Chapter 2 #2
“Fine. Tonight only, we’ll see how it goes and then discuss other fights,” Ringmaster says, taking the starter cash I threw down.
“Understood,” I say with a sharp nod and turn back to where Asher stands, rolling his shoulders and taping his knuckles. That’s the only kind of protection we get down here. One layer of athletic tape. Everything goes except weapons.
I’m not fucking lying when I tell you it’s dangerous down here.
“He go for it?” Asher asks, never looking away from the guy standing across the way, waiting for our fight to start.
“Tonight only. He said he’d see about the next one.”
“That’s good though. All I have to do is knock this guy out and get the cash. One more name to add to the list.”
“You got this, Asher,” I tell him, trying to hype him up and get him in the right headspace. I don’t like talking before a fight, it breaks my focus, but Asher, he needs reassurance. This kind of life, it’s not what he wants. So I need to remind him that this isn’t forever.
“One more fight, get the money, let’s go home. This is just a means to an end, man.” I remind him, and he nods, setting out his jaw to the side.
“Just a means to an end,” he repeats under his breath.
“Know. React. Believe,” I say the mantra we’ve said to each other before every fight, it’s become somewhat of a good luck charm.
Asher looks at me and nods.
“Know, react, believe,” he repeats and pulls his shirt off, handing it to me. “I got this.”
“Damn fucking right you do.” I smack him on the shoulder and the buzzer goes off, officially starting the fight. It’s not going to be a long one, I can tell that right now.
As much as I don’t like fighting, Asher really doesn’t like it. But he’s damn fucking good at it.
The fight lasted exactly two rounds. Asher must have been keeping track while also kicking his opponents ass. I mean, come on. He’d never brag like that, but it’s kind of annoying how powerful he is.
I see Asher knock the guy out–the guy who is no doubt at least seven years older than him–and walk back towards me. He tips his head up and I know it’s time to go get the cash. With the crowds down here, we never know if they’ll change on us, so we get the fuck out fast.
I’ve never had a crowd turn on Asher or myself yet, but I’ve seen it happen.
Ringmaster looks at me approaching with a shocked, but impressed, expression before he purses his lips and crosses his arms.
“His cut, and our winnings,” I snap as I look up into his ‘nest’.
“That was impressive,” Ringmaster says calmly, counting out the money Asher won. Our bet made at least seven hundred and the two percent cut is close to a grand, if not more.
“People should stop underestimating us.” I straighten my back and roll my shoulders to appear even taller.
“Noted.” Ringmaster nods, and sets down a fat stack of cash.
“Here’s the winnings from the bet you placed.
$745, and the cut that was promised; $1,250.
” It takes everything in my body not to react.
That’s more than we were thinking. It’ll put at least a little more food on the table while I’m building my name up down here to help.
“Thanks,” I grumble, taking the money and stuffing it into the pocket of my zipped hoodie.
“When’s his next fight?” Those grey, too-interested eyes narrow at me as he asks.
“Two days.”
“I’ll give him a four percent cut if he TKO within the first round.”
My eyebrows shoot up. That’s quite the offer.
“And if it takes him a few rounds?” I ask, not because I think it will take him long, but because it’s always good to get all the stipulations before agreeing to anything.
“Then it drops. Each round, it drops a percent.”
“Understood. I’ll discuss it with Phoenix and let you know.”
“You do that,” he scoffs and turns away to count the money for the next winner. It’s a good deal, but ultimately, it’s Asher’s decision.
I quickly make my way back through the crowd and get to where Asher’s being screamed at by someone’s hype man.
“You’re just a fucking kid! You don’t get to walk away from this!” A greying older guy stands in Asher’s face, pointing at his chest aggressively. I step in between them and shove him off.
“Back off, asshole! He won fair and square. Your guy is still laying on the ground, maybe you should make sure he can fight when he wakes up,” I growl, tossing Asher his shirt before turning and forcing Asher to leave. We don’t need to be here anymore.
“The guy’s not moving, Ty,” Asher says, looking back as we push through to get to the entrance. A set of rickety stairs that lead up to a hallway before getting to the bunker door.
“He’s fine,” I say, hoping that I’m not lying.
“He’s not moving.”
“He’ll be fine, Asher. We have to get out of here.”
“Did I kill him?” Asher slows, but I force him to keep climbing. Pushing him forward with both hands on his back, he’s sweaty and a big fucker, but slowing down to make sure his opponent is okay is not in the cards tonight. Not when I can see the crowd getting restless from here.
“No, you didn’t,” I snap, and sneak a look under my arm, gulping. Hoping and praying to whatever deity there is watching us that Asher did not kill anyone. He wouldn’t be able to handle that. I don’t think I would eithter. “Keep fucking going,” I snap.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I see his opponent roll to his side and hold his head, but stand up with the help of his friend.
“Thank fuck. Oh god,” I mutter.
“What?” Asher says, looking back. “That was too fucking close, man.”
“You didn’t know that he couldn’t handle it.”
Asher doesn’t respond, just pushes open the bunker door. He looks at me with wide eyes that tell me he’s fucking terrified.
And we run.
“I can’t do this anymore, man.” Asher’s losing it.
He’s stressing out and letting me see him break down for the first time since his mom left.
“Every single thing is stacked against me. My entire upbringing, mom walking out, Hunter hating my fucking guts.” He pulls at his long hair as if pulling his hair out could help.
“Working so fucking much that I get maybe three hours of sleep a night, and now… I thought I killed that guy, Ty. What if I had killed that guy? I can’t, I can’t—” he mutters over and over.
I take his arms that he’s holding in front of his face as if he’s blocking a punch and shake him slightly.
“You didn’t, Ashe. You didn’t. This isn’t going to be forever. It won’t.”
“My life… It's on fire. Everything is burning to the ground and there’s not one thing I can save,” he says, shaking his head. He’s not crying, but I wouldn’t judge him for a millisecond if he did. He deserves to be able to break down.
“Asher,” I start, taking a deep breath, “De las cenizas.” From the ashes.
“What does that mean?” He shrugs, shaking his head at the same time, well and fully done.
“It means, from the ashes. When everything burns to the ground, a phoenix rises from the tragedy. Good things are coming for you Asher, I know it,” I say kindly, putting my hand on his shoulder.
Asher stares at me, understanding dawning in his blue eyes as he fully understands what I’m trying to say.
“And I’ll be here every step of the way to help you succeed,” I vow, holding my hand out in front of my chest.
“Right back at you, Ty. My success is yours.” He takes my hand and we shake, before he pulls me in for a hug. “Thank you.”
“No, Asher, thank you.”
The next morning after tossing and turning on the most uncomfortable couch all night, I’m surprisingly alert and excited for school.
This never happens.
“Come on, Asher,” I groan, standing at the front door with Hunter, “We’re going to be late.”
“That never bothered you before.” Asher steps out of the bedroom he shares with Hunter, hair still wet from his shower and dark circles that I know I have just as badly under his eyes.
Yeah, well I didn’t have a delightful little morsel of a girl in my homeroom before, I think.
Outwardly, I shrug and roll my eyes.
“The walk isn’t going to get quicker,” I say and huff out a breath, opening the front door, ushering the Lee brothers out of the house.
“Okay, okay, pushy.” Asher locks the door and pockets his keys. “What the hell has gotten into you?”
“Nothing, just excited to get to school.” I put my hands on the straps of my backpack and start walking.
“Do you think there’s a girl?” Hunter whispers to Asher and my shoulders bunch up.
“I think there might be.”
Let them gossip. I’m just excited to get a glimpse of her again.