Keeley's POV

"Aubrey, stop. I already said I can't go," I whisper yelled to her. Mr. Monroe started his lecture on limits about twenty minutes ago, and if it wasn't for Aubrey pestering me about going out tonight, I would have been out cold with my face smooshed to the table by now.

"Keels, please? I want to go but I don't want to go without you. Who's going to beat up the greasy old creeper that tries to grab my ass?" she asks while throwing her hands in the air.

I stared at her with a disgusted look before hesitantly turning my attention back to the board. "It's a school night. Plus, it's Tuesday. That means I have family night tonight."

By family night I really mean going to the big house and training with my father's men, but I can't really tell her that.

"Ladies," Mr. Monroe's nasally voice called from the front of the class. "Is there something you would like to share with the class?"

His beady brown eyes stared at the two of us as the other students turned to look. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples.

"Nope, all good Mr. M," Aubrey quips happily from beside me. She flips her fiery hair over her shoulder and gives him a wide smile. He lets out a small sigh before turning back to the board.

"At least text them and see if you can go. If they say no, then I'll leave you alone."

It was my turn to humph as I pulled out my phone and shot Nick a text asking if I could go with Aubrey to Xavier's match tonight, and for my own sanity, I prayed he would say no.

***

"EEEEKK! Oh my gosh, I'm so excited!" My eyebrows raise and my eyes squint from the high decibel that is called Aubrey. I look at Xavier and Alex from the other side of our table in the cafeteria, and their faces look similar to my own.

Nick had, in fact, told me that I could go because training tonight had been canceled due to a food poisoning issue. I'm really wishing as of right now that I would have told her I couldn't go, but I've been trying to be nice lately, and if that means going, I guess I'll do it.

"I'm actually pretty excited for you to come tonight, TaterTot," Xavier tells me with a bright smile. I return the gesture as I put my long, almost white hair into a bun.

"She might judge you, Xav. I mean, we have seen her knock Ryder Bennett flat on his ass," Alex laughs while opening his water bottle.

Xavier's eyes go wide for a second and I chuckle. "Don't worry. I'm sure I'll be impressed."

"He's pretty good," Aubrey pipes in. She tugs at the sleeves of her hoodie till they cover her hands. "I've been once and he was ruthless, I'm telling ya. Ruthless."

Xavier shakes his head at her, but I can see the slight blush forming on his dark cheeks.

***

"Why can't I just go in this?" I ask Aubrey. It was now six-thirty and we had been hanging out at her house since school ended. I wasn't aware that I couldn't just wear my leggings and hoodie to the match, and now I'm being forced to wear something more, as Aubrey puts it, va-va-voom.

"Seriously, Keeley? We need to look hot!" she exclaims. I watch her as she starts pulling things out of her closet at the speed of lightning.

"Why?" I ask her yet again. I'm not really interested in looking hot. I'm interested in staying comfortable.

She ignores me for a minute before emerging from her mound of clothes.

"Here, put these on." A pair of jeans along with a black top and some heels are shoved into my arms. I was about to protest, but she turned her back and walked out of the room.

I huffed as I reluctantly stripped out of my clothes and changed into the ones Aubs had given me.

As soon as I finished changing, I walked into her small ensuite bathroom and gazed at myself in the mirror. Brady's coin necklace laid gently across my chest on top of the long sleeve, black turtle-neck. I had tucked it into the faded, high-waisted ripped jeans that I was given. On my feet were a pair of tall, pointed red-bottoms that I'm not sure even I could afford without putting a huge dent in my wallet.

The girl in the mirror did in fact look hot with her pale blonde hair straightened and touching her lower back, and her strong stature looked powerful, yet delicate.

I was taller in the heels, and the makeup Aubrey had forced upon me when we first got to her house made my golden amber eyes pop.

"Damn, girl. You clean up nice." I looked behind me and Aubrey had changed into a lacy white top and a pair of dark washed, ripped jeans. Her taller frame was elevated with open-toed heels. Aubrey's naturally bright-red hair was curled, and I was pretty positive she would be turning heads tonight.

"So do you," I giggle. We walk back into her room where I take a black purse from her. I shoved my wallet, phone, and keys into it, and when she wasn't looking, my gun.

"You ready, girly?" she asks me with a mischievous grin. I shake my head lightly before motioning her to the door. Tonight should be interesting.

***

"This place looks illegal," I state as I double-check that I locked my doors. Hell, I know this place has got to be illegal. I've done raids on places like this.

"It's not completely illegal." I give her a pointed look as I straighten my shoulders and easily fall into my military-mafia upbringing: blank face, strong posture, and highly on edge.

"Okay, so maybe this match is illegal, but not all of them are. He's trying to help his family out and he needs the money. But don't tell him I said that."

The two of us walked down a dark alleyway across the street. The sun had already set, and the only light was being emitted by the street lamps. I voluntarily pulled Aubrey closer to me with one hand while I rested the other on my purse.

Dumpsters littered the walkway and I could see a few men leaning against the walls taking long drags of their cigarettes. When they made an effort to move towards us, I shot them a look and they seemed to get the back-the-fuck-off message.

When we got to the large metal doors the lead into the building, Aubrey called Alex to come open the door for us.

"Aubrey, why the hell would you come here by yourself?" I whisper to her while we were waiting outside. She gives me a sheepish look.

"There weren't many people out here last time. I was fine. Plus, I know how to knock-a-bitch out." She imitates what I'm assuming is supposed to be a punch, but it really looks like she's just swatting a bug out of the air.

"Remind me to teach you how to punch," I mutter under my breath. And where the hell is Alex? A few greasy-looking people were starting to walk towards us, and although I knew I could beat them easily and I had a gun, I really didn't want to be doing that in front of Aubrey.

The door suddenly opened and Alex ushered us quickly inside.

"Took you long enough," I tell him harshly as we walk down a dimly lit hallway.

"Sorry, I got... held up." He doesn't look at me when he says this, and I know for a fact it's a lot more than just being held up.

"Well," Aubrey chirps while clapping her hands together, "we're here now and that's all that matters. Where's Xav?"

We made a few more turns before emerging into a large room. Music was blaring and I couldn't hear my own thoughts. People were packed tightly together all around us and the smell emitting from them was terrible. A large ring was set up in the middle of the room where I could see two abnormally large men trying to beat each other into a bloody pulp. A long, wooden bar was along the left wall and people were running about behind it trying to fill drinks.

The room itself was just one giant concrete block. The ceiling went for what seemed like forever and was supported by square, concrete columns. A few broken windows were up towards the ceiling, but other than that, the only light that could reach the room was the dimly lit overhead, yellow lights.

"Just stick close to me," Alex yells over the thumping music. I nod my head and grab Aubrey's hand as we push and shove our way through the crowd. A guy reached out and tried to grab me, but that ended quickly when I broke his nose.

A couple of minutes later, Alex shoved us into a small room where there were about a dozen people milling about. Xavier was talking to a heavily tattooed giant in the corner, but his head turned to us when the door shut. One of his million-dollar smiles took over his face as he waved us over to him.

"Might I say, you ladies are looking mighty fine tonight," he smirks. He was in gym shorts and wasn't wearing a shirt, and if I didn't have my eyes on someone else, I would have found him drool-worthy.

Aubrey laughed as he pulled her into a hug. When they let go of each other, she immediately started flirting with Mr. Tattoos. I shook my head as Xavier pulled me tightly to his chest.

"TaterTot, I don't think I've ever seen you so-" I slapped my hand over his mouth.

"If you finish that sentence, I will in fact beat your ass in front of these men and make you look like a fucking wimp." I give him a hard stare and slowly move my hand away from his mouth. He winks and smirks at me before turning to the guy Aubrey's talking to.

"Ladies, this is Herb: one of my very good friends." Aubrey stares at him openly and runs a hand over his arm, playing her game well. I let out a small sigh before turning to Herb. I give him a tight-lipped smile and shake his massive hand.

Herb was damn near a solid brick wall. He wasn't quite as tall as Callan, but he was pretty close. His bulky arms I'm sure were bigger than my head, and the rest of his body was well defined and covered with varying tattoos. His hair was buzzed short and a stubby, dark beard covered his jaw.

"Nice to meet you, uh-" He spoke with a slight Scottish accent as one of his brows raised up in question.

"Keeley," I tell him. He nods his head slowly at me, probably wondering why I look pissed off at the moment when really that's just my normal face.

"Please excuse her," Xavier says while pulling on my shoulders. "She's always a bit angry."

I elbow him harshly in the gut and he lets out a small wince. Herb just chuckles and turns back to where Aubrey is just babbling right away.

I didn't realize I was staring till Alex said something.

"She is eighteen, Tater. He's twenty-one which I know is older, but he is a genuinely good guy. And if it makes you feel better, you could easily take him in the ring." I laugh a little, thankful that he's trying to stop me from worrying.

I clear my throat before turning to Xavier. "So when do you fight and who do you fight?"

"I go on in about a half-hour, and I go up against that guy over there by the fridge. It's basically a one-round fight and whoever is knocked out or taps out first loses." He motions to a guy in the corner who's sipping on some water and talking to one of the other fighters. He's probably about 6'2", and is pretty lean, but muscular. His short brown hair is wild and there's something in his light eyes that I don't like, almost as if he's planning something weird. Call it a gut feeling, but I've seen that look one-too-many times to know any different.

"What do you know about him?" I ask while continuing to stare him down.

"His name is Axel and he's a complete jerk, but a good fighter. He's pretty quick which makes up for how skinny he is, but other than that, not much. He's pretty new here."

Axel's gaze turns to me and for just a second, our eyes locked. Yeah, I don't like him at all.

I notice that when he turns away, he runs one of his hands over the left side of his ribs and how he tilts his head so his left ear is angled more towards the guy in front of him. It isn't loud in here so there isn't really a reason he should have any trouble hearing.

"His left side is weak," I state while turning back to the boys.

They both give me puzzled looks. I sigh before explaining.

"Notice how his hand involuntarily rubs over the left side of his rib cage? And if you look close enough, when he turns, one of his ribs sticks out a little more than the others. My guess is that they were probably broken and never healed right. Plus, whenever somebody talks to him, his left ear is angled towards them. I think he has a hard time hearing out of both of his ears, but his left is just slightly stronger than the right ear. Hit that ear, he's probably fucked."

I shrug my shoulders and plop down into the odd-colored sofa. I cross one leg over the other before turning to look at the boys. They stare at me with dumbfounded looks.

"What?" I ask while situating my purse on my lap. I was getting kind of thirsty.

"How the hell did you get that from the thirty seconds you stared at him?" Xavier whispered yelled.

"Military school," I say, even though I know that's not the whole truth.

"Uh-huh, sure," Alex chuckles.

I hang out with the two for the remaining time as Aubrey is utterly consumed by all things Herb. I can tell she likes him by the way she plays with the ends of her hair and the smile that never leaves her face. For the most part, I think he likes her back. Although I can't really tell because she's talked pretty much the whole time.

"Reynolds! Boone!" a voice booms from the doorway. A short, bald man is standing there with an earpiece and a clipboard as he gazes around the room. "Get to the ring, you're up!"

I give Xavier one last pep talk before following them out of the room. Alex and Herb lead us to a spot in the front to watch Xavier. I stand there tense as I watch Xavier enter the ring with Alex hanging on the ropes.

I look over at Aubrey, and if I'm being honest, she looks scared shitless.

"Hey," I tell her softly. Her big eyes look to mine. "He's going to be okay. He's got this."

She nods her head and hesitantly turns back to the ring where the bell has just run. Xavier and Axel circle each other for a moment, and it's clear that Axel isn't going to make the first move. Xavier fakes left and follows it with a hard kick to his gut. He doesn't allow his opponent to get his bearings before he unleashes hell on him. I find myself screaming and cheering him on as jab after jab hits Axel's body. Axel manages to get one hit across Xavier's face, but it doesn't faze Xav in the slightest.

I looked at the timer on the wall when Axel finally stops moving. It only took a minute and a half.

The ref counts to ten before a roar of applause and cheers fills the room. I scream as loud as I can and jump up and down. Xavier raises his hands in the air in victory as the crowd continues to holler.

Herb leads us back to the room we were in before to wait for Xavier and Alex to come back.

"Oh my gosh, that was so exciting!" Aubrey squeals while throwing herself at me. I laugh as I hug her back. She steps away, and when she does, I catch Herb staring at her in complete adoration. I raise my eyebrow at him when he turns to me, and he looks away quicker than I thought was possible.

Oh yeah, he likes her.

The boys come in the door hooting and hollering at Xavier's victory.

I smile at Xavier and hug him tight. "You did good."

He smiles at me and laughs. "Thanks, Tater."

Aubrey pushes me out of the way and crushes him in one of her deathly tight hugs. I chuckle as Xavier struggles to get a solid breath out. Congratulations are exchanged between the other fighters and Xavier before he turns back to us.

"You guys want to hang out and celebrate a bit?" he asks with a broad smile.

"Yeah, I just have to use the bathroom. Where are they?" He tells me to follow the hallway to the right and I excuse myself.

I exit the room and go down the hallway and a few turns to the right. It is dimly lit with broken yellow lights and parts of the walls are crumbling down. My heels clack as I walk further, and I eventually see two doors. I go through the one that says "Women" and surprisingly, the bathrooms are actually clean. I enter one of the stalls and do my business before walking to the sinks. I set my purse on the counter as I lather my hands with soap and turn on the water. Once they're clean, I grab a paper towel and dry my hands off.

"Hello, Keeley." My head snaps up, but I'm too late as someone tackles me from behind and we go flying into the ground. I can't see anything as my hair keeps falling in my face, and I can't get a good hold of my attacker.

I end up on my back as I start to feel my breaths become labored. I manage to open my eyes and see Tommy sitting on me with his hands pushing the collar of my shirt down to clutch my neck. I can't move my legs, and it's only then that I realize somebody else is holding them down. My arms had somehow managed to be pinned behind my back, between me and the floor. My gun was in my purse, and I couldn't get out.

"Not so tough now, are we?" he snickers. I keep my face blank and try to manage my breathing. It's painful, but I am able to maintain a steady breathing pattern even under his strong grip.

"Trevor, how awful to see you again," I spit out. His face heats up in irritation as his hands tighten around my neck.

"For the last time, you stupid bitch, my name is Tommy," he seethes. His dark eyes are swirling with hatred as his blonde hair falls over his forehead.

"I'm the bitch? You're the one who can't take down a teenage girl by himself," I laugh. It comes out strangled and I'm sure I look crazy. I can tell my eyes are darker and my makeup had been smudged in our little brawl. I would go bat-shit crazy on his ass but I know that without being able to breathe properly, it would end poorly for me.

One of his hands shoots out and slaps me hard across the cheek as his other one presses down with more pressure on my neck. "Watch your tone, little Harris. As of right now, you're defenseless against me and I would really hate to shoot that pretty little head of yours."

Pretty little head of yours. Where had I heard that before?

There's nothing even remotely soft about his voice. It's full of hatred and fury and aggression, but it's all...controlled. I feel my eyes widen as the realization dawns on me. There aren't many people who can manage to beat me, much less keep their composure while doing so. I know one person who can do that. Only one.

I feel a chill creep up my back and I unconsciously gulp. Tommy snickers as his face come closer to mine.

"So, I assume you're finally starting to understand?" I stare at him as I try to regain my composure, knowing damn well that's probably not going to happen now.

"Chego ty khochesh'?" I spit out. His lips twitch up in the slightest at my use of Russian.
(What do you want?)

"YA poka ne skazhu yemu, gde ty, Yesli eto to, o chem vy sprashivayete." His voice speaks so lowly that his memory is starting to fill my head, and I know if I don't get out of here soon, I will crumble.
(I won't tell him where you are yet if