Adrian's Wrath(7)

Why was he choosing her? There were already waitresses that worked the underground. “I—” After her one night down there when she had freaked out, she assumed she would never be placed in the underground again. Man, had she been wrong.

“I’ve recently had some issues with a few of the girls down there”—he paused for a moment before continuing—“distracting the fighters. Those types of distractions tend to cost me money. I need employees that have good heads on their shoulders and can handle the pressure. I know there was a situation down there the last time you worked, but I was impressed that you sucked it up and finished your shift. That shows a lot of dedication, and that is something I admire, Brea.” Brea felt it was a genuine one this time. “You’ve already proven you have a good head on your shoulders and aren’t afraid of a little shit from the drunks. Not to mention you’re beautiful and will no doubt sell a lot of drinks.”

Brea couldn’t help it. She blushed. No one but Cameron had ever called her beautiful, and even when he did she never felt like he really meant it. Tate’s compliments were nice, but she was still leery. What the hell could she say? She knew if she refused it would be an insult to Tate, and Brea desperately needed this job.

“Your pay will double.”

Double? She could leave this town even sooner. Could she stomach it though? She remembered all too well the crush of bodies, the deafening noise, the smell of sweat and blood. It was overwhelming, for sure, but all she could think about was the pay and escaping for good. Despite her fear and the remembrance of the last time she worked the underground still fresh in her mind, it was hard to pass up. She knew what she had to do.

“Yes, I’ll work the underground, Tate.” His approving smile made her stomach clench and she had no idea why.





Chapter Four




Adrenaline pumped through Adrian’s veins. Eyes closed, he bounced on the balls of his feet and focused everything inside of him on the night ahead. The small room he currently occupied didn’t dull the roar of the crowd outside. He ran his hands over his short hair and breathed out. These fights never failed to pump him up. This was his outlet, his way of getting rid of all of his anger, his hatred. Even though he had an insurmountable amount of pent-up rage that would never be purged, he got a minimal amount of relief.

The sound of his knuckles cracking echoed in the cramped room. He rolled his head on his shoulders, feeling the excitement that these fights caused inside of him skyrocket. He was ready for this, had been ready. He wasn’t nervous. Hell, he was fucking pumped about smashing his fist into some guy’s face. Now what the hell did that say about him? The only real competition he had ever had was a dirty yet talented fighter named Kash Alexander. That boy sure knew how to throw a left hook, and if Adrian was being honest with himself, he didn’t even know if he would have won that fight, if it hadn’t been for the fact he heard Brea scream out. Even though the noise had been earsplitting, Kash might have given him a TKO.

No, he wasn’t going to think about Brea, a female so sweet and innocent that it made him feel like a worthless piece of shit. She reminded him so much of his Addie. Physically they were night and day, but they both had this aura around them that brought out every protective instinct in him. He wanted to wrap Brea up, protect her from the ugliness of the world, but he knew for both of their sakes he could never do that. Hell, he was part of the ugliness that covered this world.

“You ready, boss?” Mica, the newest and youngest fighter in training, stuck his head around the corner and grinned. He was a quiet kid with a mop full of ash-colored hair and blue eyes so fucking intense they didn’t look real. He might be one of the silent types, but boy could that kid kick some ass. He had a body like a swimmer, all lean muscle and stamina, and was faster than anyone Adrian had ever seen. He also knew how to throw a punch in the kidneys to make a man fall to his knees.

Adrian didn’t know why the kid insisted on calling him boss. A quick nod of his head and Adrian was following Mica out of the door and into the waiting makeshift octagon. His opponent was already waiting on him, and already Adrian could tell this guy was one tough motherfucker. He was also a beast. Adrian rolled his shoulders back and climbed the stairs. He could hear the announcer pumping up the crowed, but he didn’t pay any head to it. All his focus was on the fucker staring him down. He might have been big, but Adrian was bigger and had far more pent-up rage than this pussy.

They faced each other and everything else faded away. Adrian pictured Addie’s face, the way she had looked that last time he had seen her. He took a deep breath, pushing those memories away and thought of Brea. Her big blue eyes, promising a hell of a lot that he knew he couldn’t take. There were many times he wondered how it would play out if he just let himself move on and forget about Addie. It had been years, and although he still held love for her, he knew holding on to the memory of her was going to eventually kill him. There had been a time when he had wanted to die, but as the years passed things had slowly shifted, especially after he’d seen Brea looking so vulnerable. All he wanted to do was fight, to get out everything that was inside of him until he could live, a shell of a man. He wished for this, but even after all this time he wasn’t any closer to reaching his goal. He didn’t think he ever would be.