A Dangerous Union

THOMAS

The living room of this house was bigger than the apartment I had been living in.

I sat down on the L-shaped cream-colored sofa. The scatter back cushions were all different shades of dark blue and navy. In the corner of the room was a navy saucer armchair with cream and blue cushions.

In the center of the room was a wooden coffee table, and a flat-screen TV was mounted on the neatly painted navy wall opposite the sofa.

Xavier had taken a seat in the corner on the armchair, pulling out his phone to text. We both sat and waited for Matt to return.

I looked down at my phone as it vibrated in my hands.

The last thing I was thinking about was the fight. I had a few hours before it was set to start, so I would be fine.

“What do you think of her, then?” I looked over at Xavier, who sighed before looking back at me.

“She’s pretty enough,” Xavier replied casually before taking his attention back to his phone.

“Do you think Matt will get her to trust us?”

Xavier looked back at me. He laughed darkly.

“If Matt tells her about how she will be protected and looked after, I’m sure she’ll stay.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“Would you trust three strangers? Would you trust us?”

Xavier had a point.

My mind was going back to how she mentioned it wasn’t the first time she’d been touched while unconscious. I could feel the anger in me just thinking about it.

But I bet the three of us were probably far more dangerous than any bastard that had been in her life before.

Matt entered the room quietly and closed the white door behind him.

“How is she doing?” I asked.

Matt placed his hands in his pockets.

“I think she understands, but whether she stays is another matter. I’ve warned her she’ll have to leave if she decides against the union.”

I placed my elbows on my knees, cracked my knuckles, and clenched my hands together. The idea of Olivia returning to the world to get hurt made my blood boil.

“So it’s the shitty waiting game,” I hissed.

Matt sighed but could only nod.

“Well, then I’m going out.” Xavier stood up. Matt and I knew where he was heading.

“Hold on. One of us needs to stay here in case she wakes up and asks questions.” Matt stood in front of Xavier, and I remained on the sofa. Xavier and Matt were friends, best friends in fact, but they fought hard with each other.

“You’re the leader. ~You~ can stay. I have to make sure the cleanup today was done properly, and I want to let loose.” Xavier brushed past Matt and walked out of the house.

I stood up to my full height and walked to Matt, who seemed to be tired and just as bewildered as I was.

“Are we just going to stand around while Xavier does whatever the fuck he wants?”

I was angry. Why was Matt letting him just go out and fuck who he likes? He should be loyal to our household, our woman.

“Xavier is still pretty new to the Village. He has to adjust. Plus, if he can’t get his fix of kinky shit outside this house, he’ll bring it in, and I am not sure Olivia could handle that.”

I shuddered as I thought of how she’d reacted. Had she been hurt a lot before? Would she ever trust us? A worse question sprung to my mind: should she trust us?

“We have to handle her with care until she’s comfortable. It’s best Xavier keeps a safe distance from her—sexually, at least. Now, don’t you have a match tonight? I only know because Noel is going to be there,” Matt reminded me.

“You okay here?” I asked, looking up to the ceiling, wondering if she was still asleep.

Matt nodded.

“Yeah, she’ll be knocked out until midmorning at least. Then we’ll work out how we’re going to move forward with this. Good luck, not that you’ll need it.”

I nodded solemnly and walked back into the hallway, passing the staircase and looking up briefly before leaving our new home.

I raced through the city beyond the Village on my trusty Harley, heading straight to the underground club.

“Cutting it close, Thomas.” I heard Noel speak as I entered the damp, cold, and basic “dressing room.”

I didn’t need much time to prepare before a fight. I just needed to change.

“Well, I’ve had to deal with a new home situation.” I stepped out of my clothes and into the blue boxing shorts.

“Ah, have you had a chance to meet Olivia?” he asked as he picked up the matching boxing robe I would wear pre-match.

“Not really. Matt had knocked her out, so she was a little confused,” I replied while I began to wrap my hands.

“She will be, but it’s your job to make her comfortable, Thomas. Matt may be the leader, but you’re far more sensitive than him, and I’m sure you will get Olivia to trust you.”

Noel was right. Matt was serious and cool to everyone. He had to be—he was in charge of a lot for the family, and if he fucked up, a lot of money and jobs were at risk.

I, however, was more laid back, and Noel was right: I was more emotional. Maybe too emotional. Not many people lived after pissing me off.

“She just needs time,” Noel interrupted my thoughts.

“What is Xavier’s role?” I quizzed.

Xavier was my closest friend, along with Matt. But I knew he wasn’t a marriage type of man and was relatively new to our lifestyle.

“Xavier needs to learn how to be in our world. All men commit to a household, and Xavier is no exception. He ~has~ to put as much effort in as you and Matt will.” Noel spoke abruptly.

It was no secret Lyra had screwed Xavier once or twice in his club. It was obvious that Noel knew.

“Come on, let’s go. Remember, they paid for a fight, Thomas. Give the opponent a little chance and drag it out for a while. But make sure you win.”

I knew Noel had millions on me to win. But I needed to make this look good and drag out the match. Part of this job was acting; the other half was beating the opponent until he could barely breathe.

An announcer shouted my name—“Presenting Tommy ‘the Devil’ Gunner”—and I could hear a mix of cheers and boos.

Noel’s men walked with me as my soundtrack played through the sound system.

I climbed into the makeshift ring and removed my robe. I clocked my opponent’s weight. There was no comparison—he was huge.

In a regulated fight, we wouldn’t be in the same class; I would never fight someone bigger than me.

But no one regulated the underground, and the top lawyers, police, judges, and politicians were among the crowds, paying for the blood and gore.

The fight started, and I played it cool. I allowed him to hit me once, twice, and even three times.

I gave the customers what they wanted: a battle. I knew how to do this, how to play the game.

The fight began to heat up. He was fighting harder, quicker, and I knew I had to step up—and I did. The fighting talk was getting louder between us. The crowds of rich men and women were getting rowdier, loving the show.

Then he said something. It was a minor thing but enough to trigger the crazyside of me, the side where the Devil lived and would take over. My anger was my biggest enemy.

I could hear the crowd roar around me. I could barely make out Noel calling my name. I kept going, punching and taking my anger out on my opponent.

“One.”

I stopped when I realized he wasn’t standing anymore. Like a vulture, I circled the ring, looking at the bloody mess of the guy I hadn’t let up on.

“Well done, Tommy, son,” I heard Noel call from the crowd.

A bell rang somewhere. It was over, and I had won. Some cheered and some booed, but I didn’t care; I had done what I’d set out to do.

I greeted Noel as I jumped from the ring, and then as the crowds parted with some people congratulating me, we walked back to the dressing area.

“You did great.” Noel was proud and happy, and that was all I had to worry about. He excused himself, giving me a chance to clean up and get dressed.

I looked at my face: a cut above my eyebrow and a possible black eye. In the mirror, my eyes caught my opponent being carried past my door on a stretcher.

My anger did that. The Devil in me did that.

I wasn’t a calm person; I let my anger and my emotions control me.

How can I be gentle? How can I be trusted not to hurt her? One of my fathers nearly killed my mother. What if I end up like him? I thought.

Would I be able to stop if I saw red, even around my family?