Page 86 of Beyond the Cage

I take a good look at him and try to memorize his face – brown, wide-set eyes; long, black hair; broad nose. I need something distinctive to tell the police if I ever get out of here. He reaches out and twirls my hair around his finger.Bingo!On his outstretched arm, there’s a tattoo of a fire-breathing dragon. He also has a faint accent. Russian, maybe?

“I can see that. K.O. is a lucky man.”

Cameron. I should have known. “If it’s money you want –”

“This is not about money, but it does involve your boyfriend.”

“What do you want?”

“Nothing really…just for him to throw the finals tonight.Youare my insurance policy.”

I scoff in disbelief.You should have taken the chit, not me.“You’re out of your mind if you think he’s going to do that.”

He raises a brow. “Do you underestimate your worth?”

“I just hope you’re not betting against him.”

“We’ll see.”

Wait a minute…did he say tonight? “The fight’s tonight? That means it’s Saturday. The fuck did you do to me?”I can’t believe I’ve lost an entire day!

“My friend here was a little too generous with his…cocktail. You were out longer than we intended.”

Fuck. What kind of shit have they been giving me?His friend walks forward with a laptop and a folding table, and sets them up in front of me. I can’t see him clearly, but he’s tall, maybe 6'4".

“Here are your instructions,” the new guy says. “You will tell him what we want. If he does not comply, we kill you.”

Oh, my God. I’m dead. I’ve seen them. There’s no way I’m getting out of here alive, regardless of Cameron throwing the fight.

“He already knows we have you and not to get the cops involved,” Dragon Tat says, moving close. Something glistens in his hand. A gun? No, a knife. Okay…time to panic. My breathing gets heavy and tears begin to sting my eyes.

“A little incentive,” he says, waving the knife.

I close my eyes and brace myself for the pain, flinching as the cold steel touches my skin. A sob escapes my lips. He grabs my top, slices it down the middle, and pulls it roughly down my shoulders. My panic grows. Is he going to rape me?

“Don’t try to be smart. No funny stuff. Just remember, we need you alive, but…” He slides the blade across my cheek. “We can make it hurt so bad, you’ll beg for death.”

I try to swallow the lump in my throat.

“Understand?”

I nod through my sniffles.

“Good.”

I notice the tall one has also brought a lamp, which he points in my direction. I close my eyes against the glare. When I open them, he clicks a key on the computer. After a few seconds, Cameron’s face appears. That’s when the tears really begin. He clenches his fists on top of the table he’s sitting around.

“Jas!”

Chels! I watch as Damon, Mannie, and Jared crowd around Cameron. Dragon Tat moves behind me and places the blade flat on my back.

“Are you okay? They haven’t hurt you, have they?” she asks.

“No. Not yet, anyway. I feel right at home. Kinda reminds me of Cameron’s place.”

I look back at Cameron. He seems angry, worried, and helpless all at the same time.Pleaseget my hint. Not that it would help much, but still…

Dragon Tat nudges me.