I shook my head and tried to lift my arms to guard my head as another fist flew toward my head, but I was too late and I was sent flying backwards, the force of the punch lifting me off my feet and sending me sprawling against the mat.
I blinked to clear my eyes, but all I saw was my mother’s house on fire and her screams from within. She was at the window, staring out at me, her eyes wide and terrified as the flames licked up the curtains. She screamed my name, begging me to help her as I turned and walked away…
I blinked and she was gone, and instead I saw the mat and the blur of people beyond it. The ground smelled like old sweat and blood and I dragged myself up to my knees, gripping the ropes on the side of the ring as the ringmaster counted me out. The room spun around me, the sound coming in and out, a loud ringing in my ears.
“Four…”
“I’m up, I’m up,” I mumbled beneath my guard, the world still blurry and fucked up. Bull’s face was suddenly there in front of me, his hands wrapped around mine as I clutched the rope.
“Stay down, kid,” he said. “Stay the fuck down or he’s gonna kill you.”
I tried to focus on his face. “The money,” I slurred.
“It’s just money.”
“Five…”
“It was too soon for this, so this shit is on me not you.”
“No, I can do this.” I shook my head and started to drag myself up to standing.
“Stay the fuck down!” he bellowed.
“Six…”
“I’ve got this,” I said on a slur.
I felt blood trailing out of my nose as I came back up to standing. I was still swaying on my feet, and everything was still muffled and blurry, but I wasn’t staying down. That wasn’t how I fought, or lost.
Winning. That was how I got shit done.
I fought, I won, and I made the money needed to help my family.
That was how it had always been.
Until it wasn’t.
The ringmaster stood in front of me, holding my fists. “You good?”
I nodded yeah and he looked sympathetic.
“Your funeral,” he replied with a shake of his head and stepped back.
Bench came straight for me, not giving me a second to get my bearings, but I ducked his first punch, managing to get in a dig to his ribs as he stumbled past me. It wasn’t enough to do any real damage, but at least I’d gotten a shot in.
The bell went as Bench turned back around to face me. “You’re dead,” he said as he walked back to his corner.
I stumbled to mine, blood choking and blinding me at the same time, and Wolf dragged my mouth guard out so I could spit out the blood that was filling it, along with that tooth I had lost.
“You’re getting the shit beat out of you out there,” Patch said.
“Bull wants us to throw in the towel,” Wolf replied as he mopped my face.
“Don’t you dare!” I barked out, and both men stopped still and stared at me. I glanced over at Bench, who looked so much like my stepdad. “He’s mine this round.” I spat out another mouthful of blood as Wolf and Patch exchanged a look. “I’m serious, I’ve got this handled.”
I looked across at Bench with hate in my eyes; the man barely had a sweat on despite the fact that he’d almost broken me. His expression was cold and stone-faced and I knew I had to do this even if it killed me.
“Mouth guard, now!” I ordered.
