Chloe
IT’S BEEN A week since I started staying with Dom and his nan. Surprisingly nan, which she insists I call her, has taken very well to me. We have the same taste in shows, so it really didn’t take much for her to like me. I can shoot the breeze about Castle and Law and Order any day of the week. Zoe stopped by a few days ago and brought me some clothes of hers to use while I’m here. She’s such a nice woman, I’ve asked Dom not to tell her much about my situation though. In my mind, the less others know, the better.
I pull myself from the bed in the guest room I’ve been calling my own for the last week... It’s Friday and I know I’m not going to be able to convince Dom to skip the fight tonight. But I’m going to give it my all. My feet make soft padding noises on the hardwood floor as I make my way down the stairs. I find Dom in the kitchen making himself a protein shake.
‘Good morning, sunshine.’ He turns, greeting me. In the past week, him and I have become very close. He’s barely left my side since I’ve been here and getting to know him more is making me develop feelings that I shouldn’t be in this situation.
‘Morning, Dom,’ I reply as I prop myself up on the end of the counter. ‘Do you think we can talk for a minute?’
‘If it’s about the fight, Chloe, you know I’m not going to change my mind.’ He comes to stand in front of me with his shake in his hand. He takes a big gulp and sets the glass down next to me on the countertop. ‘Chloe you know I have to go. If I don’t, they are going to suspect something. I’ve never missed a single fight I’ve been signed up for and besides that, I need the money.’
‘Okay, yes I understand that, but what if they come after you? What if something happens and they don’t let you go? What’s going to happen to your nan then? Please just skip this one fight, Dom, please?’ I plead with him. His hand comes up to caress my cheek and I can’t help but lean into it. So many times, in this past week I’ve wanted him to kiss me, to feel his touch on my skin. And a few times I really thought it was going to happen, only for one of us to realise the situation and back away at the last minute.
‘Chloe I really do think it’s smarter if I go. And you and Zoe will be here with Nan. I trust you ladies not to let anything happen to her. Anyways they’ll probably be more focused on me at the fight rather than coming here to stake out the place. Everything will look just like a normal Friday evening here. Don’t worry, Chloe. I promised to keep you safe and I will.’ Our eyes lock and once again I feel that intense pull to him, the want to feel his lips on mine. The pad of his thumb rubs back and forth on my cheek and I can’t pull myself from his gaze this time.
‘Chloe…’ My name comes out as a whisper. His lips get closer to mine and my head tilts in.
Knock, knock, knock.
He steps back, breaking the moment. ‘That’s probably Zoe. She called earlier and offered to take Nan for a walk.’ he clears his throat and backs away from the counter. ‘I’m just going to go let her in. Be right back.’ He leaves the kitchen and my hand goes up to my face. I can still feel the caress of his fingers on my cheek. I hop down off the counter just as he and Zoe enter the kitchen.
‘Morning, Zoe. How has your day been so far?’
‘It’s been great. Ever since Dom showed me how to make those protein shakes, I’ve drank one each morning and added a little energy powder to it. It really gets me up and moving.’ She beams.
‘Ah. I’m not a morning person at all, so coffee for me please.’ I giggle at her enthusiasm.
‘Alright well I’m gonna go gather up Nan and get her ready for her walk.’ She makes her way from the kitchen and heads towards the living room where Nan is surely watching TV.
An awkward silence falls over Dom and I as we remain in the kitchen, so I bid my leave.
‘I’m going to jump in the shower and get ready for the day.’ I laugh as I say it. ‘I guess I really don’t have much of a day to get ready for. I’ll be in my room reading after I shower if you need me for anything.’ I start to make my way towards my temporary room. ‘And, Dom please reconsider,’ I plead with him one more time before I turn back, and make my way to gather my things for a shower.
I must have dozed off while reading Fated Love, the third in a series that I absolutely love. Because next thing I know I’m being woken up by Dom shaking my arm.
‘Chloe... Chloe. It’s time for me to head out.’ I roll over and check the time on the clock on the wall. Six thirty p.m.! I’ve slept almost the whole day away and didn’t get another chance to try and convince him not to go. And now he’s heading out the door!
‘Dom. No. Are you sure? Did you think about all the things I said earlier?’ I quickly sit up in the bed and the blanket falls from my shoulder exposing the loose fitting cami Zoe let me borrow. But right now, I don’t even care. Dom is my focus.
‘Yes, Chloe. I thought about it all. But the stuff that I said still stands. I have to go. It’s the only way I can keep my home off his radar.’ I feel his gaze burning through me and it heats me to the core. His eyes drop down to my chest and my heart starts to race. He clears his throat. ‘Um I do have to go though, right now. I’m sorry. I have to get there to get warmed up and since I haven’t been hitting the gym this week, I have to make sure that I’m stretched.’
‘Okay but please promise me that you’ll be careful and make sure to look over your shoulder. These are bad men, Dom and they’ll pull anything that they think they can get away with.’
‘I promise, and I’ll check in with Zoe after the fight.’ He reaches down and pulls me into his embrace.
***
Dom
All day I’ve wanted to go upstairs to Chloe, but I held back just like I have all week. It’s fucking killing me having her in my house and not touching her. But I want her to feel safe and to trust me, not regret anything. After everything she’s been through the last thing she needs is me all up in her face, I don’t want to go rushing in and scare her, or make her want to leave. I’m pretty confident she feels the same. But maybe it’s the situation that has her feeling that way? Maybe the fact I’m the only guy she sees right now is making my case for me, and if she had choices she wouldn’t look twice at me. Fuck, I’m driving myself fucking mad with it.
Walking to the fight with my earphones in was a good call. By the time I arrive, my head is in the game and my legs warmed up. I go straight over to the booking in table. The guy sat there looks pleased to see me and writes my name on the board behind him. When the board is filled with who is fighting who, the bets start. It gets really loud then.
I make my way into the shitty bathroom where I change and wrap my hands. I’m first on tonight and winner stays on. I failed to tell Chloe that part, knowing she’d put up a much bigger fight than she already had. They have fights here every night of the week but weekends are where the big money is. So, I make sure I’m down to fight every Friday. Normally I would pop in and check out my opposition, but this week I haven’t had time. Well that’s a lie, I have had lots of time but I’ve spent it with Chloe and Nan. I have no idea what I am walking into in the cage tonight. I’m an idiot. But I just didn’t get around to thinking about it until this morning.
My hands wrapped and shorts on, I start on my stretches. The door opens with a bang and another fighter, Paul, walks in. I’ve fought him before and he got a good punch in, but I beat him in the first few minutes. He’s never let me forget about that lucky punch though. He’s a nob head but I humour him.
‘You know who you’re fighting tonight?’
I shrug my shoulders. ‘I’m on first, that’s all I know. Winner stays on, though.’
‘Fuck really? How’d you know? I didn’t know that was tonight.’
‘Yeah last Friday of every month.’
‘Shit, I’m going to see if I can get in at the end.’
‘Fucking, wimp,’ I yell as he heads to the door.
‘Fuck that I’m not going on early if it’s a winner takes all, I want paying.’
‘It’s a big money night you get five ton a fight win or lose.’
‘But what do you get if you win the night?’ He stops at the door.
‘Five thousand.’
‘Seriously?’ he asks and I nod. He leaves the room, no doubt going to get his name as far down the list as he can. Prick. I didn’t get a choice and I didn’t argue it.
A bang on the door signals my time is up and I need to head to the cage. I make my way down to it and scan the crowd as I always do. Tonight though, I’m looking for any sign of trouble from the guys I saw last week. Nothing so far. I do what I usually do and don’t speak to anyone.
Getting into the cage I realise my opponent is a new face. He looks mean as hell, and ripped too. But that doesn’t mean he can fight. I sidestep around the cage, dancing past him. He looks nervous but focused on what he has to do. I don’t take my eyes off him as I pass him a second time. He puts in his mouth guard and turns his back to me. I decide to shake my arms out up close and personal, trying to psyche him out. He doesn’t turn but I know what it feels like and he will know I’m there, breathing down his fucking neck.
It’s all part of the game. And if you can’t take it, you shouldn’t be in it. It’s that simple.
The referee does his usual speech between us, holding one of our hands each. We touch fists and the fight is on.
The ref sticks to the edges of the cage, well out of our way. The guy in front of me starts to do all sorts of stupid shit—spinning and jumping around, trying to hit me, expelling all his energy and hasn’t hit his mark once. I love fighting guys like this. I’m a street brawler, I’m not professionally trained in any way. But it’s how I make my money so I make sure I take anyone down. This idiot is jumping around like a fucking monkey. And I’m pretty sure he just hissed at me. I watch him for a few more seconds and the crowd starts to get annoyed that no hits have been landed yet. I watch for his tell. He kicks to my head and it’s at that precise moment that I strike, he’s wide open when he swings his leg up and out. I pull my arm back and I punch him using all my body weight behind it.
Crunch.
His nose pops and blood goes everywhere. He wobbles on his unsteady legs, I move in with another punch… He goes out like a light. The ref runs to him waving his arms letting the crowd know he’s done. I stay where I am, watching as four men drag him down the cage stairs to wherever they’ll dump him. I kneel at the far end of the ring waiting to see who comes through the gate next. I’m not given much of a rest before my next opponent arrives. I’ve fought him before, he’s a good fighter and one I will have to be on my A-game for this one. Within a few seconds I’m fighting again. Standing in-front of me is five hundred quid that I need to pay the bills. I have to win. I just need to keep my wits about me and fight sensible. He comes at me first and I dodge his efforts. He’s swinging hard and fast and trying for that knockout punch, but I won’t be giving him an easy ride. I dodge another and get one in to his kidney as he swings and misses. Then I throw another to the side of his face, he takes a knee but is up again in a few seconds. I stand back allowing him to get up, using this to catch my breath. I could grapple with him and take him out, but that kind of fighting saps your energy fast, and I don’t want to burn myself out. So I wait. His fists come up in a boxer’s stance, so I use my legs, a body shot takes the air out of him. His arms come down to protect his ribs leaving his head open so I move in. Three jabs and an uppercut takes him down. He didn’t lay one blow on me. The crowd erupts and I kneel again as he’s carried out. The third and fourth fight are pretty similar to the first two—except I’m much more tired and losing my focus by the fourth. I take some hits and end up with a swollen eye. Sweat dripping into my eyes stings like a motherfucker. But I’ve had worse. I have no choice but to grapple and by the time number four goes night, night, the crowd are screaming like fucking animals and I’m fucked. Fight number five is my final fight thank fuck. Paul comes in looking all fresh as a daisy. Fucker. I groan a little as he starts to do punch combinations in front of me. He’s a dirty fighter and I’ll need to make sure I don’t let him get one on me. He’s smaller than me but not by much. I get to my feet and go toe to toe as the ref talks to us both. He bumps my fist and we’re good to go. I’ve already made two and a half grand so if I do lose, it will be okay. But… I don’t like to lose. My ego doesn’t take it well.
He comes at me quickly and I side step. I need this one over with before I’m too tired. I don’t take my eyes off him for a second. I follow him round the ring watching him playing to the crowd and showboating like the prick he is. But it’s okay he thinks I’m too tired to beat him, so he wanted the easy win at the end of the night. He drops his guard swinging his fist around in a circle showing off and trying to goad me. I laugh on the inside, but I don’t show it I stagger around a little making him think I’m worse than I am. As he steps to the side and looks to the crowd for more cheers I attack. He isn’t expecting it, and I see panic as my fist hits his face. Idiot. You never take your eyes off your opponent. Rookie mistake. He stumbles because it wasn’t a knockout blow. But I make sure my next one is. I hit him with a combination of three. Right left right. He goes down hard and is sprawled out like a starfish.
That’s when the fatigue hits my muscles. I feel like they’re locking up on me as the ref lifts my arm and the crowd goes wild. I spit out my mouth guard and inhale trying to get enough oxygen around my body and make my damn legs work better. They cooperate enough to get me to the bathroom and I drink my sports drink and hydrate myself. Then I grab my shake and shake it up gulping that down, I feel full and a bit sick. I look in the mirror at my face and curse, my eye isn’t cut but it looks nasty all red and purple and inflamed. I wouldn’t be surprised if it closes up. I only remember him hitting me once, but this looks like I got my ass whipped. I get changed and head for the table. There are women in the cage now. Going through the same shit I just did to get paid. I want to get home so I don’t stick around and watch. I head straight to the booking table for my money.
‘Boss wants to see you,’ he tells me.
‘Fuck’s sake, just pay me my money. I need to get going.’
‘I said, boss wants to see you, he’ll pay out not me.’ I follow him to, boss man’s office. Four men surround me as I walk through the door. And the smug bastard sits behind his desk. steepling his fingers.
‘Dom, you had a good night,’ he starts. I don’t answer just nod. ‘You cleared the ring and earned me a lot of money, I thank you for that.’
‘No problem, listen… can I get paid? I have somewhere to be.’
‘Such an attitude, Dom. If we’re going to work together you need to change that.’
‘Good thing we’re not then, because you get what you see and if you don’t like it fuck you.’ I shrug nonchalantly.
He laughs and shakes his head making a noise like a tsk by sucking air in through his teeth. It’s gross. ‘That’s the thing though, Dom, see you lied to me last week, you told me that you didn’t take the girl and I know that you did—’
‘I didn’t snatch no girl.’
‘DON’T FUCKING LIE TO ME,’ he bellows and spit sprays across his desk. Disgusting. I inhale and sigh.
‘How could I kidnap a woman from under your nose?’
‘I’m done playing games, Dominic. I know where you live and who lives with you. I know everything I need to know about you. I can ruin your life in the blink of an eye and wouldn’t break a fucking sweat, so here is what’s going to happen. I am owed a very large debt, and you are going to fight for me every night until it’s paid and you will win or lose dependant on what I tell you to do.’
‘I won’t throw a fight.’
‘You don’t have a choice, do as I say or the girl dies along with everyone else in your life, Dom. Could you live with that? That’s the only question you have to answer. Could. You. Live. With yourself?’ He grins and waves his hand at me, meaning I have to leave. As I step back though he starts again. ‘I am leaving her with you, only because she hasn’t left your house.’ I look up realising he has actually been watching us. Smiling he says, ‘I will leave her there until I feel the need to bring her back, so in a way you are holding on to my property, let’s think of it as a loan, like a hired purchase. You get to keep her as long as you pay but the minute that money stops coming in, she’s mine.’ I grind my teeth together and when he says nothing else I take another step toward the door.
‘Remember, Dom, she can’t leave your care. If she does you will pay the price… your grandmother seems like a very nice lady.’
Fucking cunt.
I grind my teeth together but don’t say a word. As I open the door, he says ‘Your five grand will be a down payment, only one million, nine hundred and ninety five thousand to go.’
‘What? I’ll be fucking ninety before I can pay that off you said you earned money from bets tonight you have to include that too,’ I barter.
He pulls a face, ‘For you Dom I will, but only because I like you.’