money riding on the fight. I watched the color drain from his face before coming down here to meet you. I’ve never seen him that upset.”
“He’ll be more disappointed in the coming weeks when we kill the rest of the assholes he pulled from the streets.”
Jacob laughed. “Yeah. I’ve got the next fight, and then it’s Connor’s turn to do some damage.”
Speaking of which...
“Where’s Lisbeth?”
“Exactly where she’s supposed to be. Connor kept her close and away from the audience once the fight began. I kept an eye on her from across the ring. She got sick, last I saw. All over Connor’s shoes.”
He grinned and shook his head. “I bet he’s pissed.”
I wouldn’t doubt it. As far as Lisbeth could see, I’d taken a slave girl to do with as I pleased. And while the women had been unwilling during the time her father ran the dungeon and fights, I’d made changes in the years since.
Raised with delicate sensibilities, Lisbeth was just introduced to the ugly truth of her family’s fortune, the degradation and lives they’d bought and sold in order to build their wealth.
Now the slaves were well paid and well trained, experts at playing the part for the purpose of the shows, while also available for other services to the fighters in the mansion. Colton always ensured they were cycled and kept busy, except for Haley and Jacob. I’d allowed that situation despite Franklin’s complaints.
I couldn’t walk out there while the crowd still filled the seats and the money was being exchanged, but I needed to get to Lisbeth. Or have her brought here.
“Go get her and bring her down. You know I can’t go out there right now.”
Jacob nodded his head and pushed away from the wall.
Once he was gone, I turned to Isabelle.
“Colton should be here soon to pick you up.”
She reached for my hand, her gaze examining the busted knuckles and blood that smeared the tape. “You hurt yourself.”
I pulled my hand away, shook away some of the blood and stretched my fingers.
“It’s mostly the other guy’s blood.”
Isabelle’s eyes lifted to me, rejection swirling behind them. “I haven’t seen you in a few days. Not since the gym.”
“Something came up.”
“You mean Lisbeth Rose came up,” she snapped. “Don’t lie. Everyone in the mansion knows she’s been staying in your room. Unwillingly, I might add. I thought you were better than that.”
In too good a mood to allow Isabelle’s comment to annoy me, I leaned my head against the wall of lockers at my back.
“It’s none of your business.”
Her voice dropped to a whisper and shook as if she could barely contain whatever she felt. “I thought you and I-“
“You’re a slave,” I reminded her. One I’d used often, but still just that. Isabelle has never been in the running to become something more.
It wasn’t that I’d led her on. I was always honest that sex was just sex. But I’d known she hoped for more.
She should have known better. Such things would never be tolerated in the Rose family, even if I was technically in charge of it. Franklin would have her knocked off before allowing such a thing to happen.
Not that it mattered. It was never her that held me in that place. Never once.
Jacob returned before she could answer.
“Lisbeth was taken back to the mansion.”
My shoulders tensed, the first hint of it since walking out of that ring. “Why?”
He shifted his weight between two feet. “She had a panic attack from what Franklin said. He had Connor take her before she caused a scene.”
Fucking hell. I should have warned her about what she’d see tonight. But I didn’t feel I owed it to her. Not yet. Not until she’d proven she really had changed when it came to me.
Colton stepped into the room, his eyes dancing between Jacob and me before settling on Isabelle. No doubt he could sense the growing tension.
“We should go,” he said to the woman eyeing me with anger behind her eyes.
Isabelle stood and walked to him, casting me one last scathing look before they left the room without another word.
Jacob kept his eyes on them, the green shifting to me once they were out of sight. “She’s pissed.”
“I don’t care.”
I scrubbed a palm down my face. It would take another hour for the crowds to clear out, and for that amount of time, I was trapped back here. We had a show to put on, a ruse to lead people to believe nothing had changed in a family