To the Ends of the Earth: A Stripped Standalone (9 page)

His fingers work me with merciless intent, drawing shudders from my body, whimpers from my throat. He pushes me closer to the edge, so tight I’m going to burst. In a flash of clarity I know why Eve took a bite. I can feel the waxy skin of the fruit against my tongue, almost taste the aching sweetness of its flesh. It doesn’t feel like
want
or
desire.
It’s starvation as Luca shoves a ripe apple between my teeth.

“Don’t stop,” he says, his voice thick. “My name. Don’t fucking stop.”

“Luca,” I whisper, almost sobbing. “Luca. Luca.”

“Yeah.” The word sounds like syrup, slow and sweet.

My whole body tenses against him, straining at the hardness, wishing for it. The fabric is in the way—my panties, his sweatpants. They might as well be steel bars. I can’t reach him, my inner muscles clenching around nothing.

He pushes my hair aside, kissing the side of my neck, nibbling. Then his teeth grasp hold of my skin. He bites me, and the shock of it, the delicious pain of it, makes me scream his name.

His fingers flick me, deep down, and I convulse in his embrace, pleasure washing over me in rapid, frothing waves, stealing the oxygen from my lungs, drowning out every ounce of shame. For blissful moments I’m aware of nothing except the gentle rocking motion. It’s him. He’s soothing me, stroking my belly, moving me carefully even while his erection throbs against my back.

I drowse like that, slumped on top of him, boneless. My head lolls on his shoulder. “Luca,” I whisper, my voice hoarse.

“That’s fucking right.” The tension in his voice runs over my skin, as rough as his calloused fingers.

My hips settle against him, squirming. “We can—”

“No.”

“But you need—”

“This close to a fight, I need to focus.”

Sitting up, I turn to face him. His face is drawn in harsh lines of stress. His eyes are a glittering emerald green. “Then why did you do that?”

“Because you wanted me to. Because you asked. Do you think there’s anything I wouldn’t do for you? Making you come is a goddamn privilege. And if you still want me once the fight is over, it will be my privilege to fuck you, too.”

For the rest of the week I sit in the bleachers with Allie while Luca trains. And every night I patch him up. He might be a lion, but he’s
my
lion. When I put aside the first-aid kit, Luca’s rough voice tells me to pull down my pants. He reaches under my panties and touches me until I’m sobbing his name, gushing against his fingers, turning the fabric wet.

It’s a strange and sensual purgatory that I could live in forever.

Judgment day comes too soon.

The morning of the fight, I wake up to find the hotel suite empty. There’s a note by the coffeemaker.
Went in early for strategy session. Allie will pick you up before the fight.

The fight doesn’t start until tonight. Why didn’t he bring me with him? Why didn’t he wake me up if he needed to leave early? I remember what he told me—
This close to a fight, I need to focus.
And I’m a distraction.

At least I can call Delilah during the day.

I find her finger painting with Candy, her face smeared with pink war paint. “Mama!”

“Hey, sweetie,” I tell her, my heart feeling full. I’ll get to her soon. And we’ll be free of the threat, free from my past. And then what? Where will we go next? “What are you painting?”

“Wainbow,” she says, holding up a picture with colorful streaks.

“That’s beautiful. And just what I needed to see today.”

“Mama!” Her voice is demanding, and I hear the questions in it.
Why aren’t you here? When are you coming back?

“I miss you so much, baby,” I tell her with a sigh. “This will be over soon.”

At least I hope so.

Luca has told me a little of the plan.

Colin has a network of other fighters and ex-military guys stationed at the ticket entrance. Of course they’ve never seen him. Even Luca’s never met him. So I worked with someone who contracts with the police force to create a sketch.

With any luck they’ll apprehend him when he enters the stadium.

I’m a little nervous with the knowledge that I’ll be close to him soon. Even if he doesn’t make it inside, we’ll be in the same city. In the same building. We might have already been, if he’s stalked me here. I’ve been well insulated in the hotel suite and the gym—both heavily guarded places. And I’ve always had Luca at my side. Except now.

My breath catches. It would be the perfect time to approach me.

I gaze out the large windows overlooking the city. The buildings seem to go on for miles, highways running through them like arteries through muscle. Is he out there?

Or is he even closer?

The skin prickles on the back of my neck. With uncanny certainty I can feel him closing in. Maybe that’s just paranoia. Or maybe Luca understands the darker shadows of the mind enough to predict this.

On jelly legs I cross the plush carpeting to look out the peephole.

And let out a startled squeak at the distorted view of a man on the other side. Not my brother. Wearing a suit, from what I can see.

“Ma’am?” he says through the door. “Are you okay?”

My heart thuds with lingering adrenaline. “Yes. Um…who are you?”

“West Hightower, ma’am. Sorry to startle you. If you give Luca a call, he can verify my identity.”

Too late I remember that the elevator required a key card to open on this floor. I flip open the lock. “No, I’m sure you’re—”

“Ma’am, I’d really prefer that you call Luca.”

I blink, startled at his insistence. So I find my phone and call Luca, who confirms that he did send West Hightower, a private security consultant with Blue Security, to protect me while he’s training. When we hang up, he sends me a picture of the man outside, not smiling, wearing a suit.

With a small laugh I open the door. “Wow, these are some serious security measures.”

West doesn’t smile. “We want to keep you safe, ma’am.”

“Of course.” My stomach falls, the ground rising up to meet me. “So I’m stuck here?”

“No, ma’am. We can go anywhere you need to. There’s a car downstairs.”

I glance back at the skyline. “I’d actually like to go for a walk.”

West excuses himself to confer with the other guards on my detail. Apparently there are more than one. I feel like royalty or something. But it doesn’t take long for them to sort out a plan of action. Then we’re heading down the elevator to the ground floor.

Out on the street I glance to the left and then right. There are several little pizza shops and one with sub sandwiches. There’s some kind of electronics store and a concrete park with a metal playground. I choose one direction at random and keep walking until I find what I’m looking for: a steeple.

It doesn’t matter what denomination the church is. There’s no place that worships like Leader Allen did except for Harmony Hills. And I don’t believe him anymore—most of the time.

This is a Catholic church, with a long display of candles as I enter. Each one represents a different saint. Some are already burning, by whoever came in before me. I find the candle for St. Francis, who cared for the poor and the sick, who loved all creatures big and small, and light it with shaking hands.

The pews are made of a beautiful scarred wood, with small kneeling benches in front of them covered with burgundy leather. West tails me all the way to the church, but once we enter, he stands at the back, arms crossed behind him.

I walk down the aisle in my jeans and T-shirt, feeling out of place. I’m not fancy enough for the elaborate stained glass or altar made of marble. But I slip into one of the pews, kneeling on the padded bench. I bend my head and whisper the Lord’s Prayer five times.

It’s a comforting ritual. A painful one.

Does my brother still pray? Of course he does. True believers never stop.

“Do you need counsel, my child?”

I jump, almost falling off the narrow bench. Whirling around, I see a man in black cloth and a white square collar sitting behind me. How did he sneak up on me? Over his shoulder I see that West has gone.

“Father?”

“Yes, my child?”

“I don’t know what to do.”

His wrinkles deepen in a gentle smile. “That’s what I’m here for.”

I struggle with the words. “The things that I learned, the things that I was taught, they aren’t right. They’re not what Jesus taught. And now…now I don’t know what to believe.”

Part of me expects him to ask what I’ve been taught. Maybe if I were raised Baptist he could convert me to Catholicism. Instead he sighs, studying the golden cross with rheumy eyes. “A crisis of faith. Is that right?”

“Yes, Father.”
So punish me, punish me. Make me hurt.

“Sometimes I wonder whether I’ve followed the right path.”

Surprise jolts me out of the past. “You do?”

“That’s the lovely thing about faith. There’s no science to prove it. No numbers to define it. We can’t touch it or taste it. We’re supposed to question it. That’s what makes it faith.”

“Then how do you decide what to believe?”

“I think about what will help me the most, what will help my flock the most. And I try not to judge other people for their beliefs. But most of all…most of all I try to forgive.”

My breath comes faster. How could a woman of sin, proud and serene, come to the same conclusion as a man of God? “What if I can’t forgive?”

The things Leader Allen did to me, I’ll never really let them go.

“Then he must not deserve forgiveness,” the priest says gravely. “But remember, you are not bound by anyone else’s faith but your own. You can take what resonates with you and leave the rest. You can use what works for you. That’s the beauty of faith.”

I bow my head. “Thank you, Father.”

We’re silent a moment, communing in the acknowledgment of our mutual frailty, our fallibility in faith—but if I understand him, then it’s supposed to be fallible. It’s supposed to be frail. That’s what makes it a miracle.

My knees are stiff by the time I stand. The priest still prays one row behind me.

I head down the aisle and look back. “Father?”

“Yes, my child.”

“Why do you think Eve took a bite of the apple?”

He gives me a small smile. “You’re asking about temptation.”

“I’m asking about sin.”

“I think she took a bite of the apple for the same reason you’re asking me these questions. Do you call it disobedience? Or do you call it a crisis of faith? I call it yearning for knowledge. God gave you that curiosity, child.”

It’s a different interpretation of the Adam and Eve story I’ve been shamed with my whole life—a brighter one. Because God gave me this curiosity. He gave me the apple.

“Thank you, Father.”

I turn to the back of the church, expecting West to be gone, half thinking he was some handsome fever dream my mind made up. He’s standing as still as a statue, head bowed as if in prayer. I approach him quietly, not wanting to interfere.

He smiles gently. “Ready?”

“Completely.”

I’m ready for knowledge, for sin. Two sides of the same coin. I want to know him in every way possible, including carnal intimacy. When this is over, I’m going to tell Luca how I feel. I’m going to ask him to stay with us, wherever we end up going. Because I’m curious about what we can become together. And I’m strong enough to find out.

Except as we pass the rows of candles, some lit and some not, the candle for St. Francis isn’t burning anymore. A coincidence in a drafty old church?

Or was it snuffed out by someone watching me?

“The fight’s about to start.” Allie yells to be heard over the roar of the crowd. The fight hasn’t started yet, but half the people here seem drunk. They’re screaming at each other, at the empty cage in the middle of the warehouse.

West and the man guarding Allie push through the crowd, making barely enough room for us to squeeze through. Our seats are near the front, which is a relief. I’m only steps away from the emergency exit. If I were in the center of the stands, I’m not sure I could breathe.

Of course this means I have a close-up view of the ring.

The warehouse has been transformed from a crude gym into some kind of party. The lights are dim, with colorful spotlights flashing over the crowd. Smoke fills the air. I can’t see Luca anywhere, but he’s probably off somewhere with Colin.

A man in a black-and-white checkered shirt strolls the perimeter of the ring. A ref?

I lean close to Allie. “I thought these fights weren’t legal.”

Her gaze follows mine. “They still have rules. Even the hard-core fighters don’t want anyone dying. That would make the authorities come around.”

My eyes widen. “Dying?”

She presses her lips together, looking sheepish. “Sorry. Luca’s definitely not going to die.”

That kind of reassurance really has the opposite effect. “Do people die in these fights?”

Every second she takes feels like an eternity. “It’s happened before. I mean, sometimes people have weak health. Or it’s a freak accident. It can be dangerous, but in a fight like this, with so much scrutiny, they’re taking every precaution.”

I swallow hard. “What kind of precautions?”

“Searching for weapons.”

My eyes widen. “People bring
guns
into the fight?”

“No, of course not,” she says, but my relief is short-lived. “I mean knives. Or brass knuckles. That kind of thing. But it’s definitely not allowed. Don’t worry.”

I’m worrying. Bad enough that Luca has to do something that reminds him of his past, that makes him feel unsettled, unsafe. That makes him feel like the little boy in the
barrio.
Bad enough that he’ll be bruised and beaten at the end of the night, even if he wins.

But to think he might not walk away from the fight? Dread snowballs inside me.

She touches my arm. “Beth, I’m really sorry. Luca will be fine. I’m sure of it.”

I take deep breaths, soaking in the thick air around me. “No, of course. You’re right. Just…maybe distract me. Where’s Bailey?”

“She’s having a sleepover with her Uncle Philip. They have a new baby, and she loves to help out with her.”

Some of my tension eases. “That’s adorable. Do you ever think of having another one?”

A smile plays at her lips. “Actually…”

My eyes widen. “Are you serious?”

“We haven’t told anyone except family yet, but…yes.”

I reach over to give her a hug, unable to help myself. “I’m so happy for you.”

She squeezes me back, holding on another minute. When she pulls back, her eyes are shining. “Thank you. I’m really happy—terrified, but happy. What about you?”

My laugh is unsteady. “Another baby? I can barely keep up with Delilah.”

Her gaze scans the crowd. “What about Luca?”

A lump forms in my throat. “What about him?”

“He could help you.”

“A man like him isn’t in it for the long haul.”

She’s quiet, a sea of serenity in the madness of the crowd. “I don’t know. I think a man like him might be
exactly
the kind of man who’s in it for the long haul.”

“What kind of man is that?”

“The kind of man who knows a good thing when he’s found it. The kind of man who’ll hold on to it as long as he can.”

I can’t look at her or the crowd. I can only stare down at my hands as if they hold the secrets of the universe. Is there a God—and if there is, what does He think of me? Is it sinful to let Luca rub between my legs? Or is it the only heaven I’ll ever know?

A roar comes from the crowd, and I look up to see Luca head toward the ring from the opposite side. He ignores the crush of people reaching for him, looking more fierce and intent than I’ve ever seen him. His eyes are hard black diamonds, glittering even from across the warehouse. He ducks between the ropes, Colin behind him.

And if you still want me once the fight is over, it will be my privilege to fuck you, too.

The memory of his words wash over me in a sensual rush.

Clamor drags me back into the present, a wild cheer as another man steps out—this one coming from the double doors right near us. He’s built tall and thick, a brick wall. He’s wearing a robe that leaves his face in shadow. Menace rolls off him, almost palpable. The only thing I can see through the darkness are his eyes, flat and cold.

My stomach turns over with instinctive discomfort.

A man in a suit speaks into a microphone, rallying the crowd to louder and louder heights. The sound becomes waves, crashing over me. It’s impossible to speak to Allie, even yelling. I can’t even think with this much commotion around me, sweeping me up into its frenetic energy. It feels like the exorcisms Leader Allen would do, his violence turning the crowd into a mob. In fact, that’s who the other fighter’s eyes remind me of—Leader Allen’s, hollow and reptilian. He takes off his robe, revealing ropes of muscle layered on top of each other. He’s in the corner nearest me, so I can’t see his face.

The only comfort is West, the guard, who stands a few rows back from me.

I’m grateful to Luca for sending him to guard me.

The buzzer goes off, and the fight begins.

Both men circle each other, throwing easy hits that aren’t returned. They’re testing each other. I’ve watched Luca fight all week. I know his style. He’s holding back plenty.

Then suddenly everything shifts, and the other man lunges for Luca. A solid hit, which whips around Luca’s large body. When he straightens, his lip is bloody—and there’s a feral gleam in his eyes. As if that taste of blood is all he needed to attack.

Luca pulls a combination move that has the other man staggering against the ropes.

But he’s up again and coming back at Luca. They’re well matched, both of them at the top of their games. The best in this underground fighting world. Head to head. I cringe every time the other man lands a punch on Luca, wince when he takes a fall.

I’m close enough that I see the other man knee Luca’s groin.

I call out as if I can somehow fix it.

Colin’s shouting, his face a mask of fury. The ref calls a time and gives the other man a warning. But if there was any doubt, now I know he’ll fight dirty.

They wear each other down, both of them violent and ferocious. It’s painful to watch, but I can’t look away. This is the man I love—

The thought stops me cold.
This is the man I love.

Do I love Luca? I’m not sure, but I can’t stand the thought of him being hurt.

The other man has to head back to his corner. That’s when I get a clear view of his face, a spotlight flashing over those features so like mine.
Alex.
My brother. My heart stops. How is that possible? No wonder the men working with Luca didn’t see him. He’s not a spectator.

He’s a
fighter.

Then something gold and shiny catches my eye. It’s on the other man’s hand. A ring? My stomach drops. No. Brass knuckles. He’ll hurt Luca. He’ll kill him!

I take a step toward the ring, determined to do something. I don’t know if anyone else has seen them, but it’s way too loud to hear anything. I have to help him.

A hand on my arm pulls me back.

West. He frowns at me, his mouth forming words.

I yell at him. “Luca’s in trouble. Brass knuckles! My brother!”

He doesn’t understand, so I point to my knuckles. His eyes widen. He mouths the words,
Stay here.
And only because I think he’s probably right do I listen. I’m afraid that if I climbed into the ring, I’d distract Luca—giving the other man the perfect opening. He needs real help, someone strong, someone who can fight.

West heads for the ring, but two security men block him.

He exchanges rapid words with them before shaking his head in disgust. He starts to turn away—where is he going? He’s circling the ring, I realize, heading for Colin. Colin sees him coming, knows there’s a problem, but he doesn’t know what.

That’s when Alex’s fist comes up in the air, flashing the spotlight back in the crowd. Everyone can see the brass knuckles, but it’s too late.

“Luca,” I scream.

My warning is swallowed by the crowd. The other man’s fist hits Luca’s face in a spray of blood, and I scream again, wordless and horrified. No no no.

I surge forward, desperate to be near Luca, to protect him.

The crowd surges forward, multiplying the chaos. The men who’d been guarding the stage area scramble, some heading into the ring to help, others mixing with the crowd. With the smoke and the shadows, it’s impossible to see Luca.

An arm wraps around my waist, and I struggle, thinking it’s another one of the guards with West. Maybe the man guarding Allie, maybe Allie herself. I fight, but the hold is like iron—it drags me back and back. We don’t head to the seats, but instead out of the exit. The arm over my waist is covered in some kind of silky material. A robe.

I look over my shoulder, into the face of my brother.
Alex.

Every part of me feels cold, the same desolate winter I felt in the prayer sessions. Oh God. He’s wearing his robe again, somewhat disguised to the crowd. But no one’s even looking at us. Everyone’s focused on the ring.

“Luca,” I scream again, this time my voice raw with hopelessness.

It doesn’t matter. He can’t hear me. He’s down on the mats, his large body obscured as men crowd into the ring. Is he alive? I can’t tell. I don’t know. Then we’re through the doors. They swing closed in front of me, blocking out the sight of Luca. Turning down the volume.

“Let me go,” I whisper. “Alex, please.”

My brother’s voice is grave. “I’m here to save you, sister.”