Page 85 of Beyond the Cage

Catching me off guard, he wraps his arm around my waist, lifts me off the floor, and crushes me against him. That’s when I see it – the red lipstick and perfectly formed lips on his neck.

“Put me down.Now.” When he releases me, I grab his towel and toss it at him. “You might wanna clean the lipstick off your neck first,K.O.”

I try to storm out, but he grabs my hand. There’s a desperate look in his eyes, a plea…for what? Forgiveness? Understanding? Well, he’s getting neither.

“You promised me. Youpromised!” I yank my hand from his grasp. “In two seconds, I’m going to walk through that door unless youtellme why I should stay.” Silence. “I thought so.”

At the door, I wrench his ring from my finger and hurl it in his direction. Without even blinking, he catches it.Ughhh!I throw the door open and make a hasty retreat. As I run for the exit, I hear Chels calling out to me. I don’t stop. I need to get out of here. I head for the exit used by the fighters; it leads to the back of the arena, so there won’t be many people around. Once outside, I stop and wonder where I’m going to go. I came here with him.

“Jas!”

I turn around at the sound of Chelsea’s voice. “Chels –”

A huge hand clamps over my mouth, and tires screech behind me. My screams are muffled and I try to fight the strong grasp as I’m dragged backward.Oh, shit. That smell!That sweet, sickening smell that feels like a lungful of wrong – chloroform. I instantly feel sick to my stomach.

The last image I see is Chels running toward me, screaming.

Then the world goes black.

CHAPTER 22

There was no such thing as a fair fight.

All vulnerabilities must be exploited. – Cary Caffrey

Dizzy, nauseous, groggy…not a good combination. I try to raise my hand to my aching head but I can’t…too heavy. No…tied down.What the hell?I slowly open my eyes.

“She’s waking up.”

Who’s that?I don’t recognize the deep voice. My vision is blurry, so I blink a few times and shake my head.Reminder, don’t do that again.I groan and try to look up.

“Miss Carter.”

Who are you? Where am I? Why am I tied up?I realize no words actually leave my mouth.

“You’ll be okay in a few minutes, and then we can talk.”

Talk? About what?

When my vision clears, I see two men at the far end of the room. Not actually a room…it looks like an abandoned warehouse. It’s dark, but pockets of sunlight shine through small holes in the walls. That means I’ve been out all night. I try to move, but my hands and feet are bound to the chair. Last night’s events replay in my mind.Fuck. I’ve been kidnapped! Okay…don’t panic. Don’t panic. Think.Obviously, they want something or I’d be dead already. Or maybe they were just waiting for me to wake up. One of the men approaches me.

“What did you give me?” I ask.

That sounded weak. He kneels before me with a diabolical smile. “Just a little something to help you through the night.”

I knew it. Chloroform wouldn’t knock me out all night.

“Here, drink.” I look at the proffered bottle suspiciously. “It’s just water. I promise.”

Yeah, I trust you totally. Not.He places the bottle at my lips, and I take a cautious sip. It tastes normal, but there are many colorless, odorless, tasteless substances out there. He pulls a chocolate bar from his pocket and peels the wrapper back. I shouldn’t but I’m starving, so I take a bite when he offers it.

“Sorry, it’s all I have.”

“You wanted to talk, so let’s talk. You can start by telling me why I’m here.”

“You’re a feisty one, aren’t you? Most women would be crying and screaming their heads off by now.”

“I’m not like most women,” I tell him. I’m scared out of my mind but crying and screaming won’t help the situation.