Page 59 of The Corruption of Hollis Brown

“What do you think?” Jorge snapped.

Walt ignored him and looked to Timothy again.

“If I win, can I leave?”

Timothy glanced at Jorge, then shrugged.

“I don’t . . . really see that happening,” he said without an ounce of malice. “But, I guess.”

Jorge turned on him quick. “That shouldn’t be a question. You think I’m a worse fighter than James? James had him on the ground and you think I can’t?”

Timothy put his hands up and took a step back, closer to James.

“I got him down here, what else you want from me?” he muttered. “Chill.”

James sucked his teeth. He was chewing on a lollipop stick and sitting on the back of Will’s sofa.

“You got a problem too?” Jorge snapped.

James tilted his chin up, looked at Jorge from under his lashes. “S’not a fair fight, is all.”

You’re really calm, Hollis said.

I think that guy has a pack of cigarettes in his left pocket, Walt said inexplicably. Maybe a lighter too.

What? Why does that matter? Do you think he’ll share with us after he beats us half to death?

Hollis felt the thrill of Walt’s amusement.

“I don’t like people thinking you got the jump on me. You didn’t,” Jorge was saying.

“I know,” Walt said. “The cops came to my house about it. Why do we have to do this? Can’t you just leave me alone? I don’t even care if you date Annie—”

“Oh, we’re way past that now,” Jorge said dangerously.

Timothy sighed loudly. “Can you guys just get this over with?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Jorge snapped.

“Okay, fine, we’ll fight,” Walt said, eyes glued to Jorge’s pockets. “But after this you have to stop bothering me. Completely. I’ve never had any problems with you, and technically you shouldn’t have any problems with me. Half the people in this room have had good reason to beat my ass, and they did. But you’re not one of them, Jorge. So, let’s just get this over with.”

There were a few laughs in the crowd, and Jorge did not like that.

He lunged at Hollis, but Walt moved back quick, faster than Hollis anticipated.

“Promise you’ll leave me alone after this or there’s no point to it.” Walt looked back at the crowd and pulled a face that got a few more laughs.

“I’ll leave you alone. After they scrape your ass off the floor,” Jorge yelled.

“Great.”

Walt snapped Hollis’s arm out lightning quick. His fist was loose.

Hollis was sure he was about to slap Jorge, which would have been funny and probably hurt his hand a bit. A nice appetizer to a beating that was certain to land them in urgent care, yet again.

Instead, Walt’s knuckles collided with the side of Jorge’s head with a sickening crack, and Jorge fell like a sack of meat.

He didn’t move.