Page 32 of Echoes of Obsession
“Now, go change into your safe panties so we can go.”
Kill. Me. Now.
Chapter Eight
Ghost
Walking through the club, I usher Snow through the storage room and towards the elevator.
“You really don’t want people to know what’s here, do you?” she asks as I hit the button to take us below.
“Not so legal,” I remind her. “Besides, everyone else will enter a different way. This one is for staff only.”
Snow gasps when the door opens.
“I was expecting a basement,” she tells me. Sky takes it upon himself to leave the elevator first and sniff everything he passes. “It’s almost like we’re in an entirely new building.”
“In a way, we are,” I admit. “I hired them to build this place to house at least eighty people. There are two locker rooms, both equipped with showers and toilets. A couple of private rooms in case the fighters need to prepare themselves mentally and the box. That’s where I have someone keep track of the fights to make sure all rules are followed. There are cameras that record the fights. It makes it easier for us in case there are disagreements about a call.”
“And that?” she asks, pointing to the huge cage in the center of the room. “Is that where they fight?”
The cage itself is intense, taking up the center of the room with an almost aggressive presence. It’s a massive hexagon about thirty feet across, with eight-foot steel mesh walls gleaming under the bright lights. The walls are solid, painted black to look sleek and intimidating.
The corners are padded, mostly for show, with thick black and red covers. The top edge is lined with chain-link to keep everything contained during a fight.
The floor of the cage is covered with a thick, blood-red mat that’s soft enough to break falls but firm enough for the fighters to stand their ground. In the center is our club’s logo, a black snake coiled around an equally black skull with obsidian wings on each side, standing out in stark contrast.
Cameras hang from the ceiling, capturing every angle, punch, and move. The footage feeds into the box, which has a clear view of the cage. A team monitors the action to ensure both fighters follow the rules.
There’s one heavy door for the fighters to enter and exit, locked tight during matches.
Snow’s eyes widen as she takes it all in, her gaze moving from the high walls to the red mat. “It’s like a modern gladiator arena,” she murmurs, almost to herself.
“Exactly,” I reply. “This is where the real battles happen.”
“How freaking cool,” she whispers, causing me to smile.
I was worried that watching the actual fight might be too much for her, but I think I might be wrong.
“Well, who do we have here?”
Smiling, I turn towards my best friend’s voice.
“Hey, Hunter,” I greet, pulling him in for a hug. “Did you get everything situated with that kid?”
“Found someone who will help him out,” he answers. “Whose your friend?”
“This is Snow,” I smile. “My woman.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Hunter laughs. “Never thought there was a woman alive who could tie this man down. You must be some woman. Names Hunter Nisbit.”
“Amara,” Snow greets. “And this is Sky.”
“Don’t like dogs much,” Hunter says, stepping back. “They never seem to like me much, either.”
Sky’s hair is standing up, and his ears are slicked back.
“That’s weird,” Snow says, petting Sky. “He usually loves everyone. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong.”