Chapter 30
“I’m sorry, Ty. I’m so sorry,” Mario babbles, his hands shaking and his nose running as he slobbers. I can’t focus on him right now though. He’s been trying to apologize and get me to see why he’s done this for the past twenty minutes.
I focus on my push ups, warming up my muscles and stretching out.
The earth floor makes the adrenaline surge through me faster. I didn’t want to be here again. I didn’t think I’d have to be. I thought I’d fucking finally left this shit behind.
“Terecino,” Mario starts up again, but I snap at him. My jaw shuts quickly at him as I growl.
“Shut up. Shut. Up. Shut the fuck up, Mario!” I yell, crowding his space. “I’m in this shit because of you. I’m…” I point at him in anger, but I stop immediately when I see him flinch. Sweat rolls down the side of his face, running parallel with a tear.
“I’m sorry, I just… I lost my way.”
“You’re damn right you did.” I shake my head.
“And I’m the one that’s going to pay for it.
Like always. After this, after I save your ass again, you are to get the fuck out of my life.
You all are. I don’t want to hear from Mom, from the boys, from you.
All you guys do is use me and I’m fucking done with it. ”
Mario’s eyes widen for a good seven seconds after I stop talking. Like his drug-laddened brain finally caught up with what I’m saying.
“Ty, wait, please,” he begs, but I step back out of his reach.
“Get the hell away from me,” I say with a growl and turn away from him. Turning my back on my brother for the last time.
I stalk towards the decrepit bathrooms of the Underground, pissed and frustrated that I’m in this situation.
Mickey’s deal was that I enter as his fighter in the ten thousand dollar fight at The Underground. If I win, he keeps all the winnings and he’ll consider both debts paid.
Ten fucking thousand dollars… It’s gotta be a hell of an opponent for a bag that big.
I shake the nerves off and turn the small sink as cold as it’ll go before cupping my hands and splashing my face.
Roxie. For Roxie. Even if I get fucked up, she’ll be free. Finally. Finally. All I want is for her to be happy.
I look in the broken mirror and crack a small smile at the man staring back at me.
She sacrificed for me before, this time, it’s my turn. Whatever it takes.
Whatever it takes.
The crowd fucking swarms around the makeshift ring and the energy is amazingly charged. Everyone can tell there’s something big going on and it’s feeding into itself.
That energy can either work in my favor, or bite me in the ass.
Mario’s standing by Mickey, not allowed to leave until I fulfill his debt. Mario won’t stop watching me though, a sad desperation in his eyes. He’s giving me the same face he usually does when he’s trying to get me to do what he wants.
He wants forgiveness, but that’s not happening.
The lights dim around us, signalling the fight’s about to begin, and I thumb the worn leather cord around my wrist. Roxie.
Roxie, please understand, I beg her silently and toss up a half prayer-half hope that I’ll survive this with my life intact in order to explain.
I haven’t lost a fight yet, and I definitely don’t plan on starting tonight.
Mickey’s eyes are trained on me as both of his eyebrows shoot up and his eyes fill with a sick delight. The crowd starts to cheer and boo, alerting me that my opponent has arrived. Normally, they’re already standing on the other side of the ring when the fight starts, so I’m even more on edge.
Something is really wrong.
The crowd gets louder and starts to part as my opponent gets closer. I strain to see who it is over the crowd, but whomever it is is shorter than I am.
“Oh my god, ai dios mio,” I hear Mario gasp in agony and falls to his knees.
“And now the show can really begin,” Mickey says with a humorless laugh. “You both owe me a debt. Now we see who pays it off and who dies trying.”
“What are you a fucking Disney villian?” I roll my eyes and pull my shirt over my head, tossing it on the ground. “It’s damn ironic seeing as you’re named after the mouse.”
Mickey’s nostrils flare in anger and I try my best not to smirk, but I can’t help it. I got him with that one. One last fucking dig.
It’s probably not smart to piss him off even more, but I throw my hands out in a ‘what are you going to do about it’ way and jump in place to keep my muscles warm.
The crowd screams get even louder and the Ringmaster’s sound equipment gives feedback. Whincing, I look over in annoyance before my breath catches in my throat.
No.
I see a distinctive hairstyle in the sea of heads. Half white blonde, half-black, braided in boxer braids tight to the scalp.
No. No, no, no, no.
My heart beats faster as I drink her in, eyes widening in terror.
This is what he meant. This is what he wanted.
Roxie and I…to fight each other.
“No,” I say out loud, turning angrily towards Mickey. “Are you out of your fucking mind?” I rush him, grabbing him by the shirt, not caring in the slightest about making things worse. “I should kill you.”
“You won’t,” Mickey laughs, rolling his eyes. Gripping his shirt tighter, I start to lift the son-of-a-bitch up so he has to stretch out not to look like a fucking toddler. My knuckles turn white as I pull him higher.
My whole body feels like it’s on fire. Hot and ready like an iron ready to strike. I can’t believe this.
“I want to,” I snarl, dropping my voice so that it’s hard to hear over the crowd. Roxie’s eyes widen as she sees me. I can see the exact moment it clicks in her head as to what’s happening. And she starts backing up, a big tall fucker grabs her shoulders, locking her in place.
“I’m not fighting her.” My voice doesn’t sound like my own.
“Oh ho ho,” Mickey guffaws, shaking his head and knocking my forearms in an attempt to shake me off.
Reluctantly, I let him go, only so that I have both hands free to knock out the motherfucker that’s still touching Roxie.
“I do believe you will. She’s fighting to keep you from being killed, from that pathetic little tattoo shop from being burned to the ground, from your family from being in my debt for the rest of their lives.
You know with all the shit your family’s gone through since poor ole papi died.
” My jaw clenches as he speaks ill of my father.
“I’m sure your mom would sell your brothers to me if it meant that her lifestyle wouldn’t change. ”
“Shut your fucking mouth,” I snap, not knowing which part of that I’m more mad at. That I’m forced to fight the love of my life to keep my so-called family and my true brother Asher safe, or that Roxie fucking agreed to it.
Protecting me at the expense of her own life.
I thought we were fucking past that.
Not that I can say much because I’m here doing the same thing.
“I’m not fighting her,” I repeat. My words are strong, hard and solid because there’s absolutely no fucking way I’m hitting the love of my life. No matter what is at stake.
I will not bring harm to her.
I’m so… I’m so fucking defeated that I thought I was protecting her from Mickey. That I thought I was keeping her safe, and all I did was send her right to him.
“Tell me what do you think will happen to her debt and your brother’s if you don’t?” Mickey cocks his head to the side. “Here, let me tell you.” He crosses his arms over his chest in effort to look bigger, but all it does is make him look like he’s trying too hard.
The jealous little shit.
“If you don’t fight, and actually fucking fight to win, then her debt doubles. And your poor little brother… He’ll be my bitch for the rest of his life.” Mickey’s eyes widen like he’s excited for the possibility.
“And if she doesn’t fight?” My heart jumps at the idea that maybe I can take on her fight too, maybe I can keep her out of this all together. A loophole, a workaround. Something. “I’ll fight in her place. Give me all that she’s working for and when I win, she’s free.”
Mickey gives me the biggest condescending look and pouts mockingly. The crowd around us is so loud; getting antsy about the fight that’s now late. My eyes dart over to Roxie, my girl, the love of my life.
She looks so worried. So trapped. So angry. I can see the way her fight is still there. The fire blazing in her eyes, but she’s hiding it. Those gorgeous brown eyes lock onto mine and she shakes her head.
There’s no way around this, is there?
“What you’re not understanding is either way, I win.
One of you is down, hurt and broken, and the other makes me my money.
Either way, your family is going to belong to me.
Either way,” he steps in closer and speaks as close to my ear as he can get because he’s a short fuck, “neither of you is surviving tonight. I might keep her around longer, just for one last fuck for old times sake, but by sun up, you’ll both be worm food. ”
I swallow, hard.
Think, Ty, think. There’s always a way.
My hand drifts to my wrist, thumbing the leather cord here softly, like I always do when I’m needing her. Needing centered.
“I’m not fucking doing it,” I growl. “The moment I get close to her I’m telling her exactly what you’re up to.”
Mickey’s eyes narrow. “No, I don’t think you will.
” His eyes dart over to the corner behind me, and there, in the rafters, I see the slight shifting of metal.
I wouldn’t have noticed it had it not been pointed out to me, but there, right in the shadows, someone is crouched and pointing a gun right at Roxie.
“You’re a fucking psychopath,” I say softly, all the fight leaving my body.
“Aww, thank you.” He tilts his head and smiles like I just gave him a complement. “Now get out there and make sure she actually fucking fights you, or I’ll tell him to shoot.”
Why didn’t I call Asher? I grit my teeth and nod.
“Fine.”
Mickey’s eyebrows raise as a dark smile grows slowly on his face.
“That’s a good pet.”