Page 9 of Filthy Beginnings

Though he was more than twice her size, the familial connection between them was unmistakable. They had the same nose and hair color, though he kept his shorn close to his head so no one could use it against him during a fight.

But on the inside, they were so different. He might make his living as a warrior, but he did not choose to fight outside the ring. He could have broken a hundred consortium necks with his hands alone, but then he’d be dead. Her, too. So, instead, he embraced his work as a trainer, accepted his lot as consortium property, and did not ask for more.

Which was why she never felt more alone than when she spent time with him.

She handed him back the drained cannister. “Thank you again.”

An uneasy silence filled the space.

Worse, the burn beneath her skin increased. She fiddled with the cuff on her wrist. Her throat and wrists bothered her the most. She had no idea why.

Her brother broke the quiet at last. “How are you?”

She forced a bright smile and gave her usual response. “Fine.”

Usually, unless the lights were on her, her handlers paid her little attention. As if they couldn’t fathom she had agency when they weren’t looking at her or she wasn’t following their commands. Still, it was smart not to take chances, and the truth would only hurt Luc anyway.

As if he read her thoughts, her brother leaned in close, his big body curling over hers as his breath whispered across her cheek. “I know this isn’t what we planned. I thought I’d have more time to gather funds—”

She brushed his words away with the flick of the wrist. “It will be fine.”

When they were young, he’d told her he’d become a great fighter and win enough prize money to buy her from the consortium.

Even early on, she’d known it was a pipe dream.

Consortium fighters were never allowed to earn such riches. It made them too independent. Plus, the consortium had invested too much in them to let either go. Ever. The one-time, lump sum Luc might have mustered to buy her would never equal what the company could earn from her over the long term as a prize attraction and brothel whore.

But she’d let Luc think she believed in his rosy future.

What was one more lie between them?

“Whatever you’re planning, don’t.” His voice dropped even lower. “I’m already working on which fighters can be bribed. It won’t take much work to ensure Kadon Stormhart is the winner of the tournament.”

“Don’t. It’s too dangerous.”

“So is ending up with the wrong kind of Alpha.”

“It will be fine.” Again, she smiled wide.

They both understood the fate of most tournament prizes. Most were claimed for only a short time by the Alpha who won the event. He used his untouched, virginal trophy until the shine wasn’t so bright, then tossed her aside—right back into the consortium’s clutches—where she was reabsorbed into the company. The prize was then quietly reassigned to a second-tier, seedy pleasure house on the outer planets. Desolate places said to cater to every fetish, where even the most down-on-his-luck gambler could spend a few coins and rule like a king. Or a losing fighter could feel like the victor against someone half his size.

Scarlett shivered. It was a hellish fate.

And not one she intended to experience.

But Luc had a different means of escape in mind for her than she did. “No one will suspect tampering.” He pretended to fix the strap of her dress so he could lean in close once more. “Stormhart is expected to win anyway.”

Big brothers. They always believed they knew what was best. “It’s too early to tell and too chancy to count on.”

“And running isn’t? You remember what happened last time.”

She looked away, the memory wrapping around her throat like a meaty hand.

But she was careful to steady her voice by the time she beckoned for her brother close. Nars and the rest of security might be off to the side sneaking an unsanctioned break while Egan dealt with other consortium business, but they could return at any time. “This guard is more reliable and willing to wait for payment until I’m settled. He said he could get hold of a tracker remover. He can also sneak me into the storage container on a shipping shuttle scheduled to depart from the dome during the main tournament.”

“Too unsafe and too good to be true. I won’t be able to be with you this time. They’ll have me at the tournament. You need to accept that my plan is best.”

He wasn’t wrong. The last time she’d tried this route, she’d been with Rose, Ebony, and Amber and the guard had brought two friends. They’d taken Luc’s money. Then, brought out the shock sticks and blackmail, advising Scarlett and her friends to comply with their plan to sample the goods then sell them to a brothel, or they’d suffer a worse fate when returned to the consortium as runaways. Only Luc’s emergence from his hiding place had saved them. Those guards’ bones scorched in the suns outside the dome now, but she, her friends, and Luc had been lucky not to get caught.