I was disappointed, but most of it came from a deeper place. I'd finally stopped to consider her issue. Distaste slid over my tongue. “You really don't like whores, huh?”
Zoe tucked her chin, clearly confused. “I just don't want to be one. Sex for money—that isn't me.”
No, I mused bitterly. It's me. Eliza had been right. This girl wasn't ready for who I was. Huxton the piece of meat, the man who lusted and craved each and every cunt across the globe.
I still wanted her... but my mood was tainted by her judgment. “Fine, you can pay me.” Leaning away, I fixed my erection as covertly as possible. She still saw, still gazed with those frustratingly eager eyes and parted lips. I wanted to feel her sucking me, not sucking her teeth in doubt.
“How much?” she asked.
Turning away, I willed my blood to cool. “How many fights will there be?”
She sighed and said, “I don't know. It used to be around two, three a month... Nehro asking for another the next day is weird. But I can't say no.”
My anger fled in the wake of her distress. Zoe sat up, hugging herself and folding over. I was tempted to reach down and embrace her. Instead I just cracked my knuckles. “You decide what to pay me,” I mumbled. “Whatever you can manage is alright.”
Wide-eyed, she gawked at me. Hope—a hope I hadn't seen on her before—glowed. “Really? You're serious?”
Chuckling, I smoothed my hair a few times. I was fidgeting, letting the arousal she'd poisoned me with fade. “Suddenly you're so willing to bargain. Yes, anything.”
“Even if it's just twenty bucks a pop?”
I arched an eyebrow. “That little?” I got paid hundreds to wrestle with women in the comfort of their own beds. Twenty bucks to risk a busted jaw was insulting.
But that flicker of defeat... it had returned, stealing her energy with my stupid fucking comment. Before she could speak again, I put my hand on her shoulder. “It's enough. I promise.”
Zoe flinched when I said 'promise.'
Again, I thought about how irrational I was acting. I had no reason to help this girl. She'd offered me nothing but attitude and blue-balls.
Some insane part of me was drawn to her. She had a strength and clearly her own demons. Eliza thought she was fragile, up-tight.
I thought she was a thunderstorm meant to be set free.
If I sat back, maybe I could see the edges of what pulled me so deep. Here was someone clearly suffering. She'd been dealt a cruel hand, and she still didn't want to tell me what game of cards she was even playing.
Why did she owe Nehro money... and how much was it?
Though I wanted to know, I wouldn't press. Not yet. Not now.
I knew what it was like to have nothing... to be in trouble.
No one had helped me. I'd always had to save myself.
I took what I wanted from the world. I was fine with fighting because it was what I knew. It was familiar.
And here was this crazy woman, battling me tooth and nail when all I offered was help.
For no fucking good reason I was ready to bust myself up for her.
And the odd thing was...
Nothing had ever felt so right.
- Chapter Six -
Zoe
He'd done it again—I'd done it again.
Against all odds, he'd gotten alone with me, this time in my own bed, and had me inches away from fucking him. From feeling that tauntingly perfect cock not just on my cunt but inside of it.
God fucking dammit.
Could humans go into heat? Was that it?
But there was another issue here. One beyond my off-the-wall hormones. Huck had said he'd help me. He'd poked his nose into my business, but ultimately said he would help me.
And I believed him.
That was the craziest part. I didn't want to get ahead of myself, because fuck, I'd been here before, but... it felt like he was serious. Twenty bucks a fight was petty cash. I'd give him more, but I couldn't. The funds from the fights were in Nehro's hands. Huck would have to take it up with him if he wanted any of it. But... maybe he should. It was only right.
Just because Reese had let me put all of it towards my debt, didn't meant Huck had to. I just wanted it to be over. The longer I was forced to attend the Dog House, the more risk I inherited. Each fight that rose up was a chance for me to fuck up, default, and let Nehro take what was left from my flesh.
Ten more years of this—and that was if things went smooth.
Nothing ever went smooth for me.
There was a good chance that once Huck got hurt, he'd come to his senses and walk away.
Don't get too attached. People break promises.
Hope was a liability.
Standing by my door, he leaned on the wall in his dark swim-shorts. If I'd been an artist, I would have asked if I could draw him. I figured it was only his ink that kept him from traditional modeling. Screw those people, though. Huxton was meant to be seen.
Though, if I listened to my gut when we'd been by the pool, I didn't want anyone to see him but me. It had soothed me, learning Eliza was just his friend. I didn't feel great about my envy, and less great about my contentment.
Grabbing my phone, I checked the time. “It's only one-thirty. The match won't be until nine.”
“What do we do until then?”
I blinked. “Huh?”
Laughing, he hooked his thumbs in his shorts. “I know how to fill seven hours. Do you?”
My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. “Is sex all you think about?”
“Around certain people, yes.”
Fuck. My heart was too big for my chest. Sliding off the bed, I considered how close he was to my door. Moving around him would bring us within inches. “Eliza wanted to do some shopping. I'll take care of that. Meanwhile, I guess you should prepare.”
Huck cocked his head, some odd mix of bird and mythical beast. Wasn't there an Egyptian god like that? I couldn't recall the name, he was stealing my thoughts. “Prepare in what way?”
“I know you won last night, but you weren't ready. I don't want you getting hurt.”
He showed me his teeth and said, “I like when you worry about me.”
Stumbling on my tongue, I puffed out air. “I'm not—that's—you...” He just stood taller, pleased by my reaction. Palming my forehead, then tugging my hair, I sighed. “Huck, look. Okay. Yeah, I don't want you to get injured. I'm not that terrible of a person.” I'm pretty awful, I reminded myself.
“I'm just flattered. Let me be flattered, love. It feels good. Nice and warm.” Caressing his own stomach, he hovered over the muscular V that led between his strong thighs.
No question, he knew what he was doing to me.
Inhaling till my ribs creaked, I shoved around him. I didn't breathe, I couldn't. The fear that a single whiff of his musk and leather would melt my resolve kept me moving through the house.
He's going to destroy me.
I had to remind myself why I was holding back. Fighting Huxton took everything I had. I filled my mind with images; That awful phone call, Reese's panicked voice.
Coaxing me into meeting Nehro.
Promising me everything would be fine.
Him, sweaty and panting on the girl in his bed—our bed.
Those teeth in a snarl, hand held high as he threatened me.
Cold words that demanded I owed him everything.
Oxygen rushed into my lungs when I pushed outside into the sun. Eliza blinked, sitting up, reading my pale face. “Zoe? What happened?”
“Nothing. Work called, I have to go in tonight.”
“Oh, yuck.” She made a face. “Is that why you're so... you look a little off.”
“Just weak from hunger.” Forcing a smile, I motioned behind me. “Speaking of which; shopping, groceries, wanna go?”
Wrapping her long hair up off her neck, she frowned. “What about Huck?”