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lost sight of him, but I could still hear him as if he were right at my side.
    “My boy, Winslow,” he rasped with absolutely no admiration.
    My gaze shifted over what I could see of Slayton, and I wondered why the man called him a different name. “I understand a Unicorn paid you last night.”
    Slayton said nothing.
    “When did Bloom say he’d have the rest?” The man behind the desk asked.
    I tensed. I couldn’t help it. I regretted it as soon as I did, though, because I could have sworn everyone but Slayton’s stare landed on me for a split second. It had to have been my imagination, true.
    “He didn’t,” Slayton said.
    The man behind the desk was quiet for long seconds; then I heard him exhale what I was sure was a cloud of smoke. “I sincerely hope the piece of ass you’ve been driving all over my town is not the reason you’ve turned down the ring lately.”
    Slayton remained stoic. I couldn’t see his expression, but I assumed he told the guy no in some way. Because the next thing he said was, “Good. You’re fighting tonight.”
    Slayton aggressively stepped forward, and as he did, men in the room reached for their guns. I heard the eerie click of each one.
    “The crowd loves you,” the man said. “Bets are high.” He chuckled. “I’m determined to find out if you’ve been exaggerated or not.”
    “I’m done,” Slayton said through gritted teeth.
    “Ah, don’t worry about your girl. Or the Unicorn. Vinnie can take her home, catch up with Bloom.” I heard him blow out a puff of smoke. “If the night goes well, then maybe I can give you a few days off, let you have a little fun. The next gladiator segments are months away, international purses.”
    “I don’t trust him,” Slayton said tossing a glare to his side at the short Italian, who I assumed was Vinnie.
    Vinnie, who looked like he had been run over by a car, narrowed his stare on Slayton but was smart enough to not make a move.
    “Two minutes of your time,” the man behind the desk said. “Fifty grand, a few days off. What exactly do you not trust?” the man asked, then laughed a cold, dark laugh. “Vinnie claims the piece of ass with you is Bloom’s girl. He said she came out of nowhere a few months ago. Then all of the sudden last night you were all about making them think you and her had a thing from day one—but he hasn’t seen you with her before.”
    I heard the man’s chair squeak forward and watched as Slayton tensed. “You walking her in here, parading her all over my territory tells me you have balls. You do give a damn about her. How long you have, I don’t know. Or care.” He sighed, almost too dramatically. “What I don’t understand is what you think she could tell us in the two minutes you’ll be in the ring that you’d rather us not know.” I heard his exhale of smoke again. “You’re not afraid you won’t walk out of the cage are you?” he finished slyly.
    “No one touches her,” Slayton said so softly I was debating if I’d imagined it. Just like I was wondering if the room had gotten colder or if I was only sensing the fierceness of Slayton’s threat.
    “Channing,” the man behind the desk said to the fair-haired guy, I assumed—he was the one who lifted his chin to answer. “Keep an eye on Winslow’s girl.”
    “I’m not in the cage yet,” Slayton—at least I was still calling him Slayton—said as he turned and moved toward the room I was in. I stood eagerly ready to bolt. Slayton nodded for me to turn then grasped the back of my arm pushing me to move faster. More than a few of the guys in the room followed us.
    It wasn’t a shocker that I was trembling, but it was that Slayton noticed. At least I assumed that was why even with his tight grip, he was grazing his thumb along my arm. The deeper we went into this place, the more crowded and sordid it became. When I heard the roar of men in the distance I stalled my pace but only found myself crashing into Slayton’s chest,