Page 81

“You were?” His gaze shifts around like he’s checking for someone, probably Alessio. “Didn’t seem like your husband wanted you talking to me.”

“Fiancé,” I correct, but it still sounds weird calling Alessio my fiancé. “And it wasn’t like that. It just caught me off guard. I haven’tseen any family in so long.”

“It’s just me and Mom now, so I get it.” Ezra glances at the cage in the center of the room, where two guys are going at it like it’s a fight to the death, which, honestly, it might be. The crowd’s losing their minds, and the noise is so loud I can barely hear myself think.

“Look,” Ezra says, pulling out his phone. “I’m up soon, and I need to change. Take my number. We’ll catch up now that I’m back in town.”

My brain is still scrambling, but I nod and exchange numbers like I’m on autopilot. He’s about to walk away when I blurt out, “Wait. Do you know what happened to my mom?”

He pauses. My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it might jump out of my chest.Please just tell me something.

Ezra glances at the cage again, then back at me. His face goes blank. “No,” he says. “I was just a kid myself. I heard you and your mom got taken... then nothing. No one heard from you again.”

The knot in my stomach tightens.He’s lying.Or maybe just holding back, I can feel it. It’s how he keeps looking over his shoulder like someone’s watching. But this isn’t the time to push. Not here, and not with a crowd packed in like sardines.

“We should catch up,” I offer, trying to sound casual even though my brain is screaming, “Don’t let him walk away.”

“Yeah.” He nods. “Call me.” He backs away like he can’t escape this conversation fast enough.

The fight in the cage ends with a brutal knockout, the poor guy getting dragged out like yesterday’s trash while someone else mops up the blood. I mean... yikes.This place is like FightClubandCasino Royalehad a baby and decided violence was its love language.

Morbid curiosity kicks in, and since I’ve come this far, I might as well hang out for a bit and see what Ezra’s got.

The energy in the room is electric. People shout over each other, waving fists and cash to make bets, and phones are out to record the carnage.

I sneak around to the side, wedging myself between two tables for a better view, ignoring the guy to my left who smells like he bathed in whiskey and regret. Two fighters step out from opposite doors. The crowd is going nuts.

I scan for Ezra, my eyes darting between both men. I don’t know the man to the left. But to the right…

I freeze.

No way.

Ice-blue eyes. Lock. On. Me

Alessio steps into the cage. His shirt’s gone, and his inked muscles are on full display. His fight shorts cling to his hips, slits up the sides showing off legs that should not look that good. I mean, I’ve seen him naked, more times than I can count, but damn.There’s something about seeing him like this. Alessio’s a goddamn gladiator, ready to conquer or kill.

I can’t breathe, and I can’t tear my eyes away.

Heat rushes up my face. His eyes don’t just land on me; they burn into me.Like I’m the only person in this packed, screaming room. And suddenly, people start to notice. Conversations get lower, and people start to look at me, then back at him, like we’re the main event.

Ohh,this is fantastic.Nothing like having a spotlight on you when you’re about to get murdered by your Mafia Don fiancé, for sneaking out. At least I have witnesses, I’ll need them.

The bell rings.

Alessio doesn’t wait a second; he charges at his opponent. The poor dude looks like he’s about to crap himself in his compression shorts. One punch… just one, he lands with a sickening crunch that I feel in my bones.

The guy collapses like a game of Jenga, and the fight’s over before it even starts. Half a second, tops.

The crowd loses it, cheering and clapping, but all I can focus on are those very thick, angry legs storming out of the cage and coming right at me.

Oh crap. Oh crap. Oh crap!

“Liv,” he growls.

I swallow hard. “Hey! Fancy seeing you here.”

His jaw tightens, and his ice-blue eyes are burning with rage. It’s too hot for my current panic level.