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I nod, warning him with my eyes to back off before he gets himself hurt, but it’s Rodriguez who forcibly manhandles him out of the way. Hudson puts up a fight, throwing a punch that hits Rodriguez on the chin and forces him back against the door with a loud crash.
“Maybe Hudson has more than just smarts,” Carter says, a note of respect in his voice as Rodriguez retaliates and the pair get into a brawl. “Wonder whether he’d be up to fight in the cage?”
“Absolutely not!” I exclaim, moving towards the door so I can break up the fight then put a stop to the one in the cage.
Carter laughs, snatching my arm and yanking me back against his chest. “Yeah you’re right, I can’t have that pretty head of his losing any brain cells. I think he’ll come in handy down the line.”
“Useful how? What are you—?”
My question is cut short when Mark appears from the crowd and strides over to the pair, forcibly pulling Hudson off Rodriguez. Hudson’s face is pitted with rage and he spits out a glob of blood before casting his gaze to me. I shake my head, warning him not to continue, but it’s only when Mark drops his mouth to Hudson’s ear that he finally backs off. That and the fact Mark has a gun pressed against his side. With one last look at me, Hudson grits his jaw and follows Mark to the other side of the room, disappearing from view.
“Carter! What the hell is Mark doing?” I ask, panic crawling beneath my skin.
“Don’t worry, Mark won’t shoot him. Like I said, he’s going to come in useful in the future. Mark will escort him home. Make sure he gets back safe and sound,” Carter says, but that doesn’t reassure me in the slightest. It only concerns me more. Hudson’s a good guy. He’s working hard to get himself and his brothers out from beneath the stigma of being a child in care. Crime is the road he never wants to walk down.
Another roar from the crowd has my gaze snatching back to the cage. Beast has just slashed his knife right across Derby’s chest, spilling blood that sprays across the canvas as they continue to fight.
“Dad, you’ve got to believe me. End this.”
“See, here’s the thing, Grim. I don’t fucking believe you. I know Beast touched what’s mine!” he replies sharply, grabbing the back of my neck and forcing me to watch the fight.
“Dad…” I plead, hating the way my voice gives me away. This is all my fault. Every part of it. “There’s nothing going on!” But even to my own ears it sounds false.
“DON’T BULLSHIT ME!” he roars, squeezing my neck tighter, his fingers digging painfully into my skin. “Now watch the fight!”
“Don’t do this,” I argue.Beg, actually.
“This is for your own good, but if you fight me on this then I will go out there right the fuck now and shoot him in the motherfucking head,” he hisses into my ear. “Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” I whisper, giving Beast the only chance I can because Carter is many things, but a liar isn’t one of them. Beast has to win this fight so that together we can convince Carter he’s wrong.
It’s the only chance he has. The only chancewehave.
As my gaze lands on Beast, I silently mouth the words he’d uttered just minutes ago inside the cage, sending a silent prayer to the man I love.
“Tales you win, heads you lose, and the fighters of Talesneverlose.”
He has to win.
He has to.
