“Rage,” I answered. “He was the one who had my mom kidnapped back in the day. My dad and the police tracked them down. In the end . . . my dad killed him.”
Wren’s mouth dropped. “Wow. I had no clue it was like that. I’d read on the internet about how the FBI busted up the underground fighting ring your parents and their friends were involved in, but nothing specific about the circumstances.”
“It’s come to haunt us,” I said, running my hands over my face. “Nikolai Michelson’s family holds a grudge against mine for shutting down their operation.” I flung my arms out. “That’s why I’m here. My best friends, my brother and my cousin have already been targeted and survived it. Now it’s mine and Ethan’s turn.”
Wren’s brows furrowed. “It sounds really complicated.”
Voices could be heard down the hall and she gasped, her expression focused. “Quickly. After I gave Eric his two-minute hand job, I asked him about Ethan. Apparently, he was here last night . . . in a room in the basement. Martin didn’t want him at the warehouse. They were afraid he’d find a way to escape.”
“What about his fight?” I asked. “Did Eric say anything about that?”
Wren shrugged. “Only that his fight is the last one tonight. All the other guys will be going before. He got a hand job for giving me useless information. However,” she said, moving closer. “I did listen through the door when he was talking to another guard. If Ethan wins his fight, they’re taking him away.”
“What do you mean taking him away?” I asked.
She shrugged. “To kill him, I would think. All I know is that they said they’re going to take him away and make it look like an accident.”
Deep down, I knew they wouldn’t let him go if he were to win. It made me sick to the core and angry at myself for not knowing how to help. Surely, my parents had to know something was wrong. But, unfortunately, there was no way they’d be able to find us in such a short amount of time. We’d only been missing for what would add up to a day and a half.
Wren cleared her throat. “And with you,” she said and then stopped, her expression torn.
“What about me?”
She peered over at the door again and lowered her voice even more. “They’re taking you to Mexico. As soon as everything is done tonight, there’s going to be a boat waiting to take you there.”
It felt as if my world had just crumbled all around me. If Martin and Caden took me out of the country, there was no coming back. Whatever happened, I couldn’t let them get me on that boat. I would have to fight, even if it meant risking everything I loved.
The voices drew closer outside the room and Wren started to stand, but I grabbed her wrist. “If you see Ethan, tell him everything you told me. He has to know their plans. I don’t want him risking his life for me. I want him away from here and safe, and then he can get the help he needs to find me.”
She nodded once. “I will. I promise. But there’s something we need to make clear.” I could see the torment in her pale green eyes. “If it comes down to my survival or his, I have to choose myself. I hope you understand.”
I would never ask anyone to put their life on the line for me.
“I do,” I whispered. “And I don’t blame you.”
The door opened and we both looked to see Caden in the doorway, dressed in jeans and a dark gray T-shirt with his icy blue eyes fixated on me. “It’s time to go.”
CHAPTER27
PEYTON
Wren rode with Eric and the guy with the shaved head to the warehouse while I was stuck with Martin and Caden. It was a ten-minute drive from the plantation, and there was only swampland between here and there. If Ethan and I were to escape, there was a chance the bayou alone could kill us. There were alligators, venomous snakes, and bacteria that could eat your flesh if it got in your wounds. So the odds were stacked against us. Still, if given a chance, I’d take that risk.
Once inside the warehouse, Caden took me to the same second-floor room as yesterday, where I could see down into the fighting ring through the two-way mirror. When I peered down, cameras were set up all around, but the room was empty. It was dark and dingy, even though it was mid-morning outside. The place looked exactly like the actual Dark Side in the first film.
Caden shut the door, and chills ran down my spine as he drew closer. I didn’t look at him, but I could feel his presence suffocating me.
“Where is everyone?” I asked, hating that I even had to speak to him.
Caden’s arm brushed against mine as he stared down into the cage. “You mean, Jameson?” My back stiffened, and I held my breath. “He’s downstairs,” he continued, “waiting. Do you want to know who he’s fighting tonight?”
Slowly, I turned my glare to him, and his lips pulled back in a wolfish grin. “I’m sure I can guess.”
Caden shrugged and turned his focus to the ring, his grin fading into a scowl. “It wasn’t originally supposed to be Jameson and me battling it out. Butyouchanged the script. I want to thank you for that.”
“Go to hell!” I spat.
In a lightning-fast move, Caden grabbed my neck and pushed me against the window, his breath hot against my cheek. The breath whooshed out of my lungs and I choked.