I waste no more time and pick her up as gently as I can without hurting her further.
People are yelling, complaining about the fight, screaming that the fight’s been rigged and demanding their money back. Stupid people think I have their money instead of the bookie they gave it to. I shove through the crowd, holding Roxie in my arms.
I’m getting her out of here no matter what.
“Get the fuck out of my way!” My voice booms as I yell at the people in front of me. “Fuck off!”
Most people jump out of my way, but there’s always one drunk asshole who thinks he’s more top shit than he actually is.
“You stopped the fight! She wasn’t out yet and so you fucked up my bet! Give me my money back!” he slurs. The stench of sweat and whiskey coming from him is nearly overpowering and he’s a good six inches from me.
“Move,” I snap, but he just sways on his feet and shakes his head.
“Give. Me. My. Money, you fucker!”
I don’t have time for this.
I sigh, shifting Roxie so she’s draped over my shoulder, and punch him square in the face, knocking him to the ground. He doesn’t move, I doubt he will for a while with all the fucking liquor in his system. Gasps and outcries of anger sound off around me, but my only goal is to get my girl out of here. The crowd is turning and I don’t have any reliable back-up.
Mario is standing on the outskirts of the crowd, and he shakes his head when he sees me.
“No,brother,no,” Mario says, holding his hands up. “You said we’d make enough tonight and-”
“I don’t care what I said, Mario! Help me,” I snap, moving past him towards the entrance.
“Why are you doing this, brother? You’re supposed to be helping me, not some random bitch.”I hear Mario yell in Spanish after me, and hearing him call Roxie a bitch sets off a rage I didn’t quite know I had for my brother. I have to ignore him now. I could care less about his debts that he’s just using me to clear.
“Shut your mouth before I shut it for you!” I growl at him. My shoulder starts to ache and I know this position can’t be good for her. Roxie’s not heavy by any means, but it’s a little worrisome that she hasn’t come to yet.
“Come on!” Mario says, picking up the pace to get out. I can see why. There’s people walking towards us. Angry, burly, ‘I’m-gonna-kill-you-for-this’, kind of people come stomping towards us.
I start to run, holding Roxie’s legs closer to my body to try and keep the aggressive bobbing to a minimum.
Into the tunnel, the flickering lights guide our way out of there, and behind us are the angry mutterings of people who think they’ve been wronged.
“You better bring her back here and give us our money!” one guy behind us yells, while his buddy chuckles menacingly.
“Or give us the girl and we’ll take what we’re owed.”
I’m going to kill him.
“Don’t listen to them, keep going,” Mario mutters.
“Come on, you white knight wannabe!” The same fucker that threatened them cries out. “You can’t keep her for yourself, you selfish fuck!”
I grit my teeth and hold my breath to keep from responding.
The moment I step fully outside the entrance, I hide Roxie behind the biggest boulder close by.
She’s passed out, but I say it anyway in case she can hear me, “Stay quiet, do not come out, no matter what you hear. I’ll be there as soon as I can to help.” The doors slam open behind us, so loud that the hinges squeak.
I have to keep these fuckers from her.
By whatever means necessary.
Stepping closer to the one broken light by the bunker door, I put my hands into my pockets.
“You dumb-asses looking for me?” I shrug nonchalantly and move to rest my hip against the rock beside me. The one right in front of the one hiding Roxie.
