, fighting to get in. Over and over, I pounded on the cage, my own fists broken and bloody from the metal.

Lying on the ground, Paxton turned his tormented gaze toward me. “I’m sorry,” he whispered before the life left his eyes.

Rage’s face was covered by the hood, but he dropped his sword and started for the cage door. It swung open and he came straight to me. I tried to run away, but I couldn’t move. Arms holding me firm, I fought against him, beating against his chest. Lifting his arm, he grasped the top of his hood and slowly started to pull it back. I was scared to see what was underneath and fought even harder.

Tears blurred my vision because Pax was dead. He was gone. “Get your hands off me,” I screamed.

“You belong to me now, Gabriella. I’m not letting you go.”

“No!”

“Gabby, wake up.” I heard the words in Paxton’s voice, and it made me cry harder. “Open your eyes,” he ordered again.



The pillow was soaked when I opened my eyes. Looking around, I found Pax in front of me, alive and regarding me wearily.

“You’re alive,” I whispered.

It’d been just a nightmare, but then I realized I was still in it. My mind was a jumbled mess, and I had no idea how I’d gotten back to the land of the living. The last thing I remembered was falling into darkness with Rage above me saying I’d be his soon. By the look in Paxton’s eyes, he knew what had happened, that I had lied to him.

“You know?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yes. Camden brought you home, covered in blood and in shock. Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?”

My eyes burned. “Because I didn’t want you involved. I knew you would try to come to my rescue. They would kill you.”

“It looks like Rage wants that anyway, Gabby. I don’t think we have a choice. I just hate you had to go through all of this alone.”

“I’ll be fine. It was terrifying, but I got through it. The fighting wasn’t a big deal. It’s the knowing that Rage was there, watching me. He was there at the race too, Paxton. He’s been following us.”

His eyes went wide. “What do you mean he was at the race? How do you know that?”

My head hurt, but I sat up and held the blanket to my chest, clutching it tight. Just knowing a homicidal stalker was just outside the room as we had sex made me shiver. “It was after our go in the announcer’s box. When I went back up there to find my phone, I saw a black rose near the door, all broken and torn apart. He was there.”

“Goddammit,” he hissed. “Has he followed us everywhere?”

I nodded. “Scar told me Rage was angry and didn’t like seeing us together. I think that’s why he moved the fights up the way he did. Rage is getting impatient.”

Paxton got to his feet and ran his hands through his hair. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of boxers. “We need to figure out what to do. They’re going to come for you.”

Then Mason came to mind. He was going to help and now that Paxton knew what was going on, we could all work together. “I know that, but I have a plan. I haven’t told anyone, not even Camden about this.”

Paxton came back to the bed and sat down beside me. “What is it?”

I reached for his hand and brought it to my face. My dream still felt real, but in all reality, there was going to be a fight and it wasn’t going to be good. “I’ve been talking to Mason,” I explained. “He’s going to get a team put together like he did in Vegas, when he busted the last underground fighting ring.”

“I can’t believe you’ve done all of this behind my back.” He didn’t sound angry, but his jaw was firm, his green gaze unreadable.