Twisted Lies by Nora Cobb
Chapter 43
Bryce
Astrid is dressed in a black dress and heels instead of her usual fighting garb, looking like stylish perfection. It takes me a moment to realize that it’s the same dress she wore on our date, and I feel a pang when she looks at me.
“Oh, it’s them,” she touches Teeny’s arm, and he smirks, “You can let them in as my guests.”
Pierce hurries forward, still bent on causing a scene. I catch the tail of his wool coat and hold him back from a gloating Astrid. Her hair is slicked back, and she’s also wearing a headset. She steps aside, and Pierce leads the way into the building.
It’s an empty retail space the size of a big-box store, but the back half is the warehouse, and that’s where the fights are being held. It’s sparse compared to the Pit, without a physical ring or a catwalk, but the layout is well thought out. There are three separate areas, each with a ring painted in white on the floor. People sit in bleachers, so every seat is prime viewing. There’s music playing at a DJ booth with that guy Derick spinning the records as each fight is announced, and three fights are on simultaneously.
Nova walks up to Astrid, also wearing a stylish black dress, and speaks to her. In fact, everyone who is working is well-dressed, as if they’re hosting at a fine restaurant. Grinder appears with a fresh fighter, pointing him toward the back. And Pierce is off before I can stop him.
“Is this you?” Pierce shouts, grabbing Grinder by the shoulder and spinning him around. “You can’t steal from me.”
Pierce lifts his fist, and I’m too slow to stop what happens next. Hands grab for Pierce, knocking him down to the hard ground. Wincing in pain, he’s encircled by bouncers who appear out of thin air. Even the fighter by Grinder’s side is on Pierce, and he aims a few blows at his stomach. Pierce curls into a ball as the spectators take their eyes off the fight.
Astrid runs over, and they immediately part for her as she protects Pierce from a beating. “Not the way to handle this, guys!” she shouts, “Back up.”
They listen to her and back away, giving her space. The way they listen to every word she says, I realize that Grinder isn’t the one in charge.
It’s Astrid.
We wouldn’t let her help with our club, so she started her own. Clever girl.
Justin and I hurry over to Pierce as he sits up, but Astrid helps him stand while he clutches his belly. He winces in pain as Grinder makes sure we’re walking toward the door.
“I thought you weren’t going to the Pit tonight,” she says to me.
“It wasn’t my idea,” I reply, “Astrid, we need to talk.”
“Not now, Bryce,” she says, pushing Pierce onto my shoulder, “Just get him out of here. I’m not paying him to fight.”
We help Pierce out the door, and now I’m seething. I look like a fool a hundred times over, and she did it. She blindsided me by taking over. Astrid smiled in my face and kissed me but never said a word. About anything.
The limo driver is leaning up against the car, smoking a cigarette. He watches the smoke disappear in the sky while I wait for him to open the door.
“Excuse me,” I glare at him.
He shakes his head. “I wouldn’t get in, but if you really want to…”
He swings the door open, and I don’t even need to look. Ted is holding Kendra’s head down on the seat as he mercilessly fucks her from behind. Moaning and cursing compete in volume. But one look at her hands trying to push him back, and I know she’s feeling everything but pleasure.
I back away from the door, holding onto Pierce, who’s slowly coming out of it. But Justin pulls out his phone and jumps in, closing the door with a bang.
“One fucked-up family.” Pierce winces. “Better call an Uber.”
