Shoving past him, I hope he’ll do as I ask. But from the little I know about him, I fear it’s an impossible ask.
15
IVY
“Ms. Walker, there’s a guest here to see you,” Anthony announces and as he steps aside, for a split second, I worry it’s Luca. To my surprise, I see Brooke appear beside him with a cheerful smile.
“Are you ready to go?” When she notices my confusion, she adds lower, “The Tomb. Tonight. Fight to the finish. I tried to call, but your phone goes straight to voicemail.”
“Yeah. I haven’t replaced it yet.” But more notably I’m wondering, “How’d you know my address?”
She replies shyly, “You said you lived behind the Montclairs. So, here I am.” Quickly surveying my running shorts and tank, she says, “Did you want to change? You don’t have to. No one pays attention. I just like getting dressed up.” She does a twirl to show off her outfit. “However, I do recommend closed-toe shoes.”
“Yeah. Give me a minute.” I head upstairs and pull on a pair of jean shorts, then a T-shirt, and take Brooke’s advice and opt for grabbing my tennis shoes. When I head downstairs, I spot Dad speaking with Brooke.
“Hey, Ivy Bear.” He gives his version of a warm smile, but I know it’s fake. He should be better at it since he’s had plenty ofpractice. “I just met your new friend Brooke. She said y’all are going to work on a group project. That’s exciting.”
“Very,” I retort. She doesn’t realize I could tell him I’m going to watch a brutal underground match and he’d say okay. He’s historically never been a concerned parent, and nothing has changed recently. He’s happy checking in when he happens to be around as long as it doesn’t interfere with his plans to spend his money. “Zachary went to a friend’s house. He said he’d be back later.”
“Anthony mentioned it. So, I guess it’s just me for the night. You girls have fun and be safe.” He moves to kiss my cheek, but I just stand in place as he does.
I follow Brooke to her car and drop into the passenger seat before she says, “Your dad seems so laid-back. Mine questioned me for an hour before he let me walk out of the door. He thinks we’re going to work on a group project at the library too.”
“It’s a performance.” All of it.
She doesn’t ask questions and instead changes the subject, telling me all about the old school building that’s a few miles past Belgrave. Apparently, the abandoned building was already planned to be closed down, but a hurricane sped up the process of building the new school. And it looks more than weathered. There’s so much decay and deterioration on the brick building that it should probably be condemned and torn down. Or at least boarded up to keep people out.
The parking lot is already overflowing as Brooke circles around looking for a spot. She ends up parking a little way down, in front of the cemetery, which fits the gloomy vibe. “There’re a lot of people here.”
“It’s a big, exciting matchup.” Brooke sounds like she’s excited for it too.
Once we make our way around the building, we enter the side door of the old gym. The floor is covered with about an inch ofmud and the walls have layers of grime and dirt caked over the peeling paint of what looks like an old version of the Belgrave Owl. Above it, there’re bleachers on both sides of the old court, which are already packed full.
Brooke heads directly to the floor that seems more like a pit with the surrounding spectators looking down. It doesn’t seem like there’s anywhere to stand, but Brooke slides into a space near the ring where Micah is standing. Remy is beside him, and I spot Cain walking away as we approach. And it clicks that there’s one person missing.
“Who’s fighting?”
Brooke doesn’t look my way as she admits, “Luca and Dante.”
Great. The only good thing about this is he’ll be in the ring and occupied. Had I known it was him, I wouldn’t have given in so easily. Surely, he won’t think I came to watch him after having just told him to stay the fuck away from me. Too late now either way, because we’re here and not going anywhere.
Micah informs us, “Saved you two a spot.”
She rolls her eyes as she turns her back to him. He moves to give me a quick hug as he tells me, “Glad to see you here, Ivy.”
Can’t say the same, because here is the last place I want to be.
As the minutes tick by, the crowd grows, and space on the floor becomes more congested and tighter, with bystanders shoving and elbowing for their place. I’m so ready to walk out and give up my spot. Micah moves behind us as he extends his arms at our sides, shielding us the best he can. “Stay in front of me.”
Seconds later, the crowd is restless as Luca and Dante enter the center of the floor. They’re about the same height and build. But Luca has a murderous wrath about him that makes me think he’s the fighter to fear. Though right now, his attention is pointed in my direction instead of his opponent.
16
LUCA
“Luca,” Cain yells, “Get your fucking head back in the fight.”
Tearing my eyes off of her, I focus to Cain. “Yeah. I got it.”
