Free Played by Love (New Adult Romance): A #Played Novella by Rachelle Ayala

Jaden going to the desert to fight them? It made no sense. None at all.

    # # #
    Jaden grabbed a tray of snacks and sodas and surveyed the crowd for Ella. Hopefully she wasn’t upset he’d taken so long. When he’d gone back to the hotel room to get his wallet, he’d spied the drunken men harass another female cosplayer.
    A quick call to Security and a discreet video had been enough to convince the hotel staff to kick the guys out of their suite.
    He texted Ella: Where are you? I’m at the East side entrance near the photo booth.
    Strange, she didn’t seem to be with the Final Fantasy crowd. He spotted Tricia in line for the contest and rushed over.
    “Where’s Ella?” he asked.
    “She’s looking for you.”
    “I shouldn’t have let her out of my sight.” Jaden scanned the room frantically, panic rising in his chest.
    “She’s probably out front. I heard some playacting between a Final Fantasy character and some vampires from Hellsing.”
    “She’s in trouble.” Jaden dropped the food on a nearby table. He dived through the crowd, bumping people and asking, “Anyone seen a Lightning charcter? Where is she?”
    “The Hellsing guys are playing with her. I have it on video.” An Ewok showed him his phone.
    “Let me see, replay it again,” Jaden ordered.
    The guys on the tape told Ella they were taking her to the desert to see him fight. Dammit. They were serious about this. He’d thought it was an idle threat and had brushed them off.
    “Tricia, call my frat brothers.” Jaden dug a grimy piece of paper from his pocket where one of the thugs had drawn directions to the fight. “Take a picture of this and text it to Jax, Kolby, and Vincenzo.”
    “What’s going on?” Tricia gasped. “Is Ella in danger?”
    “They have her.” He spit out the address to a deserted warehouse in the western foothills.
    Around them, various partygoers received text messages and talked about placing bets for a fight in the desert, billing it as Zack Fair against Alucard.
    Fumbling with the keys to his rental car, Jaden ran to the parking garage and jumped in the car. He set the onboard GPS and once he cleared the city traffic, he sped toward the warehouse.
    His cell phone beeped with a message: We have the girl. She says to hurry. She’s one hot chick. Be there if you want to see her before you die.
    Another message followed: No police or we kill her. Fighting is your only chance of saving her.

    # # #
    Tears blinded Ella. She struggled to free her hands and feel for the trunk release mechanism, but the bonds were too tight and her shoulder joints were twisted and aching. Every bump and turn threw her against sharp, hard objects. Without the use of her hands, she couldn’t even protect her face.
    After miles of jostling and bumpy roads, the car screeched to a halt. The doors slammed and someone popped the trunk. Rough hands hoisted Ella up and dragged her to a chain linked fence where they tied her.
    “Let him go,” she mumbled through the dirty gag. “It’s not his fight. Take me, but let him go.”
    The men laughed. “Don’t worry. We’ll have fun with you later and let him watch. Teach him a lesson not to be such a tattler.”
    “You’re not going to get away with this.” She bit the gag, almost choking on her spit, hoping like hell someone had called the cops
    A slap stung her cheek and pain exploded in one eye, stunning her. “Shut it, bitch.”
    They left her whimpering against the fence. More cars lined up, leaving their headlights on to light an elevated loading platform. Ella watched in horror as Jaden stepped from one of the cars. He was still wearing the Zack Fair outfit, including his metal shoulder armor, not that aluminum would afford him much protection.
    “Where’s Ella? Where is she?” He rushed the team of vampires. “I want to see her or I won’t fight.”
    “You don’t have much choice, nerd boy,” the guy with the megaphone said. “Fellas, place your bets. Zack Fairy against