The young blond finished wrapping his hands and wrists before he stood up and took a deep breath, “Alright… I’m ready,” he said before glancing up at Dion.

“Of course you are,” the red-haired man gave an encouraging smile, “Just try to keep your nerves in check and remember what I told you.” He patted the shorter man’s back lightly as the two started making their way towards the door.

“What the fuck..?” The sight of the Viper stepping into the locker room made Dion put out an arm in front of his friend, stopping them both as his eyes locked on the woman. What could she possibly want? He’d already turned down her offer and yesterday she'd not even looked in his direction as far as he was aware.

“Dion..?” The man turned his head slightly upon hearing his own name, still keeping one eye on the woman, he refused to let his guard down around her when he didn't even know what she wanted. “Joey, get out.”

“But-”

“I’m telling you to get out, whatever she has to say it's gonna be between us. I’m not letting you get involved,” Dion cut the younger man off and that was that. Joey could sense the tension in his friend and knew better than to argue so turning his gaze down, the blond quietly walked past the woman and left the locker rooms.

The red-haired male turned his head back fully towards the Viper, crossing his arms across his chest as he glared at her, making sure that she wouldn't try to stop or do something to Joey.

This was yet another reason that he hated gangs, they never knew when to give up, he couldn't care less about what she had to say and he sure as hell wasn't letting her drag Joey into anything, the blond was just barely 18 and despite the underground fighting, the young man was still on a relatively good path in life, Dion refused to let him get mixed up with a gang and ruin his life.

“Let's just spare us both the time, I’m still not interested, I won't change my mind and whatever plan you had coming here, save it for someone else,” he told her in a flat tone, glaring down at her. “And keep other people out of this, I don't want anyone else getting hurt because you can't take a no.”

“Niké York.”

The name of his brother was the last thing he'd expect to come from the woman’s lips and it was something to show on his whole face as it dropped. His eyes turned from a glare of hate to confusion, his mouth opening as if he wanted to say something but no words could make their way out of his throat.

For what felt like an eternity, but in reality wasn't more than a few seconds, he stared in silence, slowly letting it sink in. Dion didn't want to believe what he'd heard but he had, she'd said it clearly, “Niké York”.

“What?” Was eventually all he could press out, a single word in a tone filled with confusion and disbelief as he continued staring her down.

This only lasted a few more seconds though before the hate for the gang leader came back, this time doubled if not tripled.

“What the hell are you talking about?!” He growled through clenched teeth, “You fucking keep your hands away from him! Where is he? What have you done to him?!” The red haired man didn't pause to give The Viper any room to answer the questions that he was spitting out in a hostile tone, “I’ll kill you, you got that? He has done nothing! He’s got nothing to do with this so you leave him out of whatever god damn plan you have!”

For Dion it was rare to even raise his voice but now he was full on yelling at the woman in front of him, cursing and threatening her. To most it was probably pretty clear though that he was more in a state of panic and worry than anger, he hated the woman, yeah, but he was far more worried about his younger brother and what the blonde planned to do, or had already done, to him.

Letting down his brother once was a mistake he'd never forgiven himself for and he couldn't stand to do it again, whatever the woman wanted now, he would likely agree. The last thing he wanted was for his brother to be hurt because of something that he had nothing to do with.

That was also the only thing that kept the man from losing control worse and attempting to make a move on the woman, if his brother wasn't safe then he wouldn't risk his life by losing control and getting physical. The fact that she probably had her men on the other side of the door who’d kill him without blinking didn't scare him, but his brother getting hurt or worse, that kept him from beating the witch that was stood in front of him.

"And your threats do nothing to me, Dion. However, here is my proposition. You work for me, you be my bodyguard, and your brother will remain unharmed."

The woman stared calmly at him as she spoke and it pissed him off further. He hated seeing her so in control when he himself had no control at all, not even over his own emotions.

She wanted him to work for her, of course that's why she was here again and threatening his brother. Dion clenched his fists, using every ounce of self-control left in his body to keep himself from attacking the woman. He hated her. Hated her because he knew that she would get her way. Hated her because she gave him no choice.

“Fuck you,” he muttered as he turned away and ran his fingers through his hair, starting to pace a little. It was no use for him to try and act calm and collected, he’d already ruined that image of himself when he’d blown up at the woman.

Suddenly the man stopped pacing and turned towards The Viper again, “This is exactly why I hate people like you. You ruin other people’s lives for your own fucking benefits. You don't give a damn about how you affect others with your selfish acts, you just go on, ruining life after life yet you're never satisfied, are you now?” He questioned while glaring at the woman.

“Alright alright, we both know I ain't got a choice so yeah I’ll be your bloody bodyguard if that's what it takes, just leave other people out of it,” Dion finally muttered out.

The red haired man kept glaring at the woman, his hatred for her was as clear as ever. She had his hands tied though, and she knew it, he had no way out of this and that was exactly what the blonde wanted. Why though? That was what he still couldn't figure out, why him out of all the people she could’ve chosen, and who would have jumped at the chance too.

Disgust and hatred was all the man could feel as he looked down at the blonde woman in front of him. The fact that he had to protect her from now on was even worse, he had no problem fighting for other people if he had to but protecting someone like the Viper went against everything he stood for.

"Unless you have something better to do, you will report to headquarters immediately."

Dion clenched his jaw a little as he glared down at the woman, having to force himself to find his cool again and not snap at her once again. However he wasn't quite as successful as he'd hoped to be.

“Don't talk as if you're giving me any choices, we both know you aren't,” he sneered. “Let's not pretend I'm doing this by choice. See it for what it is, you being a sociopathic bi-”

He caught himself this time and stopped himself from continuing. Pissing the woman off would win him nothing and the one who would end up suffering for it would be Niké so it was better to shut up.

The red-haired man ran his fingers through his hair with a frustrated sigh, “I’m coming with so let's just go,” he muttered. He needed time to calm back down or he would definitely say things that he would have to regret.

Following the woman out of the locker room, he was met with Joey who was waiting outside anxiously and he glanced at the Viper before stopping by his friend and putting a hand on the blond’s shoulder, “I need to go, something came up. But you win this match, yeah? I’ll see you around.”

The man let go of the other’s shoulder and turned to follow after the woman again but was stopped by the sound of Joey’s worried voice, “Dio? Is everything alright?”

Dion looked back at the man and gave a reassuring smile, forcing himself to swallow any of his own worry and anger, “Don't worry about me Joey, I always figure things out, don't I?”

Earning an uncertain and hesitant nod from the other, Dion began following after the Viper again. The truth was that he didn't know if he would really figure things out this time, he barely had any idea of what awaited him as the bodyguard of the oh so legendary Viper. And what complicated it all was the fact that she had his brother.

Joining the Viper and letting her lead the way upstairs, Dion kept his head down. His head which was filled with a million thoughts while also quietly cursing himself for allowing this to happen. Getting involved with people such as the Viper was the last that he wanted yet here he was, following after the woman.

"I see it was successful."

As they reached the bar, he felt the eyes of the rest of the woman’s men find him and one even spoke, talking about him as if he couldn't really hear and was just an inanimate object. He didn't say anything about it though, he just glared down at the man before taking a look around the room of the bar.

Dion’s eyes met with Mickey’s as his friend stood behind the bar, a look of confusion on the man's face. Looking back, Dion gave a look that said to not worry, something easier said than done.

Turning his gaze away, he looked back at the green-eyed fool from before, listening to the man speak about some Luciano. It also didn't seem as if that Luciano was out for a friendly conversation with the blonde woman.

"First day in, and you're being tossed in the deep end. Unlike me, Luciano is not so forgiving for remarks. So, unless you'd like to end up dead. I recommend you keep all your words to yourself."

Glancing down, Dion’s brown eyes meeting the female’s grey ones, “Maybe I’d prefer to be dead?” His voice was now calmer, just the slightest hint of aggression slipping out with his words. “He hasn't done me anything though so I have no reason to have anything against him,” he then continued.

Following the woman outside Dion considered every single little choice he’d ever done to end up here in this situation. It was as if he was being punished but what for? Anything bad he’d ever done had been for good, to help the people around him or because he simply hadn't had another choice, never had he done something bad for the sake of being bad.

He saw the Viper get into one of the three cars parked out in front, leaving the door open for him to get in too.

Now was his last chance.

A last chance to save himself from the woman in the car, he could make a run for it, try to get away. Although he did have to be realistic. There was no chance he would be able to get away before they had time to shoot him, and even worse, that witch of a woman had Niké which meant that even if Dion got away from her unharmed, Niké likely wouldn't.

With a sigh, the tall man ducked down into the car, shutting the door behind himself and leaning back. His brown gaze stayed glued to the outside, refusing to acknowledge the other people in the car and hoping that they'd do the same, he really didn't want to talk to anyone, especially not the Viper or her men.