Stand Of Redemption(41)

“Finally, Ariel.” Emiliano took her hand, pulling her down on the couch next to him. “You don’t seem so tired now,” he complimented.

“You look sexy to me,” she heard a voice say as a man approached her from behind the couch.

Ria turned, going pale as a face she would never forget sat down next to her.

“Every female that crosses your path looks sexy to you,” she smarted back to the man who had almost raped her.

“Remember me?” He sadistically grinned at her.





Chapter 16



“How could I ever forget you?” she said numbly.

“I knew you would.” The smug bastard stood, gloating down at her.

Emiliano’s hand went to her thigh, keeping her pinned by his side. “Henry is a valued customer of mine. He stops for a visit every couple of months. Last weekend, when he was here, he saw you leaving with Rafael. He explained his difficulties with you.”

“She stole from me.”

“I gave it back! The bartender didn’t credit it to your account. Then, when you tried to rape me, I gave you the cash back!”

“Calm yourself, Ariel. Henry explained all this to me. He wishes to make amends.” Emiliano’s voice was as cold as ice.

Ria went quiet. She knew she had broken his rules—to always be nice to the men—but she couldn’t help herself. Henry had tried to rape her. His eyes on her body made her skin crawl.

“I have decided to give him the opportunity.” Emiliano rose to his feet. Taking her hand, he pulled her up next to him.

His voice rose above the noise of the crowd. “If everyone will follow me, I have devised some entertainment for you all.”

Henry smirked as he walked beside them out into the hallway.

Ria didn’t know where they were going, but everyone else seemed to.

Henry lost his smug expression, his face filling with fear.

“Perhaps I was too harsh, Emiliano. Allow me to apologize…” Henry stopped walking, but Mitchell appeared by his side, taking his arm and forcing him forward with the crowd.

Ria followed as a door along the hallway opened and they went down a flight of steps that led to a series of corridors. Emiliano stopped at one door, opening it. The excitement of the people following was palpable.

The lights came on and they quickly took their seats. Ria sat, frightened at what she was about to witness. She was sitting in the front row seat that was elevated above a fighting pit. Mitchell forced Henry inside the pit, pulling out a gun.

Emiliano rose from his seat. “If you take one step outside of the pit, Mitchell will kill you. Take the beating you deserve and all will be forgiven,” Emiliano said magnanimously, despite the cruelly vindictive look he was giving the man that was about to piss on himself.

Ria sat frozen, wanting to run, screaming from the room.

“I want to introduce everyone to my newest fighter. Nicholas Brooks.”

Ria stiffened, leaning forward in her seat as Nicholas walked out of the shadows, walking into the pit and mercilessly facing Henry.

“He has asked to be the one to give Henry a lesson on how to treat a lady.” The crowd laughed, filled with excitement.

When a bell sounded in the room, Nicholas’s fist came out, striking Henry, who didn’t even try to fight back.

Ria had never seen Nicholas fight, and she didn’t want to see him do so now. The beating he gave Henry was severe. Ria turned her eyes away.

“Watch. Never show anyone your weakness,” Emiliano said by her side.

She turned back toward the pit. Henry was unconscious and Nicholas was standing over him. He hadn’t even broken a sweat.

Mitchel slung Henry over his shoulder carrying him from the pit.

Nicholas turned to face Emiliano as Ria stiffened in her seat.

“Sit still. There is another fight.”

She reluctantly remained seated, dreading to see who Emiliano would make fight next.

The spotlight went to the doorway again, and Ty walked out to loud cheers.

“Many of you know the new fighter that has everyone believing he will be the next Nicholas Brooks. Ty is an employee of mine, and he betrayed my trust.”

Boo’s sounded throughout the room.

“I am giving him a chance to redeem himself in my eyes. He mistakenly thought he was protecting someone else.” Emiliano turned to Ria, brushing a tear away with his thumb before turning back to his audience.

“I am going to be generous and let him prove his loyalty to me tonight.”

Ty walked forward to the pit, stepping inside. Cheers brought her eyes back to the doorway to see Nicholas walking forward.

“Emiliano, please… please stop this!”

“Be quiet, Ria. Ty is going to prove to me where his loyalty lies: with me or Nicholas and Zane. Believe me, I am letting him off lightly.”