Jesus. The man missed nothing. And he was right. She bought those darn black leather ankle boots with the three-inch heels months ago, but she’d never had a single reason to wear them. She should have taken them back.
Then again, apparently Mikhail liked them.
Without a word, she turned around and sped from the room.
She rarely shut her door anymore, but this time she did. And then she leaned against the wood with her hand over her racing heart.
Holy shit.
She couldn’t catch her breath, as if she’d been running. His words spun around in her head, a jumble of thoughts racing after them, leaving her even more confused.
What was she going to do?
What else was there to do? She needed to change her shirt, put on her boots, and check her hair and makeup. They were going to a fight. That alone made her nervous. Realizing she played right into his hand made her even more nervous.
But holy hell, she wasn’t able to stop herself.
Mainly because he was right. She would be cold later in the evening if she didn’t put on something thicker. She was in no mood to wear anything dressier than her jeans. And those boots? They were calling to her for this occasion. She’d even be able to see better in a crowd wearing them.
It had nothing to do with his bossiness. It was simply that his instructions were practical.
Yep. Keep telling yourself that
.
Mikhail led Haley from the Jeep to the speakeasy with a hand on the small of her back. A possessive hand. Not a gentle touch of friends or acquaintances, but a firm pressure on her back he hoped told her both that she was his and that he had her back, literally.
He’d seen the nondescript black Honda Accord following them all the way to their parking spot along the side street. He knew two FBI agents were in their shadow as they exited the Jeep and hurried the short distance to the narrow, dented, rusty, metal side door that led into the back of the speakeasy.
The two men were probably Patrick and Bill. They were frequently on detail when it came to any of the women—Alena, Katie, or Haley. They rarely made their presence known, but they were often in the shadows.
“This is where you fight?” Haley whispered as he nodded to the doorman as the enormous guy opened to his knock.
He glanced at her as he led her down the short, rugged hallway toward the room that had been converted into a sort of locker room for these events. The floor was comprised of uneven stones, dirt having filled in the crevices over almost a hundred years. “I told you we fight under the radar. Usually in speakeasies.”
“Yeah. I know. But I’ve never actually been to one. And I wasn’t picturing anything quite so…”
“Old? Small?” He smiled. “You’re in for a treat.”
“Where will I go while you fight?” She was uneasy about being left alone somewhere. He could read that in her wide expression.
“You’ll be with Nikolav and Sergei. Ivan’s fighting tonight too. I think Leo is with Katie doing something else tonight. But my sister will probably be here. You can get to know her better.”
“Oh, good. She seems sweet.”
“She’s a doll. You’ll love her.”
“She’s quiet.”
He chuckled. “Not when you get to know her.” He pushed open the door to the locker room, finding several guys inside, including Ivan. Ivan waved at Haley and then went back to bouncing in place, tossing fake punches toward the wall.
Sergei stepped from the corner, smiling a little too broadly, his attention solely on Haley.
Mikhail scowled, but no one noticed. Footsteps behind him had him twisting around to find Nikolav and Alena approaching.
“What’s the matter with you?” Alena asked as she kissed her brother on the cheek.
Mikhail returned the gesture, knowing he did so frowning. “Nothing,” he muttered.
She shrugged and set a hand on Haley’s arm. “You ready for this?”
Haley smiled back. “I don’t think so. No matter how many practices I’ve been to, I doubt I’m prepared for the real thing.”
“It can be startling at first, but the adrenaline rush is amazing.”
Sergei chuckled. He’d made his way into the doorway and now stood inches from Haley. “Your adrenaline rush? Or the fighter’s?”
Alena rolled her eyes. “Whatever. It’s a rush for spectators too, otherwise you wouldn’t be in this business.”
True.
Mikhail watched Sergei closely as his friend set a hand on Haley’s shoulder and squeezed. That’s when he lost his last sliver of control. He set his palm on Sergei’s chest and pushed him back into the room, turning to face the other three in the hall. “Give us a second.” He released the door, letting it slam shut at their backs.
“What the fuck, Mikhail? You look like you want to punch me.” Sergei took a step back, but he stood tall, his biceps flexing.
“Don’t get any ideas, Sergei.”
Sergei’s eyes widened. “Ideas about what?” His brow furrowed, but then a smile spread across his face and he laughed. “Oh, I get it. Haley.” He covered his mouth to stifle his laughter, but failed.
Mikhail continued to scowl, though he hated the way his blood pumped, driving him insane with jealousy. “She’s not one of your playthings, Sergei.”
Sergei sobered, his face going hard. “One of my playthings? What are you saying, Mikhail?” The room around them had gone quiet.
Mikhail paid no attention to anyone, but he knew there were half a dozen guys getting ready to fight. The only person brave enough to approach was Ivan. He stepped right into the space between Mikhail and Sergei and set a hand on each man’s chest. “What the fuck, guys?”
Sergei switched back to laughter. “Oh, I get it. Shit, man. You are so totally doing her.” He slapped his leg. “You totally fucked her.”
Mikhail shook his head. “No, asshole. It’s not like that.”
Sergei lifted an eyebrow. “Damn. You stud. This is worse than I thought.”
Ivan nailed Mikhail with his gaze too, taking a step back and dropping his hands. “Is it true?”
“Not entirely. I’m just telling you to keep your hands to yourself and save your moves for another woman tonight. Not that one.” Mikhail still wanted to punch Sergei. He was being totally unreasonable. After all, he hadn’t told any of his friends Haley was no longer fair territory. Nor had he totally managed to stake his own claim. But the thought of her in Sergei’s arms drove him crazy.
Sergei lifted both arms in defeat. “I get the message. Don’t worry. She’ll be safe in my care, even from me.” He grinned, his eyes still sparkling with mirth.
Mikhail nodded. “Just so we’re clear.”
“Oh, we’re clear. Crystal.” Sergei rounded them both and made his way to the door.
Before Mikhail managed to spin around to get one last glimpse of Haley, Sergei was gone and the door slammed shut.
Probably for the best. He needed to focus if he intended to win his fight tonight.
∙
•
∙
Haley followed Sergei through the thick crowd in the main room of what had once been an illegal bar a hundred years ago. The lighting was dim throughout most of the venue, with the exception of the center of the room where two men fought on a raised platform. The ropes she’d been used to seeing at the gym weren’t there, however.
The floor was nothing more than cobblestones and dirt. The bar itself was situated on one side of the room with bartenders running back and forth to serve more people than reasonably possible. They were calm and efficient, however, impressing her with their speed and accuracy.
The bar was made of a dark, rough wood, undoubtedly also original. An enormous mirror in the center showed the wear and tear of years of hanging on that wall with spots all over the corners that no longer permitted reflection because the silver backing had worn off.
It was like stepping back in time. Except drinking was legal now.
Unsanctioned fighting, however, was not.
The air was thick with smoke too, making her eyes water. Smoking wasn’t legal indoors anywhere in Chicago anymore as far as she knew, but again, this wasn’t a party that followed the law.
She leaned toward Alena when they stopped working their way through the crowded room, hoping to be heard over the roar of the crowd. “They fight inside a fence? I thought Abram was kidding when he told me that.”
Alena twisted her neck and smiled. “Nope. It’s called the cage. The square floor with the ropes at the gym is really a boxing ring. This is for MMA.”
She winced. Any sharp metal ends could do some serious damage if a fighter was slammed into the fencing.
It was difficult to see over the heads of all the people smashed in front of Haley. And hell, Alena was several inches shorter. Suddenly, the spectators all screamed, some of them jumping up and down.
Haley took a step backward to avoid getting trampled by the guy in front of her who obviously won a bet. She bumped into Sergei, who steadied her with his hands on her waist but immediately released her.
Based on the scowls and exchanges between Mikhail and Sergei, she figured Mikhail had threatened Sergei to within an inch of his life if he made a pass at her. And she was still processing how she felt about that.
On the one hand, it was hot as hell. Her panties had gone damp when she noticed Mikhail glaring at his friend. On the other hand, she wanted to slap some sense into him for being so possessive. He didn’t own her. They weren’t even a couple. If she wanted to flirt with Sergei or vice versa, they had every right.
Didn’t they?
Maybe not. After all, there was no denying she and Mikhail were engaged in a sort of dance with each other. She shouldn’t be surprised he was puffing his chest out against his friend.
“Ivan’s next,” Sergei said. “And then Mikhail. We’ll fight our way closer when people stop betting.”
She glanced around to take in the scene. Sure enough, most of the patrons around her held a hand in the air while several other men with clipboards wormed their way through the crowd to take their bets.
No wonder this sport was so lucrative.
How often did Mikhail win?
As they inched closer to see better, Abram joined them. He was out of breath. “Good. I’m not late.” He smiled at Haley and Alena and nodded.
“Barely,” Nikolav joked. “Where’ve you been?”
“I’ve been here, just not close enough to see the match.”
Sergei nodded. “Ah. Well, Ivan’s up next and then Mikhail.”
“Good. And I’ve got you two on the schedule soon. I think you’re next Saturday,” he said as he looked at Nikolav.
“Perfect. I’m itching to get back out there.”
Abram slapped both men on the back. “I’m going to wander around some more and see how the betting is going. Catch you guys later.”
The next thirty minutes passed quickly as Ivan fought another Russian guy she’d never heard of. The battle was close, and Ivan lost in the final moments.
Alena spent the entire fight on her toes, her face contorted every time Ivan took a hit, and when the match was over, she groaned.
Sergei cringed behind Haley. “Shit. What the hell is the matter with him?”
“He’s probably distracted,” Nikolav said. “I know I am. Jesus. Ever since Leo dropped his bombs this morning, I’ve been out of sorts. We’re going to have to pull it together.” Nikolav shouldered Sergei. “That includes you.”
“Hey, I’m together.”
“Right. That’s why you keep looking all over the room as though you were missing someone.”
Haley couldn’t blame any of them. She was on pins and needles herself. It was unnerving knowing there were probably people in the crowd who wanted to snatch her. And there were also people strategically placed to protect her. In fact she turned around to face both men. “Can we not talk about this right now? If anyone should be concerned, it’s me. Maybe your Mafia guy wants a piece of one of you, but we know for a fact he’d do anything to get me back. I escaped.” She glanced around. “Besides, we need to keep our lips closed in public.” It made her nervous every time she left her apartment, but the thought of staying home while Mikhail fought made her even more distressed. It hadn’t been an option, for either of them.
Nikolav winced. “You’re right. Sorry.”
Sergei inched closer, setting a hand on her waist and hooking a finger in the belt loop of her jeans. “No one’s getting anywhere near you. Trust me. Mikhail may have a hard-on for you, and he might smash my face in for touching you, but I swear my intentions are honorable. I’m not going to take my hand off you for the rest of the evening.
“He might not like it, and maybe he won’t see anything, but he’d be a whole lot more pissed if I lost track of you than if he believed I was making a move.”
Haley grinned. “I can handle Mikhail.” She turned back around.
Sergei was right. She did feel better with his hand on her. It didn’t mean a thing. It didn’t have anywhere near the same effect as Mikhail’s hands. When that man touched her, her skin lit on fire, and her entire body tingled.
Sergei’s fingers were just digits attached to a hand. Nothing more.
Alena snickered. “I wondered…” She pursed her lips and didn’t say another word. Probably for the best if she didn’t want Haley to call her out for the way she was with Ivan.
Haley had seen those two together earlier at their apartment. Mikhail hadn’t mentioned a word about Alena being in a relationship with Ivan. Then again, she was his sister. Maybe he preferred not to think about her that way.
Or maybe he didn’t know…
She sure as shit wasn’t going to say a word. If Mikhail’s sister had secrets, Haley was not going to interfere.
The noise level around them picked up as the announcer spoke again.
Sergei set his other hand on Haley’s hip and inched them forward. “Let’s get closer. So you can see better.”
She wasn’t sure she truly wanted to be so close that she could witness every single bloody punch.
Alena grabbed her forearm and pointed at the opponent as the announcer’s voice beamed through the room. He listed off the guy’s accomplishments and introduced him as Sly “Kingman” Growder. “They fought each other the last time Mikhail was in the cage too. Kingman lost. He wanted a rematch.”