chapter song: goddess by banks
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I pulled on a black trench coat over my skin tight velvet dress. I know what you are thinking. 'Wow, so modest.' I missed the comfortable feeling of oversized sweats and teeshirts. But, when your father is the head of the most powerful Mafia, you had to put on a show.
The door to my room opened, with my best friend Kathryn entering. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun on the top of her head. She wore leggings and a sweatshirt that said, "I don't care."
Kathryn was quite the character.
"You and your dad heading out tonight?" Sadly, my answer was yes.
"Obviously, why would I be dressing up like this?" I asked her laughing. I felt my stomach drop.
Her eyes caught my act. "You okay?"
I sat down on my bed, signaling her to join me.
"What's on your mind?" She asked me.
I thought about it before I answered.
"Dad is making us go to this underground fight joint. We are supposed to get this guy and negotiate with him about something. My father won't tell me what."
Her eyebrows furrowed.
"Is that club called Paulson?" I nodded.
"Eva, that's a dangerous place. I've heard men have gotten beaten to death there."
Easy for her to say. All the crap I've been through is nothing compared to some fight club.
"We'll be fine. I'm just tired of being the bait half of the time. Yeah, I'm his daughter and all, but I hate being used like this."
Kathryn's face was a mix of emotions. I sometimes wish I was her. She had everything. A lover, Jace. A home. A foundation for her life.
I've spent the majority of my life seeing horrible things, running away from the law, being used, and I'm tired of it.
"I think it will be okay. You're Evangeline Drennen for god sake! Every man wants you, every girl wants to be you. What's better than that."
Everything was better than that. But I put up my walls.
"Yeah, I guess you are right." She smiled.
"Well text me when you get back and if you aren't tired. I have to tell you something about what Jace did! Got to go, bye girl!"
She walked out the door.
Kathryn was the only friend I really had.
She met me at a bar where I was with my father, and we hit it off. But, for some reason now I feel disconnected.
Ever since she met her fiancé, Jace, she has changed. Kathryn's seriousness and ability to talk to me deeply just... disappeared. I feel like I have no one.
I'm suffocating, but no one can see me.
Half of my memories are of death. My mother getting shot when I was seventeen, my brother dying of a drug overdose, you name it.
Everything I love has been ripped from my grasp.
My father is a cold, menacing, controlling man. Sometimes I want to just kill him. Just pick up the blade and... no. Men are surrounded everywhere. I would die instantly. I'm in a cage. A huge one.
I'm interrupted out of my thoughts by my father yelling.
"Evangeline! Come down. We are leaving!" I mentally sighed and hauled myself down the stairs.
The heels I'm wearing don't help.
"Yo, Eva. You looking hot tonight." I look up to see who the voice belonged to. Ean. The amount of disgust I have for him is endless.
"Oh shove it." He laughs.
"I know where I can shove it." Ean winks.
I scoff and roll my eyes, pushing him off of me.
"Ean, enough." My father commands.
Ean doesn't find that funny. Pushing me forward to the door, he curses.
"Excuse me?" My father turns to me giving me the eye.
I shut up.
3 more men join us in the black SUV. I pull on my act, making my face stone cold.
"Men, Evangeline, here is the plan." My father, Clint, continues telling us the basics.
I wasn't included in the plan.
"What about me?" I ask confused. Ean laughs, "Baby, you have to stop the fight."
What?
"What he means is, when we get there you have to go and talk to the guy's opponent and convince him to sit this one out."
I always have hated me having to always do this. It's like I'm a prize. I'm a freaking human being and I'm tired of being treated has something to want.
"And how do you think I'm going to stop him?" I ask irritated.
Ean thinks for less that 5 seconds.
"Sell yourself, obviously."
I scoff. Of course this is what they want me to do.
"You know what, I'm sick of this. I'm not going to do this anymore!" I scream.
My father's face contorts to anger.
"You will do what we say to do. End of discussion."
I challenge him.
"What will you do if I don't?"
I feel a sense of fear creep into my stomach, wondering what they actually could do to me. They were all heartless. Even my father. Yes, I am his daughter, but that wouldn't stop him from enforcing some kind of pain upon me.
"You'll be left on the streets to die. You'd have to sell yourself anyways, to get anywhere. You are worthless. Anyone can see it if they look closely. They are just blinded by your beauty and status and are intimidated. Ha, if they only have seen the weak side of you they wouldn't think that anymore."
I rise up out of my seat ready to strangle my father, but one of the bodyguards pulls me back, struggling .
"YOU SON OF A BITCH! I have been raised by you. I have seen so much no woman my age has! Don't you dare try to downsize my ability to be strong."
The car went silent.
The car came to a slow stop.
Outside was located a run down hotel, with lights leading down to a staircase. Getting out of the car Ean mutters, "I should make Evangeline a real woman tonight."
Thats it.
I walk quickly to him and slap his face as hard as I can. I manage to get a few punches in before all the guys pull me off. But that still doesn't stop me.
"You bastard! Ugh, get off of me! I hate all of you!" I try to get all of the hands off of my body.
After I do, I sprint my way into the fight club.
Not knowing where I'm truly going, I head down the stairs and through a tunnel to find the fight club.
The neon sign saying, "PAULSON" is bright, almost blinding me. I push aside the black curtains and hear loud yelling.
Around 200 people fill up this room.
It smells of alcohol and sex.
I walk in and eyes immediately stop on me.
I lift my chin up, trying to show as much confidence as I can to hide the fact that I'm freaking scared.
I feel someone come up behind me. "It's him." I recognize Jay's voice immediately.
I turn to see my ex-boyfriend, the only person I've truly missed and trusted. My father scared him off by threatening his family if he kept seeing me. Still to this day I've resented my father.
"Who?" I ask.
His eyes register for a split second.
"The opponent, Legend Stirling. The guy you have to convince to not fight.''
Jay points to a guy across the room looking around bored.
I can't fully make out his face. All I can see is his well built body, strong jawline, tall height.
Jay notices too. Jealousness comes across his face as quickly as it goes.
"You should probably go. The fight is gonna be soon. Good luck." He walks away too fast for me to reply.
I walk across the room and find myself in front of him.
My eyes glide over his face.
He is stunning.
His green eyes contrast with his dark brown almost black hair perfectly. He has pearly white teeth with a sharp jawline. I sound like such a girl. But, wow, he is gorgeous.
Legend's eyes reach me and continue to give me a once over. I blush.
He looks at me questionably.
"Yes?"
Just go with the plan, Eva.
"You should skip this fight. Come with me." I say.
Legend laughs.
I furrow my eyebrows. This is never happened before. No man has ever declined my offer and him doing it just makes my chest ache. Ache with happiness. I wasn't looking forward to doing anything with him tonight.
"No man has ever said no, have they?" He asks.
I say nothing.
"I see. Well, sweetheart, whatever your name is, I have to go fight in like 2 minutes. So, um, I guess see you around."
My heart erupts in fear. What will they do if they realize he's fighting tonight?
My feet start moving before I can stop them.
"No! Please just do this one favor for me, please!" I yell.
He turns to look at me.
"I have to do this. I have a good feeling about this one. Nothing you do will make me forfeit."
Well, I guess nothing will stop him.
I watch as Legend walks up the short stairs to get in the ring. His red fighter robe shines, ready to be take off.
"Everyone give it up for the Legend!" Screams erupt throughout the club.
Men reach for his robe, showing a row of abs. Well, this 'Legend' sure does have the looks.
Legend's opponent, 'Hero', joins the ring, just as I feel someone behind me.
"You had one job, Evangeline, one job, and you messed it up!" The voice as I recognize as my father's sneers. He grabs my arm roughly, dragging me out of the club. I catch Legend's eye before being dragged away. Concern enters his eyes.
My father's strong grip was certainly going to bruise. We walked to the nearby alley and I was quickly shoved to the ground. My hips slam against the concrete, most likely leaving bruises to form.
I thought I was going to be fine until men I didn't know showed up in the alley.
"Do it. Show her what she deserves."
Fear creeps into my stomach.
The men start to grab at my dress, I panic and scream, "No! Stop, please no Father no! Don't let them do this! Please!"
They manage to rip the seams of my dress and I close my eyes knowing nothing can save me.
Until him.
The men assaulting me are thrown to the ground, quickly.
I turn and see him. Legend, the guy I barely know has come to my rescue.
My father laughs.
"Well well. Legend, the legend. Come to rescue Evangeline, huh? She wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for you fighting. Run off.''
Legend's face morphs into anger.
"You guys need to leave, or I will kill you. Ordering men to rape your own daughter? How sick are you?"
The next minutes are a full blur.
Fists are thrown, blood is shed, and I stay frozen.
The words, "Ordering men to rape your own daughter?", play over and over in my head.
He's sick.
And I need to leave.
I see someone in front of me.
Legend.
"Hey, we are leaving come on."
I look around me to see my father and his men have left.
"Hey! Come on let's go now!" He yells at me.
He grabs my hand and pulls me up.
I feel his hands on my face, moving my face to look at him.
"Your okay, we are going to my place. You are going to be okay, okay?"
I nod.
Holding my hand tight, he leads the way.
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Hi everyone!
This is Alexandra and I'm am super excited to introduce my new novel, Pulling Punches, to you all.
I hope you guys are as excited as I am.
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Xx, Alexandra.