Heart of Redemption (Hearts #2)

38. Liam

Chapter 38

Liam

I couldn’t help but be excited at the fact that my knee was almost fully healed. I was back to playing hockey, I had no heart ache about Margo, and I was hanging out with my best friends.

Chris, Neil, Grayson and I entered through a sketchy tunnel that led to an abandoned warehouse in Brooklyn. There was fire that was lit up and crowds of people that were circled along the cage.

Blood on the floor, people in gurneys. Most people would be scared of places like these, but my friends and I can’t help but love the smell or sweat, blood and tears.

On Wednesdays and Fridays Chris would get a call about a fight, he was the best out of all of us and a lot of powerful men would bid money on these series of brawls.

Chris was one of the most paid ones, random men placed hundreds–– maybe even thousands of dollars on the table.

Every week, Chris got to pick either, Grayson, Neil, or me to be on his duo match. We would both have to fight two other men.

Was this dangerous?

Sure.

But all that ran through our heads was that, it helped Chris put food on the table.

It helped Chris pay off his debts, taxes, and it helped him with Finn’s chemotherapy costs. We would do nothing but fight until we got that money.

Neil’s hangout area had a gym that we would go to, to work out when it came to fights. Chris would help us train after hockey practices if he didn’t have work.

I sometimes wondered what type of energy Chris ran on, because it definitely wasn’t sleep.

“Okay, it looks way more occupied than the last time we were here.” Grayson mentioned in a low monotone.

He looked like complete shit. Ever since Grayson had been shackled by August’s pregnancy, he had been nothing but a total jerk to everyone else.

I was surprised he even showed up today when he hadn’t left the fucking hockey arena running through drills and laps nonstop.

But at the same time, we never missed a fight with Chris, call it our love language towards him.

“Who are we fighting against?” I asked as Chris nodded over to the two men who looked like they had just crawled out of jail.

“Don West and Makati Sibonakaliso.” He attempted to pronounce as I raised an eyebrow.

The boys and I settled on one corner of the cage opening before one of the announcers walked over with a big wad of cash.

“Hey Angelo,” Chris greeted as he shook Angelo’s hand.

“Hey Florence, so listen we got a rare bid tonight from a man named Kai Romano. He’s bidding at least fifty thousand on tonight’s fight if you win.” The announcer whispered as Chris’s mouth dropped.

“That’s like six months of Finn’s chemo treatment paid off.” I beamed as Chris grew skeptical.

“What does this guy do to be spending that much money on an underground cage fight?” Chris inquired.

Angelo shrugged his shoulders, “I heard he owns a shit ton of buildings and companies all over the world. But who cares, if you win tonight, it’s a big reward.” Angelo smiled.

Chris looked at our two opponents once more, before looking back at Angelo, “How much is tonight’s payout?” He asked.

“Five hundred.” Angelo muttered.

Chris handed over a stack of cash over to Angelo.

Angelo patted Chris and I’s shoulders, “You guys got this, the two guys are ex-convicts trying to get some cash to start up their lives again.” He informed.

“What were they in jail for?” Grayson asked as Angelo shrugged.

“All I know is that they might play dirty, so be careful out there, try not to bleed on the cage I just cleaned it up.” He finished of his sentence with a skip and a jump over to his announcer box.

“Well, what’s the plan?” We looked at Neil as he examined the two opponents we were about to face.

Neil grins, “The one with the bald head, I’ve been watching him practice his jabs. There happens to be a very miniscule hesitation on his right foot every time he steps forward, I believe he had an unfortunate childhood injury that weakened him.”

Chris turned to look at the one with the bald head, “Okay, his right foot. I got it.”

“How about the other one?” I asked as Neil tilted his head to watch the other opponent.

“The other one was sparring with another person while you were talking to Angelo. He’s slow with his hits, even slower when he’s on defense. Make sure to keep attacking him, he wouldn’t be able to keep up with the blocks.” Neil finished off as I smirked.

“See this is why you are a part of our group.” I shouldered Neil as he gave a withered look.

“Don’t forget, they’re ex-convicts. Not ballerinas.” Grayson muttered, “Keep an eye out for something they might pull out of their sleeve or waistband.” He added.

“You think he might pull out a shiv or something?” I stuttered as Grayson nodded.

“We can only be cautious.” He admitted as I turned around, Chris’s body had already been in the cage, waiting for the whistle to blow.

MARGO

V erina and I stood outside an old warehouse that made our skin crawl. We heard small noises from things that could only come out during the dark.

Street signs glistened faintly, as two figures moved throughout the alleyway.

“This should be it,” She carefully whispered, “The entrance should be through there.”

She pointed ahead of us, which led to nothing but the dark.

“Are you sure, there looks like there’s nothing over there.” I slightly adjusted my jacket, “I mean this just looks like it’s just, an abandoned warehouse.”

“I think that’s the point” She said, with a dismissive gesture. “I don’t think they would advertise a big illegal fight club with a big sign in the front of the building.”

I rolled my eyes at her as she started to creep along the perimeter of the warehouse, she avoided the main doors with the big bouncers that looked about the sizes of two semi-trucks that leaned against the walls.

“Careful with that pothole.” She warned me as I sighed in annoyance.

Verina navigated her way through a side alley, which was dimly lit by a flickering streetlight. I continued to follow her through a rusted metal door, she tapped it twice and then paused.

She knocked another time.

“I don’t think it’s going to open for us.” I calmly suggested as she looked at me.

“Well, what’s your plan?” She queried as I looked around, I spotted a small metal trash can and picked it up.

I held my breath from the disgusting smell before I threw the trashcan toward the doorknob with so much force that, the knob broke off.

The door creaked opened.

I looked at Verina who looked stunned that my idea had worked. To be quite honest, I was shocked as well.

The hallway that we entered was narrow, the air was thick with the smell of sweat and something metallic. There were faint cheers from afar as the rhythmic thud of fist on flesh grew louder as we walked closer.

“Okay this definitely has to be it.” Verina assured herself.

My jaw tightened, “Let’s go.”

The hallway ended in a large dimly lit space. There was a room where the crowd was alive with movement, and full of noise. We spotted a makeshift cage made out of metallic railings and thick ropes that stood in the center.

It had been surrounded by a roaring crowd. Our eyes centered on Neil, Grayson, and Liam who stood next to the cage.

“Where’s Chris?” She asked me as our bodies froze.

“You’re not going to like the answer.” I muttered as I pointed over to Chris who was in the cage. He was bare-knuckled and bloodied. They traded punches and jabs under harsh yellow lighting.

Everyone in the room seemed to live for the fight. The crowd’s energy was electric, and a mix of exhilaration and danger was in the air as we watched Chris knock his opponent out.

A whistle was blown as Chris hopped out of the cage with a smile on his face and tiny splatters of blood on his bandaged knuckles.

“Florence won against West.” An announcer yelled as the crowd cheered louder.

“Up next, Brookshire versus Sibonakaliso!” He alarmed everyone as people started to walk over to his desk with an enormous amount of cash.

“Bets on Brookshire on the left! Sibonakaliso on the right!” He screamed louder as I jumped backwards.

I felt overstimulated and anxious. At least Verina knew Chris won already, safe and sound. I still had to wait and watch Liam fight a man that looked like John Cena.

A whistle blew, we move deeper into the crowd, we weaved between spectators clutching their cash and drinks. My heart raced as I watched Liam in the cage with his opponent.

Of course, I had seen him throw a punch or two, but I had never seen him like this. I was worried about his knee.

“Stay close,” Verina murmured.

We edged closer to the cage; we tried to be careful not to draw attention to ourselves. The crowd’s cheers surged as Liam delivered an upper cut and for a moment everyone’s focus was on the fight.

I glanced back up at Liam’s opponent who was about to pull out an object from his waistband to help gain an advantage in the fight.

“A knife!” I yelled in a warning tone to Liam who looked around in search of my voice.

His opponent swung at him with the sharp object, Liam quickly punched the sharp object out of his left hand and threw it away from anyone’s reach.

He then punched the other man so hard that the man’s tooth came flying out. The man landed on the floor, unable to get up as the crowd screamed louder than ever.

Liam just knocked someone out. The whistle blew, the announcer began to yell, “Brookshire won against Sibonakaliso!”

I smiled.

“Who are you two?” A tall and lean man with a tattoo of a blue snake coiled around his left arm grabbed the both of us.

“Let go of us, we are here with our friends!” Verina kicked the man.

The man turned back slowly; his sharp eyes narrowed as he sized her up. “I don’t know you,” He said flatly.

“And I don’t really care what you have to say. All I know is that you’re going to be a big reward, when I turn you into the boss myself.” His expression flickered.

I looked around and noticed that Verina wasn’t in my line of sight.

Panic began to rise inside me as he placed added pressure to my wrist which was already bruised up from Ben.

He began to pull me away from the cage, he led me through another set of doors and into a quieter corridor. My heart pounded, half from fear and half from hope.

I had tried to punch him but none of my efforts moved him at all.

The door clicked shut behind us, the man turned, his expression grim. “No one can hear you, shut up.” He voiced.