Page 5 of Wicked Oath
He takes down his opponent just as fast as my brother did his. In a few short rounds, James has won, and it’s announced that he’ll fight again later that night.
I don’t stand up as Lucy did for Owen. Instead, I just gently clap and watch James stand tall as he’s announced as the winner. And in one beat, his eyes flick to mine, and I feel like I’m lost forever.
He keeps his gaze steady on me. A few other people in the crowd notice and glance back toward me. I sit down deeper in my seat. This is the opposite of staying low.
James doesn’t wait for the ref to finish announcing his win. He stalks out of the ring and begins walking through the crowd.
Walking right toward me.
CHAPTER2
James
The moment I seeher, I know I’m fucked.
I’ve always been a sucker for a pretty face, but this pretty face is remarkable.
My day is going like any other. Stay in control of my men. Make sure business is running smoothly. And end my day by blowing off some steam at the underground fighting ring that my family partly owns, along with the Donovans.
I love a good fight in the rings. To knock some sucker’s teeth out is always satisfying. I crave danger, and I love causing pain.
But when I see the brunette beauty near the back of the room after winning my fight, I know I need to speak to her. If I’m lucky, I’ll get to fuck her later.
I walk off the stage and approach her at a table where she’s with another woman, blonde and bubbly, and a guy, tall and lanky. The blonde woman shakes her friend, but the brunette doesn’t notice.
Her eyes are directly on mine.
Once I reach their table, I stop, turning my gaze onto the man. I take a beat to look him over. Does she belong to him? I might need to get into another fight tonight.
I look back at her. “Is he your boyfriend?” I nod at the lanky fucker.
She shakes her head, eyes wide, not saying a word.
“She’s single,” the blonde blurts out.
My girl—I’m already calling her that because she was mine the minute I laid eyes on her—smacks her friend gently on the arm.
“I’m her guard,” the man says, standing up and eyeing me.
While he does have an inch on me, I have a lot more muscle. My fingers twitch, wanting to bash this fucker in the face. “Now, why does a girl like you need a guard?”
She stands up so fast it’s almost a blur. “No reason. Um, actually, my friend and I were just leaving.” She tries to walk past me, but I place my hand on the wall next to her, locking her in.
“I don’t want you to go,” I murmur, raking my eyes over her.
She gulps.
“Is he bothering you, Olivia?” the man asks.
“Olivia,” I say, tasting her name on my lips. Beautiful. “Am I bothering you?”
She doesn’t look away from me as she shakes her head, barely perceptible.
“Then why are you in such a hurry to leave?”
She licks her lips. Fuck, I want to kiss those lips. This sudden desire for a woman I’ve never met before is nothing new for me, but it’s rarely this intense. “I’m … not really supposed to be here. My dad wouldn’t approve.”
“What?” the guy hisses. “You said it was ok to bring you here!”
