Chapter Four
On Saturday night,Diablo pulled his Harley behind the small warehouse outside of Tula. The setting sun made the building shimmer as it caught the rose-colored rays from the west. Jose was outside smoking a joint when Diablo came to the back door.
“Hey, bro. Ready for tonight?” Jose grinned.
“Yeah.” Diablo grasped the doorknob.
“You don’t talk much, do you? The other bouncer, Rocky, is the opposite of you. He’s always bragging about how many heads he’s cracked.” Jose sucked in a long drag on his joint.
Diablo swung the door open and went into the darkened room. Sam stood off to the side crossing and uncrossing his arms as Bloody Knuckles talked to him, their voices inaudible. A few of the ring girls stood on the small stages stretching out their limbs. Emerald waved to him while she bent down real low, her breasts practically falling out of the tight push-up bra she wore. He walked by without a side glance.
His eyes darted around the room, seeing everyone but the one he’d been thinking about all week. He pressed his lips together when he saw Bloody Knuckles coming toward him.
“You’re a bit early,” the promoter said. Diablo just stared at him. “Should be a good fight. A couple of the guys battling it out tonight have an amateur rep in the neighboring counties. I’ve hired a few extra guys to help you, Rocky, and Moe out.” He wiped the corners of his mouth. “Uh… I guess that’s all. We got some chow upstairs in the kitchen if you want. Might as well relax for a few as we set things up.”
“Does the kitchen have any beer?”
The promoter let out a nervous laugh. “It does. Help yourself, but don’t tell the other dudes.” He grasped Diablo’s shoulder but then quickly withdrew his hand when he glared at him. “I’ll see you in a bit.” He rushed off.
Diablo went over to Jose who was tightening the ropes around the ring. “Where’s the stairway?” he asked. Jose pointed to the far left corner, then resumed his task.
Diablo made his way to the far end of the room. He entered a hallway and saw the stairs, taking them two at a time until he ended up on the landing. To the left of him was a long hallway with a bunch of closed doors. To the right, he saw a large family room and moved in that direction. When he entered the room, he found several couches and chairs, a large television, some lamps, and a coffee table. Walking through, he saw a small kitchen in the back. He ambled over and opened the fridge, taking out a can of Coors. Curling his fingers around the cold can, he popped the tab and guzzled it down in one long drink. After tossing the crushed can in a trash can underneath the sink, he took out another beer and went into the family room. The room had a lived-in feel to it, and a large sliding door facing east opened to a balcony.
As he looked out at the brown terrain, the jagged peaks of the San Juan Mountains drew his gaze. White still capped the tallest peaks, and for a moment, Diablo was transported back to his childhood home with its breathtaking view of the Rocky Mountains. The house had been small for him, his three siblings, and his mom, but it had been enough. He and Beau bunked in one room and his older sister, Clarissa, bunked with their youngest sibling, Taya. For a few years things had been great, until his dad had decided he didn’t want a family anymore.
Diablo’s chest tightened as he brought the can to his lips.I don’t know why I’m thinking of all this shit from my past.He turned around and went back into the room.
Grabbing the remote, he switched on the TV before sinking into the couch. As he stared blankly at the screen, he felt someone watching him. He nonchalantly shifted his position and looked behind him to catchherpeeking at him from the hallway. She moved away quickly. Afraid he’d scare her away, he got up and walked quietly to the doorway. She gasped when she came in for another peek and saw him standing before her. She spun around and started to leave.
“Wait. I want to talk to you.” Diablo’s deep voice filled the space between them.
Slowly she pivoted back around and carefully walked by him; she had a pronounced limp. He glanced down at her feet and he noticed one of her shoes was higher than the other. His eyes flew up to her face but her head was bent down and her hair covered her features. She settled into one of the cushy chairs and tucked her legs under her.
Diablo sat back on the couch and watched her, a small smile tugging the corners of his mouth when she stole a few glimpses at him. He snapped off the television and they sat there in silence, him waiting for her to say something and her looking through her hair at him. Wiping his hands on his jean-clad thighs, he said, “Why don’t you lift your hair so I can see you.”
Her small shoulders rose up and down.
“I’m not gonna hurt you. I just want to see you,” he said gently.
“Maybe I don’t want you to see me,” she whispered.
“Why not? I’ve already seen your beautiful eyes.”
“Are you a bouncer?”
“Yeah. Who are you?”
She ran her hand up and down her sleeved arm. “Nobody,” she said in a soft voice. Then she lifted her head slightly and said in a stronger voice, “I’m nobody at all.”
Diablo leaned back against the cushions and stretched out his legs. “Everyone’s someone. You a ring girl?” That got a laugh out of her and he joined in on it. “Then who?”
“Bloody Knuckles’s—Ihatethat damn name—daughter.”
Fuck. I didn’t expect that.“No shit. He doesn’t seem like the fatherly type,” he said, more to himself than to her.
“He’s not.” She rubbed her arm again.
Silence engulfed them once again.
