“Yeah?”
“It’s Carlos. We’re done with the doctor.”
“And?”
“She’ll live. Nothing too serious,” said Carlos. “I’ll tell you one thing. She’s pissed off.”
Drago exhaled, not realizing how much he’d been worried about getting bad news about her injuries. Not realizing how much the little fighter meant to him. “Good. Bring her to my condo. I’ll be there within the hour.”
“Will do.” The line went dead.
He put his phone back in his pocket. When he turned around, the little fucker was rushing out the door. He didn’t bother chasing him down. He was another errand boy. There were ways to get real answers, and he wouldn’t stop hunting until he got Belle’s kid back. He’d made a promise, and he intended to keep it.
The drive back to his home in the city gave him time to reflect. He should have made a move years ago. He should have asked her out, told her how he felt—something. But he’d been over ten years older, and she was a young thing with the whole world ahead of her. He’d kept his distance for her benefit, but now she was back with a kid in tow. Drago had wanted to be the man to give her a baby, the one to take her innocence. It pissed him off that she’d been taken for a ride. Anger, jealousy, and regret fueled him as he drove the dark, lonely streets.
He’d thought a lot about the cute little blonde with the fighting spirit since retiring. He’d stayed in the game a few years longer than he intended just to be near her. She had skills, but there was more than that. Belle had a quiet spirit, one that didn’t belong in the ring. He could never quite put his finger on it, but the story was starting to unravel. Apparently, her father, one of the biggest players in the underground circuit, was only a father for show. The bastard sold her out for a padded wallet.
Drago scanned his fob to gain entry to the indoor parking lot, then rode up the elevator to his floor. This would be the first time he wasn’t returning to an empty condo. The silence had been getting to him lately. At his age, he should have settled down, but part of him had been holding back because of her. No woman could compare in his eyes.
Before he reached his unit, he could hear Belle shouting. She’d always been feisty, but he’d been hoping for her to be grateful, not angry. He opened the door to find her standing off with Carlos in the foyer.
“Let me out of here! You can’t keep me prisoner.” She lunged forward, trying to strike his friend. Drago couldn’t help but laugh.
When she shifted her focus to him, she had fire in her eyes.
“Take it easy,” he said.
“No, I won’t take it easy. Neither of you have any right to interfere with my life or my fights.”
“You needed help.”
“Wrong! I don’t need saving. All I need are these.” She held up her fists. Her knuckles were torn and covered with old blood. Despite her bravado, he could see her eyes glisten.
“I promise I’ll make everything right,” Drago said.
She shook her head, her eyes intense as a cobra’s. “You don’t know my father. There’s no way to fix this. Not anymore.”
“So you’re giving up? You never used to be a quitter.”
“Fuck you,” she said, attempting to bolt toward him. Carlos grabbed her around the waist to keep her back. She started to fight him off, but Drago didn’t want her to hurt herself more than she was. Even in her condition, she was making it difficult for Carlos to control her.
“Let her go,” said Drago. His friend narrowed his eyes as if he’d heard wrong. “Do it.”
As soon as she was free, she rushed forward, pulling back her arm to hit him. He towered over her, easily subduing her in his arms. She struggled like a madwoman, but he held her steady. “I’ll call you later,” said Drago. “Take off.”
Carlos reluctantly left the condo, closing the door behind him. Once he was alone with Belle, he leaned down and whispered into the hair by her ear. “I don’t hit women. I sure as hell ain’t starting with you, baby girl.”
“You’ve ruined everything for me!” she shouted. “I’ll never get my baby back.”
“I saved you from getting killed. That was a death match, and you were already down for the count. Now calm the fuck down so we can talk about this.”
She lifted her legs, trying to kick the wall, anything to get away. He wasn’t going to play games. They were going to do things his way now.
It took a few more minutes of keeping her immobile before she calmed a degree. Before long, her volatility dissipated, and her body sank in his arms like a wilting flower.