Chapter Five

 

Dominic

 

 

Out of all the years I’d known Faith, we’d had some moments together where it was just us, but that was a long time ago. When she’d visit Layla at the hotel, I’d always make a point to run into her one way or another. Back then, she didn’t know about my family. It was a simpler time, and I loved every minute I got to spend with her. I liked having her with me now. Offering her a job might’ve been selfish of me, but it was the only thing I could think of to keep her close yet also at a distance. I wasn’t ready for her to see the real me, and she probably never would if I could help it. She thought she knew about my family, but if that was true, she would’ve run far and fast. Then again, she could totally surprise me.

I could hear the ding of the elevator door just outside the hall, and it wasn’t long before the door opened and Isaiah walked in with Reed behind him. Isaiah nodded toward the hall. “The ladies just went into Faith’s room.”

“Good.” Grinning wide, Reed walked over to me and I held out my hand. “Thanks for coming, Reed.”

“No problem,” he replied, shaking my hand. “It feels good to get away from Wyoming. I talked to Micah this morning. He and Connor will be in tomorrow night.” From what Bryce told me, Micah and Connor were hardcore fighters. I had a feeling I was going to need them more than anything. Reed was twenty-seven-years old with the same dark brown hair as his brothers, but with a slightly smaller build. He was the one with all the brains. I’d picked that up the first time I met him.

“Did Bryce fill you in on everything?” I asked.

He nodded. “Every sordid detail. He told me to let him know if you turn to the dark side.”

I had no doubt he did. “And will you?”

A smirk spread across his face. “Depends. If you do things halfway right, I’ll keep my mouth shut. There’s nothing wrong with breaking some of the rules every now and again.”

Chuckling, I placed a hand on his shoulder. “I think we’re going to get along perfectly then. Come on, I want you to meet my cousin and a couple of fighters who got in early this morning from Vegas.”

We walked out of the suite and Isaiah joined us in the elevator. “Tell me about these fights,” Reed mentioned. “I’m assuming the other families are getting their own fighters as well.”

“That’s the plan.” I swiped my key in the card reader and pressed the button for the basement level. “The Cartwrights and O’Briens have already challenged each other, and the Salvatores want a match against us.”

Reed snorted. “Damn. They’re not wasting any time, are they?”

The elevator door opened. “Nope. That’s why we have to be ready. I have two fighters, but I’ll need more.” He followed me down the hallway to the red door at the end. There used to be hundreds of people waiting in line to enter the casino, and soon, it’d be that way again for something new. I pushed through the door, and Reed followed in behind me.

Luca circled around the ring as he watched Taylor Benning and Darius McKinney spar. They were both young middle-weight fighters, and they were vicious. Both were banned from the UFC for brawling outside of the circuit. Those were the kind of guys I needed in the ring, but not in my ranks.

Luca jumped down from the platform with a big smile on his face. “What do ya think? They look good, right?”

“They do, but we need to be careful. Don’t tell them anything they don’t need to know.”

Luca nodded. “Got it. All they care about is fighting and reaping the rewards.” He turned to Reed and held out his hand. “You must be Bryce’s brother.”

Reed shook his hand. “Reed Chandler.”

Luca let his hand go and slapped Reed’s shoulder. “I’m Luca. Welcome to the family.”

Luca focused on me and I nodded toward Taylor and Darius. “Which one do you think should fight the Salvatore fighter?”

Brows furrowed, Luca studied both men. Taylor was sharp and fast on his feet, with cunning agility. With his shaved head, you could see the scars in his skin from past fights. Darius was a little bigger than Taylor, and slower on his feet, but his punches carried a lot of weight. He had more TKO’s under his belt.

“Well,” Luca began, “I think Taylor might be the one we need for the Salvatores. He’s cocky and a complete douche in the ring. Might be the kind of edge we need.”

“As long as he wins,” I said loud enough for Taylor to hear me.

Luca chuckled. “He’ll fucking win.”

Taylor smacked his gloved fists together, and snarled. “Not gonna let you down, boss. Their asses are mine.”

That was what I wanted to hear. I slapped Reed’s shoulder. “Come on, I’ll show you to your room. You’ll be staying here at the hotel. You can eat dinner up in my suite with me tonight and we’ll discuss everything.” We walked out of the room and down the long hallway to the elevators. Reed scanned the area as if searching for something. “What are you looking for?” I asked.

Then his focus transfixed on a small spot on the ceiling. “Never mind. I see one. I was looking for cameras. Just curious to see what kind of security you have here.”

I pointed out the rest of the hidden cameras. There were ten of them just in the hallway alone. “I have twenty-four-hour surveillance,” I told him. “No one except for my people are allowed down here during off hours. When the fights start, we have a back entrance that we’ll let people come in from.”

The elevator doors opened and we stepped inside. “What exactly will I be doing?” Reed asked.

I slapped his shoulder. “All I need from you is your presence. The annual gala is coming up in a couple of days. It’d be nice to have you by my side. That way you can help me keep an eye on Faith. She knows you.”

His eyes widened. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to have her around? What about her safety?”

The thought of anyone hurting Faith made my blood boil. “Nothing’s going to happen to her,” I promised. “She’ll be safe with me. You’ll see her tonight at dinner.”

Reed nodded toward the red door. “Does she know about all of this? About the fighting?”

I shook my head. “She doesn’t need to know. Neither does my sister. At least, not yet. I’m trusting you to keep it to yourself.”

Reed chuckled. “Good luck with that. I’ll keep quiet, but I think you’re underestimating them both. This won’t stay a secret for long.”

He was right, but I had no choice. I wasn’t sure what she’d think about all of this because business is business, and reality is this is a mafia business. I just don’t want to throw that in her face yet. I’m not ready for Faith to find out .

I want to make sure I’ve got her in my corner— first.