How does she know about Dominick? Jonah and Blake are the only two people who know. My head spins. How else would she know that unless she was back there? Talking about me. They would never do that.
None of this makes sense.
Unless?
She’s working for Dominick.
My heart pounds and I want to scream. Adrenaline fists my hands. I can’t lose it here. Not in front of her. I won’t give her the satisfaction. But one thing’s certain: I need to get out of here.
“Excuse me,” I mumble and stand to leave.
“Raven?” Katherine stands next to me, her eyebrows pinched together.
“I’m fine, Katherine. I’ll just be a minute.”
I scoot past Candy into the aisle, grasping my hands together to keep from backhanding her. She coughs to cover her snicker. I whirl to face her, giving up my restraint. One slap. Then I’m out of here.
The lights go dark. The room explodes in a fan-crazed roar. I’m frozen in place, unable to see in front of me. A spotlight cuts through the darkness. The top of the stairs illuminates a group of very large men. A man wearing a black shirt that says “Crew” in yellow across his chest ushers me back, telling me to take my seat. Back in place, Katherine grabs my hand.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to UFL one-ninety-eight.” The announcer’s voice fills the room.
The crowd roars and my shoulders tighten with tension.
“Six-time Heavyweight Champion, Victor ‘The Bull’ Del Toro, will defend his title against the undefeated Jonah ‘The Assassin’ Slade.”
A mix of boos and cheers ring in my ears. Katherine’s grip tightens. The driving bass of Jay-Z’s song “Niggas in Paris” fills the dome-shaped arena, sending the fans into a frenzy. The air electrifies my skin, every hair standing on end.
“Let’s welcome our challenger. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Jonah ‘The Assassin’ Slade.” The announcer’s voice draws out his name and my body breaks out in goose bumps.
A bright light flashes to the top of the stairs. My eyes squint and burn trying to make out a familiar face. Out in front of the group are Rex and Caleb, but I’ve never seen them like this before. Their faces are masks of concentration. Their bodies are taut and unforgiving. They descend the stairs with the bravado of well-trained soldiers. I struggle for breath, suffocated by the anticipation in the air.
As the group walks down the steps, each member of the team comes into view. Wes walks behind Caleb and Rex, then Blake. His teasing eyes and easygoing smile are replaced by determination. I search for Jonah’s face in the group. Fans stand on their chairs, yelling and reaching to get to Jonah in the center of his crew. Security guards line the aisle, holding people back.
My hand squeezes Katherine’s tighter and I push up on my toes. I get a quick glimpse of the tips of dark mussed up hair.
There he is.
His face comes into view and I’m completely floored. He looks positively deadly and more beautiful than ever. My heart almost beats out of my chest. His eyebrows are low in a fixed state of focus, making his eyes look black. His full lips are held in a tight, straight line, framed by his set jaw. The muscles under his colorful skin seem bigger as they flex under the light. I suck in a breath and throw my hand over my gaping mouth.
I’ve seen Jonah train and he seemed lethal then. But now, he looks homicidal. I say a silent prayer that this is all an act, because the way he looks now, he’d snap at the slightest provocation.
They move down the stairs, passing rows of screaming fans. His team is circled around him protectively. They reach the bottom and walk down the aisle of our section. Then the group stops short. Right at our row.
I’m frozen, my eyes burning and stuck on Jonah. He turns his head towards me as if he’s responding to my call. His eyes don’t search, but land right on my face. Caught in the ferocity of his stare, I hold his gaze. A one-dimpled smile touches his face just long enough for me to see before it disappears and the focus is back.
That’s it. He’s letting me know that this is an act. I take a deep breath and smile back, huge. He gives me a wink and throws a quick look to Candy. His intense glare makes her cower.
Take that, bitch.
And with renewed hope, I watch the group continue down the aisle and into the octagon.
*
Jonah
“. . . sixth time returning Heavyweight Champion Victor ‘The Bull’ Del Toro.”
Standing in my corner of the octagon, I wait for Del Toro to make it down the aisle. I find my girl in the crowd. She’s holding my mom’s hand. Thank you, Mom.
And why in the hell is Candy sitting where Guy should be? Maybe he couldn’t make it? But that doesn’t explain why Dominick’s slut-bot is in his place.