Chapter Eleven The Slap
Liberty
I glanced down at my watch. 7:00 pm and I needed to be present to kick ass and get that fucking apology at 8 o’clock sharp. Time to head over to the garage. I was aware of the ring and workout area they had there. Since Connor House had two garages they used one for meetings and workouts. Then they used the other one for a real garage, where they fixed the bikes and cars. Rip was in charge over there as he was the head mechanic.
It seemed odd to see what a well-oiled machine the Walkers really were. Talon and Liv were in charge of operations. Which meant they ran the MC they headed like an army. The combined MC members totaled out to about 40 men. Some stayed in the extra cabins that Connor House had out in the back area. Some stayed in the house itself. There were maybe 30 bedrooms inside the large bed and breakfast. There seemed to be plenty of room since the MC guys doubled up and the families had the larger rooms.
The fact that we all moved here after Deacon moved out was just frosting on the cake of impossibility. Having to flee the ranch due to the threat from Deacon planning to blow it to smithereens, we all ended up here.
Heading outside, I made my way to the garage. I paused to look up at the night sky. I wondered if Belle and I would do any stargazing soon. Probably not. I would be pretty banged up in about an hour and a half, so maybe some other time. I had already stretched and got limber in my room. I would use a bag in the gym-garage to start with a pre-fight workout.
Yes, I was ready to face that I would probably be getting my ass kicked tonight. However, I was no pussy. Ten trophies and a half million dollars told anyone that much. I felt excited actually. I had to admit that even after all the fights I’d had with champions and well known UFC fighters…Fighting Talon would eclipse all those bouts. It was just a fact. The man was famous in the fight genre, especially in the underground leagues.
So honestly, maybe Belle was right. This was dumb on that level, me fighting him for his star status or mine. But I didn”t really see it that way. If the man hadn’t grabbed her wrist or insulted her, I wouldn’t be standing here at the garage/gym door.
It looked like a nice sized ring though. I supposed that many here used the ring just to keep sharp. I didn’t believe that there were many differences amongst the troops here. They all had one common enemy, Deacon and his Russian thugs.
There were at least fifteen men or so present. The ones who’d heard about the bout, I’ll bet. The rest were out on night patrol or sleeping if they had already been on watch today.
I grabbed my gloves from my shoulder then sat on a bench and laced them up. Well, one of them. I looked up to see if anyone was nearby.
Fate stood above me. With a smile on his face, he sat down next to me and laced up my second glove. “You gotta have somebody in your corner, man. All these guys are Talon’s buds.”
I laughed. “You liar, you just came to see me get my ass handed to me.”
“Yeah, there is that too.” He chuckled.
I rolled my eyes as I stood to head over to the Everlast bag area.
While there, I saw Redemption and Justice come in. I knew they would come. All my brothers were super curious about this particular matchup.
After going at the bag for about ten minutes, I knew I was as ready as I would ever be.
Fate came over again and he hit my gloves with his fists. “Go get ”em, tiger.”
“Whoop, whoop,” Justice called from the ringside.
Finally, I stepped up the stairs and climbed into the ring.
Talon was already there and he smirked at me. “You ready, fighter boy?”
“Yeah… I’m ready to hear you say, I”m sorry, asshole.”
He shrugged. “I’m not sorry, asshole.”
I laughed dryly. “You will be apologizing, man. It is that simple.”
He smirked at me as we tapped gloves then danced around the ring while assessing each other.
He seemed to think he’d summed me up as he slid in and hit me up the side of the head.
I shook it off. I’d been hit harder by others but I knew he was just feeling me out. Those punches would get much harder and much worse. I decided to allow him enough ground to show me what he had, before I revealed any of my real skills.
Seeming to again assess me, Talon came at me a second time. Instead of a hit, his leg came swinging around.
I ducked and slid, then stood upright. The man was fucking fast, I’d give him that. I also knew he had at least three other kinds of kicks, if he used that one. I’d seen his type before. Maybe not anyone as good as him, but similar.
We again danced around.
Coming at me, his arm shot out and he got me on the side of my head again, effectively ringing my bell as they say.
Despite, bells ringing in my head, I immediately retaliated with a solar plexus shot.
Talon seemed surprised as he grunted and danced back. He then laughed.
Yeah, there was the same gleam in his eyes as I knew he saw in mine. He loved to fight almost as much as he loved to breathe, the same as me. I knew how this went. Addiction to adrenaline. Pump your fist so your heart would beat. Hear the cheers from the raging bloodthirsty crowd and feel your blood run wild.
Conquer and repeat.
I waited for him to come at me again. When he did, I gave him a roundhouse kick.
To my surprise, he ducked it then came up and gave me the same fucking kick.
I flew to the ring floor. Damnit, the first to slide was usually the loser in the end. And here I was, sliding on my ass. Grunting, I really felt that. However, I ignored it as I decided to counter since he was so close. I lumbered upward to undercut him on the chin.
Spit flew from his mouth as my hit was hard enough to jar his teeth.
He again moved back, then he swung around and kicked me, only it didn’t connect with my jaw, it grazed my shoulder. Before he could get out of the way, I dropped down and swung my leg out to sweep him off his feet. Tackling him, I rolled him over onto his belly. Grabbing his chin in a clutch, I used my best submission move. “Say you are sorry!” I seethed.
“Fuck you,” he replied as he grunted.
His sneering and swearing fed me as I now let loose on him. I jammed my knee into his back repeatedly. “Say I am sorry, Belle!” I shouted.
He shook his head then managed to get out of my hold and knocked me off his back. Standing, he winced a bit and came at me instantly. Punches, kicks and even slaps to my head.
The man was helluva strong and fucking fast as lightning.
I wheeled around and backed up, then came barreling at him. This spear had always been my best finishing move in a lot of my fights.
It worked too as he was knocked off his feet and landed on his back. It would take his breath from him and then I would again get him into a hold. I intended to use my arm breaker this time. Fucker better apologize or I would break his fucking arm. In an instant, I had him down and looped his arm back. “Say you”re sorry, fucker!” I exclaimed as I bent his arm.
Booing groans and men cheering could be heard in the barn.
“Fuck yeah, Liberty!” Fate yelled.
Talon laughed with a grunting. “Fuck you!” he groaned the words out.
Before I knew it, he had forced his body up with me on top and then he swung me around and I hit the ring ropes. Bouncing back off them, I barely managed to stand.
Out of nowhere, he was suddenly there again, kicking me in the mouth.
It split my lip and blood filled my mouth. I dropped down and then lunged up to elbow him in the gut. He groaned loudly this time as we both went down.
Again, I was on him, turning him over, then chin clutching him. “Fucking apologize!”
He raised his head up so hard, it hit me under the jaw forcing me to let go.
More blood poured from my lip as I roared like a fucking beast while attacking him repeatedly with swings and punches.
Staggering back, he looked as crazy as I sounded. Then he raised his arm with two fingers extended.
I knew this would be the Carotid Slap.
Suddenly, we were both knocked off our feet by a loud, swooshing, breathtaking water spray.
Gasping for air, we were being sent to the edge of the ring by the sheer force of what had to be a firehose. Lying there in a large puddle of water, we both kept trying to get oxygen back into our lungs.
Then I heard a low whisper, “Say I am sorry, Belle.”
Looking up, I saw Belle close to the ring, just above Talon’s head as she had been the one to demand this.
Talon grunted in disgust and said, “Fine, I am sorry, Belle.”
She gave him a smile then nodded her head and looked over at me…her smile slowly disappeared from her lips. “Oh, my God! You”re bleeding!”
I laughed and groaned. “No shit.”
“Right?” Talon said as he laughed with me. “Great fight, man. I loved it while it lasted.” He then practicaly somersaulted up onto his feet like a fucking gymnast. Looking around, he asked. loudly so everyone would hear his question, “Who got the fire hose out?”
“Me!”
Talon and I looked over to see Ma Walker.
“Ma…Why?” Talon asked his mother as he looked totally surprised.
“Cause the poor girl was beside herself about her man gettin’ hurt.” She then stared at me. “So I had your father bring it out.”
We looked over at my dad.
He shrugged. “There is nothing I would deny Bea, so I ended the fight a bit early. No worries though, we all saw some good hits from you boys.”
I looked around until I caught Fate’s face in the crowd, then I said, “And I did not get my ass handed to me.”
Fate scoffed as he shook his head at me. “Oh, but you were about to Lib. You were about to.”
“And I will say it again…you are bleeding!” Belle exclaimed as she was in the ring with me now. She helped to sit me upright and yelled out, “Legend!”
I blinked at her in surprise. “You got our doctor?”
“I did,” Belle replied. “You should see your poor face, Liberty!”
“It’ll be okay, Belle. I”ve been worse off.”
Legend was suddenly in front of me. “He’s right. He looks worse than this when he gets up in the morning on a normal day.” He chuckled as he swiped a few cuts with medi-wipes.
Wincing at the little alcohol stings, I shook my head. “I”m good, doc. I don”t even think I got any busted ribs this time.”
“This time?” Belle asked as she looked stunned.
“Yes, Belle. MMA fighter, remember?” I shook my head at her. Then I paused at the concern on her face and it all suddenly hit me. Ma saying ‘she was worried about her man gettin’ hurt.’ Stopping the fight with a fire hose. Then her getting a doctor for me. I reached out and gently took her hand then raised it up to kiss her palm.
Blinking rapidly, she looked startled as she stared at me.
“Thank you, sweet Belle.”
“For what?” She looked confused.
“Caring enough about me to do the things you did.”
She yanked her hand from mine then stood up and peered down at me. “Oh, it wasn’t that. I mean you were doing all this cause of me. I felt guilty is all. Now, it looks like you are gonna be okay.” She glanced over at Legend. “Right?”
He nodded. “Just a few cuts and abrasions, he doesn”t even need stitches this time.”
Nodding at him, she smiled. “Thanks for the favor.” She looked back over at me. “I’m just glad you”re fine. I sure didn’t want you hurt because of me.” Turning, she climbed out of the ring and left the garage.
I think I felt my heart crack a little bit. Wow, I almost wished she would have slapped me for real instead of blowing me off like that. The woman acted like we were strangers at best and she was done with me now. I looked up at Fate.
Fate bit at his lip. “Damn, that was cold.”
“Yeah, it was,” Legend agreed as he placed another bandage over my eye this time. “Too bad she’s lying.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked him as I felt like shit now. All deflated when just a minute ago, I was on top of the world.
“When she came over to me to ask if I would come help you after the fight, she was practically in tears. I mean her coldness just now was super convincing I have to admit, but that’s not what I saw earlier.
“That’s right,” Ma chimed in. “Don’t let her cold and sassy act fool you none, Liberty. That girl is in love with you.”
I shook my head as I stood and leaned on the ropes a little. “Well, we got a problem then, because I don’t think she knows how to love, Ma.”
“Well then, maybe you should show her how.”
I looked over at my dad in surprise that he’d said something like this.
“Take it from me son.” He gave me a firm nod of his head. “If you get your chance, don’t let it pass you by.”