Page 83 of Racing Dirty Trilogy Box Set

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new fighter among us. At five feet nine inches tall, weighing in at one hundred and forty-five pounds. All the way for Los Angeles, California, please give a big Circle welcome to Krimson.” The crowd stares at me and cheers my street name.

Confused at how they know all this information about me, I glance at Rush.

He whispers something to Ace and Ace nods his head at me.

He mouths the words, roll with it and I scan the crowd around me.

I lift my arms over my head and their chants get louder and louder, fueling me on.

“Krimson! Krimson! Krimson!” The rush from the crowd is sparking my adrenaline and I’m ready. Rolling my neck around, my muscles are loose, and the nerves are gone.

The announcer holds his hand up again, and the crowd quiets down. The anticipation for what comes next is buzzing around me. “Krimson’s opponent is a New York City native. You all know her from her previous fight the other night, which she lost to our champ, Wrath.”

I drown out everything else he says when I spot a small woman in the crowd.

She’s sneering at me with her arms crossed over her chest. Her blonde hair is tight against her head in a ponytail and her hazel eyes are shooting daggers in my direction.

She cracks her neck from side to side, not taking her eyes off me.

I glare at her right back. I want her in here with me, so I can beat her ass.

Rage and hate fill my body and I’m ready to pound the shit out of everyone.

A sneer passes my lips, and the woman smirks at me.

She turns her back and disappears into the crowd.

Once she’s out of my sight, the roar of the crowd penetrates my ears and I turn my head toward my opponent who’s finally graced me with her presence.

That pisses me off and I reach deep inside to wake the monster I locked up after I killed those two men who fucked with Rush.

My opponent is my height and weight. She’s sporting fresh bruises on her pale face and her hands are shaking.

Her black hair is braided down each side of her head and she’s wearing dark blue shorts and matching sports bra.

I zone in on her nervousness and use that to my advantage.

The announcer leaves The Circle and we walk around each other.

My fists are up to protect my face and body.

She’s unsure what she should do. She acts like she doesn’t want to be here.

I move in and throw an uppercut, knocking her in the chin.

My hand vibrates from the contact. Showing no emotion, I strike again and the buzz of the crowd fades as I concentrate on my opponent.

This time a jab to the side of her head, leaving her stunned.

She drops her arms. Big mistake. I throw an elbow and it connects with her nose.

Blood drips down, and she attempts to shake off the hit.

This is too easy. I zone in on her body and deliver blow after blow on her torso and arms, tiring her out from defending herself.

The crowd around us is screaming my name fueling me on even more.

My breathing is heavy when I land hit after hit on this poor unsuspecting woman.

She doesn’t even get a chance to hit me back.

She’s doubled over as I deliver the last punch.

A blow straight to her face knocks her out cold, her blood coating my knuckles as her nose shatters under my fists, and she drops to the ground, not moving.

My heart is beating hard against my chest and my hands are shaking with adrenaline.

The announcer steps into The Circle and holds my bloody hand up above my head, announcing me the winner.

The crowd is going nuts from my win and I’m ready to take anyone on.

He holds up his hands after he drops mine and the crowd quiets down.

“Ladies and gentlemen. We have a winner for this round. Krimson!” The crowd chants my name and I feel like I’m on top of the world.

I look toward Rush and all the blood drains from my face when I spot someone standing in the back of the crowd.

His whiskey-colored eyes are narrowed in my direction and he’s pissed.

I’ve seen that look before. Bruises cover his face and he’s limping toward me, pushing his way into the crowd.

Ace grabs Nolan by the shoulders and he whips around so fast, that Ace doesn’t see it coming.

With a clenched fist, Nolan rears back, ready to strike.

“NO!” I scream. I push my way into the crowd and place myself between Nolan and Ace.

He’s so far gone, I’m afraid I can’t reach him.

There’s a blank, deadly look in his eyes as he watches Ace.

I rest my bloody hands on Nolan’s shoulders and force him to look at me.

Nothing, no recognition, no life. Nothing.

“Nolan,” I reach up and gently touch a fresh bruise on his face.

He closes his eyes at the contact and I release a deep breath.

“I’m here. It’s me, Ashley. What did they do to you?

Fight your way back to me, please.” I look behind him at the woman who was glaring at me earlier and another man with dark skin and black hair are trying to make their way to us, but Ace’s men have them stopped, surrounding them.

I turn to Rush and Ace. “We need to get out of here, now.” I grab Nolan’s hand and rest it on my hip.

He tightens his hold on me, his fingers digging into my flesh, but I bite back the whimper that wants to pass through my lips.

I need to get him out of here and deal with the outcome later.

Ace nods his dark head and I follow him through the crowd and up a back stairwell I didn’t notice before.

Moving as quickly as we can up dark metal stairs, Ace and Rush in front of us leading the way.

Nolan and I are in the middle and Ashton is behind us.

Ace’s men are still downstairs, keeping the woman and the other guy surrounded.

Why did they have him there? What was their plan?

Did they think they could break him? Did they succeed in breaking him and sent him to kill us?

These questions are running through my head as our feet pound up the stairs.

Ace and Rush drop their shoulders and barge into a heavy metal door at the same time.

The door gives away from their force and they stumble out into the night, disappearing from my line of sight.

Rush pops his head back in and motions for us to follow.

One by one, we’re out of the dark stairwell and quickly walking down an alley filled with dumpsters and smells of human and food waste.

Rats scurry past us as we walk further down.

Nolan’s grip is still biting into my flesh and he hasn’t said a word.

I’m afraid of what I’ll find in his eyes when we stop.

He had no life in them down there at The Circle, no spark of recognition.

For all he thinks we’re going to do the same things to him that those guys have done.

I’ve got to get through to him and I can’t do it with all these men around us.

The last time he lost himself, he almost killed Ashton.

We’re near the end of the alley and the city noises come roaring back in full swing.

Even at night, this city never sleeps. Traffic horns and headlights are blaring ahead of us and there are swarms of people all over the sidewalk.

I feel Nolan’s grip tighten even harder on my hips and I stop walking.

Ashton keeps a wide berth and leans against the building opposite from us, keeping his hands up in a defensive stance.

Rush and Ace are at the end of the alley.

The streetlights are casting an eerie glow around them, hiding their faces in shadows.

When they turn around towards us, Ace takes a few steps in our direction and Nolan releases a low growl from deep in his throat.

“Don’t come any closer,” I tell Ace. He stops walking in our direction and stares at Nolan. His brown eyes are bugging out of his head and his breath catches in his throat. I can hear his gasp from here. “Go around the corner, both of you, and wait. You can’t be near him right now.”

“Ash,” Rush starts. Nolan growls again and Rush stops talking, staring at him.

“Rush trust me. Only I can reach him and you’re not helping. This state he’s in, I’ve been there with him. He needs me and I’m not leaving him. You have to go, please. We’ll come out soon.” I plead. I can do this. I’ve done it before, I can do it again.

Rush walks backward towards the busy street and Ace follows.

Both watch us as they leave our sight. I release a deep breath and turn around facing Nolan.

Ashton hasn’t moved a muscle since we stopped, and I ignore him as I focus on the man in front of me.

I rest my palm over Nolan’s rapidly beating heart and he drops his head to look at what I’m doing.

“Nolan,” I whisper. His eyes drift from my hand resting on his heart, up my arm, and finally stop when he reaches my eyes.

“Come back to me, please. I need you here.” My voice is strong, but I’m shaking inside.

Tears slip from my eyes and a heavy feeling deep in the pit of my stomach is rearing its way up and I pray I’m not too late.

That I can reach this beautiful, broken man and bring him out of his mind and back to me.