Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 76222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
After we went down one last flight of stairs, which took us from the now obvious VIP entrance to the main floor—that had a couple of other entrances everyone else used—there were several men who came up to my brothers to speak with them. And although they had to speak louder than normal to be heard over the boisterous crowd surrounding us, I still couldn’t make out a word of their conversation.
We started moving through the horde again, and people parted for us like they knew danger was knocking. The men glanced to the ground, knowing this family was led by two predators, but the women… the women openly showed their desire for my brothers. They clearly didn’t give a shit that the two men sandwiching me had their wives pressed tightly to their sides and showed their possessive affection only to them.
I spotted chairs placed right in front of the ring. Nikolai took one chair at the end, and Amara sat right beside him. He had his arm slung over her shoulders and pulled her closer to say something in her ear. Something that had her cheeks turning red.
I sat down in the chair beside Amara. The more I searched the area, taking in this new arena, the more I found myself anticipating seeing Gio. Was he coming as a spectator? Or would he be fighting?
Dmitry took the chair at the other end of our row with Claudia sitting between him and me. I glanced at my new sister-in-law and gave her a warm smile, although I wondered if it looked as nervous as I felt right now.
I smoothed my hands over my thighs and glanced around once again. I saw men dressed in dark fatigues close to where we were seated and could almost smell the Russian guard-dog vibe pouring off them.
The noise was so loud it was deafening.
God, this place is utter chaos.
After a few minutes, everyone in the room suddenly went absolutely wild, the volume inside this underground space becoming completely overwhelming. Apparently, they’d seen someone come through one of the many doors along the perimeter because, a moment later, a massive man jumped into the ring. He had dark-red hair that was buzzed close to his head, and there was a crazy looking dragon tattoo that covered one of his shoulders, the hind legs and wings draping down his arm.
Anticipation and adrenaline raced through my veins when everyone went totally quiet, as if they knew something fucked up was about to happen.
And then—pandemonium.
The people who were in the very few areas with seating stood up and shouted, raising their hands in the air as they screamed angry, violent things along with everyone else besides us.
I leaned in close to Amara, my sister-in-law pregnant with my niece or second nephew, and I rubbed her arm in support. The noise was obviously too much for her, and I was about to tell Nikolai to leave with his wife when my brother sensed her unease and pushed the long fall of her hair off her shoulder. He leaned in and said something to her. She shook her head, and he gave her a narrow-eyed look and made a huff of irritation that he clearly wasn’t getting his way.
He reached into his pocket and handed her a pair of earplugs, which she took and put in with a grateful smile. He offered me a pair, and I was tempted to take them, but I decided to wave him off, hoping it would give him the impression I wasn’t as weak as he and our brother thought I was. I assumed Dmitry gave Claudia the option as well, but I was too focused on the ring and what was to come.
To my left, I saw people moving out of the way and sat up straighter, trying to catch a glimpse of who was weaving through the crowd. Although, I already knew. God, I knew it was him. I felt the charge of electricity in the air.
And then I saw him.
He was a head taller than everyone else.
When he climbed into the cage, I couldn’t help but stare at Gio in all his vicious, intense, and highly addictive glory.
A skull mask covered the lower half of his face once again, and he wore black shorts, tape wrapped around his knuckles, and nothing else.
Everyone was shouting, “D'yavol!” But all that noise faded as soon as my eyes landed on Gio.
I glanced at Amara, and her expression was too confusing for me to tell if she was aware this was her brother. But when I peeked over at Claudia, her look told me all I needed to know.
She’d already known who she would be watching fight tonight. But how?
As if my thoughts were shouted for all to hear, Amara looked at her sister, her eyes wide as they bounced between Claudia and D'yavol.