Dominic (13 page)

"How come we got the
Free
stamp?" I leaned in and asked Branna.

She smiled. "I used to have a thing with Skull, but that was forever ago. Now he goes out with Aideen Collins."

I nodded, Aideen was Branna's friend since they were in primary school, she was also Gavin Collin's big sister.

"Yeah, so we're all pretty good friends. It pays to have friends like her, literally," Branna said and gestured to our drinks, which made me chuckle.

She handed me my large glass of blue liquid and watched me take a sip. She laughed when I widened my eyes and suddenly downed a huge gulp.

"This tastes like a cool pop. We used to eat them when we were younger, remember?" I gushed.

Branna chuckled and nodded. "I do remember but take it easy; there is alcohol in it even though it may not taste like it."

I nodded my head and settled on taking small mouthfuls of the drink instead of gulps. After thirty minutes I was on my third large glass of WKD, and Branna was on her third vodka and Coke. She had told me what she was drinking when I asked.

"I have to wee," I said just as Branna jumped up to dance along to Scream by Usher.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Branna shouted.

I looked over my shoulder, near the darkened area was a neon sign for the ladies toilets. I turned and shook my head. "Nope, it's just over there. I'll be back in a second."

Branna looked at me for a moment then nodded. "Don't go off with anyone and don't accept drinks or anythin' else if someone offers it, understood?"

I nodded firmly. "Yeah, I understand."

I turned then and walked around some people and across a bit more of a clearer area to head into the ladies' bathroom. I did my business, washed my hands, and then exited the bathroom.

Literally two steps outside of the bathroom a girl tripped and stumbled forward. I knew she was going to go face-first onto the ground if I didn't grab her, so that's what I did even though it killed my bruised side.

"Omigod!" the girl screamed then laughed once I steadied her.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, letting go of her arm and placing my hand across my stomach.

She nodded and looked up to me; the strobe lights were back on, so it made getting a good look of her face hard.

"Thanks babe, that was seriously close. You saved me," she beamed then turned around. "She saved me," she shouted to no one and everyone.

I laughed a little, more out of awkwardness than amusement and bowed my head, ready to move away from her. That was until a body suddenly stepped in front of me from my left, out of from the darkened area of the club.

"What the hell are
you
doing here?"

I instantly knew the voice, because I loathed that fucking voice. So when I tilted my head back and met the bright silver grey eyes of Dominic Slater, I growled.

"None of your fuckin' business you prick, now move!" I snapped trying to sound mad and not afraid, which was what I was whenever I was around him lately. My entire body became hypersensitive when he was near.

He grinned and stepped an inch towards me. An inch was the only free space there was between us, so this cunt was now pressed against me.

I hated that my control slipped whenever this fucker was around; anyone on the planet could annoy the hell out of me and I would keep my cool and ignore them. With the exception of Dominic. I didn't know what it was about him, but he got to me way too easy, and he knew it. Even though I was afraid of him, I was ready to fight with him and bloody kiss him all at the same time.

I raised my hand, balled it into a fist, and swung for him, but he caught my hand, twirled me around, and encased his arms around me from behind, pinning my back to his chest.

Holy hell, how did he do that?

I knew I was a shite fighter, but what he just did was too fast. My movement was too fast for me as well, because I hurt my side more than anything, and it made me hiss.

"Let go!" I shouted.

The girl whom I saved from face-planting on the ground was gone when I looked to her for help, so I cursed her. That's the thanks I got for preserving her pretty face? The bitch!

"Seriously, babe, what are you doing here?" Dominic asked into my hair close to my ear so I could hear him over the music.

I cringed because his breath on my ear tickled me and caused me to shiver and my eyes to drift closed for a few moments. I took in a deep breath, and his scent filled me and made me a little woozy, but I remembered who I was swooning over and shook my head clear.

"I came here with me sister, now let me go," I snapped.

He let me go, so I jumped away from him. I whirled around, and gave him the finger, which made him laugh. I then walked around him, and headed back to Branna. When I got to the place I left Branna at, she wasn't there, and I instantly began panicking.

"Hey, lifesaver, your sister asked me to come get you. She is sat with us."

I turned around and recognised the girl I saved from falling and raised an eyebrow, but I followed her. When we walked towards the darkened area and turned off to the right, I noticed seated booths. They were large and cool looking. The seats were black, and the table was a silver looking marble with a glow ball thing in the middle; it looked awesome.

I searched the strange faces until my eyes landed on someone I knew.

Alec?

I continued to look to the right and saw Kane and Damien. I nearly fell over when I spotted Dominic smirking at me. I glared at him before continuing to look to the right, and when I spotted my sister, sat on Ryder's lap, I screamed.

This could not be happening!

"No! No fuckin' way, get up, now!" I bellowed.

Branna dropped her jaw; Ryder sighed when he saw me while the rest of the table either snorted or looked at me like I was mental.

"Bronagh, don't be so rude. This is Ryder, I was goin' to introduce-"

"Fuck that, you are literally sat with the enemy. That is Dominic! The lad who you are all but dry humpin' up is his brother!" I growled and pointed to the smug-looking American bastard.

Branna widened her eyes. "Wait
Nico
is Dominic? That Dominic kid that tried to-"

"Yeah!" I snapped, cutting Branna off.

Branna was like Muhammed Ali when she reached out and punched Dominic; it was so fast, none of us had time to react. Dominic's head snapped to the side, but he turned his head back just as fast to glare at Branna. Ryder jumped up, and all but pushed her off him like she was dirt, and that enraged me.

"Don't fuckin' push me sister, you big bastard!" I snapped and tried to hit Ryder, but he ducked out of my reach.

"Get lost Branna, we're done," Ryder then hissed to Branna, clearly mad that she hit his little brother.

Branna laughed as she grabbed my hand. "Believe me, sweetie, I'm goin'. I'd kill your pervy little brother for doin' what he did to me little sister otherwise!" she growled.

I didn't get a chance to give Dominic the finger again or even rat off an insult in farewell because Branna pulled me away with her.

I hugged her when we were back at the dance floor. "Holy shite, Bran, you were amazin'. You punched Dominic in the face; I'm so jealous!" I gushed in awe and delight.

Branna smiled and hugged me tightly. "Nobody messes with my sister, especially not a pretty little batty boy."

She was brilliant, she seriously was!

I was about to ask her how she knew Ryder, but she cut me off by shouting, "Now, let's dance!"

I didn't need to be told twice; I let Branna lead me into the crowd of swaying bodies. I was a little nervous at first, but I literally just let go along with Branna, shoved my hands in the air, and got lost in the music. It was so much fun, possibly the most fun I had ever had.

I knew I needed to get out more, but this, being here right now, was a huge step from hiding behind my Kindle at home or behind my iTouch at school. It was progress, and I was happy about it.

After five songs and some serious carefree dancing, Branna and I were parched. She ordered me a small vodka and Coke because I didn't feel any drunken effects from the three glasses of WKD that I had already drunk. She was pretty buzzed by the time she finished her fifth glass of vodka and Coke. I was still on my first one, because it tasted strong; I was sipping it every few minutes instead of gulping it down like I did with the WKD.

Branna and I were laughing at a joke she told when lights from our right suddenly lit up the darkened side of the club, earning loud cheers and screams. The majority of the dance floor and bar area emptied as everyone ran towards the lights. I focused my eyes and noticed there was a round platform up a few feet in the air in the centre of the now lit up area. A single black line went around the edges of the circled platform that looked important, so I asked Branna what it was.

"It's just showin' the no cross point of the circle. If a fighter gets knocked out of it, it's an automatic knockout. It's a pretty big circle, so no strong fighter ever falls off; it's usually the weak fighters who get beat up so bad they unknowingly move backward makin' it easier for them to be knocked off," Branna explained.

I widened my eyes and pointed. "What about the people standin' around the platform?" I questioned.

Branna snorted. "They usually move back quick enough to avoid a body landin' on top of them."

I gasped. "That's horrible!"

"That's the sport." Branna shrugged. "It's a mixture of different things, the main things being hot, sexy, sweaty, dangerous, fierce men-"

"Oh, shut up," I muttered, making Branna chuckle.

"Ladies and gents, welcome to Darkness!" A deep voice suddenly blared through the speakers around the club where music was playing just seconds ago.

The voice caused loud cheers to erupt around the club.

"It's Friday night here at Darkness and you all know what that means…"

"Fight Night!" The crowd that surrounded the platform screamed out in answer, making the deep voice chuckle through the speakers.

"That's right, it's Fight Night, but tonight is a little different. Instead of our usual three fights, tonight we have four."

More cheers.

"The first two lads up are still newcomers so go easy on them, because they sure as hell won't go easy on each other. They have both fought a few of times over the past few weeks so you may recognise them."

Cheers and screams came from next to me, causing me to roll my eyes; Branna was so into this.

"Make way for our new boys, you all get to choose their fight names durin' the fight tonight so for now, welcome Nico and Drake!"

I widened my eyes.

No.

No fucking way!

"Bronagh, it's Nico, your Nico!" Branna gasped.

My Nico?

What the fuck?

"He isn't mine!" I bit out.

Branna waved me off because she was watching the show, so I turned to look as well and watched as Dominic pulled himself up onto the platform and sort of bounced on his feet while he shook his limbs out. He was shirtless, and even though I hated him with a passion, my mind automatically flashed back to when that shirtless body was pressed against mine, making me shudder before shaking my head and the thoughts away.

I studied the rest of Dominic; he had on black shorts that ended a little above the knee, and wore padded fingerless gloves. His hair was pushed back out of his face; I guessed there was some gel in it now because it stayed the way it was pushed back, making it look messy.

I widened my eyes as I got sight of his right arm and back when he bounced around. I had seen his back in his room when I was running away from him, and it was only partial curled at the shoulder with a tribal tattoo. Now, though, there was more detail on his shoulder, and his sleeve was complete.

"Nice tat," Branna mused.

I growled, "We hate him, remember?"

She shrugged. "Yeah but that doesn't mean we can't say he has a nice tattoo, because he does."

I huffed. "It's new, the sleeve wasn't complete a few weeks ago."

Branna side looked at me. "Yeah, you got a
good
look at his body back then, didn't you?"

I growled at her, making her laugh as she reached for her vodka and Coke. I reached for my own and gulped it down. I welcomed the burning in my throat and chest since it took my mind off Dominic. Well, until I looked back up at him that is.

I blew out a breath when another lad the same height and build climbed up on the platform. He was wearing the same thing as Dominic except his shorts and gloves were a dark blue.

"That Drake kid is hot," Branna gushed.

I looked him over and agreed with her; he was hot. He had a sexy lean body, blond hair, and I could only guess that he had pretty blue eyes to match.

"Here we go," Branna beamed as she pulled me from my seat and towards the crowd.

I went with her without protest and laughed when she screamed, "Kill him, Drake!"

Drake heard this and grinned around his mouth guard, while Dominic quickly glanced down. And out of everyone, he made eye contact with me and glared like he thought I had said that to Drake.

Whatever, I was thinking it.

Dominic returned his focus to Drake and attacked him when a loud beep sounded. I gasped when Dominic landed a solid punch to Drake's face; it reminded me of when he beat up Jason and Gavin. How he fought then should have given me some indication that he did this a lot, and the fact that he rolled into school some days with bruises on his face and swollen bits of flesh everywhere. But it didn't, which was why I was still surprised to be watching him in action now.

"Come on, Drake!" I cheered, making Branna whoop and some people around us chuckle.

There was a low chant of Drake that somehow turned into The Destroyer, and that got the announcer's attention.

"Seems as though Drake has got his fighting nickname, he is The Destroyer," the voice boomed getting loud screams in return.

We started to chant 'The Destroyer'.

Drake seemed to get a boost of confidence from our chanting because he speared Dominic to the ground and began pounding on him.