It was late at night and Javier was having dinner in his hacienda when he received word that Santina had arrived. He leaned to the side as his butler whispered the news in his ear. Without a word, Javier waved the man away and continued to eat his dinner. A few minutes later the butler arrived with Santina in tow. Javier, being the cool, calculating man that he was, didn’t look up at her just yet. He continued to eat as she and the butler patiently waited for instruction. Finally, Javier looked up at Santina as he wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin.

“So, you’re finally here.”

Santina nodded curtly. Javier leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing as he folded his hands in front of him. Santina didn’t know what to expect when she would first lay eyes on Javier. He looked different that what she imagined. He was huge, much taller than her she could tell. He had long, dark hair pulled back at the nape of his neck. He had a square jaw and narrow nose. His mouth was wide and severe. But the most disarming thing about his appearance were his eyes. They were brown, a lighter brown than his hair and framed by thick, black lashes. They seemed to strip everything away with the narrowed expression on his face. Santina shifted a little as she stood there, and the corner of Javier’s mouth quirked slightly.

“Well, I suppose I should give you your orders. Jose here will show you to your room. You will wash, change, then report back to me. Jose will show you where.” Javier stood and tossed his napkin on his plate, covering the half-eaten remains, and he left the room without another word.

Jose showed Santina to a room in the vast home where she bathed and changed. When she emerged, Jose wordlessly escorted her through the maze of the house down to a basement. Shouting could be heard from the top of the stairs. As they descended, Santina blinked to adjust her eyes to the dim lighting.

The basement was bare, mostly, and there was a boxing ring set up in the middle. Two men were inside, both bloodied, bruised, and wearing nothing but trousers. They looked exhausted and desperate. There was a crowd of men surrounding the ring, cheering them on. Javier could be seen in the shadows looking on. The two in the ring swung their bare, bloodied fists at one another. Finally, in a burst of adrenaline, one of the men threw a punch to one side of the other’s face, forcing him to his knees. The man began beating him ferociously until finally his opponent fell to the floor, not moving. The crowd roared with satisfaction, their bloodlust gratified.

Javier stepped forward, clapping. The crowd parted for him as he walked up to the edge of the ring. Resting his hand on the barrier, he announced to the crowd, “We have a newcomer amongst us. Time to show her the ropes!” Eyes swiveled over to Santina as she stood at the edge of the room. The men were quiet as they eyed her, almost as if they were visually measuring her worth.

Javier stepped over to a very large man with a bare chest and shaved head. His muscles were rigidly roped around his frame, to the point where he looked disproportionate. Javier clapped his hand on the man’s shoulder and murmured to him. The man stepped into the ring, not taking his eyes off Santina, a hungry expression on his face.

Santina squared her shoulders and took a moment to plait her dark hair behind her head, twisting it at the nape of her neck. Then she confidently stepped forward and took her place in the ring.