Chapter 70 Viper
Uriel's POV
"VIP." Ryder growled lowly to a huge man who stood stoic by the metal door.
Recognition sparked in his eyes when they connected to that of Ryder but then when he turned to me, his eyes darkened.
"She's not a member."
"She's my girl." Ryder's voice held a strong possessive tone, making my heart squeak.
Butterflies filled my stomach. My eyes raised up to meet his eyes already on mine.
His girl?
He was claiming me.
"There they are!" I heard Peter's voice from behind. My eyebrow creased in confusion as I saw the two boys first.
"Uri!" Kathie's voice followed suit
"That's a lot, Viper." The big man spoke, glaring daggers at Ryder.
"I need them away from the crowd. It's either you let them in or no match."
My eyes bore into Ryder's face as he spoke.
I still didn't understand why we were all here. He said he was going to show me everything. How?
"What is this place?" Chloe whispered from behind me, her hand on my shoulder.
"Looks like a -"
"Let them in Jerry." A strong manly voice growled from inside. Jerry, the big guy, nodded curtly, moving away for us to enter.
Ryder's hand found mine, lacing his fingers with mine as he led me inside.
The sound of people screaming and chattering loud echoed vibrantly through the walls, almost deafening. Before I could steal a glance of what was going on through the glass that demarcated is from the larger crowd, Ryder pulled me closely to his side, away from our friends
"We'll be back."
Though confused, I still trusted him to lead us. All I did was move my eyes around, putting two and two together.
"Hey." Ryder smiled sheepishly at me as he locked the door behind him, trapping us in what looked like a changing room.
"Hey?"
His eyes turned icy cold as he pulled his shirt from his head, leaving his chest bare. My eyes roamed down his body slowly, tracing each rippled muscle.
Damn, his body was fire.
I gulped down my saliva like it was some juice, my eyes settling on the deep V-line that sat low on his waist.
"I'm glad you're having a good view, Kinky." Ryder snorted, a small smirk appearing on his lips.
My eyes fluttered in embarrassment, my cheeks turning red.
"Oh my God, I'm -"
The words died down my throat when I felt his index finger on my lips, "apologizing for what belongs to you? That's delusional, baby."
My chest heaved up and down, frantically. Heat crawled up my skin, making me hot like lava.
Baby.
Again.
"W-why are we here?" I breathed out, pinning my gaze on him
"To fight."
"Huh?" My mouth fell open, eyes wide with shock.
He pulled away like I burned him, turning his back to me as he wrapped a white bandage to his palm.
"What do you mean to fight, Ry?" I asked, walking closer to him. Carefully.
"When I got suspended, I spent 9 months exploring." He turned his face to the side, giving me a side look. "Racing with motorcycle and sports cars. Boxing. Fighting."
"So..."
"None of those two gave me the type of adrenaline fighting gave to me - The power; The fame." His jaw ticked as he paused. Then he continued, "the blood on their faces while they struggle to stay alive. The feel of their pulse slowly dying..." He looked me directly in the eyes this time, "they felt surreal. They stirred up something in me. I became addicted. A god."
He took a threatening step forward, his eyes darker than usual.
"Everyone feared me. They cowered when I entered into the ring, the room, everywhere. I could do whatever I liked. I felt alive, Kinky." He stopped in front of me, holding my chin up.
He stood like that for a while, his eyes boring into mine, moving haggardly like he was searching for something.
"You're not scared." His voice came out almost like a surprise.
I shook my head, my eyes not leaving his, "because I don't see this person you talk about, Ryder."
"Doesn't mean he's not there. I ruin things, Kinky. Good things." He spat, his tone sharp and low at the same time.
"I understand."
His throat bobbed down. Then he pulled away again, changing into a short.
"Why did you stop? That's if you did at all." I suddenly spoke up again.
"Good question." He smirked, looking at me from where he stood. "I stopped because I broke my knee. I got into an accident after a drunken celebration from winning. The control of my motorbike was being messed with and -"
"Oh my God!" A loud gasp left my lips, my eyes flying wide open. "I'm so sorry."
"I couldn't walk properly for weeks. My joints were dislocated. I couldn't play basketball at all. I entered therapy and was band from illegal fights." Ryder shrugged
"But you're here again." I frowned, my eyes subconsciously dropping to his knee.
"It's a closing deal. I never did it but now I have to." Ryder looked like he had already made up his mind.
"But you can't! What if you - you don't even play basketball so why are you risking it here?" I walked up to him, placing my hand on both sides of his arms.
He just smiled up at me, not saying anything. Slowly, he broke out of my grip, unlocking the door.
"The door is always open, Kennedy. You can leave after witnessing what I truly am." He didn't spare me a glance as he walked away.
Tears burned the back of my eyes as I watched his retreating figure disappear into the darkness.
"Hey Uri. Let's go." Peter said from the door minutes later, snapping me back to reality. "Ryder put me in charge of you."
"Why's he hurting himself this way?" I asked, hurriedly walking up to the VIP to get a good view of him.
"That's the only way he feels." Mason said, handing me a bottle of water.
"How? He - "
I didn't even know what to say.
"Ryder is just - complicated. He keeps to himself a lot and this is the only way he can let out his emotions." Peter sighed.
"The boy is a sadist." Chloe commented, folding her arms.
"Or a beast!" Kathie yelled, pointing at the ring.
The match had started and Ryder was on the move already. His eyes were soulless and empty. He looked like an entirely different person with his ears and nose red.
He was fast though.
He dodged and punched like a fucking animal
A beast, indeed.
"Okay, the guy is good." Chloe commented.
A nauseous feeling churned at the pit of my stomach. Everything was going okay but somehow, I didn't feel good about all of this.
My heart skipped when Ryder turned to the VIP lounge, his eyes locking with mine. He had a sinister smirk on.
My eyes widened with horror as the other guy began to wobble up.
"Your back!" I pointed, my hands trembling.
Before Ryder would turn, the guy had him on chokehold, squeezing his neck tight.
My heart beat accelerated.
My chest burned as I watched Ryder's face turn red.
"Shit. That doesn't look good." Peter stood up.
"Fuck. He's injection something into his leg." Mason pointed, urgency evident in his voice.
"Oh my God!" I cried out, tapping the glass window. "Someone call it off."
My breaths were running short, as if I was having an asthma attack.
I wasn't even asthmatic.
His eyes connected with mine again, a sad smile gracing his lips as his hands dropped down slowly until they were hanging lifelessly on the air.
"Please!" Jumping, I kept on hitting on the glass. Tears were now streaming down my eyes. "He's been poisoned."
"I'm sure they'll end it." Chloe tried to hold me but I wouldn't let her.
They didn't understand.
They wouldn't.
Luckily, a referee rushed into the ring - but it was too late.
Everything happened so fast, I felt my world crumbling in my eyes as Ryder dropped to the ground, blood gushing from underneath him.
No.
"Nooooo! Somebody help him!!!"
"Let's get out of here." Peter wrapped his hands around me tight, carrying me away.
"We can't leave him, Peter. We can't -"
And my world went black, the remaining words, dieing down my throat.