Darling Wildfire (Red Rabbit #2)

59

THERON

TWENTY FOUR MONTHS CAPTIVE

I was kneeling in Vetticus’ dining room again. The guards had come for me shortly after dinner. The door opened behind me and the sound of Vetticus’ footsteps across the wood floor announced his arrival. I stared straight ahead, eyes anchored on a point across the room and fists tightly clenched in the cuffs that held them.

Not for the first time, I wished I was free. Anywhere but in this nightmare I’d found myself in.

Vetticus came around in front of me and dropped a pair of camo pants and combat boots on the floor.

“Put these on. We have somewhere to be.”

I didn’t speak but did as he asked. Once dressed, he led the way out the door, his guards escorting me behind him. As we walked through the house, I realized it was a lot larger than what could be observed from outside and the structure actually extended far back into the mountain itself. We finally came to a set of large oak double doors and Vetticus pushed them open revealing a large ballroom. In fact, it was huge.

The ceilings towered high above me, disappearing into the shadowed dome. The polished floor was black and so were the pillars and stone walls. Despite it being nearly empty, it was obvious Vetticus was hosting a gathering. The household staff scurried around the massive space, setting out food and drinks.

Vetticus led us across the expanse of the room to where pedestals lined the far wall. They were just large enough for a man to stand on comfortably and several feet off the ground to provide height. Spotlights shone down on each one. Vetticus shoved me towards the middle one—I counted seven.

“That one is yours.”

I stood facing the room and Vetticus pulled a chain from behind the stand, locking it around my ankle. It didn’t allow for any movement besides a few inches either way. Stepping back, he looked up at me, gave me a smirk and headed back across the room leaving me alone on my perch.

I’m not sure how long I stood there, but slowly people began to filter in. A few more men were placed on the pedestals around me and I realized this was a showcase of sorts. A time for the other sponsors to show off their top players. Statistics were projected on the wall behind the other players and I turned my head to see a similar set up behind me. It showed my name—Kraven—and a list of notable stats. The number of kills I had to date. How many games I’d played and the number of my victories vs my losses.

Looking at the other men, I only recognized one: Kai

He stood on the pedestal to my right. We were far enough away to make talking impossible but I caught his eye and he subtly flipped me off, letting me know exactly how he felt about seeing me. All of us were shirtless and I noticed we all had different brands to signify the team we belonged to. Except for Kai and myself who both had V’s. It made me wonder why Vetticus was allowed two teams.

As more people filed into the ballroom, the atmosphere became more lively with music and chatter filtering through the air. People would come up and observe us, making me feel like an animal put on display. The longer the night went on, the more aggravated I became. The whole thing was bullshit. Showy, pretentious bullshit.

A group of men came to stand in front of me, studying me over the rim of their drinks. They held themselves with importance and seemed to draw attention from people in the room. One of them, a man with blond hair and a sour twist to his mouth tilted his head as he studied me.

“This is the one who killed O’Connor in the forest, isn’t it?” He asked.

“Yeah—I heard Albatron was not happy,”

one of the other men snickered. “That was his top player.”

Before they could continue with the gossip, Vetticus sauntered over to the group. The men straightened up and the atmosphere changed, tension charging the air.

“Gentlemen,”

Vetticus purred. “Admiring my top player?”

“He’s certainly impressive,”

the blond said. “I heard he’s caught Albatron’s eye.”

Irritation flickered briefly across Vetticus’ face but he smirked and shrugged.

“He’s welcome to look all he wants,”

Vetticus said.

He directed the men down the line with flourish of his hand.

“Have you made your bets for tonight?” He asked.

I didn’t hear the men reply as they drifted away out of earshot. I wondered who Albatron was. The owner of Atrox? Another sponsor? Maybe—definitely someone of high status within the company. I filed the name away.

Vetticus obviously had a lot of privileges and was respected, and slightly feared, by most people here. For the next hour I periodically caught sight of him moving about the room talking and mingling. He was in his element.

An hour or two passed and people were beginning to make their way through an archway off in the corner of the ballroom. When nearly everyone had disappeared, guards came and one by one unchained us and led us through a different door.

The room they took us to was vastly different from the ballroom. It was dimly lit, dank and smelled like mildew and copper. I heard a sizable crowd cheer from down a hallway. The guards escorted man after man down the hallway and they wouldn’t return. Soon it was only Kai and I sitting on a bench.

“Sounds like some fight club shit,” he said.

When I didn’t reply he looked over at me. “We’ll see what you’re made of without your little friends around.”

I still didn’t say anything. I had no desire to be the entertainment but it didn’t look like I had a choice.

I stepped out into a sunken dirt arena with Kai on my heels.

Eight foot tall walls surrounded us and above that was chain link fencing where the crowd sat looking down into the ring. The dirt beneath my feet was already muddy with blood. The guards unchained our wrists and stepped out.

The crowd went wild and turned into a roaring mass of noise I couldn’t decipher. I stayed where I was, watching as Kai began to circle me until he disappeared behind me out of sight. My attention turned to the stands. I found Vetticus almost directly in front of me and locked eyes with him.

Now I understood what he meant when he asked if the men had placed their bets. Kai made another circle around me and was at my back again. I felt the moment he made his move and he landed a punch to my kidneys before kicking my legs out from under me.

I let him.

I fell to my knees in the dirt, my stare still fixed on Vetticus.

Kai circled back around in front of me and darted in to land a punch to my jaw. My head whipped to the side. I slowly returned my gaze to Vetticus. The crowd was still loud but the tension was heavy—I could feel their confusion sitting in the air above me. I was supposed to be the top player and I wasn’t doing anything.

Kai rushed in, delivering another hit to my face. This one sent me down onto one arm and blood assaulted my mouth as he split my lip. I straightened and looked at Vetticus. I let the pain stoke the fire of contempt inside me. I spit out blood onto the dirt in front of me and bared my teeth in a bloody grin.

Fury transformed his features and I couldn’t wipe the sneer from my face. Kai continued to attack, although he also seemed frustrated by my lack of participation and his advances became vicious and calculated. Kai came in close and hit me hard enough to send me to the ground. He crouched down, pulling my head up to look at him.

“What are you doing?”

He growled through clenched teeth. I refused to answer him and struggled to my knees.

He hit me again.

I fell onto my hands and watched the blood drip from my mouth.

“Fight back,”

Kai hissed.

The crowd was nearly silent now and when I looked up at Vetticus, I saw murder in his eyes. Once I was back on my knees, Kai delivered a blow to my stomach, kicked me hard in the side and landed a wicked punch to the side of my face.

I fell into the dirt, dazed. As I dragged my body upright Kai grabbed me by the neck and leaned in close.

“You know what he’s going to do, right?”

He murmured. “He’s going to take it out on your team.”

“Since when–are you–a team player?” I panted.

His lips thinned into a grim line. “It’s a game, Kraven. It’s a game, and you’re losing.”

Kai tightened his grip and I ground my teeth together as my chest heaved with each hiss of breath.

“Do you want to know—what happened—to the last person who—said that to me?”

Kai threw me away and I collapsed into the dirt again. I spit out more blood and looked up at Vetticus. He was standing against the fence now, gripping the metal links.

Kai was right. But I needed to prove a point. Even when he’d taken everything—even when he thought he was in control—it was a tenuous power because I was not broken. I did not fear him. I was not a pet to be caged.

My fingers curled in the dirt as I sensed Kai behind me.

I’d proven my point. It was time to prove another.

I turned and flung dirt into Kai’s face.

He was completely caught off guard and I was on my feet in seconds. The crowd gasped and instantly the volume escalated as I advanced on Kai quickly and methodically. I attacked and dragged his arm behind him before delivering a brutal hit to his elbow, instantly breaking his arm. His cry was lost in the crowd's thirst for blood. He collapsed and I kicked him the rest of the way down.

My heel pressed into his neck, cutting off his air and for the last time, I lifted my gaze to Vetticus. I didn’t think it was possible, but he looked even more angry than before. I barked out a laugh and crouched down on top of Kai, putting even more pressure on his airway. He struggled, clawing at my leg, but he only had one arm, the other lay useless at his side, clutching at dirt.

“You’re right Kai, this is a game—”

I hissed. “—my game—and I don’t plan on losing.”

I jerked my entire body down, putting all my weight into my heel and Kai’s body went limp, the light faded quickly from his eyes as I crushed his airway.

As soon as I stepped away, the crowd became deafening.

I looked up but Vetticus was gone.

I’d pay for this later. I’d pay for making him look like a fool. He would not tolerate his toy playing him in front of these people. Not to mention also killing his other top player.

Was it a reckless thing to do? Absolutely.

But for right now, victory was sweet.

I laughed again and my shoulders shook with it. I couldn’t stop. Even when the guards came and cuffed me, my laugh followed me back through the ballroom, back through the house…it echoed off the mountains as they led me all the way back to the cell.

The guards uncuffed my wrists and the door clicked shut at my back. My men all looked at me as I continued to chuckle. I had to look a mess—cut up, bloody and covered in sand. Not to mention deranged because I was practically leering at them.

Nyx blinked. “Do I want to know?”

I shook my head and walked off towards the bathroom.

“Someone told me this was all just a game.”

Preacher scoffed and shook his head. Atlas ran a hand over his face in exasperation and Nyx barked out a laugh. I passed a confused Ridley.

“What am I missing?”

“He killed the last man who said that to him,”

Preacher said.

I turned on the water and the spray blocked out any further conversation. I didn’t bother waiting for it to heat up but stepped into the cold, letting it shock my system.

I was playing the game—my game.

But this was also a game of survival—and there were no rules.