CHAPTER 1

BELLA

Tonight is the final evening in Chicago.

This time tomorrow we will likely be midway throughout the nation and in two days time Dad promised palm timber, sand and all the ocean air I can breathe in.

I maintain my father’s promise near my coronary heart and let it carry me deeper into an underground basement.

Blood. Sweat. Barely sufficient mild to see three toes in entrance of me.

I mark off all of the cons about this place. I might hold going, however it takes an excessive amount of vitality to care about a spot I received’t be lengthy.

The largest one although is the sight of a human-made ring and the lads preventing within the heart. I do know what it means. I’ll be bandaging my father up earlier than our bus experience out of town.

Goosebumps flush throughout my naked shoulders and arms. The scent of sweat and blood burns my nostrils.

Each step I take deeper into the basement, strikes me farther into my dad’s corrupt world. Till now, I’ve at all times been on the skin. He by no means let me see the darker a part of his world as a mafia enforcer for Valerian De La Rosa. And now I perceive why.

“You don’t belong right here in that fairly white gown, these strappy sandals and your candy aura of goodness. Not amongst these wolves, child woman.”

Regardless of my father’s earlier phrases, he strikes us by means of a throng of jostling males with grabby arms and few morals.

Whispers of “hey, child,” and “virgin meat” hit my ears. I brush off the crude feedback and keep on with my dad’s facet as he weaves us nearer to the middle.

“Dad, neglect this. We don’t want it.” I urge him to cease however I don’t suppose he can hear me over the cheering and whistles.

Of all of the methods I believed I’d spend my twenty-first birthday, I by no means thought it could be at an unlawful battle. But right here I’m full with a human-formed ring and referees or regardless of the hell the dude in black pulling a savage man off one other is named.

I catch glimpses of the fighters beating the crap out of one another to the cheers and boos. Overhead lights throw the lads in shiny mild whereas leaving the thunderous onlookers in deep shadows.

It’s practically unattainable to see previous the wall of fits and the sporadic pores and skin tight attire stretched over pretend boobs.

Once I lastly discover a break within the crowd, I want I hadn’t. Why the hell folks like beating on one another is misplaced on me. A mountain of a person with acid inexperienced hair jutting in each route kilos on the smaller one pinned to the ground. There’s a blur of movement. Extra knees and fists make contact. I blink and the smaller one is off the ground and the 2 opponents return to dancing round one another searching for the others’ weaknesses.

I grimace. Fucking animals. Blood oozes from gashes over the lads’s eyes and I’ve little doubt a number of enamel are lacking for the each of them.

I dodge round a girl held down by not less than one million {dollars} value of diamonds and sapphire in time to see Acid Inexperienced arch again and set free a blood curdling bellow. Spittle falls from his mouth and he appears to be like feral. Black eyes shine with the starvation for blood when he comes out of his conflict name and I’m not the one one seeing this. Everybody watching takes an audible gasp earlier than going again to chanting for blood.

My jaw falls slack. My toes drag and I come to a cease unable to maneuver.

He’s not out for blood. He desires that man’s soul.

I flip to my dad who’s behind me ushering me deeper into the chaos of the group. I’ve a sinking feeling my advert would be the subsequent one within the ring with that monster. “What are we doing right here, dad?”

Dad pulls me into him and wraps an arm round my shoulders. He tucks me underneath his arm and speaks over the roaring crowd. “I informed you. Another battle, child woman. After which I’m out. We are able to go to California like I promised you. De La Rosa mentioned I solely needed to do another.”

My head swirls with the promise of a peaceful life. I flip again to the battle. However is it value the associated fee?

“You with me?” Dad shakes my shoulders. It’s all I can do to nod, however in fact I don’t perceive why he has to do another battle when he mentioned he was already out.

Items of chipped gravel and filth grind underfoot as my father leads us by means of the jostling crowd. Wads of money are shoved into the air. Arms and elbows fly in each route.

Stabs of ache shoot by means of my left and hearth off my nerve endings once I catch an elbow to the ribs.

Umph. I wheeze an unpleasant sound, a huff of air getting knocked out of me greater than an precise sound.

My dad’s grip on my elbow is the one factor that retains me from getting a concrete facial.

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