Prologue
Jessa
(Six months ago)
“Mouse, you can’t come, and that’s final!”
“But, daddy, I’m twenty-four years old. I think I’m old enough to make these kinds of decisions on my own.”
I watch as my dad slams the fridge door and downs a can of soda. Something he always does when he gets stressed. But I’m not giving in this time.
“I don’t have time to watch over your ass, woman,” he tosses the empty can in the trash. “I need to keep my attention on my fighters, and that isn’t something that I can do when my only daughter is in danger.”
“Really, daddy? Danger?”
“Yes, Jessalyn, danger,” he repeats. “I trust my fighters with my life. Hell, I trust them with yours. But my men aren’t going to be the only one’s there tonight. A building full of shady people who I wouldn’t trust to toss me a bottle of water will be there. I do not want you near any of them. Why are you so adamant about coming anyway? You’ve never tried this hard before.”
Well, isn’t that a loaded question? I’ve always hated what my dad does. He used to come home bloody and broken only to slap a Band-Aid on and go at it again the next day.
Mama left us when I was ten because daddy wouldn’t stop cage fighting. I heard her screaming at him the night before that she was tired of being second in his life. We never saw her again. I knew there was more to the story, but I could never get the full truth from dad.
“Well?”
Shoot.
“No reason,” I lie. “I’m just curious, is all.”
“You’ve seen my men fight many times before, Mouse. Nothing has changed.”
He’s wrong. One thing has changed.
I stopped by daddy’s gym the other day to drop off his lunch, and that’s when I first saw him. They call him, Brick the Destroyer, because he destroys anyone who steps in the cage with him.
He was the biggest man I’d ever seen. And that was absolutely perfect to me. Everything about him was perfect. The way his body moved when he was dancing around the ring, his muscles contracting with each blow to his opponent. Even his messy black hair that was glistening with sweat.
I only caught glimpses of his face, but what I saw was utter perfection. After I dropped of daddy’s food, Brick was gone.
I look up to see daddy closely examining my face.
“Fuck,” he sighs. “Which one of those idiots has caught your eye, Mouse?”
Lying to my father is useless. He always manages to find out the truth.
“The Destroyer,” I admit.
Daddy’s eye’s grow wide. He seems surprised.
“Hmm! I don’t hate the idea,” he smiles. “I still don’t want you there tonight. There are supposed to be a group of people coming that don’t like your old man much. I’d rather you stayed home.”
With a kiss on my forehead, daddy leaves before I have time to argue. Not like it would have done much good, anyway.
With a resounding sigh, I change into my pajamas and head to bed.
Yes, I still live with my father. I help run the financial aspect of his business, and it’s just easier if I were here rather than someplace else.
Of course, if it were up to my dad, I would never leave here. I don’t mind it, though. The thought of living on my own, of being utterly alone in the world is scary. And not something I really care to experience.
I crawl under the blankets and put my eye mask on.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll find an excuse to stop by the gym. I just need to see Brick again. Perhaps this time, I’ll actually introduce myself.
Just as I’m drifting off the sleep, I’m jolted awake by a hand covering my mouth.
“Just go back to sleep, little bunny,” a deep voice says.
I raise my arms to fight off my attacker but am overwhelmed by the smell of something sweet. I inhale the scent and fall into a world of darkness.
Chapter One
(Present Day)
Brick
Thea’s going to be okay. Thank goodness for that. She’s become a good friend of mine, and I would be devastated if something happened to her. Not to mention, I would fear Trigger’s reaction.
That man is head over heels for the little lady.
I’m sitting in a chair in Thea’s hospital room. They say she can leave in a week or so. I don’t mind sitting here with her. She’s good company when she’s awake. But I can’t help my mind from wandering to someone else.
My thoughts are broken by