Playing for keeps

23. Little Steps

E A S T O N

After persuading me to get out of the car, Kaleb leads me into the club through a side entrance.

The club, The Cage, is full of people to the point that I'm surprised the building doesn't combust. Loud music with a heavy bass fills the area, the club having multiple balcony areas and levels where people sit or dance.

Kaleb hasn't let go of my hand since we left the car, leading me through the crowds of people. Clutching his hand, I also hold onto the back of his t-shirt for extra measure.

I take everything in as we manoeuvre through the bodies, trying to figure out where the fight is going to take place.

The atmosphere doesn't scream 'fight' either, which adds to my confusion.

Still holding my hand, Kaleb takes me towards the back of the club and down a hall also full of people, but not too full to the point of combusting.

"This doesn't really look like a place that holds illegal fights," I comment, angling my head up so that Kaleb hears me.

"Be patient." A smirk tilts his lips as we stop at the top of a set of stairs.

I stare at the dirty concrete stairs with curiosity. "Is this where you take me to kill me?" I ask, scrunching up my nose.

"I thought we'd been over this?" Kaleb sighs, pinching my nose between his fingers. "I'm not out to kill you." A few seconds pass. "Anymore."

"Oh, convincing," I tell him, shaking my head.

He dismisses my concerns and just tugs me down the stairs behind him, still holding my hand.

I should take my hand back, dismiss it and assure him that I am not a child who needs her hand held. But the warmth of his hand in mine and the security it brings me stops me from doing anything. Instead, I clutch his hand tighter.

He doesn't say anything.

The stairs lead down to another level under the club that resembles an underground parking garage, but there's no cars.

There's not as many people down here than upstairs, but there's still quite a few. Music comes from a raised piece of the garage in the middle with a DJ and his equipment. All entrances and exits for the cars are blocked off, stopping anyone from outside seeing inside, like the police.

My confusion from earlier vanishes as I put the dots together. This is where the fights take place, underground with limited people so it keeps a secret and if the club is raided, the police won't immediately find this place.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I'm too intrigued looking at everything and everyone to notice Kaleb pull me over to a group of people.

They only catch my attention when my name is called.

"Never thought I'd see you here, Carter!" Kaleb's friend, Aiden grins from ear to ear like he's watching his favourite show.

"Has hell frozen over?" The other twin, Logan, laughs.

"Finally, another girl to talk to!" Natalie breaths out a sigh of relief.

"Aren't we good enough for you, Nat?" Griffin teases, but Natalie blows him off with a shake of her hand.

"What are you playing at, Reed?" Aiden asks Kaleb with a bug-eyed expression. "If Damien finds out you brought her here, we're finished. Dead. Balls cut off and put through a meat grinder."

I scrunch my nose up at the image.

Before I can answer for myself, Kaleb cuts in with a low, menacing tone. "That is why we are not going to utter a word to him or the others." He gives each one of his friends a glare to lock in his threat before he looks down at me with that same look. "That means you too."