CHAPTER NINE

"Dude, this is like legal street fighting!" Lamika said, shooting David a look. "I love this!" She eyed the cage, her attention away from him again. Soon she was up on her knees, watching wide eyed. "Holy hell!" She gasped, watching whoever it was get their face busted open on the steel. "That's not even funny, that hurts!" Suddenly turning to stare at him, Lamika's blue eyes narrowed. "Would you really have stuck me in that giant cage?"

David chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Maybe… If you didn't stop behaving like an animal." He replied, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice.

She heard it though and growled, tossing herself up onto the bed. His cup of Jack Daniels wound up all over her so Lamika grabbed his wrist, turning it sharply until he dropped the glass. "Take it back!" She ordered, her eyes sparkling at the shocked look on his face.

Before David could do anything she used her smaller size and lesser weight to move around him, sitting on his shoulders and wrapping her legs around his neck. "Take it back Davey!"

"Woman, you best get off of me!" David laughed, groaning when she tightened her legs around his neck and couldn't believe how strong she was. She definitely had a keen sense of survival, but he was stronger. He broke the grip, flipped her over his shoulder and pinned her to the bed, straddling her waist with a smirk. "What was that?" David began to tickle her mercilessly, holding both her wrists in one massive hand. "You need to be caged up! I ain't takin' it back Mikey!"

Lamika HATED to be tickled. Really hated it. She rolled underneath him onto her side, gasping when he went with her, his head cracking against the wall. She took advantage to pull her hands free and started throwing punches at his stomach, hard jabs, her fists toughened from brawling. "What's this Mikey shit? And take it back!"

David growled, having hit his head which pissed him off, and shoved her away about a good three feet before stumbling to his own. "What's with this Davey shit?" He shot back at her, his brown eyes hazed over from both pain and anger as he cracked his neck. "No, I'm not taking it back."

She was instantly on her feet, in a fighting stance, hearing his tone and automatically going into survival mode. She sized David up, remembering their previous fights and instantly narrowed her gaze in on his calf, the one she'd done a number on with a knife.

When he took a step towards her, that was all Lamika needed as an incentive. She somersaulted forward, jabbing a finger into the wound before locking her arm around his leg and pulling.

Wincing in pain, David pushed her off of him and grabbed her slender throat, lifting her into the air and shoving her back against the wall. "ENOUGH!" He roared, letting go and limping back to the bed. "FUCK!" He hissed when he seen blood coming from the wound again.

Lamika shook her head, collecting her wits before scrambling to her feet. She'd totally forgotten what a brute David could be but this was all the reminder she needed. She snatched up her coat and bolted, out the door in a heartbeat.

Sighing heavily, David ran a hand down his face, knowing he'd scared the Hell out of her. He slowly got up and retrieved the first aid kit, doctoring himself up. He growled dangerously when pain tore through his leg, the bitch had done a number on it! After he was finished, David lay down and stared up at the ceiling.

She'd be back. She had no choice. He was her survival ticket.

**********

Lamika had no sooner made it out the back door when she was slammed face first into the brick hotel wall. "DAMN!"

"Hola chica." Kara greeted coldly, followed by snickers from the rest of the set, all ten of them. "Think you could hide from me?"

Lamika was spun around by two women she once called friends, both now looking at her like she was scum of the earth. She groaned when Kara pulled out a knife, knowing she was about to die in a painful way and kicked out, knocking the knife away.

"Kill that double dealing bitch!" Kara screamed, holding her sore wrist.

Grunting when she was punched, Lamika managed to break away, whirling around as she was circled in on. She snatched up the knife and twirled it in her fingers, making a 'come on' motion.

"I'd stop right there if I were you." Came David's voice, walking out of the shadows with a blade of his own, a six inch, razor sharp blade. He stopped right besides Lamika, not looking at her, his eyes fastened on the set leader. "Now then ladies, do we have a problem here?" He spun the knife in his hand threateningly.

Kara glared at him angrily, from a safe distance of course. "This ain't none of your concern… LEVIATHAN." She smirked. "Yeah, I know who ya are hombre. That bitch is going straight back to Them, alive or in a body bag. And you-" She screamed when Lamika flung the knife, hitting her in the shoulder.

Lamika growled, pulling out two more throwing daggers she'd lifted earlier, glad now she had. She tossed them both, hitting one girl in the throat and another in the hand when she went for a gun.

Kara ordered a retreat, holding the knife handle in her shoulder, watching as her fallen girl was lifted up and dragged off. "You're both dead!" She spat, backing away. "Fucking dead!"

Bending the blade, a low growl escaped David as he glanced down at Lamika right before throwing the knife. It whistled as it flew, spinning sideways and slit Kara's throat. The blood spilled out of the gash as David walked over, watching her crumple to the ground and retrieved his knife. He stared at the others, taking in the terrified looks on their faces. "Leave now and don't speak a word of this to anyone." He ordered flatly, pulling a wad of money out of his back pocket and throwing it towards them. "We need to leave now. " He said to Lamika, dragging Kara's body to the dumpster against the wall and depositing it inside.

Lamika nodded, getting all three of her blades, watching as her once upon a time family scattered. She knew they wouldn't snitch them out, instead they'd divide the money, talk about how Kara had been a poor leader and start over, it was just the way of life.

**********

Lamika woke up with a start, looking around. She groaned when she realized they must be in Houston and didn't even want to know how long she slept. But they weren't at a hotel. "Um… where are we?" She asked.

David didn't look up from the road, his eyes wide, having drank five cups of coffee to keep his ass awake throughout the trip, breaking speed limits in every state they crossed. "We're almost there."

Sighing, taking in his body posture, Lamika didn't say another word, just kept her eyes glued to the window. Finally after twenty minutes of silence, she cleared her throat. "Thanks… for what you did back there."

"Not a problem." David replied gruffly, sighing in relief when he spotted the hotel they were booked at, pulling into a parking space and cut the engine. He looked over at her, hands still on the steering wheel. "You can run if you want, but you'll wind up dead out there without my help." He stated, still in a gruff tone and got out of the car, heading for the hotel. He knew she'd follow.

Lamika sighed and got out of the, car snatching up her own large bag and slinging it over her shoulder. She ran to catch up with him, halting in the doorways when she seen all the damn giants. "David?" She groaned, unable to see him and started shouldering her way through the people.

David heard her and turned around, knowing she was getting lost in the sea of people and walked towards her, grabbing her arm gently. "Come on." He whispered, guiding her towards the staircase and pushing her through the door. He'd noticed Kane lurking in the shadows and narrowed his eyes at the man, warning him to back off or he'd get hurt. David wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone for Lamika, which both confused and thrilled him at the same time.