The Battle For Love (closed-PM if interested)

[zydrate]

(Closed)

http://cdn5.thr.com/sites/default/files/2012/08/aarti_mann_headshot_a_p.jpg

Anika Kaid knew her brother was involved in something dangerous, but it wasn't until she stumbled in on it one night while out with some friends. Well, they were hardly what one would call friends, as they had all met up at a bar just a few blocks away and they kept talking about 'the fight' which she had assumed was something about boxing.

It wasn't until they arrived at an abandon warehouse where there were cars parked in a circle with their headlights on and two men entered the circle. No one needed to explain what was going to happen next as the crowd cheered them on. It seemed this was a regular occurrence and one of the fighters was talking to Anika's brother, Kareem. The man talking to Kareem was tall and muscular, lean with several scars on his back, seeing as how he wasn't wearing a shirt. It wasn't until the men entered the circle that Anika saw her brother, this time he was taking money and talking with others as he took the money, making bets.

The chanting of the crowd was getting louder until the men faced off and they started fighting. This was more of an underground MMA...no rules, no regulations. And the crowd was loving it.

 

[zydrate]

Despite the fight being as barbaric as it could be, Anika couldn't help but be drawn into it. Although she didn't cheer outright, she couldn't help but feel for the guy that lost. She shook her head and watched afterward as Kareem started to collect even more money and pay out some to others. He looked pleased with himself and was answering questions being shouted at him.

Anika waited until the crowd thinned out a little as she made her way to find Kareem and see what the hell was going on!

Since she had just come from a club and being in her club attire, Anika was attracting attention of several men but she paid them no mind as she spotted her brother heading over to someone standing off away from the crowd.

“Kareem!” She called out, first not too loud but he was either ignoring her or didn't hear her so she called out to him again, “KAREEM!!” She walked as fast as her heels could take her without falling and possibly killing herself.

She reached him just as he reached the other man and she stepped in between her brother and the other man, “Kareem! Did you not hear me call you?! What is all this?!”

Her brother's look when he saw his sister was of complete surprise and grabbed her by her shoulders, “Anika? What are doing here? I am working! Now please move!” He tried to push his sister out of the way but she held her ground when she finally took notice of the man behind her...the one that was one of the fighters. He was tall and loomed over almost everyone.

Turning quickly to the other man, Anika quickly told the winner, “I'm sorry, I need to speak with my brother!” She said and in turn, grabbed her older brother by the front of his shirt and pulled him with her off to the side, “What is going on here Kareem?! Do you know that what you are doing here is illegal?!”

“Anika! Do not proceed to tell what to do. You know nothing of this tonight! You—how did you end up here anyway?!”

“Do not turn this back on me Kareem, I want you to answer me! What are you doing here? It these people and taking their money?!” She waved her hands around, clearly upset, “This is completely insane!” This was her older brother after all, someone she had looked up to. Someone who had told their parents that he was here earning an education, just as she was trying to also. This wasn't something anyone in their family would approve of.

Having enough of his younger sister embarrassing him, Kareem grabbed Anika and hissed, “We will talk about this later Anika! Now go before I have someone drag you back to your apartment by your hair and lock you there! What I do here is none of your concern!”

“But, Kar--”

Raising his hand, Kareem had had enough and backhanded his sister, “I said go!”

Anika wasn't too shaken as she just stood there before looking at her brother and glaring at him, “This is not over Kareem.” She said as she turned and walked off.

Walking past those she didn't know, Anika didn't pay attention to their stares as she made her way down the stairs of the empty lot and to the street. What the hell was going on here and what had her brother gotten himself into?!

 

[zydrate]

Anika felt the side of her face as she walked off. The nerve of Kareem! She silently berated him as she walked up the long sidewalk that was next to the driveway where the cars had come in.

She had just walked onto the main street where the parking garage was and realized she wasn't in such a very safe neighborhood. Looking down at the small clutch she had brought with her, it carried only credit cards and some cash. She had purposely left her phone at home because she was out with friends and at a club. Anika thought she was going to at least get a ride home with one of them but now, it looked as though those plans were going to change.

She stopped in her tracks and decided that perhaps there was still someone left she could borrow a phone from so she could call a cab.

That's when she ran into someone right behind her...slamming into a big chest made her take a few steps back, "Oh..oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you--" she cut herself off as she finally realized who it was she had run into...one of the fighters...well, the winner of tonight's fight.

Anika should have been scared but for some reason, she wasn't, "Are you OK?" She asked, not realizing what she said until it was too late. "Forget I asked that...I'm sure you're fine..." she sighed and shook her head. "Forgive me, I'm out of sorts right now... what happened down there was very new. I've never seen anything like it before." Was she blubbering? Yes. Yes, she was, but she continued on anyway, "You work for my brother Kareem...I saw him give you some money after the fighting. I'm Anika," she said, holding out her hand to him.

 

[zydrate]

Anika knew she shouldn't be going with someone she had just met. But, it wasn't any more safe for her out here now, so what was the harm? Besides, she trusted him...so far...

"Sure, that would be wonderful," she said before he led her to his car.

Once they were in the diner, Anika was absentmindedly stirring her coffee as she spoke. So far, she probably said way too much about herself and her family. She had told Alexey about how Kareem was her half-brother but she had never emphasized that. As far as she was concerned, he was her brother. Her father had married Kareem’s mother after his real father had died. Kareem was around 5 when his mother remarried and was soon pregnant with Anika. It was all for the better because their mother had been scraping by and had managed to marry one of the top wealthy men in Dubai. So in all, Anika was an heiress, but didn’t live like one…the only thing she accepted from her father was penthouse he provided while she was living in the states. She was in fact, an inspiring fashion designer who was already starting to get some good, steady work from local dress shops.

He provided a penthouse for Kareem also, but unlike Anika, Kareem took all he could. His step-father provided not only his penthouse, but also his credit cards and takes care of whatever bills Kareem seemed to rack up while spending his time partying and getting in constant trouble with anyone and everyone. He didn’t care. He knew his step-father would bail him out of any situation as long as it kept the family name clean.

Why was she telling him all this? Anika was never this open with anyone before. ‘Probably because he’s easy to talk to…’ she thought as she sighed and shook her head, “I’m sorry. Here I am going on about anything and everything, which I’m sure, has bored you to death,” she smiled and sat back in the small booth, “You said you came to the US recently and were a soldier. Is that were you learned how to fight?”

 

[zydrate]

They were the only ones in the diner, well, save for the wait-staff, but they were the only patrons when she listened to Alexey tell her about his ‘past’. He had given her the choice to walk out…or stay.

The things he told her were things that she only read about in books and saw in movies. Maybe he was making it up? But if he was, why would he tell her to go? No, she went with her gut on this one and chose to believe him. Looking at the door and then back at Alexey, Anika only gave him a smile, “I’m not leaving.” She stated simply as she finished off her coffee before speaking again, “You decided to be straightforward with me and I appreciate that. You say it’s dangerous, well…what’s life without a little danger?”

Was she going to regret what she was going to do next? Probably but also, probably not, but she liked him. He seemed intimidating but she saw something different in him…what it was, well, she wasn’t sure.

“Would you like to come back to my place?” she asked boldly. Maybe it was the danger he mentioned that intrigued her or maybe she just trusted this man she had only met hours prior. “It’s not far from here,” she said, “Unless of course, you need to go…” OK, now she was stumbling over her words and felt her nerves starting to get to her. Anika quickly pushed those anxieties away and watched him for his reaction. This was something she knew she’d never do with others or just anyone, so why was he so special?

Anika didn’t know but she sure wanted to find out.