“The fighter you had in your hands owes us. One way or another,” he says with a sickening grin. “I wouldn’t mind having some one-on-one time and having her earn the money back that way.” He laughs and my face scrunches up in disgust.
What a sick fuck. And then, like he’s parting the evil fucking sea of dickbags, a blast from the past comes steps out. Mickey.
“That’s my fighter, Ty. I think you should be giving her back to me. That bitch is mine, if you want her we can work something out, but you fucking ruined my night,” he says like a Bond villain, standing with his hands in his pockets.
“Why don’t you fuck right off,” I growl, popping my knuckles in front of me and pulling my bag from my body. Setting it at my feet, I set up, showing them I’m willing to fight.
“There are three of us out here. The odds aren’t so good for you, boy.” The older one cracks a smile with one of his front teeth black with rot.
He steps forward, throwing out a jab with power but no finesse behind it and he’s slow as hell. I feel like I’m in a cartoon where I can sit there for hours, watching his fist fly by my faceafterI’ve already dodged the blow.
I grab his extended arm, sighing, and twist it easily so his shoulder is hyperextended and he has to bend forward to keep from dislocating it.
“You were saying?” I growl. “Oh, that’s right. You were saying that you were going to hurtmy girl.” I twist his shoulder more, the fat-covered muscle straining under my fingers. He was going to hurt her.
No.
I twist his arm more until the joint pops and he screams in pain. Throwing him to the ground like the piece of trash he is, I feel much, much better seeing him wraith in agony. The screams are pathetic, cowardly.
His mouth wrote a check he couldn’t cash.
“And you?” I point to the other fucker, the one who hasn’t said anything, but was more than happy to follow along with asshole number one over there.
He holds his hands up just as the lights from a car flash him in the eyes. He squints before closing them and looking away. Dumbass.
Using his temporary blindness against him, I jab and hit him square in the nose. Blood squirts from his face and he falls back, catching himself on his back foot.
He glares at me with pain, shock, anger. I turn my head to the side and watch movement out of the corner of my eye. Mario’s helping Roxie walk over to the car. She’s wobbly on her feet and that in and of itself is worrisome.
That scrawny fucker must have really got her good.
I’ll kill him.
I need to finish this. I can see her swaying even with help and that’s fucking scary.
“Get the fuck out of my sight,” I growl and watch as the bloody coward helps the cocky asshole up and they limp away. Mickey steps back, eyes cruel and calculating.
How fucking typical of Mickey Frank. Always wants violence and pain, but is never willing to fight for what he wants. Just makes other people do his dirty work.
“You’ll pay for this, Ty. Don’t think you won’t. Even if it’s not you that hurts.”
Mickey might be an asshole, but he’s smart so when he threatens something, he means it. Nodding to me with a sinister smile on his face, he turns on his heel and goes back inside. My eyes narrow and my fists clench. There’s no time for me to focus on what Mickey has planned, Roxie’sright there.
I turn and sprint towards them, scooping her up in my arms. Of course, she starts fighting me, it’s not in her nature to submit, but when she sees that it’s me, she relaxes.
“Ty,” she whispers, relief and shock clear as day in her voice. “Is it really you?”
“Yeah,mi vida. I’m here.”
“You can’t be… I’m just imagining you again. I must be dying. You only come see me when it’s really bad…” she mutters, her eyelids already drooping now that her body knows she’s safe. Mario pulls the back car door open so that I can try to maneuver her in. But her words shock me into a frozen state and it feels like I’ve been knocked in my chest as the air is forced from my lungs.
What did she say?
“Roxie, I’m here. I’m right here, please,” I murmur, clenching my jaw tightly and doing everything in my power to keep myself together.
“Thank you for wanting me,” she sighs, letting her head flop onto my lap. She falls asleep quickly and I know right then that this isreallybad.
“Call Asher. Call him now and tell him we’re coming over.”
