I had to pull myself to my feet. I had to do this.
I’d fight for Winter. I’d fight for anything to do with her.
Yeah, there was a good chance Skull X were nothing but pieces of shit and they weren’t going to keep their word. Which meant I’d have to do something crazy. I’d have to win this fight, get to Winter, and then start the hell over again. To find Autumn. To make Aldo happy. But most of all… to protect Winter.
One question burned in my mind - how in the hell did she get here?
“I need everyone to throw their money at me. Right now! This is a five-buck-free-for-all!”
I stood with my back to the wall, trying to stretch my side. Pain shot through my ribs. I’d have to mask that pain though. I had no idea who I was fighting, but if he saw it, and he was a half smart fighter, he’d go after that spot over and over until one of my ribs punctured my lungs and took me down for good.
The circle was filled with money. Five dollar bills and ones everywhere. The guy who had been yelling quickly picked up all the money. He sniffed it and smiled. Christ, he was missing half his teeth. Probably a burned out user just trying to do Dmitry a favor to get a fix for free.
“This works,” the guy said. “Oh, this works. You motherfuckers are going to love this one! There’s no bets on this. This is pure entertainment. This is a bonus fight. Because this one… this one doesn’t go until someone goes down… no, no, no… this one goes until someone doesn’t get back up!”
Great. Just fucking great.
Fighting was one thing, but now I had to trick my mind into being okay with really hurting someone. With killing someone.
For Winter, I reminded myself.
It was all for Winter.
“Now get the fuck out here!” the guy yelled and pointed at me. “You fucking piece of shit thug!”
I walked forward toward the square. The second people saw me, they went crazy. Screaming, throwing stuff at me, cursing me out. A mix of cheers, booing, laughter. These people knew nothing of my life. Of what I’d seen, what I’d done.
“This piece of shit is fighting for a nice piece of ass,” the guy said. “He thinks he can fucking win! Do you think he can win?”
People kept cheering, booing, getting lost in it all.
Like it was a game.
The guy waved his hands and got the crowd mostly silent. He then looked at me, grinning with his rotted mouth. “Now, let’s meet the guy that’s going to kill him.”
34.
(Winter)
All I could think about was Stoney turning left. We were supposed to go right. Toward the clubhouse. That’s where Stoney said Tripp was waiting for me. He said he got Tripp to calm down. His guys were sitting with him at the bar having a drink and things were going to be just fine.
But we turned left, down a side road that became another turn, then another. I tugged at Stoney’s leather cut, wanting him to pull over and tell me what the hell was going on. My heart was pounding in my chest.
When he finally did pull off the side of the road, I jumped off the motorcycle. He looked back at me, his motorcycle still running.
“What the hell is going on?” I yelled at him.
“All I can say is sorry,” he screamed back at me. “Remember… Tripp wanted this…”
Within seconds there was a black SUV speeding toward us.
Stoney screamed fuck and then dove off his motorcycle. The SUV hit his motorcycle and sent it flying into the dirt. The motorcycle rolled, chunks of chrome flying all around.
The back doors opened and guys came pouring out, each of them carrying weapons. One of the guys smacked Stoney in the face, sending him to the ground.
I didn’t know what to think.
~
“Meet Kane!” a voice boomed.
The crowd cheered.
I stood with hands taped together and watched a lumbering man walk across the floor toward the square. He was tall, thick with muscle. No shirt on, revealing intricate tattoos of skulls, fire, death, and naked women. He went to the edge of the crowd and started grabbing people, making his own path to the square.
“Remember,” the guy yelled. “We don’t stop until someone can’t get up.”
This was insane. Tripp could have just gotten Autumn and left. He had no business trying to save me.
None of it made sense yet either. It was like Skull X knew everything. And Stoney had been acting weird. But he’d been attacked too.
“Get a good look,” the guy next to me said. “Watch your fighter one last time. He’s fucking dead.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat.
The guy making the announcements left the square and the fight started.
Tripp went right in, fists up, throwing two punches. They connected off Kane’s jaw, sending him stumbling back. Kane threw a right and Tripp ducked. A quick left from Kane and Tripp knocked it away. Tripp landed two body punches, sending Kane’s hands to protect himself. That left his face exposed and Tripp took advantage of it.
I wanted to smile. I wanted to cheer for Tripp.