“Oh…um…well,” I hesitated. Telling her who Franks was would be a mistake – a big one. “He was one of the guys in the organization. Kind of a…um…you know – he was important, I guess.”
I changed the subject quickly.
“I didn't care what he said and was going to find her anyway, but Landon stopped me."
"How?"
"By putting a gun to my head."
I grabbed my boarding pass and started heading to the international departure gates. When I turned the corner, I found myself staring directly at him.
"Get in here," he commanded.
He pulled me by one arm into a storage area.
"I have to go after her, Landon," I said frantically. "You don't understand. She's..."
"Pregnant, yes, I know."
“Did everyone fucking know what was happening but me?” I screamed.
“Keep your voice down, dickhead,” Landon snarled. “Not everyone, but plenty of people. I told you not to get attached to her. If I had realized you would be stupid enough to ride her bareback, I might have said something more convincing.”
I heard the soft click of the Glock in his hand, just there to make the point.
“She can’t just walk away from me like this,” I insisted. “She just isn’t thinking about what she’s doing.”
“She obviously thought it all through,” Landon contradicted. “You are the one who isn’t thinking.”
"I'm going after her!" I yelled and shoved Landon in the chest. Without even seeing him move or understanding what had happened, I was face first on the floor of the storage room with Landon's knee at the back of my neck. I felt the cold metal against my temple.
"I don't teach my students all of my tricks, Bastian. Don't forget that. I warned you about her, but you weren't interested in listening. I’m not going to have one of my fighters going after Franks' niece and her fiancé. Go home."
"I have to talk to her!" I yelled from my supine position.
"If she wanted anything to do with you, she’d be here now," Landon said. "I know you were stupid enough to fall for her bullshit, but it’s time to smarten yourself up now.”
I tried to twist out of his grip but was completely immobilized. Part of me tried to memorize just how he was holding me down so I could use it in the future. The rest of me wanted to end it now.
"Just fucking shoot me then!" I screamed at him.
"No," he said. "That bitch isn't costing me a fighter. I need you in the arena in six days."
"Fine!” I growled. “That sounds like the perfect opportunity!"
"Bastian." It was the cold, deadly voice. It was the ‘don't fucking move, and give me your attention’ voice. It was the voice of complete, murderous rage. "If you don't win your next three tournaments, I swear I will find that bitch myself and kill her and the baby. Are we clear?"
“You wouldn’t,” I said softly, hoping against hope he wouldn’t really do that, but knowing in my dying heart there would be no hesitation on his part.
“Seriously?” He laughed, but there was nothing funny about it. “In a heartbeat. I wouldn’t even bother washing the blood out of my shirt until I got home.”
"I love her."
"I know,” he said, removing his knee from my neck and allowing me to stand. “You'll hate her soon enough.”
"Landon was right," I told Raine. "I was in hell for a while, but it really didn't take that long to hate her. Still, I wanted to know something about where she went, what happened to her and the baby, but no one would tell me.”
"You have a child," Raine said, half statement, half question.