16. Ari
Chapter 16
Ari
I felt like I was back in school again, sitting in the principal’s office with a disappointed teacher and an angry dad demanding answers for why I roundhouse kicked Stacy Burnham in the face during gym class.
That answer was simple: she’d mouthed off one too many times and got what she deserved.
The current one? A fuck ton harder to navigate.
Especially since my favorite three guys in the world sat before me, each with a different pinched expression. It was like a gradient of frowns, starting with a little tug of Lotto’s lips and ending with a half-moon sneer on Frankie’s.
Ever since we’d stepped into Smiley’s office, and I plopped down on my messy desk, it had been awkwardly quiet. We didn’t know who was going to break first. Part of me hoped it was Frankie, apologizing for being a dick over the past few days. Or maybe Lotto, who usually worked us through tough situations. Unfortunately, they all stared at me, waiting for me to be the first to crack.
When the silence grew too heavy, I smiled awkwardly. “Should I start a prayer or something?”
“You can get on your hands and knees later.” Frankie leaned back in the leather chair. I shivered at the hooded look he gave me. “Got other things to talk about now.”
“Hard to do when no one is talking.”
“Remember how you asked why I didn’t want you in the ring?” Bones questioned.
I nodded, and he sighed.
“Your turn. Why do you want to step into the ring?”
“And don’t say it’s for us.” Lotto eyed me with a raised eyebrow. “Because that’s what you’re about to say, isn’t it? To protect us?”
My smile was laced with my guilt. Busted. “Then what do you want me to say?”
“The truth,” Frankie said. “Why the hell did you accept Troy’s offer? I thought you were trying to keep Smiley’s legit.”
“I was. And I still am.” I drew a deep breath to stay calm. “Look, this is the only way to keep going. I hate being under Troy’s thumb just as much as you all do. I didn’t want to say yes.” I looked between the three of them before sighing. “But the options were limited. To keep this place from being another damn parking lot, I had to do something.”
The room was quiet for a moment as the guys considered my answer.
Lotto snorted. “And now the real reason, angel. Go ahead.”
I chewed on the side of my cheek before blurting, “I want to kick Misty Perk’s ass. I fucking hate that bitch.”
Frankie’s laugh warmed me. At least I’d broken the tension with my admission. I didn’t realize how tired the events of the past two days had made me until I slumped forward slightly, fatigue etched into my bones. Well, more than fatigue. I still had evidence of convincing Bones all over my chest and filling my holes. Whenever Lotto’s eyes flicked to my hickies and bruises, he smirked. I’d have to thank him later.
“Get in line,” Frankie answered and flexed a fist. “This punch has Jace’s name all over it.”
Bones turned to Lotto. “Are they still posting shit?”
“Did they ever stop?” Lotto didn’t even bother pulling out his phone. I had a feeling he’d seen enough of their bullshit to recite it from heart. “Doubled since Ari agreed to the contract. It’s all the same shit. ‘We’re the best.’ ‘Mess with the bull you get the horns.’ Other stupid southern shit in case you forgot Jace is a cowboy at heart. They’re talking big game to rile us up.”
“Then talk back,” I offered with a smile. “Misty should know what she’s dealing with.”
“And so should you.” Frankie sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “The cage isn’t like normal boxing. There’s no rules. Until someone’s peeled off that mat, anything goes.”
“Especially at Heathens Hollow.” Bones ran a thumb over the tattoo of his namesake on the back of his hand. “Troy isn’t going to call a fight unless someone’s about to die on his property. Not that it’s stopped him before.”
“I don’t have to follow those rules, though. Right?” My leg started bouncing against the floor. “I could keep it legit.”
“If you want to die, sure,” Lotto added. “You’re going to have to break the rules, angel. Get dirty. It’s the only way to win.”
“A simple KO isn’t going to be enough for these pricks,” Frankie agreed. “Troy wants a show. Which is why Perk’s Gym is a complete pain in our asses right now.”
“It’ll be a show regardless of how I win.” I smirked. “And yes, I’m going to win. I know it won’t be easy, but Dad taught me everything he knew, and I want to make him proud. In the right way. As clean as possible.”
“He’d be proud of you anyway, Ari.”
My breath hitched at how sincere Frankie sounded. I glanced at the picture of Dad and me that sat on the edge of my desk. I kept the reminder there so I knew what I was fighting for. Taking on Misty was no different. Everything I did, I did for him and his legacy.
“Circle back to that when you see my blocking,” I teased to keep from crying. That was Dad’s specialty. The best offense was a solid defense, or so he always said.
“We’ll have to see Misty’s, too.” Lotto patted his front pocket where he kept his phone. “She might try to keep it as legit as possible, since she’s a boxer.”
“Yeah, but she’s training with River and Jace now. Boxing background or not, we don’t know what she’s going to be like in the ring now.” Bones stared directly at me, his jaw tightening. “You have to be prepared for anything.”
“Well, that’s why I have the best trainers in all of Seattle,” I joked.
“I wouldn’t go that far.” Lotto shifted his gaze over to Frankie. Clearly, there was something there I didn’t know about.
“I didn’t say what kind of training.” I fluttered my lashes at the three boys. Each of them shifted in their seats. A flash of power ran through my veins, but I tempered it with a small shake of my head. We could focus on the extra-curricular type of training later. Right now, I needed to focus on the actual fight at hand. “So you’re going to help?”
“I have conditions,” Frankie growled.
I tried not to roll my eyes. Of course he did. “All right, shoot.”
“We find you a fight beforehand. You need to know what you’re getting into.”
“Sure.”
“You scope out a few other fights in the meantime,” Lotto added. “See how they move around the ring and how they cheat. No bets. Just observation.”
“Fair.” It sounded boring as hell but gave me an excuse to go support Bones and really see how he changed in the ring.
“You don’t complain. At all.” Frankie’s jaw tightened. “My training is going to fucking suck, Ari.”
“Trust me. I know,” I teased and kicked a leg out toward him. “I’ve told you that you could be a little nicer. Teo nearly pisses his pants every time you come close.”
“Because he needs to be better, and so do you.”
I blew out a breath before nodding. “No complaining out loud.” When Frankie narrowed his eyes, I grinned. “I’m going to cuss you out in my thoughts, Frankie. Better to know it now.”
“One last thing,” Bones said. We all turned our attention to him. “This doesn’t come between us. Training is one thing. Our relationship is another. What happens on the bags stays on the bags.”
A content silence enveloped the room. Though we all nodded silently, I knew we were thinking the same thing. At the end of the day, the four of us were more than aching bodies and militant training.
“And—” Frankie began.
I let out an annoyed ‘ugh’ . “Am I in boarding school or something? For a place with no rules, you’re giving me a million.”
He ignored me and gripped the edge of his chair. “If I say you’re done, you’re done.”
“I won’t agree to that,” I answered immediately.
“If you want to do this, you have to trust me.”
“And you have to trust me .” I stood up from the desk. “I’ll know when I’m done and tell you. Deal?”
Lotto nodded, but Bones and Frankie looked less than enthused at my proposal. Eventually, Bones sighed and ran a hand over his stubbly chin, his sign of agreeing. Frankie shrugged and muttered something I couldn’t hear. Probably for the best, because if he was being an asshole again, I didn’t think I could hold my tongue. Begrudging agreement was still agreement, and I wasn’t going to blow this now.
“So when do we start?” I set my hands on my hips and smiled. “Time for beers and burritos?”
Frankie checked the watch on his wrist. “Next week. When are the contractors coming?”
“Tomorrow. They said their usual turnaround time is five weeks, but they can get it done in three to three and a half, if we’re lucky.”
“I guess that’s what a few extra grand gets you.” Lotto smiled and stood. “That will give me time to set up a makeshift area out back.” He practically looked like a kid in a candy store. “If we’re going to mess with Perk’s Gym, we need to make it look good.” He narrowed his eyes and his lips curved up when he added, “You already fit the bill, angel. Though I’d suggest a thin turtleneck to hide evidence of a certain agreement.”
I flushed hot as every pair of eyes landed on my marked-up chest. Different emotions twisted their faces—Lotto’s with satisfaction, Bones’ with pride, and Frankie’s with jealousy. I flicked my hair over my shoulder and leaned my butt against the desk.
“But where’s the fun in that?” I teased. “We’re trying to get followers, aren’t we? A few very obvious bruises on my chest would certainly get people talking.”
“Put the shirt on, Ari,” Frankie growled as he stood. “And meet here on Monday if you’re ready. Maybe that will give you time to change your mind.”
Frankie turned to leave, and I called after him. “If you’re jealous, you could come cover them up yourself!”
His answer was a very pointed middle finger and the slam of the office door.
Lotto shook his head. “He’s going to take that out on you on Monday.”
“Let him.” I smiled. “It means he agrees.” That was all I wanted and all I really cared about.
“He was always going to come around,” Bones said with a little chuckle. “He loves you too much to say no.”
“And I love him. And you guys. Thank you.” I sighed. I didn’t know how else to express my gratitude to them without seeming overly sappy, so that would have to do.
“Let’s get going.” Lotto clapped his hand on Bones’ shoulder. “You’re coming to help me prep.”
“Aw man, I wanted burritos and beers.” Bones winced as he stood. “Sounds better than whatever you have planned.”
“You don’t want your reward?” At Lotto’s honey-laced question, Bones straightened. Lotto chuckled and shot me a look that promised much more than simple ‘prep.’ “See you soon, angel. Don’t stay too long.”
“I won’t,” I promised.
The office grew completely silent after they were gone. I leaned back on my hands, staring up at the ceiling. It felt good to have their blessing. Heathens Hollow would be nothing with Bones, Frankie, and Lotto in my corner. Tension released from my shoulders, and I glanced down at the picture of Dad and me with a small smile.
“Wish you were here to see me kick ass, Dad,” I told the grinning man in the picture. “I’m ready to make you proud.”