Page 31

Chapter 31

Ari

I paced the room like a caged tiger—pissed.

If Frankie thought I was just going to sit in this room alone and do nothing, he was crazy. This was my gym, and Bones was my fighter. I sure as hell wasn’t going to always allow the mighty Freakshow to be the face just because he was a man. I was going to leave and go find Bones myself.

As I exited the room, the distant cheers of the crowd watching the fights before ours reached me.

“Well look what we have here, boys. We might have lost our last fight, but I see a much better prize.”

I turned to see four men exiting a room and blocking my access to the main area. I quite literally had my back against the wall.

A menacing grin spread across the leader’s battered face, revealing a set of crooked teeth. By the amount of blood and bruising on his face, it was clear he had lost the cage fight.

His eyes glinted with an unsettling hunger as they raked over me.

I swallowed hard, praying that I was misinterpreting the threat in his words, but as the other men closed in around me, there was no mistaking it.

“And after that last fight, we’re in need of some entertainment,” another one added.

The other men snickered and leered, their own predatory gazes roving over me.

“Wait. I know you,” he said. “You’re the little silver-haired owner of Smiley’s .” He paused to see if I’d confirm his observation. “Yeah, you are. I remember trying out for your gym years ago. Your old man didn’t think I was good enough.”

“By the looks of your face, I’d say he was right,” I said, trying to sound calm.

I refused to let them see my fear. “Get the fuck out of my way.” My voice steady despite the tremble in my hands.

The leader’s grin widened, revealing even more of his crooked teeth. “Our little tatted princess is a feisty one.”

The man lunged forward, reaching for my arm with a meaty hand. I reacted on instinct, whipping my leg out in a roundhouse kick that connected with his chest. He stumbled back, surprise etched on his face, but I didn’t wait for him to recover.

I pushed off the wall, my body coiled tight like a spring. I launched myself at the man to his right, my fist connecting with his jaw in a sharp crack. He fell to the ground, stunned.

I couldn’t take them all on, but I sure as fuck wasn’t going to go down without a fight. They were about to see what my father had taught me.

The other two men were unsure of how to react, and I used their momentary confusion to my advantage, darting past them and making a break for the door.

But the leader was faster than I anticipated. He grabbed me around the waist, his grip like iron. I struggled against him, but it was no use.

He chuckled in my ear, his hot breath making my skin crawl. “You’re a fighter, I’ll give you that, but you’re no match for us.”

He attempted to drag me back into the room from which they’d emerged, the other men following close behind. I kicked and screamed, but it was like fighting a brick wall.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Bones rushing down the hallway, rage and fury leading the charge. “Get your fucking hands off her!”

In a blur, his fist came down hard on the man holding me.

The leader released me, clutching his bloodied nose with a pained grunt. Bones caught me before I fell, his arms encircling my waist in a protective hold. The fire in his eyes dared any of the men to come closer.

“Bones,” I whispered, grateful for his intervention but fearful of what could happen next. The men outnumbered us, and their intent was clear.

Bones didn’t seem intimidated. With a deadly calmness, he said, “You boys should leave while you still can.”

The men exchanged glances, weighing their options. The leader, still nursing his nose, spat out a mouthful of blood. “You might think you’re the best in the cage, but you plan on taking us all on?”

“He doesn’t have to,” Frankie said, as if appearing out of nowhere.

Realization dawned in each man’s eyes the moment they understood the notorious Freakshow was heading their way, pure venom oozing from every pore.

I’d be terrified, too, if I wasn’t the one he was here to save.

The leader took a cowardly step back. “Freakshow… we didn’t mean any?—”

“Disrespect?” he finished for him, a sneer twisting his lips. “That’s not how it looked to me.”

The men exchanged uneasy glances, but Frankie’s cold, hard gaze held them in place. He stepped closer, his imposing figure casting a long shadow over them.

“Did you touch her?” Frankie’s voice was low and dangerous, a promise of retribution that made the men swallow hard. “Did you touch her?” He narrowed his eyes.

The leader shook his head frantically, his hands raised in a defensive gesture. “No, no, we didn’t touch her. We just... we wanted to... you know.”

Frankie’s lip curled in disgust. “No, I don’t know.” He then looked at me. “Did they hurt you?”

I shook my head. Part of me wanted to watch Frankie decimate each one of them, but we were here on business, and I didn’t want to piss off the promoters by causing a scene or having Freakshow kill someone. “I’m fine. Bones got here before they…”

Bones nodded, his arm still protectively around my waist.

Frankie returned his focus on the leader. “Was it you who touched her?”

The leader shook his head fervently, his eyes wide with fear. “No, no, we didn’t touch her. We were just trying to talk to her, that’s all. We didn’t mean any harm.”

“Put your hand against the wall,” Frankie demanded.

“What?”

Frankie’s tone left no room for argument. “Do it.”

The leader hesitated for a moment, then slowly raised his hand and placed it against the wall.

Frankie stepped closer, his gaze never leaving the man’s face. With a swift movement he punched the man’s hand with all his force.

Bones gave with a crack as the man yowled in pain, cradling his now-broken hand against his chest. Frankie’s expression remained impassive, his eyes icy cold.

Bones tightened his grip on me, pulling me closer as if to shield me from the sight.

“You think you can touch what’s mine?” Frankie growled, his words echoing through the hallway.

Frankie looked over the group, his eyes filled with a mixture of disgust and anger.

“You should have thought twice before messing with her,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Now, you’re going to pay for your actions.”

“Frankie.” I stepped out from behind Bones. “Let’s go. We don’t need the added attention.” I took hold of his arm, hoping it was enough to soothe the storm.

Frankie turned to look at me, his expression softening for a moment. He nodded, understanding my concern.

I then looked at Bones, and repeated, “Let’s all go.”

Frankie turned to the men and spat. “Get out of my sight before I change my mind.”

The men scattered instantly, disappearing down the hallway and around the corner, leaving us alone in the dimly lit corridor.

I drew a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. Frankie came up behind me, his arms encircling my waist in a comforting hold.

“Are you okay?” he asked, quiet and gentle.

I nodded, leaning back against him. “I’m fine. Thanks to you and Bones.”

Bones grunted in acknowledgment. I could feel the tension in his shoulders; he was still on high alert.

Frankie brought up his hand to rest it on my cheek and turn my face toward him. “Why didn’t you wait where I told you? I fucking warned you that these low-rent fights bring these kinds of assholes.” His eyes burned with intensity.

I sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and gratitude. “I know, I’m sorry. I just... I can’t always be babied.”

Bones stepped forward, meeting Frankie’s gaze. “We just need to stick together. All of us.” Bones extended his hand to shake Frankie’s. “Thanks, man. I couldn’t have taken them all.”

Frankie hesitated for a moment, then took Bones’ hand in a firm grip.

I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. Frankie had a way of being overprotective, but I couldn’t deny that it was comforting that he cared so much.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said to break the tense silence. “We have a fight to prepare for.”

Frankie nodded and let go of Bones’ hand. “Yeah, let’s go.”