I climbed into the back of the SUV and sat there.
Mara got in the other side.
There was a driver and he put up a black window that separated the front from the back.
That’s when Mara turned to me. “Just once.”
“What?”
“You and me, Finn. You’re…”
I turned to her and touched her face. “Mara, listen to me. When this smoke clears you’re going to be okay. I had no idea you were living this life and this lie. You cannot get involved with a guy like me. Ever. And I’m in love with Shayna. It’s not a joke. It’s as real as anything I’d ever felt.”
Mara reached for my hand and took it. She pulled it toward her chest.
I remembered watching Mara grow up. From a pretty young woman into a sultry adult. She had some obvious work done to her body, mainly where she had my hand going.
I twisted my wrist away from her. “No, Mara. You’re not in the right state of mind. You’ll regret it forever. I won’t do it. I’m committed to Shayna.”
I’m committed? When the fuck have I ever been committed? Besides Carrie…
“You’re a good man,” Mara said. “I’m sorry that because you’re Irish you get treated like scum. You’re not scum, Finn.”
“And you’re not some family princess,” I said. “You’re a strong woman. Never forget that.”
“Will you at least hold my hand for a little while?”
“Yeah, sure,” I said.
I didn’t interlock my fingers with hers, but I held her hand.
We sat in silence for a few minutes.
“Finn?” she asked.
“What?”
“This entire thing… it’s on your shoulders.”
“How so?” I asked.
Mara looked at me. She smiled and had the same cute dimples I always remembered. “Don’t fucking lose this fight.”
“I won’t,” I said.
Sure… no pressure, right?
42.
(Shayna)
My stomach was empty. I was lucky enough to get some soda and that helped a little to calm my stomach and nerves. The two men with guns were called off me. Fiore took me outside the office and I looked down at the circle. Two guys were fighting. The crowd was getting rowdy. The one guy in the circle was taking a beating. His face looked like mush but he was still going at it.
“They’re all going to be pissed when there’s no next fight,” Fiore said. “But a forfeit is a loss. I clean up.”
“Don’t they riot?” I asked.
“They might,” Fiore said. “We’ll be gone before that happens.”
My stomach started to flip again. I gripped the railing and did my best to hold it all in.
The fight came to an end when the guy getting destroyed finally passed out. He tried throwing a punch, took a hit to the face, and then toppled down. Someone came into the circle and dragged him out. Another guy came into the circle with a mop and a bucket.
It wasn’t sanitary at all. The water they used to clean the floor was probably scarier than the blood on the floor.
“This is it,” Fiore whispered. “We’re going to clean up, Shayna. Now here’s your choice. You can walk out of here with me. We’re going to get some food and relax. You’re going to be sedated and properly checked by a doctor of mine. If you’re not pregnant, I have men ready to fix that. I’ll keep you sedated, okay? My gift to you. If you try to resist, I have men ready to attack. So does Zander. He’s hiding somewhere. You know how he does his business. He will cut off your limbs and I will make sure a doctor can keep you alive. Your choice.”
Fiore then stood tall and put a hand to my back.
A man walked to the middle of the circle.
“Are you ready for the main event?” he yelled.
The crowd went nuts. These sick people were going crazy for a fight involving two men against one.
The man in the circle waved his hands to calm the crowd. He put a finger to his lips.
“I want to yell it,” he said. He slowly turned in circles. “I want to bring you the greatest fucking fight you ever saw. I want blood. I want teeth shattered on the ground. I want broken fucking bones!”
The people started to yell again.
When they stopped, the man said, “But it’s not going to happen tonight.”
A few boos echoed.
“You see, Finn… fucking Finn. The craziest fucking fighter we’ve ever seen. A man who treated it all like some game. Fearless. Finn won’t be here tonight.”
More yells from the people.
“There’s only one thing that could keep Finn from a fight,” the man said. He made a fist and put it in the air. “Death.” He let a few seconds pass by. “Finn is dead.”
That got a big stir from the crowd.
Then the place fell silent.
“Finn passed away this afternoon in a tragic accident,” the man yelled. “He will be forever remembered as a man tough as nails with fists like rocks. A man who would fight any place, any time. A man…” The man bit his fist. Pretending to cry. “Sadly, this means Finn will have to forfeit the fight. All bets placed have been recorded and there are no changes. No matter what. Unless Finn rises from the dead…”