Remember Ramsey by Cynthia Eden

Chapter Fifteen

Observation notes: It was…brutal. Savage. Terrifying.

I could feel Ramsey slipping away all week. A darkness seemed to grow in him, and when he left me at my house, I had to follow.

He taught me how to trail someone and not be seen. I used the tricks he showed me. I went to the warehouse. I heard the shouts even before I slipped inside. And when I got inside, I smelled the blood.

Fists were swinging. Bones crunching. I had to put my hand over my mouth because I wanted to cry out and beg for it all to stop.

Ramsey was there. He was bloody. He was—

***

Ramsey smiled as he stepped into the cage. Did he think the cage was annoying as fuck? Yeah, he did. But it kept the opponents trapped inside until the match was over. The match only ended when one fighter couldn’t get up.

“You’re not supposed to be here!” The muscled man across from him took a quick step back. His shaggy, blond hair hung over his left eye.

“No?”

Ramsey’s opponent had stripped off his shirt. The tattoos on his chest flexed with every movement.

“I’m going against Enzo tonight, not you, not—”

“Enzo has other plans.” Ramsey noted the bruising and cuts on the guy’s knuckles. “So I volunteered to take his place.”

Axel Porter’s beady eyes jerked to the left, as if seeking escape.

Cute. There was no escape. Ramsey rolled back his shoulders. “You’ve made some big fucking mistakes lately…”

Ramsey and Axel began to circle each other as the crowd started to roar. Ramsey hadn’t participated in one of the fights in a while, and he suspected a shit-ton of money was being exchanged as bets were placed.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Spittle flew from Axel’s mouth.

“You came after me.”

“No, no, man, I have not—”

“Lying just pisses me off more.” He didn’t strike. Not yet. “Before you leave this cage, you will tell me everything I want to know.”

“I’m not sayin’ nothin’!”

Ramsey smiled. “You will. You’ll bleed and you’ll talk.”

Axel bellowed in rage and launched his massive body straight at Ramsey.

***

“Why are there so many cars in the lot of a closed-down warehouse?” Jinx asked in a careful tone.

“Because it’s not closed down,” Whitney replied. “It’s used for matches.”

Jinx stood beside the SUV and made no move to approach the warehouse. “Matches…”

“Bleed and beg fights,” Darius explained as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You bleed and you don’t stop, not even when your opponent begs.”

The moonlight revealed the tenseness of Jinx’s expression. “Just how long has Ramsey been running these fights?”

A shrug from Darius. Whitney took that shrug to mean…a very long time.

Tired of just standing there, Whitney began heading for the door—and for the guards who were blocking the door.

Darius closed a hand over her shoulder. “Forgetting someone? I’m the human shield, remember? I go first and that SOB…” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder to indicate Jinx. “He covers your back.”

“Fine, let’s just go.” Because she had a terrible feeling growing in her heart. The kind of feeling that told her something very, very bad was going down inside of that place.

The shouts were nearly deafening once they stepped inside. Men and women were yelling and shaking their fists as they tried to hype up the fighters. The two men in the cage.

Two men who were beating each other with powerful blows.

Whitney sucked in a breath when she got a look at Ramsey’s enraged face.

“Oh, fuck,” Jinx breathed from behind her. “He’s not going to stop.”

Ramsey drew back his fist and plowed it into his opponent’s face. Blood flew into the air.

***

Ramsey didn’t feel pain. Axel had managed to get in some strong hits, but who the hell cared? He had the bastard on the floor now, and Axel wasn’t swinging any longer.

“You sent her roses,” Ramsey snarled as he leaned over his prey. “You torched her house.”

“I-I…”

He pounded his fist into Axel’s stomach. “Don’t lie to me! I can make this so much worse…”

No one else was close enough to hear their words.

Axel shuddered. “Don’t…don’t know what you’re talking…”

“You stole War Channing’s ride!”

Axel smiled. His mouth was bloody. “Liked that…did you? Know you…h-hate him…”

“You used that freaking car when you torched my lady’s place…with me inside. You came at me.” It was all he could do not to rip the bastard apart right then and there. “Tell me why.”

Axel’s eyes widened in what looked like horror. “You…there? She…she’s with you?”

Axel had been in jail when Ramsey first hooked up with Whitney. He wouldn’t know about their past, not unless someone had told him about it. “She’s fucking mine.”

“Oh, God.” Fear flashed on Axel’s face, as if he finally realized just how serious shit was getting for him.

Hell, yes, it was serious. This was Whitney’s life.

Ramsey pulled back his fist, ready to pound—

“Ramsey!” A roar of his name. The shout stuck out from all the others because it was a voice Ramsey knew too well—his brother’s voice. But Jinx damn well shouldn’t be in that warehouse.

His head turned to the right. Through the wire of the cage, he saw Jinx staring back at him. But Jinx wasn’t alone…

Whitney was at his side.

No, no, Whitney cannot be here. It’s not safe for Whitney to be here…The scene was too wild. The people too dangerous.

He’d given orders. Darius should have her back at home where she would be safe. He surged away from Axel and rushed toward her. “Get her out of here!” Ramsey thundered at Darius. He ignored the blood dripping from a cut in his brow. “Get her—”

Whitney’s eyes flared wide. “Behind you!” she yelled.

Axel had been on the floor. Beaten. Weak.

Or had he been pretending?

Instinct had Ramsey jerking to the side as he whirled back around, and that side movement—those few precious inches—saved him from getting a knife shoved in his gut.

There were rules about the matches.

Rule one…The only weapon was your body. Axel never should have come into that match with a knife. And the fact that he’d been lunging for Ramsey with it…

You want me dead, don’t you, you sonofabitch?

Too bad. Ramsey wasn’t going to be the one dying.

Rule two. Bleed and beg fights mean begging doesn’t help. You take your enemy down.

He swept his leg out and had Axel slamming into the floor. Before the jerk could get back up, Ramsey pounded his foot into Axel’s wrist over and over again, making sure the bones broke and that Axel had no choice but to let go of the weapon.

Then Ramsey scooped it up. He surged at his prey and shoved the knife to Axel’s throat.

The crowd roared, urging him on. Someone had probably bet on death that night.

The blade sliced across Axel’s throat. Blood trickled down his neck. Fear poured from the bastard, filling the air like thick smoke.

“You thought you were taking me out?” Ramsey snarled.

“Please…”

Now he was begging.

Too late. Begging never helped.

Ramsey let the knife slice deeper. “Why’d you go after her?”

“J-just a job! I was s-supposed to s-scare—”

“She’s mine.” The rage burned through him and blasted past his control. It would be so easy to slice the bastard’s throat wide open. “You don’t scare her. You don’t touch her. You don’t—”

The crowd was roaring even louder. They wanted him to end Axel. Axel was known as a brutal bastard in the cage and to see him getting taken down was driving the crowd crazy. They were pushing toward the cage—

Whitney is in that crowd.

What if she was getting pushed? His head snapped up, and his gaze searched for her.

She was staring right at him, and there was horror on her face. Her eyes were wide and desperate.

“Don’t.”

He couldn’t hear her say that one word. Everyone else was too loud, but he saw her lips move.

She thought he was about to kill Axel. She was asking him to stop.

But I want to kill the bastard.

“I-I was paid for the jobs!” Axel’s words rushed out. “Got texts telling me what to do. That I had to order the roses from your bar. That I had to use War’s car. Didn’t know I was crossing you, I-I f-fucking swear it!”

But when he had learned the truth…Axel had come at Ramsey with the knife. Because he knows what I’ll do to him for targeting what belongs to me.

Some men grabbed the cage and shook it. One shouted, “Kill him! Slice his throat open!”

Ramsey’s gaze snapped to Jinx. “Get her out!” he ordered.

Jinx jerked his head in agreement and immediately put his hands around Whitney’s shoulders. But as he turned her to leave—

Someone bumped into them. A big bear of a guy who’d been jumping toward the cage. Jinx curled his body protectively over Whitney, and Ramsey—

He didn’t quite remember knocking out Axel. He just saw the man’s eyes roll back into his head before he slumped. And Ramsey didn’t quite know how he was able to fly up and scale the cage’s side so fast, but he did it.

He just knew—

He was suddenly beside Whitney. He scooped her into his arms and bellowed for everyone to get the fuck out of his way.

And everyone got the fuck out of his way.

He could feel her trembling in his arms. She was afraid—of the crowd? Of the violence? Of him?

“Boss!” Darius shouted after him. “What do you want me to do with Axel?”

He wasn’t done with Axel. Not even close. “Lock him up.” He’d deal with him soon enough. But even as Ramsey gave that order, the wail of sirens cut through the night.

Cops.

Closing in.

And if the crowd had been wild before, they became frantic when they heard the sirens.

He pulled Whitney closer, held her tighter, as men and women ran for the doors. Have to get her to safety. This was his warehouse. He knew the best way to escape. Curving his body over her, he took her toward the side door. Slipped away from the fleeing throng and eased into a long corridor that would take them out a private exit.

The door clanged shut behind them.

But Ramsey realized he wasn’t alone in that corridor with Whitney. He heard the heaving breaths behind him and glanced back to see Jinx.

“That was close,” Jinx muttered.

“Put me down,” Whitney said, voice husky.

The hell he’d put her down. She was in his arms—safe and warm and he wasn’t letting go. “You brought her here,” he snapped at Jinx. “She should be at home where she can be protected, and you brought—”

“I was afraid of what you’d do!” Jinx jumped toward him. “You’re not thinking straight! I was afraid you’d cross the line and kill!”

“Who said I don’t still plan to kill him?” Ramsey taunted.

“Ramsey.” Whitney.

He looked down at her. Felt his chest tighten. She’d seen him at his worst. At his absolute fucking worst. He hated that Jinx had brought her there. Now there would be no pretending he was anything but the monster everyone said. He’d been beating Axel in front of her. He’d had a knife at the jerk’s throat.

“He was the one who sent you the roses,” Ramsey rasped. “He stole War’s car. He set your place on fire. He did all that shit. I got him to confess.” That had been the point of the fight. Wasn’t like people in his world sat down for a friendly little chat.

Hell, no, that didn’t happen.

Her hand rose, and her fingers slid over his cheek. “You’re hurt. Put me down so I can help you.”

No. He marched down the corridor, aware that Jinx trailed them. “We need to get you out of here. Someone called the cops.” He suspected that someone was his brother. “They’ll be arresting anyone they can find. They won’t find you.” No way was Whitney spending even a moment in a cell.

He kicked open the back door. Never let her go. He rushed toward the limo that was idling back there—and toward a pacing Jimmy.

“We need to go!” Jimmy cried out. He ran a shaking hand through his hair. “The cops are out front!”

Ramsey wasn’t leaving. He was going back inside, and he would be getting Axel to tell him everything. “Take Whitney back to my place. You stay with her until I return.”

Jimmy bobbed his head in agreement.

Ramsey eased Whitney into the car. When he started to retreat, she grabbed his hand. “Come with me.”

Axel came after her. “I can’t.”

“You can. Get in this car and let’s drive away.”

Fleeing wouldn’t protect her. The threats to Whitney and their baby had to be eliminated. “You shouldn’t have come here. It wasn’t safe. You put yourself and the baby at risk—”

“You were at risk. I had both Darius and Jinx acting as human shields for me!” Whitney threw back immediately. “You were the one trapped in a cage and doing some insane death match! Don’t expect me to sit on the sidelines while you risk yourself like that. I can’t. When I saw you fighting before, it scared the hell out of me! I couldn’t just stand back while you did this again!”

Before?

“I remember Hell,” she whispered.

Hell. The nickname he’d given the warehouse. If she remembered that…if she remembered seeing him fight before…

She knows I’m a monster. “Take her home,” he ordered woodenly. The sirens screamed. “Now.”

“Dammit, Ramsey, don’t do this!” Whitney cried.

He had to do it. He had to keep her safe. “You were never here, understand? Whatever goes down…you were never here.” The cops would not touch her.

“Ram!”

He slammed the door. Jimmy floored the limo and got them the hell out of there.

“What kind of self-destructive bullshit was that?” Jinx asked flatly.

Ramsey shot past him. “Get the hell out of here while you can. I don’t think you want to get caught up in an illegal betting scene.” Like that was the only crime going down…

Jinx grabbed his arm and swung him back around. “You don’t want to get caught here, either! Let’s go.”

“Got something else to handle first—now get your damn hand off me.”

Jinx’s grip hardened, but then he let go. Ramsey didn’t waste any more time. He ran back into the warehouse and flew through that corridor. When he shoved open the door that would take him to the fight zone—the place was empty. Correction, mostly empty. Darius stood near the cage.

Everyone else was gone. The crowd could sure as hell move fast.

Ramsey heard voices outside. Shouts. Barked orders. He realized the cops were stopping people in the parking lot. That gave him a little more time…

He rushed toward the cage.

Darius whirled toward him. “I…I only left for a minute. Wanted to make sure you had Whitney out okay…”

What?

“Don’t know who got to him. Sorry…”

Sorry? He peered around Darius and saw that Axel was still sprawled in the cage. They’d need to get that guy out, quickly. There were only moments left before the cops stormed inside.

That’s one hell of a lot of blood.

And…wait…

Ramsey stepped forward. The knife was near Axel’s body.

That was too much blood. Too much…because someone had stabbed Axel in the chest.

“Your prints are gonna be on everything,” Darius muttered. “Your prints, your DNA. Boss, they will pin this on you. You have to get the hell out of—”

The cage door had been unlocked. Ramsey rushed inside.

“What in the hell are you doing?” Darius yelled. “Get out of there. We need to go! We need—”

“He’s not dead.” He’d seen the bastard’s chest rise.

“What?”

Ramsey dropped to his knees beside Axel. “You’re still alive,” he snarled. “And you’re staying that way.” Because someone had hired Axel. Someone had sent the SOB after Whitney. Axel didn’t get to go into the great pit of hell that was waiting for him, not yet. Not until Ramsey had his answers.

He shoved his hands over the wound. Tried to stop the pouring blood with pressure. “Get an ambulance!” Ramsey bellowed.

Footsteps thundered toward him. He looked up and over…

And saw Detective Melissa Wright pointing a gun at him. “Get your hands up!” she barked.

“I would,” he snapped back, “but I’m kinda busy trying to stop this bastard from bleeding out.”

***

“Stop this car right now!” Whitney blasted as she glared at the back of Jimmy’s head. She’d lowered the privacy screen as soon as he’d started driving. “Take me back to Ramsey!”

“I can’t do that.” He sounded miserable. “He’d freak out! You don’t make Ramsey freak out.”

“I’m going to freak out if you don’t turn us around! We can’t just leave him!”

“He wants you safe. Told me to take you home.” His grip was tight on the wheel. “That’s what I’m doing. I don’t want Ramsey as an enemy.”

This couldn’t be happening. “The cops will lock him up!”

“He’ll get out. He always gets out.”

His words weren’t quite confident.

Whitney wanted to scream. “I can’t leave him!”

“Sorry, but you don’t have a choice.”

Yes, she did. Whitney was not about to let Ramsey be sent to jail. If she couldn’t get to him and protect him, then she’d hire someone else to take care of the job. She pulled out her phone. Dialed with shaking fingers. When her call was answered…

“You have to help Ramsey. I’ll pay anything.”