Page 23

ROSEMARY

How did I get myself into this situation? It’s the one question I’ve constantly asked myself here lately. I sometimes wonder if I made a deal with the devil, but I know that’s not the case.

Three months ago, I was taken right after work off the street.

You’d have thought I had the training and been able to take on anyone who would dare attack me, but I wasn’t prepared for a sneak attack.

I’d been closing the gym, having just set the alarm and locked the doors.

I was two steps away from my car door, ready to head home when it happened.

Someone cold-cocked me on the back of the head.

Next thing I know, I’m chained by the neck in a dark room with no way out.

Since that night, I found out why I was taken. It’s stupid. Truly, it is, but in order to get free, I have to fight.

I’m a boxer at heart. I love being in the ring, but these people, they’ve taken the joy out of it for me.

See, it’s a death ring. Only the strong survive.

The fights are to the death, and I don’t want to die.

So far, I’ve had four fights in the span of the time I’ve been here.

I don’t even really know where here is. All I know is that I wake up, train, and prepare.

I never know when the fight will be, but the men who took me ensure that I know my place.

I’m a fighter, and the man who claims to own me, he’s a cruel bastard.

He made sure I knew he knew who I was and everything about me.

In order to protect them, I do as he says, I give him what he wants. There’s no other choice for me. I won’t risk anyone else, and I’ll win my freedom. I don’t care if I end up losing my soul in the process. At least I’ll finally be free.

Only sixteen more to go, and I’ll be done.

I can do it.

I won’t have it any other way.

I’m a fighter. It’s what I do, and I won’t let this stop me. I’ll fight to live, to be free, to get back to what I want most.

The doors to what has become my cage open and he steps inside. I don’t know his name. He never told me. He says I can call him ‘master’, but I refuse to do that. I won’t do it. I’ll die before I drop that low. I won’t allow him or anyone else to break me.

“Are you ready for tonight?” he demands, taking in the state I’m in. The sweat beading my body. I don’t miss the gleam of lust in his eyes.

“I’m ready,” I answer and go back to throwing jabs at the punching bag.

“Good, you can rest for now. Save your strength for tonight. If you succeed, I’ll be sure to have a bath drawn for you as a reward.”

“I’ll win tonight,” I grit out. “And I would appreciate a bath. Thank you.” I know better than to turn down his rewards, as he calls them. Though I will be grateful to wash the blood off the one I’ll go against away.

“Maybe you’ll even think about joining me in my bed,” he suggests, grinning. “I would think that energy could be used in other more pleasurable ways.”

“I think I’ll stick to the ring.” There’s no way I’ll get in his bed.

The last man I was with was Kevlar, well back then, he’d been known as Fist, but for some reason or another, they changed his road name. The sex had been hot. More than hot, if I’m being honest.

“You’ll soon change your mind.” He grins, pulling my thoughts back to him before they can trail too far down that particular rabbit hole.

“I highly doubt it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll finish preparing for tonight’s fight.” I have to be able to get myself in order . . . to press myself to be able to kill with my bare hands.

“Win for me, and you’ll be one step closer to freedom.” Those words vibrate in my ears as he turns and walks back the way he came.

Moments later, one of his men comes to deliver my gear for the night, along with food.Without a word, he sets everything down and walks away.

This is my life now. There’s no way I’ll be able to go back to the one I once lived, but that doesn’t mean I won’t find one when I get free. Tonight, will make five, and then there’s only fifteen more to go.

Closing my eyes, I give myself a moment to think of the past where it’ll have to stay. If I get free, I won’t be able to go back there. To protect them all, I have to stay away from all of them. Most especially, my best friend, Jade.

Anytime I think about her, I wish I were more like her.

Jade went through horrible things, lost her sight, and had to suffer because of it.

If not for her man, I don’t want to think of what she’d have endured.

This is nothing compared to what she went through.

If she can do it, so can I. However, unlike her, in the end, I’ll be without my soul.

I suck in a heavy breath and shut down the thoughts. There’s no room for them here. Emotions get you killed, and I won’t allow myself to be killed.

I’ll get myself free.

I don’t need or want anyone else to save me.

“You were magnificent tonight.” The comment makes me want to vomit as he steps closer to me. Close enough to brush his fingers along my bare shoulder. “You deserve a nice, long, relaxing bath after that fight.”

“I would appreciate it.” I barely keep the sarcasm at bay. All I want is a shower and sleep, but it seems he isn’t done with me for the night.

“Come then, I’ll show you the way,” he remarks, placing a hand on the small of my back.

Tonight’s fight was grueling. The other fighter, she was a challenge, nearly as good as me. Nearly only because I still won. If I hadn’t, she’d have been better than me in the ring.

On the way there, as he did every other time, he guided me by the leash that connects to the collar around my throat.

It’s sick and twisted to be treated like an animal, but I know better than to fight him on it.

He’ll only go after the ones I care for most. The ones I try not to think about.

It’s bad enough that I find myself thinking of Jade, but the rest, I can’t afford.

After the fight, he once again guided me back out the same way, but not before making it known who I fight for.

Outside the building, he blindfolded me before I was placed in the backseat of a vehicle. I wasn’t allowed to know where we were going, which sucked. I’m the type of person who needs to know my surroundings.

Only when we’d reached his home, I can only assume, did he take the leash off along with removing the blindfold from over my eyes and was now guiding me to a bathroom where I’ll be allowed to relax in a bath.

“Before I get in the bath, will I be allowed to shower the blood off?” I find myself asking.

“You may,” he remarks, making circles at the small of my back with his fingertips, and leans in his lips, touching the shell of my ear. “I would like to join you.”

“No thanks.” There’s no way I’ll let him near me like that.

He chuckles and steps away from me. “A day will come when I’ll have you under me. Now, shower and bathe, you were incredible tonight. The next fight is in two weeks. It gives you a week to heal and another to train.”

Great.

Two weeks.

“I’ll be ready.”

“I know you will.” He grins and steps away.

I know he’s not going to leave the room.

I’m never left alone outside of the cage that is my room.

Doing the best I can, I ignore him, strip out of my clothes, and climb in the shower.

The bath has already been drawn for me, and I would like to soak my muscles after the fight.

My entire body is throbbing from the intensity of the fight.

Making it quick, I wash the blood and sweat from my body.

I don’t bother with a towel as I shut the water off and step out.

I make my way right over to the tub and sink into the still-warm bath.

I cringe as the cuts on my body sting. He must have had something put in here to make it unpleasant for me, but I refuse to react further or be done with the bath.

Leaning back, I try to relax, but it’s not easy. My body is in too much pain.

I give myself a total of ten minutes (I counted in my head) and get out, grab a towel, and wrap it around my body. “I appreciate the bath. ”

“That’s good. Now, one of my men will escort you back to your room,” he says, giving me a once-over. “That is unless you care to join me in my bed.”

“I don’t think so,” I mutter.

“As you will.” He smirks and calls for one of his men, never using their names.

None of them use names around me. He commands them to take me to my room and leaves me alone with one last lustful look that churns my stomach.

This whole thing, him looking at me the way he does, it bugs me, and I’ll keep denying him until my last breath, which could very well be in two weeks with this next fight.

They’re only going to get harder and harder. To get my freedom back, it’s going to take everything in me to win it.