AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It started the next day when she went round to our neighbor's trailer to confide in him, and it ended when I watched a pastor put her in the ground a year later.
Her ruin came from my rage, and that’s something I’ll have to live with on my conscience forever.
A knock at the door shakes me out of my memory and Jessie doesn’t wait for an answer before he steps inside.
“They’re all ready for ya, ya good?” He looks fucking nervous, and worse, he’s trying to hide it from me.
“No sign of Aut?” I check.
“Sorry, I know you’d prefer him in your corner but…”
“Nah,” I shake my head. “You belong in that corner over anyone.” I slap my best friend on his shoulder and grip at his cut.
Jessie nods back at me sadly, then checks that my wrists and knuckles are bound up tight enough.
“Don’t let the situation beat you up in here, Troj,” his finger taps hard against my temple.
“You go out there and you just do what you do. Don’t think about what’s ridin' on it. It’s just another fight.”
I swallow back the bile that’s stuck to the roof of my mouth and take a breath. Jessie’s right, this is what I do, what I've always done. Tonight is no different. Or at least that’s what I tell myself as I follow Jessie out the door.
Huge flame-lit torches light up the ring and when I look over to seek out Shaniya, I notice that my brothers and all the men from the tribe are standing united now. It gives me a little hope for my future with Shan’s, a future that won’t exist unless I win.
Squealer nods his head at me, letting me know I’ve got this. And when I look between him and Storm, I see her staring at me with the most encouraging smile on her face. I somehow manage to give her one back, before I tie my hair up on top of my head and follow Jessie into the ring.
Cooper stands in the opposite corner to Prez, our numbers don’t seem to intimidate him and the handful of men he brought with him. But when you show up with the king of the west coast, why would you be?
I purposely don’t look at my opponent until I’m standing in front of him, and then once I make that connection, I don’t take my eyes off him. It’s hard to keep the reaction off my face, but I keep my expression hard. Autumn said the guy was big, he failed to mention that he’s an absolute tower block.
“I’ve watched you take down bigger,” Jess whispers reassuringly in my ear, before stepping back.
Cooper decides to make himself ringmaster, stepping into the center of the ring and addressing the crowd.
“We know the stakes, now let’s remind you of the rules. No weapons…” Jessie switches corners with Kullolli’s trainer and pats him down in the same way Kullolli’s does me.
“You’re gonna bleed like a fuckin’ pussy,” I watch Jessie’s lips moving as he speaks, psyching him out before he gives the nod to say he’s clean, and I immediately start bouncing on my toes and stretching out my neck.
“All fighting styles can be used…” Cooper continues to state the rules “…The fight ends upon death.”
The shocked gasps that I hear coming from behind me confirm that I just heard him right.
I make a quick glance at Jessie, whose eyes seethe like a wolf about to pounce, and when I flick them to Prez he looks fuckin’ murderous.
Cooper’s snake-like smile shows the pleasure he’s getting out of our shock.
“That ain’t what we shook on,” Prez steps forward, and Squealer and Screwy instantly hop in the ring to cover his flank.
“You ain't doing this,” Jessie leans forward, speaking into my ear. But I ignore him, keeping my eyes fixed on my opponent.
“We shook on a fight, you never asked me to specify the outcome of it.” Cooper raises his shoulders. “Of course, you have the option to forfeit. I’m thinking of turning that compound of yours back into a resort, perhaps you could visit with the grandkids.” Prez launches forward, and Jessie has to put all his efforts into holding him back.
“Troj,” Shan’s cry sounds out over all the voices behind me and when I turn around, I see her struggling against Storm, he’s got both his arms wrapped around her waist, fighting to stop her from getting to me, and I have to turn back around.
I can’t have her in my head right now. I need to focus. “You can’t do it, tell me you're not going to do it,” she screams out like she’s in pain, and I keep my face blank of emotion despite it killing me on the inside.
Jess says something to Prez that seems to ease him down, and when he gets back to me, I speak up before he has the chance to open his mouth.
“Have Storm get her out of here,” I tell him, and Prez immediately gestures Squealer over with his head.
