King of the Ring

5 | Under Control

Chapter 5

I had woken up at 5am the next morning with drool on my cheek, a splitting headache and no recollection of how I had ended up in my bed. The last thing I remembered from the night before was Hunter and Mateo about to fight each other like savage dogs and then something about getting McDonald's. From the way my stomach was rumbling I assumed that I never quite made it to McDonald's.

Stumbling out of bed I had quickly thrown on some clothes and downed two Advil. I knew that the headache I got from my mother for being late to work would be worse than my current one.

Now I was currently sat at the front desk at work, sunglasses on although we were inside and wishing that I was dead. What had Selena made me drink last night? I swear that I hadn't even been that drunk, however this hangover was killing me.

"Why is the phone ringing in my office and no one is picking it up?" My father suddenly asked, making me jump and lift my head up off of the desk.

I had put the phone on silent as the incessant ringing had been making my head pound.

"Hmm, that's an odd one. Have you tried answering it to make it stop ringing?" I asked my father, making him scowl.

"The last time I recall, I had hired a sassy young girl to answer the phone for me. She's currently not doing a very good job," he said.

"She's currently taking a sick day," I told him.

"Oh, well in that case I won't have to pay her," he said.

I remembered the limited funds in my bank account. "it's a working sick day."

"Daniella why are you hung over?" My father asked me, dissaprovement leaking into his voice.

"Blame Selena," was all I replied, laying my head back down on the desk. 

"Blame Selena? Blame my underaged daughter Selena?" My father asked me with a challenge in his voice. Whoops, I had forgotten about my sisters illegal clubbing habits. Although she had forced me to go out so therefore it was her fault I was hungover I didn't want her to get into trouble. 

Before I could come up with an excuse the last person that I wanted to see today strolled through the door. Mateo wore his usual black sweatpants and grey hoodie. His duffel bag was slung over his shoulder and his signature scowl adorned his masculine face.

"Mateo!" my father exclaimed happily. I didn't understand why my father acted as though Mateo was his favourite child when Mateo acted like a moody teenager with anger issues. Mateo greeted my father with a handshake before glancing over at me. His expression didn't change at seeing my slouched over the front desk with sunglasses on. I was 100% sure I looked terrible and after him saving my ass last night he was the last person I wanted to see right now. I now owed him and I hated owing people favours. They had a power over you and I despised that. 

"Daniella," he greeted in his deep, gruff voice that always made my stomach clench up whenever I heard it. I blamed it on how intimidating I found him as it definitely had nothing to do with his looks. There was something about Mateo that made me unsure of how to feel about him. He had arms so muscular that they were basically the size of both of my legs. Selena had told me stories of how he had the most knock-outs in underground fighting history. He was literally known as El Diablo in the underground fighting world. Raw power oozed from his entire demeanour and I wasn't sure whether to trust him or run in the other direction. 

"Mateo," I replied. Mateo turned to my father and without another word they walked off to their usual training area. I was glad that they were out of my vicinity so that I could lay my head back down on the desk. I needed some more asprin, and a holiday.