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As soon as the sound hit my ears, I jumped up, landing on my feet as I took stock of the clean guy walking across the threshold. The smirk on his face irritated me, so I ran up to him, jumped, and punched him as I brought all of my weight back down.
He was knocked out on the spot, and I was left without anyone to fight.
Until another man stomped into the ring. He roared, his arms bulging. He worked out, that much was clear, but it meant nothing when it came to a fight.
On and on they came, man after man, trying to take me down, but none of them could. I let a few get some hits in, needing the fuel to keep me going as the night made way to early morning. The sky started to lighten outside, the crowd having waned to only a handful of people.
And then…
“There’s no one else,” the manager said, standing just outside of the ring. It may have been his gym, but even he followed the rules of the ring.
“What the fuck do you mean there’s no one else?” I ground out, stomping over to him. My muscles burned, my knuckles bled, but I wasn’t done yet. Navy’s words were still rolling around in my mind, hating every move I made.
He backed away a few steps, the look on his face pure horror. “There’s no one else. We’re done for the…night.”
“We’re not fuckin’ done!” I roared, clenching my arms and doing my best impression of the one guy who had come into the ring roaring like a bear.
“Yes, you are,” a new voice commanded. A voice that had me losing steam.
“Fuck you, Lorenzo.” I didn’t turn to look at him.
“Get your shit, we’re leaving.”
“I’m not leaving.” I heard his footsteps near and I spun around, pointing at him. “Step into this ring and I’ll have no option but to fight you.”
He scoffed, yanking off his jacket. “Then fight me.”
“Careful, big brother, you have no idea what you’re proposing.”
“Like hell I don’t.”
I jutted forward, keeping my feet firmly in the ring, but getting in his face where he stood at the edge. “You ain’t got a goddamn clue.” Spittle flew from my mouth and into his face. “You have no idea what I’ve done.”
His eyes searched mine, trying to find the answers, but he didn’t need to because I’d tell him freely if he only asked. But he wouldn’t ask. He didn’t want to know that he wasn’t the only one who had a shit time with our dad. He liked to think that Sofia and I had gotten off scot-free. And maybe she had, but I hadn’t.
He jerked forward but I slammed my palm into his chest, stopping him from stepping into the ring. If he came in here, I knew I couldn’t hold myself back, not right now.
“Get your fuckin’ hand off of me,” he warned.
“Leave. This ain’t the place for you.”
“It’s not for you either.”
I laughed, a full belly laugh that overtook my entire body. “I grew up in places like these, big brother.” I calmed my laughter, sobering real quick as I stared at his face. “It was in places like this that Dad realized I could fight.” I slapped my chest, pushing my point home. “At fourteen he entered me into the first fight ring. I took down five men that night. Five. Men.” Shaking my head, I stepped back from Lorenzo, my rage simmering beneath the surface, ready to be let free at any second. “And he made a quarter of a million on that night alone.”
“What?” Lorenzo’s brows furrowed, his confusion making me smile. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You think you were the only one that did dirty work for him?” I raised a brow, pacing around the ring. Everyone else had disappeared since Lorenzo had turned up, leaving us alone in the room that smelled of sweat and blood.
“I…you’re lying.”
“Am I?” I shook my head, mock disappointment on my face. “Why don’t you ask Ma.” I slowly moved back toward him. “Ask her who taught me how to do my own stitches. Ask her who would help me into ice baths afterward. Ask her!”
He stumbled back, his face ashen. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen him like that: speechless. There was nothing he could say, nothing to change the past. It was what it was, but now he knew…now he knew the dark secret I’d been keeping and…
My shoulders sagged, sadness slamming into me and knocking the rage sideways. He had no idea why I was here, no idea what had happened.
“Navy nearly got shot,” I murmured, emptiness filling every inch of my body. She was the reason I was here. She was the reason why I couldn’t face going back home.
