Beautiful Beast (Gypsy Heroes #3)(125)

‘I could die tomorrow crossing the street.’

‘I don’t want you to fight,’ I blurt out unhappily.

He takes my trembling hands in his, but looks at me with an unyielding face. ‘It is tragic, but we both have to go through this fight simply to sustain our identities. I have to fight him, Lil. It is all arranged. The date has been set. Saturday coming. And there is no backing out.’

I gasp. ‘And when were you going to tell me that?’

‘Saturday.’

Angrily I pull my hands out of his grasp. ‘Before or after the fight?’

He runs his fingers through his hair. ‘Before. I was trying to avoid a scene like this.’

‘Where will it be held?’ I ask coldly.

‘In a barn somewhere.’

‘I hope you’ve reserved a good seat for me,’ I throw at him sarcastically.

‘You’re not going.’

My eyes widen. ‘Why can’t I go?’

He folds his arms over his chest. ‘Do you really want to watch two men inflict savage injuries on each other?’

I narrow my eyes. ‘I thought you said the injuries are not going to be savage?’

He frowns. ‘Just stop it, Lil. You’re not coming, OK?’

‘It’s a spectator sport so won’t there be others there, including women?’


‘Yes.’ His voice is cautious.

‘And you said it is a noble tradition.’

‘Yes.’

‘Well, I want to be with you while you engage in this noble tradition.’

‘Well, I don’t want you there.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because I will be distracted and unable to concentrate if you are. I want to know that you are in a safe place. At home.’

Some part of me is relieved to know that I am not going to see the fight. It makes me sick to even watch a boxing fight between total strangers. I don’t know that I can take watching Jake bloodied in such a barbaric way. ‘Will you at least let me come and wait in the car for you?’

He sighs. ‘All right, you can wait in the car with Shane.’

I look at him. ‘Will many people be going?’

‘Entrance is by word of mouth and the location will only be revealed a few hours earlier by the organizers, so nobody really knows how many will turn up until the day.’

‘Will people be betting?’

He shrugs. ‘They usually do.’



Saturday flies into my life. Nobody talks and I sit in the back of the car, sullen and fearful, as Shane drives us to a barn in the middle of nowhere. Dominic has gone on ahead and will meet us at the location of the fight.

A swarthy boy is directing cars down a beaten track to a field. I am shocked to see what looks like hundreds of cars parked there. Shane passes them and comes to a stop outside a barn. There is a van selling hot dogs and burgers. As I watch, people are going into the barn.

Dominic has been waiting for us to arrive. He comes striding toward us. He is tall and broad like his brothers, but it is immediately apparent that he is not the thinker of the family.

‘It’s a f*cking zoo in there,’ he says bending down at Jake’s window.

‘Is Pilkington here yet?’ Jake asks.

‘Just arrived. He’s got a lot of supporters. His women are going crazy, but don’t worry, it won’t take you long to put him to sleep.’

Jake gets out of the car. I scramble out, too. Dominic acknowledges me with a nod. I don’t nod back. I know it is him that has caused this fight.

Jake turns toward me and smiles. ‘Kiss me good luck?’

I fling myself at him and, holding the sides of his face between my palms, I kiss him desperately. His mouth is warm. His hands come around my waist. And his tongue traces my teeth gently. But there is no passion. There is only the sense of cold fingers crawling all over me. I break away. He smiles again at me.

Shane comes around to stand beside me as I watch Jake stride away with Dom.

Close to the barn, he stops, and turns around to look at us. I wave at him, but he simply stares at me as if this could be the last time he will see me. The thought makes my throat constrict with fear. What if something happens to him? Brain damage. Or…death. People have died during these fights.

The thought galvanizes me, and I take a step to run toward him, but Shane’s arm shoots out and grasps my forearm. I stop and do not move. He holds me still while Jake carries on staring at me.

Finally, Jake nods and, turning away, walks into the barn. He never turns again. He enters the door and I hear the crowds roar their welcome. I feel a shiver go through me. Shane removes his hand. I hug myself. I don’t want to think of what is going on in that barn.

I turn my head to look at Shane. He is staring at the entrance, his face tense and anxious.

‘It’s going to be OK, right?’

‘Yeah, it’s going to be OK,’ he says very softly, not looking at me.

This is the first time I have been alone with him since that night at the party when he found Jake with his fingers inside me. ‘I’m sorry,’ I say.

His head whips around. ‘About what?’

‘About that night. I didn’t mean to hurt you or cause trouble between you and Jake.’

He stares at me incredulously. ‘You don’t understand at all, do you?’