Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 105679 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105679 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
The Pit.
The mere name of that place conjured bloody images of ruthless brutality. It was utterly barbaric and I wanted nothing to do with it.
But did I really have a choice?
I almost laughed at that silly thought. I never had a choice.
My stomach knotted as I gave Matteo a small nod, smiling tightly. “What should I wear?”
He waved his hand dismissively. “Whatever you’re wearing right now is fine.”
I looked down at the black midi dress I had worn to dinner, with a structured sweetheart bodice, wide straps and a full elegant flared skirt. How was this fine to wear to an underground fighting ring?
“We actually don’t have time for you to change,” Matteo finally said when he noticed me being a little apprehensive about my appearance. “The Pit is about an hour drive from here. So, we should get going if we want to make it on time for Adrian’s fight.”
“Uh… okay.” God, I sounded dumb.
My fiancé nodded, seemingly satisfied with my obedient answer. “I’ll see you two downstairs in five minutes. We have a car waiting for us, so don’t be late.”
“We’ll be there,” Giulia responded for the both of us.
And then he was gone. As quickly as he had come to ruin what I thought would have been a peaceful night.
Giulia touched my elbow, startling me out of my thoughts with her touch. “Don’t worry, it’ll be a little uncomfortable at first but I’ll be there with you. If you find it too much, we can excuse ourselves to the bathroom.”
I nodded because I couldn’t speak. The lump in my throat grew bigger, almost suffocating. Anxiety filled my chest and I had to remind myself to breathe.
Inhale. Exhale.
I got this. I could do this.
Inhale. Exhale.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Serafina
“Stay close,” Matteo murmured, his hand finding the small of my back. My body quaked with a shiver. I wasn’t sure if it was because of his touch, the cold night air, or the thought of entering The Pit.
As the heavy door swung open, The Pit swallowed me whole the moment I stepped inside. A wall of sound hit me first, hundreds of voices merged into a roaring beast that vibrated through my chest, every muscle shaking with the thunderous sound.
I tried to inhale, but the air felt too thick. Heavy with sweat, blood, death… and something weirdly primal that made my stomach churn with revulsion.
The corridor we entered was dimly lit and then The Pit revealed itself, in all its deadly glory.
It was a cavernous space, what was probably once an abandoned warehouse now transformed into what I could only describe as a gladiator arena. There was a raised platform at the center, surrounded by a metal cage.
“God,” I whispered, the words lost in the relentless cacophony.
They were going to fight in a cage. Like rabid animals.
The crowd surrounded the platform, most of them standing, screaming… drunk on violence and anticipation. All of it… this… looked almost inhumane.
My legs wobbled beneath me as Matteo led me through the warm, sweaty bodies with Giulia following closely behind me. People parted for us, recognition flashing in their eyes as they noticed Matteo and they all followed with nods of acknowledgement. Maybe out of respect or perhaps fear.
The crowd’s energy was feral, faces contorted with bloodlust as they screamed and jeered, waving fistfuls of cash in the air. Men in suits moved through the crowd collecting bets.
My eyes moved around The Pit, trying to take everything in, but it was almost impossible. There were too many people, too much noise, too much happening that I couldn’t understand.
Matteo led me to an elevated section, cordoned off with red velvet ropes, where leather chairs were arranged. Around the perimeter, bodyguards stood, arms crossed and their expressions carved from stone. But their eyes… they took everything in, surveying the crowds as if everything and everyone was a danger.
I could only assume this was the VIP section. I nearly laughed at the absurdity of it. Luxury in the midst of savagery.
My steps faltered when I saw my brother, heart thudding in my chest.
He noticed me at the same time, his face contorting with confusion at first as if he couldn’t believe his eyes and then… fury filled them.
He stood up and stalked toward us, expression thunderous. He looked entirely out of place in his tailored suit, yet somehow perfectly at home amid the violence. It was unusual to see my brother in such a place, though I didn’t know why it felt different.
Maybe because I had been used to seeing Damon so composed, a silent rule-follower since I had come back home.
But he was a man, after all. The heir to the Morelli family and the future of the Chicago Outfit. Of course he’d be at home in a savage place like this.
My brother stopped before me, eyes flickering between me and Giulia, before they narrowed dangerously on me. “What are you doing here?” he demanded, his voice barely audible over the crowd’s roar.