Pit Fighters: Cage: Phantom Warriors, page 9
The men filed into the sedan. Tires squealed as they sped away.
Julio rolled to his side and coughed. Blood spattered the sidewalk. He couldn’t breathe, but he could feel the pain.
The door to the house flew open and he heard his mother scream. She rushed to his side and lifted his head onto her lap. “What have they done to you, mijo?” She wailed in anguish as she rocked him and waited for help to come.
The sirens drew nearer. Though he was fading in and out of consciousness, Julio saw the lights reflecting off the houses as the ambulance and police arrived. He tried to clutch his mother’s arm, but his hand wouldn't work.
“Don’t tell them what happened,” he said, through clenched teeth. The copper taste of blood filled his mouth. “They mustn't know that Graham Walker was here.”
“But—”
“No buts, madre,” he said. “They will come back and hurt you if you do.”
Tears welled in her eyes. She nodded a moment before the police moved her to the side so the paramedics could get to work.
9
Stevie snuggled deeper against the heavy blanket behind her. A hard ridge of flesh bumped her bare bottom and a warm breath washed over her neck. She moved again and heard a soft groan. Her eyes flew open and Stevie jumped out of bed.
“What are you doing here? How did you get into my house?” she asked in confusion.
Chrysus sat up. The sheet slipped down, revealing nothing but bare flesh, as it pooled in his lap.
God, he was beautiful. Scars and all. Oh man, what had she done?
Memories came flooding back. It was more like what hadn’t they done. Every inch of her flesh felt like it held his mark. She looked down at her naked body. Love bites covered her breasts and the inside of her thighs. Her nipples were still swollen from his kisses. Even now as he looked at her, she felt her body heat and moisten in preparation for him.
“I was invited,” he said lazily, stretching his arms above his head. The move made the sheet dip even lower, revealing his hipbones and those amazing indents that carved out his Victory V.
Stevie had always had a weakness for a well-defined Victory V.
Focus!
“If you don’t recall what I’m doing here, I’d be more than happy to refresh your memory.” Chrysus glanced at his lap where an entirely different kind of muscle now tented the sheet.
Stevie swallowed hard, remembering vividly just how effective he could be with that particular instrument. She opened her mouth to reply, but the chirp of her phone cutoff whatever she’d been about to say.
The phone chimed again.
She glanced at the time. Six in the morning glared back at her. No wonder the phone was ringing. The fighters were probably worried because she hadn’t opened the gym on time. She'd never been late. Not even when she had the flu.
“I’ll be right back,” she said. Stevie didn’t even see him move. He went from lying against her headboard to out of the bed in less than a blink.
Strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her against his hard chest. The heat singed all the good sense right out of her mind. Every part of him smoldered. If she stayed here for much longer, she’d go up in flames.
Stevie looked over her shoulder at him. “I need to get the phone. I don’t want them to call the police because I haven’t shown up or worse, drop by.”
Hurt flashed in his beautiful green eyes. “Are you ashamed of me?”
“No,” she said. “It's nothing like that.”
The phone rang again.
“If you're not ashamed, then why do you care if the other fighters see me here?” he asked.
She wasn't ashamed of Chrysus. Stevie was ashamed of herself. They barely knew each other. Sleeping with him went against one of her biggest rules—no sex with fighters. Stevie did not want anyone to know what she’d done. Not until she had time to process it and sort through her emotions.
Her phone chirped letting her know that someone had left a message.
“See, it stopped ringing.” Chrysus kissed the side of her neck until her whole body became one big tingle. He smoothed his hands over her abdomen, then cupped her breasts.
Stevie’s nipples tightened, drawing a gasp from her throat.
Chrysus continued kissing and licking until she grew restless in his arms. “That’s more like it,” he murmured and spun her around until she landed on the bed face first. Before she could move, he gently kicked her legs out, spreading them wide.
“Beautiful,” he said in a harsh whisper. Chrysus’s hands came down upon her bottom and he began to knead her flesh.
Stevie’s eyes rolled back in her head and moisture pooled between her thighs.
“So pink. So perfect.” He stroked the outside of her entrance, spreading the wetness along her plumped flesh before circling her clit.
Stevie bit her lip to keep from moaning.
“Don’t hold back on me.” Chrysus smacked her bottom hard enough to sting.
Her outrage quickly morphed into something…surprising. Stevie moved her hips, hoping for another playful swat. Instead, he speared her with his thick finger, making her ride his hand.
Chrysus pulled his finger in and out of her slick sheath amazed by all the moisture her body produced. She wanted him. Wanted this. Stevie might’ve been able to dismiss last night as a fluke, but she couldn’t hide in the light of day.
He popped his finger into his mouth. Her delicious flavor exploded on his tongue. His hunger for her rose. He swirled his finger inside her again, then licked the juices off. The purr in his chest quickly changed into a growl.
Stevie climbed to her knees to get away. The change in positioned triggered his beast’s need to dominate. Chrysus glanced down expecting to see black fur covering his arms. His breathing deepened. The ragged sound filled the air. He grabbed hold of Stevie’s hips with one hand and positioned himself at her entrance.
Chrysus felt his teeth elongate, but he didn’t try to stop them. Didn’t want to. He grasped his shaft and guided it into her. The second her searing heat embraced him Chrysus was lost. He pulled Stevie back and thrust forward at the same time, burying himself in her velvet sheath.
Stevie mewed and clawed at the covers, but there’d be no escape.
Chrysus kissed his way up her spine and found the spot he’d bitten the night before. He licked the darkened area once, causing her whole body to shudder, then latched onto the flesh with his sharp teeth. Now that he had her where he wanted her, Chrysus began to move.
Stevie whimpered and cried out beneath him as pleasure rocked her, scorching her insides. Every thrust seemed to take him deeper and deeper inside of her. So deep Stevie knew she'd never get him out.
There was something wild and untamed about the way he took her this time. Chrysus’s hips slapped the back of her thighs as he branded her with his hard flesh. He swelled, then swelled some more. Each time ripped a grunt from his throat.
Stevie's arms and legs shook, threatening to give out as she raced toward completion. Chrysus’s grip tightened, letting her know without words that he wasn’t about to let her off that easy.
Pressure started at her womb, then spread throughout her body. Her orgasm struck, blinding her with ecstasy. The waves continued to batter her. The intensity too much. Stevie pressed her face into the pillow and cried out.
Was it possible to die from pleasure? If so, she only had seconds to live.
Chrysus suddenly released her neck and bellowed. His big body jerked and flooded her with warmth. He took them both down to the bed, cradling her in his arms. She fell asleep to his soft kisses.
Stevie woke an hour later to the sound of her phone ringing again. Chrysus was still inside her and hard as a stone. She patted his arm and he rolled his hips. They both groaned.
“As much as I’d like to lay in bed all day, I really have to get that,” she said.
For a minute it looked as if he might pout, instead, Chrysus kissed her. His lips lingering only long enough to ignite a hunger inside her that hadn’t been there the night before. Hadn’t existed until she met him. He pulled out of her and dropped onto his back.
“Thanks.” Stevie rubbed his chest and something that sounded like a purr came out of his mouth. “Hold that thought,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”
Stevie hurried into the living room where she’d left her bag. Her mind churned with various excuses to give the guys at the gym as she pulled her phone out. Instead of one missed call, the screen indicated that she’d missed five. She answered on the next ring.
“Stevie, oh thank goodness,” Anton said. “I got worried when I couldn’t get in touch with you.”
“I’m sorry. I overslept,” she said. “I’ll get to the gym as soon as I grab a shower.”
“The gym?” he asked.
“That’s why you’re calling, right?”
Muffled voices came over the line.
“Anton, where are you?” Stevie asked.
“I’m at the hospital,” he said. “It’s Julio.”
And just like that, Stevie’s heart sank and her world imploded. She quickly took down the information, then disconnected the call. When she turned, she found Chrysus standing in the doorway. He’d pulled on his pants, but his chest was still bare.
“What’s happened?” he asked.
Stevie’s fingers trembled as she shoved the phone in her bag. “I have to get to the hospital,” she said.
He grabbed her by the shoulders, stopping her long enough to ask again. “What happened?”
“While we were bumping uglies, someone beat Julio.” She pulled away from him.
“What?”
“They beat him up. He was brought in last night. He’s in his second surgery. They don’t know if he’s going to live,” she said. “I have to go.”
Chrysus felt her mental retreat, along with her physical one. He was in her now. And she was a part of him. “You couldn’t have done anything to stop it.”
Stevie turned on him. “You don’t know that,” she snarled. “Maybe if I would’ve kept a better eye on him, instead of going off with you, then none of this would’ve happened.”
Pain spiked through him, but Chrysus kept his face expressionless. “You know that’s not true,” he said.
“Do I?” she snarled. “You’re going to have to find your own ride home.”
“I’m not going home,” he said. “I’m coming with you.”
She stuck out her hand and pressed it to his chest. “No, you’re not.”
He glared down at her. “I’m not asking your permission, little cat.” Chrysus didn’t know what was going on, but if Julio had been injured, then there was a very good chance that Stevie would be next. He wasn’t about to let her out of his sight. She was his. And he was hers.
Chrysus threw his shirt and shoes on. He waited by the door while Stevie finished in the bathroom. She’d left her long, brown hair down and had tied a scarf around her neck. No doubt to hide the mark he’d left there. He could’ve told her that it would do her no good, but she wasn’t in the right state of mind to hear it.
He opened the door. “Ready?” he asked.
Stevie scowled at him as she grabbed her keys off the kitchen counter. She didn’t say much on the drive over to the hospital. Her silence worried Chrysus, but he didn’t want to push her. He stared out the window as they raced to the hospital. He hoped for both their sakes that the young fighter lived.
Stevie glared at the traffic in front of her. She hadn’t handled the morning well. She’d blamed Chrysus for Julio’s condition, when she knew in her heart that he had nothing to do with it. It was her guilt talking. Guilt over enjoying herself while Julio was being attacked.
What sucked most was it was one of the best nights and mornings of her life. A night she was just going to have to replay in her mind because she couldn’t let it happen again.
See what happens when you lose focus?
Her distraction had cost her the best fighter she’d ever had. In all likelihood, last night had cost her everything. She whipped around a bus and accelerated. The sign for the hospital came into view. Stevie crossed three lanes of traffic to make a right into the driveway.
Horns blared and tires shrieked in an attempt to avoid hitting her. Stevie found the closest parking space she could, then jumped out and ran for the emergency room entrance. The second she entered the hospital, Stevie caught sight of Anton standing at the end of the hall. She rushed toward him.
“Thank goodness you’re here.” Anton glanced over her shoulder and stiffened.
It was the only indication Stevie had that Chrysus stood behind her. For such a big man, he moved silently. She ignored him.
“How’s he doing?” she asked.
Anton kept his eyes on Chrysus, but answered her. “He’s still in surgery. I just came down to see if you’d arrived.”
He pressed the button on the elevator. They climbed in and went to the fourth floor. The second the doors opened, Stevie saw Mrs. Rodriguez and Curtis Jones sitting in a small waiting area.
She crouched down in front of Mrs. Rodriguez. “I’m so sorry, Maria. If only I’d been there.”
“If you had, then my son would be dead,” she said, startling Stevie.
“Why would you say that?” she asked.
“Because my son, he likes you,” she said. “There’s no way he would’ve let those men beat you. He would’ve died trying to protect you.” She sobbed. “He couldn't even protect himself.”
Stevie’s eyes widened. “You saw them?”
Mrs. Rodriguez’s gaze dropped. “I saw nothing,” she said.
“But you said men. As in more than one,” Stevie pushed. A hand came down on her shoulder and squeezed.
Stevie looked up and saw Chrysus shake his head. She was about to lay into him, when he nodded toward Maria. Tears now filled her brown eyes. Stevie touched the woman’s hand, then took a seat across from her.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Chrysus asked.
Stevie started to say no, only to find that he wasn't talking to her. He was looking at Maria. Julio's mom sniffled and held out her hand. He gently helped her to her feet.
“I shouldn’t leave,” Maria said.
“It’ll only take a moment,” Chrysus said.
She patted his hand. “Okay,” she said, then added, “I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“My name is Chrysus,” he said, then glanced at Stevie. “I’m Stevie’s man.”
Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Stevie looked over hoping that Anton and Curtis hadn’t heard, but given the shock on their faces, she was out of luck. She crossed her arms over her chest and glowered. Just because she slept with him didn’t mean that he was her man. She’d have to set him straight later.
“What are you looking at?” she snapped.
The fighters went back to reading the fashion magazines scattered across the table.
Chrysus led Mrs. Rodriguez down the hall to the elevator. “I’m afraid I don’t know where they sell the coffee.”
“It’s on the second floor.” She gave him a small smile.
Once they were inside the elevator, her gaze turned curious. “I’m surprised that Stevie let you get away with that comment about you being her man.”
Chrysus grinned. “It’s the truth,” he said.
“My boy’s been after her for years,” she said. “I always told him that she wasn’t interested, but he ignored me. He’s pretty like his father, Dios rest him. He doesn’t understand how any woman could resist him.”
“She thinks of him as a brother,” he said.
She nodded. “I tried to tell him, but he refused to listen.” Maria choked down a sob.
“I’m sorry someone hurt him,” Chrysus said. “I’ll make sure he gets the best care. You do not need to worry about the expense.”
Suspicion crept into her eyes. “Why would you do that?”
“Because Stevie cares about him,” he said. “And she cannot afford to do it herself.”
Her gaze dropped to the floor, but not before he saw the internal struggle taking place inside her.
“You know who did it, don’t you?” Chrysus asked.
Maria’s brow furrowed. “I saw nothing.” Her lip quivered.
“What if I told you that I could take care of them for you,” he said. “That I would take care of them for you.”
“I’d say you were loco,” Maria said. “And that you were a liar. The only one you’d be doing it for is Stevie.”
“True.” Chrysus nodded. “But that doesn’t mean I’m crazy,” he said. “Just a very good fighter.”
“My son was a very good fighter and look where it got him,” she said. “They did this to my son to hurt her.”
“I know, but I’m not like your son,” he said. “I’m afraid they’re going to come for her next.”
Maria dabbed at the side of her eye with a tissue. “They are powerful people. If they want her, there is nothing you can do to stop them.”
Chrysus leaned against the wall of the elevator. “That’s where you’re wrong,” he said. “I’m not like the people here. I’m el gato.”
She snickered. “The cat?” Mrs. Rodriguez’s gaze started at his toes and made its way to the top of his head. “You do not look like a cat,” she said.
Chrysus made sure to face away from the camera. “Appearances can be deceiving,” he said and held his hand up. One minute it looked human, the next it held fierce claws and was covered in fur.
Mrs. Rodriguez jumped back and made the sign of the cross over her chest. “What are you?”
“I am the Being who is going to avenge your son and protect the woman I want as my mate.” Chrysus shifted back and his hand was once more just a hand.
Fear still shimmered in Maria's brown eyes, but now something else burned alongside it. Was it hope or was it vengeance? Chrysus didn’t know and it really didn’t matter. He would do anything necessary to protect Stevie.
“Graham Walker did it,” she murmured. “He hurt my mijo.”
The doors to the elevator opened and they stepped out, as more people filed in. This time Mrs. Rodriguez didn’t lean on him for support. They walked in silence to the coffee shop. After buying two cups of coffee, Chrysus handed her one.
