Slam: A Bad Boy Romance (15 page)

With our lips still sealed together, she whispered, “I don't care if you're nice to him this time.” Her hand draped over my chest, fingers sliding down my ribs, dipping into each crease.

Pressing back, I looked over at Nico, his gaze darted around the wall behind me. “Let's go talk to your master.” Laughing under my breath, he shot me a look. “What? You're going to tell me I'm wrong?”

He didn't answer. Turning away, he split the crowd in half, walking towards the office door on the other side of the room. “Good luck, asshole,” Nico said, stepping to the side, arm held out guiding me towards the door.

Nodding my head, I gripped the handle. Last time I had knocked before going in, this time I didn't give a shit about being polite. Twisting it roughly, I threw it open, taking a single step, I was inside.

The loud yelling and laughing from the rowdy patrons muffled as the door closed behind me. Every piece of my body hardened, muscles tensed, my chest squeezing the air out as I met his gaze. I wanted to lunge forward and fucking clock him in the face.

He needed to be knocked down a few pegs, taught a lesson that he wasn't king shit, and I wanted to be the one to teach him that.

Sitting behind his desk, hands folded, head cocked to the side. “Quinn,” he said sternly.

“What the fuck do you want?” Cutting right to the chase, I wasn't about to sit around like last time with him talking nonsense.

“Whoa, hold on now. No need to get hostile.” Louis lifted his hands, palms facing out. “I just want to talk, that's it.” His chair creaked as he leaned back, the rusty springs talking beneath his weight.

“There's nothing to say, I've given you an answer already.”

“Sit, we're not done talking, we never were.” He pointed towards the seat I had barely squeezed into before.

“Nah, I'm all set.” Veering my eyes, my lips retracted, pulling in tight.

“Quinn, we have a lot to discuss, especially when it comes to Cadence. She's my daughter, we need to set some ground rules here.” Resting his elbows against the desk, his brow arched.

“Ground rules? Your daughter is old enough to decide what she wants. I don't see rules being necessary.”

This guy was insane, what the hell was he trying to do? I don't need permission from him to do shit! His daughter wasn't a child anymore and he needed to stop treating her like one.

Louis was so used to being in control of everything, he couldn't stand losing his power, no matter what it was for.

He didn't own his daughter anymore.

I did...

And he's about to learn that.

I watched the muscles in his face twitch, eyes widening, his fingers clenched together, turning white with the pressure. “You have balls, Quinn. I commend you on that. But you have no idea who you are screwing with.” Glaring up at me, his pupils expanded, the black filled out to the very edge. “You see, I have a fight coming up. A very important fight. I owe this guy a shit ton of fucking money.”

“I don't care about your problems. I'm not fighting for you, I told you that already.”

“You did, but this time it's different.” His teeth emerged behind a hideous grin. “You see, I need to pay him now. I've owed him for a long time, too long really.” Twirling his thumbs around each other, he spoke with ease. “So, here is the deal. You fight for me, just this one time, that's it. Then I'll leave you alone, you can have my blessing to see my daughter freely.”

I stared at him, unsure of what to think. Could he really be offering me a chance to free his daughter from his grasp?

But how do you trust the word of the devil?

“I don't believe you. It can't be that simple. Fight this one time? That's it?” Wrinkles raised across my forehead, shooting him a sideways glance.

“That's it. I need this win and my debt is clear.” He waved his hands across each other, signaling the end.

Was he really serious? There's no way! It couldn't be true, he's lying, there has to be more. This fight would turn into another and then another. I bet before I knew it he'd have me on his fucking payroll.

I was torn, I wanted to believe him, wanted to think I could fix everything for Cadence with one win. But, I couldn't break my word, the promise I gave Rainee's mother. I fought for Louis already, I had waivered on my promise just so I didn't look like a pussy.

He had called me out once and now here he was trying to do that again.

I'm not falling for it, I was weak for one instant, one moment in time and I know I can be forgiven for that.

But, to do it again, to get sucked into the belly of the beast...

No.

“I'm not fighting for you. Cadence, she belongs to me now anyway. Your grip around her is fading, if you hadn't noticed. Use another one of your dogs.” Turning away from him, I wrapped my palm around the handle, ready to walk out that door and never look back.

“You're sealing her fate then, Quinn.”

Stopping dead, my head snapped over my shoulder. “What did you say?”

“You heard me. Of course I had to have plan B for if you said no. And, I'm sorry to say this but... I gave you the option that kept Cadence in your hands.” The lie tumbling forward over false affection. “Now, she won't even belong to me. I told you I owe a lot of money, she'll belong to someone else to help pay off my debt. All I need to do is make that call. I'll really miss my daughter, I don't want to have to do this, but you're forcing me, Quinn.”

My muscles seized, the words crawling over my flesh like hundreds of bugs. Exploding through each nerve, they tore through my veins, boiling my body from the inside. I felt a pain more intense than anything I had ever experienced.

“You can't sell her! She's not your fucking property!” Screaming at him, my hands balled, chest struggling to find the air to breathe. I was in shock that he would even consider that as an option.

“I can and will do what I want. If you won't take my offer to fight, then I have no other option.” He spoke with no emotion, no care for what he was considering.

What kind of person sells their daughter to pay a debt?!

He truly is the epitome of evil.

The urge to dive over the desk and strangle the life from him rode my spine. He was a waste of air, the lowest piece of shit I had ever met.

He was tying my hands, pulling a noose around my neck. I had to fight now, there was no way I could let him sell Cadence.

She was worth fighting for.

But, I was going to set some rules of my own. He wasn't going to tangle his fingers in full force.

Fuck! What the fuck! She can't know about this. She doesn't need to, it could ruin her. I don't want her to ever think she was just a bartering tool.

Cadence was so much more than she had realized, more than her own flesh and blood had ever realized.

The Macro, he'll get what's coming to him.

Karma has its way of making it around full circle.

For now, Cadence needed me, she needed me to keep her safe; No matter what.

And he knew it too.

Cadence

I
stared at the door, eyes frozen in place. Nico sat off to the side watching me, his greasy skin gleamed under the lights. A twisted, creepy smile rested across his cheeks.

He leaned back, a meaty paw wrapped around his drink. His stare crawled over my figure, riding my curves, as he switched between me and the door.

The urge to hit him again settled in my fists. I wanted to smack that look right off his face.

How long has Quinn been in there? Ten... Twenty minutes?

My heart was racing, the pounding was so intense, I could feel it in my eyes. Sweat was beading up on my palms, I repeatedly wiped them over my thighs. The pit in my stomach was churning. Nerves electrified and charged shot through my entire body.

What does my father want from him?

Quinn won't fight. He won't.
Not after what he went through.

My dad was obviously planning this, he never did anything without running through the risks and rewards. He didn't tell me what he was thinking, but he had been damned determined Quinn would fight for him.

So, he went to Nico. To the next best person on his list, the one he knew would bend over and kiss his ass.

I think he saw himself losing me, he could see me disconnecting, growing bolder. My back bone was hardening, taking shape inside. The once timid and subservient child he had raised, was now climbing out of that shell. 

He was watching his grasp slowly lift, finger by finger, peeling away.

My father could see how I felt about Quinn, the lust that flickered between us, it had to eat him up inside. I hadn't expected to form any real feelings for Quinn. He had stood up for me. When my father wanted me to bring him back, I honestly thought Quinn would agree to work for him.

The money always spoke to the fighters. My dad paid well, but he paid himself better. Most of the men fighting had nothing to lose, they needed any money that would be thrown their way. The guys that came to the Ground Game, came in search of two things:

Money or blood.

The Macro created some of these men, gave them the guidelines to succeed or to fail. He had the inside information. Those that came in to bet, they came in like this was the fucking casino. Like they were going to pull the handle and win thousands of dollars.

Sadly, that's how the game was played. My dad would give 'tips'. He would make the high rollers feel special, let them win a few matches, let them feel their bankroll thickening. And then, take them for all they were worth.

Quinn had said no; the promise to his best friend weighed more than any amount of money. It was his sense of loyalty that sent butterflies through my belly, tingles over my spine.

When he had taken me to see those kids, it melted my soul. He had a desire to fight, but to keep his promise, to maintain his word, he shared his love of the ring and taught others.

His heart pounded with fire and compassion, a life marred by loss and still fueled to keep going.

We bore similar pasts, and that gave me comfort knowing he could understand me. I hadn't told him too much about my mother. Like him, I understood how it felt to lose someone you loved.

I had connected with him on another level that day, one I had never experienced before with anyone else.

The door to the office flew open, hinges barely holding it in place as Quinn slammed it closed. The bang ricocheted off the walls, vibrating so forcefully I could feel it across my chest.

Looking into his face, his eyes were hollow, concealing any emotion. “Quinn,” I said loudly.

Met with silence, he stormed passed me. His shoulders widened, chest puffed out, as he shoved people out of his way. His mouth went taut, brows furrowed deep, anger dripping off his temples in the form of sweat.

What the hell is wrong? Why isn't he looking at me?

Dropping the bottle I had clenched in my hand, I swiftly darted from behind the bar. “Quinn! Wait!” I yelled, trying to force my voice louder than the noises drowning me.

Fuck! Why is he ignoring me? What did my dad say to him?

He wouldn't stop, he kept going strong, clear out the front exit.

Pressing through the mass of people, the breeze flushed my face, rain streaking down through my hair, dampening my clothes.

Twisting erratically, throwing my neck left to right, I spun in all directions, looking for him. Hunting through the hundreds of faces, the mass of bodies blending into each other like crayons melting in the hot sun.

All the faces looked the same, I couldn't pick one person out from another, it was impossible, like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Cliche, I know, but it's the god honest truth, if I hadn't understood that saying before, I did now.

He was gone, disappeared into the shadows.

Gripping the sides of my head, I forced my hair back, breathing heavily, anxious to know what had happened.

He acted like I wasn't even there! He ignored me, tore through this place without even giving me a fucking flick of his eyes.

My heels hit the floor with urgency. I needed answers, and I wasn't going to let my father try and talk or
intimidate me
into submission.

Briskly stepping past Nico, a chuckle hit my ears, his face gleaming. “Huh, wonder why he's so upset?” He lifted his glass to his lips, shrugging as he spoke.

Stopping in my tracks, my jaw went crooked. “You know what, Nico? You're a fucking asshole. Your nose is shoved so far up my dad's ass, you can probably taste it.” Pursing my lips, my hand rose in front of his face, middle finger extended firmly. “Fuck you.”

I didn't give him time to speak, I didn't care if he was going to say anything or not. At that moment, I needed to know what was said between Quinn and my father. Why he stormed away with out a word, what the fuck was going on?

Throwing the door open, my dad sat leaning back in his chair. A large smile painted on his face, teeth clenching the thick edge of a cigar.

His arms opened to welcome me in. “Cadence, sweetheart, did you hear the good news?”

“Good news? What the hell is going on? Quinn booked it out of here and wouldn't even look at me! What the fuck did you say to him?!”

“We discussed a few things, came to an agreement, and he's going to fight for me. He finally came to his senses.” His eyes crossed, looking down the barrel of the cigar as he lit the tip.

“Wh-What? Fight for you?” My head spun, the room faded into a blur. Every emotion- anger, sadness, hatred; streamed in hitting me full force. Stepping back, I gripped the wall, my legs weakening, trembling up my thighs.

A smug grin pulled across his face as he said, “He's fighting for me, Cadence. And you won't be able to talk him out of it. This is set in stone.” He lifted a piece of paper, Quinn's signature scripted across the bottom.

He told me he wouldn't. Why would he go through all of this to lie?

A surge of anger sparked, this didn't sit right with me. My father had his hand in this, and the way Quinn left, this whole thing reeked of shit. I didn't believe what I was hearing, nothing made sense.

My father didn't know what I knew. He hadn't seen or heard what Quinn had shared, the side of him that he kept shielded from the world. The loss of his friend that locked him outside that door.