Gabriel stood in the underground combat dance arena and watched his crew as they practiced by challenging each other into dance battles that involved artistic wrestling, with the fight dancers performing dance moves as they threw their opponents, the members of his crew were all in top shape. The Power, an annual tournament they had won seven consecutive times was around the corner and even though he was never worried, he still kept raising the notch at their practice sessions until they were practically their own competition.

The fight arena was his get away from the obligations that awaited him at home as the only don of one of New York's most wealthy billionaires. He always felt the pressure, the silent stares, he knew everyone was wondering if he really had the 'Di Marco' in his blood since he was adopted and he also knew his parents and his many relations secretly wished he had been their blood instead of a mere adopted son and so because of that he strove for perfection, carrying out all his assignments with a ruthlessness that was almost singular to him. He ruthlessly cut down opponents and contemporaries and he was not known for leniency when he was crossed, he had no stomach for men who could not man up and face the consequences of their actions. It was what he would do if it were him. It was simple, if you miscalculated enough to step on the wrong toes you should be ready to dance to the beat of their tune, yet all that was left behind as soon as he stepped into the fight arena, his family name, the wealth and connections the responsibilities. Here it was just him and his talented crew members and the only consequence one could face here was eviction from the crew. He was reluctant to try out new members - to make the game more challenging, he had always brought in one new member and evicted another old one few weeks before the tournament but this year he just didn't want to deal with a new face, not because he was of the challenge but rather because even though he wouldn't care to admit it, he had bonded with the crew and didn't want to evict anyone of them.

"Gabe you've been turning down people who come for try outs with us this season." Bryan his assistant and the closest thing he had to a best friend said from behind him as the rest of the crew finished for the day and got ready to go home.

"Well then," Bryan continued. "Aren't you going to keep up with your tradition this season?"

Gabriel shrugged. "We'll see - come lets fight..... dance style of cause and please try to beat me."

Bryan laughed. They both knew that it was close to impossible to beat Gabriel in combat dance. He signaled to the Latin American musicians are who were already parking up gear to let them know they had to play for one more match then he got on the ring and did that - tried to beat Gabriel.

When Maya got discharged, she acted as if on auto. Her feet's moved on their own accord, her mind was far a away, in a world where there was room only for beat and rhythm. Gradually, she numbed the pain with her mind, killed her ability to feel until she felt nothing at all. She needed to get to the hide out she had stumbled upon once on her way home, she had to get there. Something in her told her she would not be accepted, would still not be understood but that was the only place she could be herself.

The dance arena was really a building that spilled out into the open. Within the building, she could see two dancers ....... battling, she had no better word. Their half naked bodies moved so rhythmically, their bones could be made of water and yet they fought she watched them exchange kicks that had to have hurt, yet they did it all to the beat of the music some Latin Americans were playing.

It didn't take long for her to notice the better fighter. They were both good but the blond stood out. Entranced, she watched the flow of his muscles as he performed feats she could only dream of. He seemed to be toying with his opponent, drawing him out then schooling him but his movements belied his expression, when she got a glimpse of his face, she saw anger, a bored kind of anger. He seemed angry with his opponent like he expected more, wanted more. She sucked in a breath and decided to get closer then for one brief moment, he threw his opponent down with a kick and whirled around to face her. Their eyes connected and he gave a slight shake of his head. Before she could even understand what he meant or convince herself that she hadn't imagined it, he was facing his opponent once more.

Maya drew stares as she got closer and especially from two burly looking men she was sure were bouncers. Looking around, she noticed she was the only woman there and the men around were either picking up belongings here and there and heading out or staring at her with lust written all over their faces. For the first time in her life, Maya felt a new kind of fear, one she had never known before.

Afraid to turn her back, she backtracked out of the arena and headed home as the tears blinded her eyes. Rachel, the policewoman had told her she could stay at her place till the police were through with her own house - but she didn't want that. Her father had always been cruel to her, tortured her at will but when he was not doing that, was left alone. Free to live inside her own head. She didn't want the policewoman's pity, the stares she knew she would get. The subtle offers for a session with a psychologist. She didn't want that, she had been strong for so long - had been strong all her life but she had a sickening fear that if she accepted the smallest hospitality, read meaning into the briefest kind gesture to her, she was going to crack and they would be no one but her left to pick up the pieces of her life when she had to be strong again to survive her father. So she avoided people's pity and people in general, she had to be strong.

Maya walked through the traffic, crossing the road at a green light, unsure even where to go. She wasn't sure the police were through with her house and she most definitely could not go back to the hospital - well not unless she got hit by a car. Hopefully, she would be blessed enough not to wake up.

Maya was still fantasizing about how blissful it would be to close her eyes once and for all when it clicked. She didn't even border to hide the smile that broke out across her face. She had not been accepted at the arena because she was a woman. If she were a man or even a boy, a lean masked boy, no one would even so much as glance her way. With renewed hope, she dug her hand into her pocket and fished out Rachel's number, she could endure her pity if only for the chance of getting accepted in the arena.

Gabriel sat in his office, swiveling his chair while he read the morning paper. It as the Daily times and a feature showed an article about a murder that had taken place in his family's New York hotel, the same one he managed. The incident had taken place before he was born and yet with all the current issues his family were facing in business, the Daily had to pick that moment of all times to do an article on it.

The murder was of a young Italian woman who was believed to be connected to a mafia family. According to what he heard, she had been the son of a Capo who had broken the Omerta - an oat of silence when questioned by the police. The Capo was executed, Mafia style and his family would have been allowed to live but his very smart twenty one year old daughter had gathered or stolen privileged information she was planning to give to the police in revenge. She had been lodging in the Royalty hotel in New York under a false name and cheap disguise when she was brutally murdered by people the police suspected to be part of the mob. According to the police, they never did get the information the young woman would have given them and that crime joined the rest in the long list of unsolved murders.

Gabriel felt no sympathy for the girl, she was a mere story to him - a story that had happened before he was born what he cared about was the inconvenience her death had been causing and was still causing his family. Some people had even rumored that his family was connected to the mob after the incident, it didn't help that they were Italian. It was difficult to find immigrants who became so rich over such a short period of time, especially if the were Sicilian but his grandfather had migrated to the country some Sixty years ago and had struggled, made a name for himself. Gabriel was damned if he was going to let that name get rubbed in the mud.

The murder had happened thirty years ago, yet the Daily saw it fit to rehash it at a moment when a new hotel had just been built in New York. It was possible the editor was being bought by the owner of the new hotel or that he was simply doing it out of spite or even more ridiculous, a warped feeling of obligation to readers. Gabriel had met journalists like that in the past, people who delved up other people's secrets, destroying lives and careers and yet believing they were bound by some stupid honor code to provide the truth. He picked up his phone to call the editor, he was not going to let his hotel get sacrificed on the alter of some editor's honor code.

His father beat him to it, already with the phone in his hand, he answered at the first ring.

"Gabriel, have you read the Papers this morning?" His father did not waste time on pleasantries.

"Yes." Gabriel answered simply. He knew his father was not done talking and he didn't want to interrupt.

"I want you to call the James Fisher - the editor. Find out what he wants."

Gabriel nodded then remembering that his father could not see him, he answered. "I will do that." There was no point in telling his father that he had been about to call the editor, somehow that would have sounded like he was giving excuses.

"And just know that some people sometimes do not know what they want, sometimes they think it's justice but they actually just want money, bear that mind."

Gabriel nodded again. This was his father's way of saying everyone had a price. He totally agreed with his father, he had bought a countless number of people with his money. He didn't even bother to answer his father, the line had gone dead as soon as his father had given that last piece of advice. Gabriel decided not to call, if he was going to buy the editor, he wanted to see the merchandise first.

The editor of the Daily times was a smallish man that kept fidgeting with his hands, touching here and there, either twirling a pen or spinning a letter opener till Gabriel got irritated and asked him to keep his hands still, he obeyed immediately. After one sentence from the man, it became obvious that he had been bought as Gabriel had suspected by the opposition. The ease with which the editor switched sides at the offer of bigger money and a little bit of threat thrown in for good measure was pathetic but Gabriel has known just anyone could be bought at the right price.

Leaving the office, Gabriel realized that he felt disappointed. He had secretly hoped the man would have had some honor code binding him to publish the truth or some nonsense like that, he had been looking forward to a challenge, had wanted to debate with him, to discuss, to have a conversation where for ice he was not calling all the shots simply because of his money. It was the way of the world, his father had once told him, the world had only two sets of people, the haves and the have nots. The haves owned the have nots and that was the system of things. His father had not added that it was possible Gabriel's escape from being among the have nots was his adoption into the Di Marco family.

After finishing up at the office that evening, Gabriel headed for the dance arena. Somehow, even his own get away had started to bore him, he hadn't yet been able to find a dance fighter who could beat him, not even Bryan.

Bryan was in the ring when he arrived, battling - or he was more like teaching a young boy who had a mask on. The boy didn't look like anyone Gabriel had seen before and he was curious. After the fight ended and Bryan shook hands with the boy, they both headed over to him.

Gabriel did not wait for an introduction. "Bryan. You've decided to turn this into a ballet school huh? Are you giving classes now?"

Bryan ignored the questions. "Gabe this is Buck, a new guy trying out to join the crew. Buck, this is Gabriel, leader of the crew and owner of the dance arena."

"Nice to meet you sir." The boy extended a hand.

Gabriel ignored it. "Buck? Like your parents actually named you that?" When the boy opened his mouth to reply, Gabriel raised a hand. "Don't bother answering me, I don't care because you wouldn't be joining us anyway, from what I saw, you can't fight. You're supposed to beat Bryan not learn how to fight right there in the arena."

"Gabe-" Bryan started to say but Gabriel cut him off.

"Why do you even have a mask on, do you think this is some kind of cult?"

"He said he has scars he doesn't want anyone to see." Bryan replied.

"Let the kid talk Bryan." Gabriel snapped, to the boy, he continued. "If you can't even speak for yourself, how do you intend to face me as an opponent in that ring?"

"Bryan has already answered for me." The boy replied, "I have so many scars."

"Nobody gives a fuck about your scars - look around you, all everyone here wants to do is fight." Gabriel as pissed, there was something so vulnerable about the boys voice, he sounded like a teenager. "How old are you."

"I'm old enough." The boy replied with a bit of defiance.

"I wouldn't ask again." Gabriel could feel the hint of warning and danger creep into his voice and he laid it on thick for good measure.

"Twenty one! I'm twenty on years old." The boy replied. He sounded terrified though he did not break eye contact with Gabriel.

"Well twenty one, you wouldn't be joining us today- or forever, we don't need knew members." Gabriel dismissed him and strode forward into the ring. Leaving Bryan to talk to the boy, he challenged four men from different crews then stepped into the ring. With any luck, they would be able to beat him.

Bryan waived them away. "Still looking for someone to beat you Gabe?" "Well what's that to you?" Gabriel retorted. "It's obvious you can never beat me."

"And if I do?" Bryan was smiling good naturedly.

" If you do, your little boyfriend gets a spot with us."

" He's not -" Bryan started to say then thought better of it. Showing any form of irritation at being called the boy's lover would cement the name. Taking off his shirt, he joined Gabriel in the ring.

Immediately after they shook hands, he took Gabriel down with kick and watched his friends eyes light up in surprise. He waited for Gabriel to stand before he attempted to take him down again, this time, his friend deflected all his attacks and sent him flying down with a kick then it was like their previous matches over again, at the end Bryan was on the floor, unable to get up, with his body ridden in pains.

Disappointed once more, Gabriel climbed out of the ring. He parted the boy on his shoulder.

"Sorry kiddo, your savior was just not much of a hero."

" Then I'll fight you!" The boy shouted and Gabriel slowly turned around to face him. "Give me one month with Bryan and I promise to beat you."

Gabriel walked up to stand in front of the boy, while he watched the boy shrink further into himself - if that was ever possible yet he could see the determination burning out from the boy's eyes. He lifted his hand to take of the boy's masked but restrained himself at the last minute. "Fine Buck. You get a month starting from today and when you loose, I don't t see you around this arena or I'll have you arrested. I'm I understand."

The boy started to say something then replied instead "Yes sir."

As Maya stood watching the handsome lord of the rings battle yet another opponent that day, she knew that in a month's time, after practicing under Bryan, she would be able to beat him. It was not that she expected to become stronger or more skilled than him within a month but watching him fight, she could see why his opponents always lost to him. They all expected to loose and he always expected to win. It was as simple as that, even Bryan had seemed surprised when he threw Gabe earlier on.

Maya knew why she had to win, loosing would mean she lost everything, acceptance, the place she could finally call home. Her eyes followed his every move as she watched him battle his opponents while for some strange reason, her heart beat quickened as she caught herself wondering what it would be like to have her body move in perfect sync with his perfect body, not in the ring this time around but in a private place.

Just thinking about that made a blush creep up Maya's neck as she felt a fire starting in the pit of her stomach. He was so perfect, from his blond hair to his chiseled face, down to his perfectly sculptured body that was ridden with muscles that looked as hard as Steele rods, she wondered how they would feel under her touch - she also wondered at the boldness of her thoughts, her father would have skinned her alive if he could read her mind right now. He had once given her the white torture, locking her up in an empty room that was painted white, she was dressed in white and had been fed white bread on white plates for two days because she had looked back at a good looking boy when she was fifteen.

Maya had fought the gradual disorientation wondering why this seemingly painless torture from her father seemed the most gruesome. When she had finally started feeling her mental health disintegrate, he had opened the door and released her into the normalcy of her home. It turned out her school mates had asked of her because she had been away from school for two days. Maya wondered what her father would actually do if he could read her thoughts just now, she hoped he never got out of prison.

After Gabriel had fought two more opponents winning both of them, he climbed out of the ring, leaving the arena for others who challenged themselves. All around her, people were betting, staking on or against the fighters and Bryan collected the money. He seemed in charge of that even though it was Bryan who owned the fight- dance club. After she had watched two different groups battle themselves, Maya decided it was time to go home. Back into the unknown, to into a world where even her breath was controlled by her father. He had controlled her before when he had been around, and even now that he was locked away in prison, he still controlled her, the whispers of his past threats still fresh in her ears every time she did something she knew he wouldn't approve of - and there were many things he didn't approve of.

He hated singing, dance - just everything that made her happy, he not only hated happiness, he hated to see her happy. As she headed home to Rachel's house, she said a silent prayer to heaven that her father never got out and if only for that moment, she believed in answered prayers.

Gabriel left the arena feeling dissatisfied. He had still not been able to find someone that could beat him in the dance fight. It was not that he wanted to loose, he wanted to win, he just wanted to fight for that victory. He was sick of things being handed to him on a platter of gold. Everything came to him cheaply. His victories at the arena, his success in career, even the women he slept with. He wondered how it would feel to actually struggle, to fight for something and rejoice at a success you fought for.

Unwittingly, he thought of the woman he had seen a few days back at the arena. She had been breath taking. There had been something about her that was so enchanting, she hadn't been dressed to impress, instead she had been wearing a shabby oversized shirt and her trousers hadn't been any better yet - she hadn't needed beautiful clothes to look good. The oversized shirt and burly pants did nothing to hide her subtle curves and her face - he had seen nothing like that before it was a blend of arousing and innocence like a cross between Angelina Jolie and Selena Gomez. Her bee stung lips had been parted like they were begging to be kissed and there was a slight flush in her perfectly high cheeks. He had wanted to - he wanted to fuck her until she screamed his name, until the only thing she ever thought about was him, until he had totally captivated her heart as she had his but - it was her eyes that stilled him even though she had looked at him with obvious arousal written on her face, her eyes had betrayed her vulnerability. There was a troubled look in her eyes that spoke of secrets no one could know, of pains she had had to survive simply because she had no one to turn to and knowing that he couldn't handle that, that she needed better than him, he had shook his head to try to clear it, break free from whatever spell she had cast on him and as if taking cue from him, when he had turned to deliver a blow to Bryan and turned back again to face the direction he had last seen her, she had been no more. It was like she had been a mere figment of his imagination, a Chimera and he half believed he had thought her up but those eyes, they were a figment of no man's imagination. They had their own stories to tell, their own secrets and it didn't come as a surprise to him that he wanted to learn them.

He arrived at the casino he frequented and got spotted immediately by the owner, Antonio. They weren't really friends and we're hardly business associates but apart from the fact that he had become a frequent guest, in New York, one billionaire was brother to another, well until they wanted the same thing you wanted and then it was time for back stabbing.

He exchanged pleasantries with the middle aged owner and went to his table. His favorite dealer was on duty and she threw a seductive smile at him as she counted out his cards. Feeling reckless, he pushed a hundred yellow chips forward and felt the adrenaline rush yet after three rounds, he had gained an additional fifty thousand dollars to his hundred thousand. He cashed out and got up to go at the same time the pretty dealer's shift was up. He liked her, she was not only hot, she was also smart and at the moment, she wanted the same thing he wanted - care free mind blowing sex with no strings attached.

She leaned up from behind him and whispered into his ear. "I've got a friend that would like to meet you."

He smiled and spurn her little frame around so that she was standing in front of him. "Sounds interesting, where is she?"

"Oh, she's waiting for us outside." She stared up at him a little curiously. "You don't mind that I also like girls do you?"

He shrugged. "As long as this girl likes me, we'll have no problem --"

"Oh she likes you, I have a feeling tonight would be the best night of her life."

He waited as she discussed a bit with the Man she was handing over her shift to and collected her coat then they both headed outside.

The night had proven an interesting one even though he was sure the pretty card dealer had lied, her friend had been more into her than into him. She seemed to like being commanded and the dealer obliged her, sometimes commanding her to do pretty demeaning things. He didn't mind that, it made the girl and the pretty dealer happy and so therefore it made him happy but he had had to put his foot down when the dealer asked her friend to sleep outside in the open, she had ended up sleeping in the reception of his suite. He dropped off to sleep as the dealer was whispering something into his ear about making him happy the rest of his life.

Gabriel woke up feeling like there was something he needed to do, something he had to do. Still feeling groggy from sleep, he tried to focus. It was like there was just that one thing he needed to make his life complete, then he remembered why he had woken up feeling like that. He wanted her. It had just been a brief encounter at the arena yet he felt like she was the one he had been waiting for all along. He had dreamt of her and surprisingly, there had been nothing raunchy about the dream, they had simply been walking bare feet along a beach with the waves making splashing sounds as the water hit against rocks and the cool sand beneath their feet. For the first time, he had felt content. He wished he could make the dream continue.

He gradually opened his eyes to find the dealer at the casino smiling down at him from the other side of his bed. At first he frowned, a bit confused then last night's memories came rushing in.

"I can tell you woke happy" she said smiling coyly and he shrugged, she had no idea.

" Look, we're good for each other. I understand you very well and you seem to really see me, like the real me."

A frown was starting to form across his brows, what the hell was she talking about?

She reached over and smoothed away the frown. "It's okay, I know you're scared, I'm scared too. All this is new and scary."

"What the fuck are you talking about.?"

"I love you Gabriel -- and I know you're starting to feel the same way about me to."

"About you or your friend?" He wondered why he even said that but it was worth it.

An ugly snarl formed on her face so that he wondered why he had ever considered her pretty. "You can stop thinking about my friend, she's gay." The dealer spat. "The only reason I brought her here is because she gets her kick out of feeling jealous, it turns her on."

"And demeaning other women turns you on?"

In an instant, she went from being angry to playing the coquette. " Well you want to know something that turns me on?" She ran her finger through the length of his body. "You do."

He sighed and ran hand through his hair. "You know what Susan --"

"It's Sharon!" Her eyes already held unshed tears.

"Sharon. You can go now. I bet you're friend would be happy to see you. I want to think, I have a busy day ahead of me."

The tears spilled over. "You're such an ass hole and you deserve to burn in hell. I hate you - I hate you more than I've ever hated anyone and you don't even deserve a chance at love."

Gabriel shrugged. "That's what I thought." But he was not thinking about her, he was thinking about a certain dark haired woman.

"I hate you!"

" You've said that before."

The dealer burst into tears and he was not sure if they were even real or part of an act. She got up and tried to wrap the duvet around herself to hide her nakedness but he held on to it. "I've already seen you naked before Sheila, several times."

She got off the bed, a look of pure hatred on her face as she walked out of his room. She must have been trying to act dignified but he could see how small being naked in such a manner in front of him made her feel. He shrugged maybe she should taste a piece of the medicine she had been feeding the other woman, what annoyed him was the fact that he could still bring her to his bed that morning and she would come willingly, all he had to do was show the tiniest bit of attraction.

When he was sure the two women had gone, he got up, showered and dressed. He had another long day ahead of him.