Chapter 10
ASHER
The call came in just after seven, which worked out well since Lily was going on another so-called date and I needed a distraction.
She’s lying to me about the fucking date, but I’m hoping eventually she’ll trust me enough to tell me what she’s really doing.
So, while she’s out doing whatever it is she’s doing, I’m heading to my first fight.
The Rough House is located in the warehouse district of Hedgwick. The fight nights are illegally held by a syndicate of underworld figures, and Shiv is the man that runs them with the organisation of a professional fight.
The basement is packed. Mostly with gangsters, but there are also some motorcycle club members and general street thugs, most of which are lads, but there are some chicks around, scantily dressed, with one thing in mind.
Shiv shows me around, explaining that I have to start at the bottom and work my way up in the fights.
Depending on how good or bad I do will determine how many fights I get and at what level of skill they will be.
I guess tonight is kind of like a trial so they can see what I can do, but if I win, I’ll still get paid.
Before coming, I was told I would need an assistant to help strap me, warm me up, and be in my corner during the fights.
I contemplated calling the twins, but I kind of don’t want them to know I’m doing this.
They will see straight past any lie I try to tell them, knowing I’m doing it for money.
Then they’ll insist on giving me a handout to save me from getting the crap beat out of me. So instead, I call my old mate, Gordy.
Gordy and the twins aren’t really buddy, buddy. Gordy was my good mate before I got kept back in primary school, which had something to do with my shitty parents at the time, and then the twins kind of took me under their wing, obviously feeling sorry for the kid that had to repeat a year.
Gordy and I have kept in touch over the years, catching up occasionally, and he’s been helping me out since I got locked up, keeping an eye on things for me and running a few errands.
“Good to see you, bro,” Gordy grins, his red hair tucked away under a cap.
Standing from the bench wearing nothing but shorts, I slap Gordy’s hand.
“You, too. You have any trouble getting in?” I ask, and he shakes his head.
“Nah. My name was on the list, thanks to you.” His eyes travel over my body. “Fuck man. You’re built.”
I chuckle. “Not much else to do in prison.”
“I guess not.” Gordy chuckles and I sit back on the bench.
“Thanks for taking care of things while I was away.”
“All good.” Gordy smirks as he picks up the roll of tape. “Saw your mum out last week. She didn’t look too fucked up this time.”
My gut twists at the mention of my mum, but I cover the discomfort with a nod. At least she’s still alive, I guess.
“Was that fucktard with her?” I sneer, not able to hold back my disdain for Monty.
“Yep.” Gordy nods. “His nose is crooked as fuck now because of you.” Gordy snickers. “Ruined the pretty boy look he had going.”
“Good.” I grin, holding my hands up for Gordy to start strapping. “Next time I’ll make sure he’s unrecognisable.”
“Yeah, man,” Gordy laughs, bobbing his head in approval as he helps me prepare for the fight.
My first fight is with a guy they call Bull. It doesn’t take me long to figure out that he got his nickname because he likes to charge like a fucking bull. There’s no technique to anything he does, and I knock him out before the clock ticks over one minute into the fight.
My second opponent is probably thirty years older than me. I feel fucking bad for punching him, certain that his bones are going to shatter. But he holds his own for a bit, getting in a few good punches, but I eventually put him out of his misery.
I have three more opponents. The next two are easy enough, but the last one is clearly more at my level. The only problem is, I’m his first fight for the night, and he’s my fifth, so I’m fucking exhausted.
He’s a little taller than me, and built ten times bigger, but I’d typically be faster than this guy if I were coming in fresh.
“Game plan?” I snap at Gordy, who just looks at me with wide eyes and shrugs.
“You didn’t hear this from me,” a female voice butts in, and I glance to the side to see Trudi Meyer pressing her tits against Gordy’s arm. “But your opponent has a cracked rib. Front right. Go for that and he won’t be much of a threat.”
While I appreciate the information, I’m a little fucking irked it came from her. I should’ve known trash like Trudi would be lurking around at these fights looking for her next fuck.
“Thanks, Truds.” Gordy smiles at her, his eyes honing in on her overflowing cleavage.
“No problem.” She pushes her chest out further. “We wouldn’t want Asher’s pretty face to get messed up.”
I just grunt at her and glance over at the big dude I’m about to fight. If Trudi’s right, I could end up with a big wad of cash tonight.
“You and your friends hanging around after?” Gordy asks Trudi, and she giggles.
“Of course. You chaps wanna party?”
“Yes.” Gordy says as I say, “No.”
She looks confused for a moment, glancing between us, but then she does that fake fucking giggle again and plants a kiss on Gordy’s cheek.
“See you later.”
As she walks off, swaying her hips, Gordy whistles low. “I heard she likes to be spit roasted.” He glances back at me. “You wanna double team her?”
“No,” I snap, turning my back on him.
I have no interest in easy pussy. I also have no interest in pussy that doesn’t belong to Lily Bennett.
I turn my focus to the fight so I don’t end up with a raging boner from just thinking about Lily, and minutes later, the bell rings and the fight begins.
My opponent goes by the name Bruiser, and I can see why. When he lands an early punch, I instantly see fucking stars. I shake it off quickly, and throw punches, trying to get to his ribs, but the fucker is guarding them well.
We dance around each other, more punches are thrown, as well as kicks, and we finish up in a grapple before the end of the first round.
The second round is much the same, and I’m finding it really fucking hard to push strength into my hits as my exhaustion grows.
I need this fucking fight to end, and soon.
With the way Bruiser is protecting his ribcage, I’m gonna need a different strategy to get to them.
One thing I’ve noticed when he goes down to the mat is that he’s slow in getting up.
He may be built like a brick shithouse, but all that muscle restricts his movements, so I make that my new strategy and try to grapple him back down to the mat.
It takes me two attempts to get the bulky fucker down, but I do, and when he’s struggling to get up thanks to his incredible hulk physique, I launch myself over him and slam an uppercut into his ribcage.
He instantly howls in pain, rearing back, but still not fast enough to block my second punch. I hear and feel the crack of his ribs with that hit, and take the opportunity to slam a punch down onto the side of his head.
He falls hard. His lights are out before his head even hits the mat, and it takes a moment for my hearing to kick in to hear the roar of the crowd as they go ape shit that I just took him down.
“Fuck, kid. You’re brutal.” Shiv chuckles, stepping over Bruiser’s body to hold my hand up as the winner. “You keen to go on the books for regular fights? We won’t stick you with any more amateurs. One fight each week. Only fighting the best. Triple the payout you’ll receive from tonight.”
I give him a nod because, fuck yeah, I want those fights. I want that fucking cash.
“Deal,” I agree, blinking past the blood and sweat pouring over my brow.
As soon as I’m out of the cage, Gordy wipes up most of the blood, and Shiv hands me five grand for tonight’s efforts.
Fuck, if I can get triple that each week, not only will I be able to pay Lily back for my bike and the clothes, but I’ll be able to contribute. She’ll see me as more than a kid.
I need her to see me as a fucking man that can take care of her.
Trudi and her pack of basement whores hang around like a bad smell after that. I spend some time networking. Catching up with old familiar faces and meeting some new ones.
These are not the people I want to be associating with on the daily, but it can’t hurt to have connections. Especially if I want to take down Monty.
Gordy tries to coax me back to his house with all the chicks. Five of them.
Not in the least bit interested, I hand him some money for helping me out before jumping on my Triumph and taking the long way home.
I don’t drive too fast since one eye is a little puffy and hard to see out of. Also knowing Lily won’t be back yet has me taking my time and enjoying the freedom of the ride.
There’s nothing like riding my Triumph, well, other than everything to do with Lily.
When I get back, the house is dark, and I’m not prepared when I step up to the front door to find Trudi fucking Meyer waiting for me.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I snap as she pushes herself off the door frame she was leaning on.
“Naw, don’t be like that, Ash,” she purrs, sounding more whiney than anything. “I’m here to clean you up. Make sure your cuts don’t get infected.”
I narrow my eyes. “You a nurse, are you?”
“No.” She giggles. “But I patch up the guys often. I’ll have you cleaned up in no time.”
“I’m not interested in fucking you. So if that’s what you’re here for, then you can fuck off.”
She flinches, her brows tugging in anger before she softens her expression. “I know, you silly sod. I’m just here to help.”
I probably shouldn’t let her in, but it occurs to me that this could work in my favour if Lily comes home soon, so I unlock the door and let her follow me in, flipping on the lights as I go.
“How’d you know I’m staying here?” I ask as I toss my keys on the kitchen bench.
“Gordy told me. He insisted I come here.”