Adj. Having a quarrelsome or combative nature.

Luna James

My heels clicked neatly into the office. It was dark at this time of night, but I needed to grab a few papers to fax to my parents. They'd called that afternoon to ask about my week. I told them how arrogant the Perceval children were and glossed over the date with Callum by lying. It wasn't usually in my nature to find to my parents, being as how they were always understanding, but I felt the need to not tell them about going out with the first client they trusted me to handle solely on my own.

"Evening, Miss James." The woman at the front desk greeted me. I hadn't expected to see anyone except maybe my personal assistant. She looked like she was just filing some paperwork before going home so I waved and carried on.

My phone buzzed in my purse just as I stepped out of the elevator. I glanced down but it stopped just as quickly. Denise stood by the conference room with her phone in hand and an exasperated look. Two subtle, but noticeable, dark circles rested beneath her tired eyes. "I was just calling you." She sighed and scurried over to me with a stack of papers. "I faxed those papers for you but these came back."

I looked them over and groaned at the paperwork my parents sent to me. Contracts for the fighters to sign, rosters of the celebrities in attendance, paychecks to give out once the fight was over, instructions and a speech for the charity ball that would follow, and a slip of paper with information to get the dress I would wear. "Great." A large clock ticked spitefully above the double doors. "I have three hours before the fight to have all this finished."

Denise shot me a smile. "Why don't I take the paychecks and contracts. You can read over your speech and pick up the dress."

I pulled her in for a hug. "Thank you, Denise. I don't know how I'd survive all this time without you."

"That's what I'm here for." She patted my sweater clad back. I chose a more comfortable outfit after Callum drove me home. A large sweater and a pair of heeled boots would suffice until I had to cram myself into another elegant evening dress.

We split the stack and headed in opposite directions. The slip of paper took me to the seventh floor where the majority of our clothing line was kept safe before shipments. It was empty at this time of day but the instructions took me to the formal closet in the back that was reserved for balls and galas. Once I opened the doors I was stunned at the gown that waited for me. It was gorgeous! In the center of the closet, underneath a soft white light, stood a beige manikin with the most beautiful black lace dress.

It was long, long enough to have a small train, and sheer on the legs and stomach. The only patches that were solid black covered my breasts and bikini area. It was so pretty and fragile that I had second thoughts of wearing it out. I made quick work of undressing the plastic model and hung the dress on a hook inside of a bag to take home.

My fingers drummed nervously the entire ride home. I had the dress, I had the speech, now I just needed to get ready and be down there on time. Thoughts of sitting in the Perceval section crossed my mind, thoughts of sitting on Callum's side occurred to me, but I settled mentally on the box reserved for owners and celebrities. That way neither party would be offended by my presence.

I was glad that Drew would be the driver for later in the night. I felt bad that he had to sit with his family but then leave with me, but he had already been hired on that evening. As if he read my mind I caught sight of my phone buzzing with his name flashing across the screen. "Hey Drew." I answered with a smile in my voice.

"Miss James, I was just calling to remind you that I'll be at the house in two hours to get you. Will you be ready?" His business tone echoed on my speaker.

"Yes. And if you want me to drive myself so you can spend time with your family then I completely understand." I got out before he cleared his throat to interrupt.

"No, no. No need. It's just going to be my wife and oldest. Your parents wanted me to make sure you got there and back safely and timely and I promised them I'd make that happen."

I relented. "Alright. You're the boss."

Drew laughed lightly on the other end. "See you soon, Miss James." We both hung up and I shut off the ignition to my car. I had two hours to shower and make myself presentable to give a speech at a charity ball and witness a cage fight. I groaned in anticipation for the night to come.

Surprisingly it only took me an hour and a half to have my hair and makeup done by Marco, my favorite stylist. He stayed later to help me into my dress and make sure everything for properly before leaving me to be bored for an extra half hour. I used the spare time to critique my appearance in the full length mirror. My hair was half up in a high pony with a bit of my bangs dangling to frame my face and curls cascading down my back and shoulders. He painted my lips a deep nude and gave me my usual bronze smokey eye with winged eyeliner. I loved it, I truly did. Part of me was just jittery from seeing Callum again. The other part of me was nervous to see Amon and Remy.

Truthfully, I was unsure which way the fight would go, but I knew someone was going to leave pissed off. I was glad it would be over tonight and I'd have no reason to see the Perceval family again.

I smoothed down my dress and twirled one last time in the mirror. The dress was so long that it covered my heels s only I knew how gorgeous they were. They weren't intricately designed with embellishments or fancy stitching, but they were my first pair of Louboutin stilettos that my parents bought me for my sixteenth birthday. Just a simple glossy black with the signature red sole, but they were sky high just how I liked them.

"Miss James, your car is here." I nodded absentmindedly and dismissed her without a word. My nerves were starting to affect me.

I clicked my way to the door and grabbed my purse and white fluffy shawl in case it got chilly. Drew was standing beside the open door and helped me inside. It was already dark out by the time we reached the venue. "Thank you, Drew. I hope you and your family have a wonderful time tonight." I spoke genuinely.

He smiled back through the mirror and slid out of the SUV. His shiny black shoes tapped softly over to my door as he let me out. "Same to you. Your parents suggested I take you home around one. Did you want to go earlier? The fight will be a few hours or so, but the charity ball should last quite some time. They said you didn't have to stay for the entire event though."

I straightened my dress and lifted it slightly before taking a step. "Let's play it by ear. I don't see any reason to stay very long."

Drew nodded and with that I entered through the hidden back entrance that would lead me straight to my box. Dozens of celebrities were already taking their seats. A listers surrounded me in the special front row section. I was pleased to see the view was unobstructed with a clear shot to the octagon. I took my place next to reknowned actress, Stacy Lamand who smiled politely at me and shook my hand.

"You must be Tobias's daughter. Luna, right?" She asked with a crisp English accent.

I released her hand to tuck my bangs behind my ear. "Yes. Have we met before?" I knew who she was. She was famous, and I was sure I'd remember meeting her.

She shook her head. "No. But your mother and father are some of my favorite designers. They custom made me this dress and had it shipped to my house last night just for this event. All they ever talk about is fashion and you." She gushed and showed off her gorgeous gown. A deep plunging neckline showed off her busty chest. The fabric was pale gold silk and lined with glittery stones that caught the light every so often.

"I love it. I haven't seen anything in their collection like that before." I complimented and touched the material.

"Yours is beautiful, is it one of their's as well?" She gestured to my lacy black gown.

I nodded. "It was waiting for me in the closet for tonight. I love it. I don't care what people say, I'll wear this multiple times." We both laughed until the lights dimmed and the crowd grew quiet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to James Arena!" The crowd cheered as the announcer went through the usual steps. I was a little surprised to see just how many people enjoyed this sport. Thousands filled the seats all the way up to the nosebleeds.

I had to admit, for such a barbaric event it was quite entertaining. The women were remarkable. The men fought like animals. By the time the main event was beginning, the canvas was covered in blood splatters and smears. My nerves were scattered as the lights dimmed further and the imitation fog began to roll out. An edm beat blasted and a spotlight found the first headliner.

He sauntered in with his scantily dressed women. He passed by the box on his way into the ring and caught my eye. I wished I had the smarts to look away but I was mesmerized. He stood for only a few seconds, but it felt like forever, in front of me. A devious grin and a wink was sent my way and he continued on to the ring. Stacy cocked a brow and me and smirked.

"It looks like the prince has a crush on you." She jested.

"Prince? Far from it." I scoffed.

"All the way from Manchester, England, weighing in at one hundred and sixty-five pounds. He's here to defend his title of super lightweight champion of the world. Remy Perceval, the Berserker!" All around me there were whistles and screams. Remy ran around the ring and did a backflip into his corner that earned even more cheers.

I rolled my eyes but stopped short when my eyes locked with Amon's. He was giving me a disapproving glare from his seat ten feet away from mine. I was grateful for the space and noise that filled the gap between us so I couldn't hear what he was saying. Emily was shooting daggers at me as well while hanging off Kit's arm like an ornament. I chose to pretend I hadn't noticed her and looked to Remy in the octagon.

My breath hitched as the lights went completely out. "Coming all the way from Dublin, Ireland, and weighing in at one hundred and sixty-five pounds." A strobe light began to flicker and a low drumming sounded from the speakers around the arena. A Celtic song blasted and the crowd near the tunnel roared with excitement. The first thing I saw was Callum's flag being carried above the railings. His blonde head was the next to come into view. Stacy and the others were whistling and cat calling at him. I blew out a breathe and sat up straight. I wasn't sure why I was so nervous to see him after our night together, but my whole body tingled.

"Holding on to the featherweight title belt and competing for the super lightweight championship title, the legend, the assassin, Callum MacBrady!" Screams nearly deafened me when the announcer finished. Callum came strutting into the ring, swaying his fists as he went. He passed in front of me to get to the steps and hesitated for only a moment. It was much less conspicuous than Remy's wink. I gave him a smile and clapped when he got onto the canvas.

Once he had circled the octagon and took his place in his corner, the lights went back on and a man clad in black and white stepped in to ref the match. He was shouting something to the two men, but I couldn't hear. Rules, I was sure was all it was.

Denise waved to me from across the way. She was seated a few rows above the Perceval family next to Drew and his beautiful wife. I waved at them all and turned my attention to the fight once the bell rang out. Both fighters refused to touch gloves before the match and earned a band of oohs from the fans. I wasn't shocked.

Callum and Remy shifted back to their corners and I giggled when I saw the Irishman mouth the words, "Let's go, boy." Remy charged at him with fists swinging, landing only a few punches to his upper body. Callum dodged most of them, coming up with a few of his own jabs. I noticed his strong left hook right away. Remy, however, didn't catch on in time and was knocked back onto the mat. Callum dove on him and slammed his fist repeatedly into his head. I could already see the blood gushing from his nose and cringed.

Remy brought a knee up and jammed it into Callum's back, effectively throwing him off. I wanted to yell out, but I kept my composure. "Come on." I whispered under my breath. Callum regained his stance and stood. His feet were constantly moving unlike Remy's. He bounced back and forth, ready to move in any direction. I bit the tip of my almond nails, weary of the red polish chipping off but too nervous to fully care.

This time Remy stayed back to gauge his options while Callum came to him. One hand held out to see the distance, while his other came to connect with Remy's jawline. The cocky fighter stumbled a little but caught himself against the fence and pushed off. His own punch landed on Callum's temple.

I gasped when he dropped. The ref threw himself on the ground to count, but Callum picked himself back up too quickly. He threw a few punches that didn't land, but his kick hit him hard in the side of the head. My jaw dropped at his technique. In the blink of an eye he had put his hand on the canvas and spun his leg around to connect with his opponent's head. Remy dropped this time. Callum gave him no time to recover. He slid over to where he was and beat away at the nearly unconscious man's face.

A bell rang out and the referee separated the two. Begrudgingly, they went back to their corners. I felt butterflies when Callum searched the crowd until his chocolate irises locked on mine. I became very aware of how worried I must have looked. My brow was raised, my hand was on my chest as it heaved up and down, I was leaning over the edge of my chair, I looked like a mess I was sure. He gave me a bloody smile and stood as the bell rang once more.

"Enjoying the fight?"

"Jesus Christ!" I jumped at Amon's presence.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." He smiled and pointed to the empty seat beside me. "Is this seat taken?"

"Actually-" he cut me off by plopping down next to me.

"Did you enjoy your date?" He inquired, his eyes trained on the fight while his hand found my arm rest.

"Really?" I raised a manicured brow at him.

"What? I'm curious. Was he as good of a dancer as I was?" His cocky smirk made my blood boil.

"I don't believe that's any of your business, Mr. Perceval." I replied coolly and fixed my gaze on Callum. He was on the ground being pummeled. My breathing picked up when I saw how bloodied he had become.

"Mr. Perceval? I thought we were on a first name basis." He remarked and scoffed at my worried expression. "Don't hold your breath. My brother is undefeated in his class. Your little boyfriend doesn't stand a chance." As if on queue, Callum rammed his head into Remy's nose and threw him off. In an instant he was wrapping his legs around his arm and pulling back.

I smiled coyly. "Callum is undefeated as well. And he's not my boyfriend." I added for good measure.

"So you're single then?" A devilish gleam struck his eye at my words and I swallowed hard. Something about it didn't sit well with me.

"Single and available are two different things, and I assure you that I am unavailable." I glared at him.

His fingertips brushed against my knuckles and made me shiver despite the heat I felt in his presence. "I've always enjoyed a challenge. Especially when the prize is so..." He paused and twirled a strand of my hair, "delicious."

I swatted his hand away. His choice of words made my skin crawl. To think that merely a week ago I had been attracted to him made me rethink my judge of character. "Don't touch me." I gritted out and flipped my hair behind my back to keep it away from him. The crowd booed when Remy tried to latch onto the cage by his toes for support.

"Cut the shit Remy! Kick his ass fair and square!" Amon bellowed beside me.

"Your brother is losing his confidence. What a shame." I sighed in mock sympathy.

Amon's eyes darkened. "Patience, Miss James. He always wins." He swore and tightened his grip on my arm rest.

"Why does your stepmother hate me?" I caught her glaring at me again. Her perfect blonde hair was waved out and draped over her shoulders.

Amon snickered and dismissed the notion with a wave directed at Emily. Her gaze went back to the fight. "She hates anyone that she thinks may be prettier than her." I furrowed my brows at his strange compliment.

"Oh." Was all I could manage. "But why? She's beautiful." I couldn't help myself. She was like a walking photoshopped model. Everything about her was perfect.

Amon shook his head. "Beauty is only skin deep. And she's just paranoid that she'll end up like my father's exes that he grew tired of."

The way he looked at me and the tone he chose to use gave me goosebumps. It was almost like he was hinting at something, but I didn't want to know what it was. "Yes!" He shouted suddenly and I flinched. Remy had gotten out of Callum's hold and was standing against the cage. They both looked so tired and haggard. Each was covered in bruises and cuts. Their feet left red footprints from stepping in each other's blood.

I sat up straight, waiting to see what would happen. There were still three rounds left, but I sensed this would end soon. Remy swung and my brain slowed everything down. Callum's torso shifted and dodged the blow, coming back with an uppercut that slammed under his chin. Remy's head snapped up and he spun around. The crowd grew silent as he lost his balance and fell. Callum pounced and struck him time and again.

Amon was speechless. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and was pleased to see his jaw dropped.

"Get up Remington!" I glanced over to see Claire pressed against the side of the cage, shouting at her older brother. "Shake it off! Stand up!" She cried.

The official slid down beside the two fighters and raised a hand. Callum wouldn't stop. He threw punch after punch. Gasps went up the longer Remy lay motionless.

"Callum stop!" My words escaped before I could think. Amon looked over at me in shock.

The bell rang out and Callum was wrenched away by two officials. "Get the fuck off me!" I heard him scream at them. He yanked his arms free and ran to his corner where his coach and team waited to embrace him.

"Motherfucker." Amon muttered under his breath. I smiled at him, but he wasn't paying attention to me anymore. He was looking at Kit. No words were exchanged, they both just nodded their heads to some silent agreement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you're winner by knockout, and new super lightweight champion of the world..." Callum had his hands on his knees breathing hard, he wiped his bloody lip with the back of his hand, "the assassin, Callum MacBrady!"

Callum stood tall as the ref held his hand high in the air. Remy's brother, John, was smacking him awake to see the end. He barely came too just as his belt was removed from his corner and placed on the irishman's shoulder. "Damn that looks good!" Callum breathed into the microphone. "Where's me other belt?" He bellowed.

A short man came running up with the featherweight belt and tossed it to him. "God damn that looks good!"

"Pity your bro-" I went to gloat, but Amon was gone. He was on his way to the cage, calling out to his brother the whole way.

"Get your ass up! Get the fuck up!" He shook the cage. Remy's fingers flexed and he groaned before rolling over. "You're letting that fucking prick make a fool of you!"

Remy sat up blinking, his eyes transfixed on his opponent. Callum was standing next to the announcer with both belts hung around him. He was still winded but held a prideful smile. A microphone was shoved into his face, "Tell us how you feel! How does it feel to be the first to hold two title belts at the same time?" The man questioned over the roar of the fans.

Callum laughed a breathy laugh. "It feels fucking amazing! I told every single one of you that I'd win!" He pointed to the side of the ring that held the majority of Remy's fans. They booed but we're drowned out by the steady sound of cheers and applause.

The man laughed with him and clapped him on the back. "Is there anything you'd like to say to Remy Perceval and his team?" I grimaced, of course he'd like to say something to them.

He licked a cut on his bottom lip and spit out the blood on the canvas before answering. "Yeah. I do." He spit again. "Suck on these big Irish balls!" He crudely grabbed his crotch and burst into laughter.

I put a hand over my eyes and sighed. I came, I supported the fight, now I felt the need to leave and head over to the casino side where the charity event would take place. Denise saw me leaving and started to slide out of her own place to join me. I quirked a brow at her robotic movements on her way down the steps. I could see an argument starting to break out in the ring behind me but I ignored it. I wasn't going to gape at two grown men acting like children. I did my part.

A/N
For some reason it is showing doubles of every chapter I upload. Please let me know if this is showing up for everyone and not just my account and I can try and fix it!