I didn’t know what I’d been expecting, but Seth tore through his competition with ease. He was way too agile for anyone here to be able to beat him.
“And we have our winner!” Chiara announced as everyone applauded and shouted. The guy who had been the last one to fight Seth pushed himself off the floor and glared at him. But then he extended his hand to him and clapped him on the back.
I rose to my feet and got off my little platform. Seth was strolling toward me, a smile stretching across his lips. He wiped off the blood from the corner of his mouth and stopped in front of me.
“I told you I could beat them all,” he said, his eyes sparkling with a joy I’d never seen before. One thing was clear. He liked fighting. He enjoyed it.
“Congratulations,” I said, starting toward my office.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, falling in step with me. “You didn’t want me to win? You know I’m the best. You can’t settle for less against Rubio.”
“It’s not that. I’m pretty aware of your skills. I just...” I bit down my lip. Honestly, I had no idea what was wrong with me. Seth was perfect for this, and yet the thought that he’d have to fight one of Rubio’s beasts made my stomach flip.
“You can’t possibly be worried I’m going to lose.” He let out a small laugh. “I can beat whoever Rubio sends against me.”
I stopped, facing him. The hallway suddenly seemed so small for us, but luckily no one else was there. “I’m worried about you.”
His brow furrowed. “I already told you, I’m not going to lose.”
“No, that’s not what I mean.”
“Then tell me, because I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.” He eyed me carefully. “You want your club safe from Rubio and you need a fighter who can win. If anything happens to me, it doesn’t matter, because if Rubio breaks his deal, everyone will see and know, and you’ll be able to use that against him. None of your friends would get hurt. All I’m asking in return is that you find John’s killer and make him pay no matter what.”
“Of course it matters if you get hurt.” I met his gaze. “And if Rubio changes the rules, or his men cheat or trick you into doing something...”
Seth’s mouth opened in surprise, and he lifted his hand as if he was going to reach for me, but then he dropped it. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Have you fought Rubio’s men before? In the ring, I mean?”
He hesitated. “No, but I fought people like them.”
“You fought to the death and killed your opponents?”
“I don’t see what that has to do with anything.” His face turned expressionless. “This won’t be that kind of a fight. You made sure of that.”
“I know, but...” What exactly had John saved him from? “When I first got here, I thought fighting was stupid. Like, really stupid.” A small smile tugged at my lips. “But John convinced me otherwise. He helped me channel all the bad energy. My first few fights were kind of crazy, but I thought they were fine. But then, one night, John paired me with this girl who liked to talk more than she liked to fight. In the middle of the fight, she said some things... things that hurt me, and I... God, I pounded her so hard into the ground. It felt so beautiful, so exhilarating, and all that adrenaline... John had to pull me off her before I beat her to a pulp.”
Seth was just watching me, not saying a word and probably wondering where I was going with this.
“Rubio will do anything to find out whatever he can about you before the fight, and if he knows things about you or your past... His fighter could use it against you. He could taunt you and insult you, or make you lose focus.” I lifted my eyes to his. “You could lose control.”
I was testing him to see how he’d react. He hadn’t lost control at all during the fights at this club, but people here weren’t scumbags who fought dirty. John first, and then I, had kicked out anyone who had caused trouble, but Rubio’s men were different. Rubio could threaten their lives if they didn’t win, so they’d try anything to achieve their goal. If Seth got mad at me now for suggesting he couldn’t control himself, then there was a chance Rubio’s fighter might irritate him too if he knew what to say to him.
There was a tic in Seth’s jaw and he took a step closer to me, our faces so close I could feel his breath on my skin. “If you think I’m one of those who enjoy killing, you’re wrong. I’ve made mistakes, but I never killed anyone unless I didn’t have a choice.”
“Okay.” Well, I supposed Rubio’s champion would need to do or say a lot to get Seth incredibly angry. If I even mentioned to Levi that he could lose control, he’d yell at me or even threaten me. He’d be sorry later, but he’d prove my point. Seth, though, had passed my test.
“But what about your family?” I asked. “What if Rubio finds them?” We should be prepared for everything. I wouldn’t put it past Rubio to ensure he won the fights by kidnapping Seth’s family and telling us about it just before the fight so no one would know about it except for us. We’d be in no position to do anything. Maybe Rubio thought kidnapping wasn’t working with me, but Seth’s family was a different matter.
Seth’s eyes widened, but then he shook his head. “He won’t be able to find my family.”
“Rubio has a lot of resources. Why do you think he won’t be able to do it?”
“No. It would take him too much time. My family... We’re not in contact anymore.” He pressed his lips together and lowered his gaze to the ground.
“Why not? Maybe you should change that to warn them and make sure they’re being careful.” I had no idea if he’d lied about his family too when he applied to be my bodyguard. Judging by his reaction, he definitely had a family somewhere out there and still cared about them, so even if he didn’t want to tell them what he’d been doing or if they didn’t see eye to eye, surely he could still leave them a message or something. “You don’t have to contact them if you don’t want to. I can do it for you. Anonymously. At least they’ll wonder what’s going on and watch out if...”
“No,” he snapped. “Leave my family out of this. They’re going to be fine. I’ll take care of it. Don’t concern yourself with that.”
“Fine.” If that was what he wanted, there was nothing I could do. “We have to be prepared for everything. I already sent people to spy on Rubio’s fighters. If there’s anything else you think Rubio might use against us, tell me. Rubio’s arrogant and confident, but he’ll want to do something to ensure he’ll win and that no one can cry foul about it. You’ll be training with Levi and Mark. They’re the only ones I trust.”
“Are you sure?” Seth asked. “Anyone can be bought or intimidated.”
“Not those two. And I know them quite well. I can tell if there’s something off about their behavior.” I flashed him a smile.
He inclined his head.
“There’s one more thing. I know you want to find John’s killer, but don’t go after Rubio until this is all over.”
His jaw tightened. “We’re going to be at his club. There’s plenty of opportunity to poke around without being suspicious. Why not use it if we get a chance?”
“I know, and I’ll see what I can do, but you... You just focus on the fights, okay?”
He eyed me for a moment, then finally nodded. “And if something happens to me, promise me you’ll find John’s killer.”
“We’ll find the killer together after this is over.”
“Promise me.” Seth grabbed my hand, squeezing it lightly in his, his eyes never leaving mine. “Promise.”
“Okay, fine. I promise.” I didn’t even want to contemplate that something could happen to Seth. His skin was so hot against mine, and when he brought my hand up to his lips and kissed my knuckles, that warmth spread through my body. Pulling my hand out of his, I licked my suddenly dry lips.
“I’m still going to win, though.” He grinned.
I really, really hoped he was right.