I jumped forward, not sure what I was going to do because of my distance from Aton. I didn’t even have the chance to scream before something knocked me in the back of the head. Then something was put over my face.
Hey, it wasn’t the worst way to go out…
~
I felt someone tear the cloth off my head. There were two men in suits, wearing rubber exam gloves. Aton was next to them. He held a wad of cash in his hand. He looked pissed. Rightfully so, I guess. Everything I’d dealt with lately involving him had gone really fucking wrong.
“Aton,” I said.
“Shut him up,” Aton said.
One of the guys stuffed some cloth into my mouth. I was tied to a chair and gagged. Like some kind of kidnapped criminal or bad guy.
All I could think about was Rose.
Beautiful Rose.
What the hell had I gotten myself into with this shit?
“I want you to meet my cousin, Little Petey.”
In walked a man four times the size of Aton but not much taller. He was a wide and round man. They had the same eyes and eyebrows, thick and furry. Little Petey had greasy, thinning hair.
“This is your guy?” he asked, his Italian accent showing through.
“He’s my best. I’m willing to put him up.”
“Damn,” Little Petey said. He looked at me. “You must’a really fucked up good.”
I shook my head.
“Little dispute on things,” Aton said. “I’m putting five down on it. You matching?”
“Of course, cuz,” Little Petey said. “I’ll get the gorilla ready.”
The gorilla?
Little Petey left the room.
“Give me a minute here,” Aton said. The two men in gloves left the room. Aton stepped to me and touched my chin. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re doing, Wes. I got Tommy telling me you’re a fucking rat. Why would I believe that? Well, the woman that was supposed to be taken care of is in your apartment. With a fucking bag.” He took the cloth from my mouth. “So now I need you to do something else for me. And I really hope you don’t fuck this up.”
“Aton, let me talk,” I said. “There’s something about Rose.”
“What’s wrong with your jacket?” Aton asked.
“I was shot.”
“What?”
Aton slid my jacket down and peeled up my sleeve. His eyes went wide. “I got five thousand on you to win a fight and you have a bullet hole in your arm?”
“Fight? I’m fighting right now?”
“Goddamn straight,” Aton said. “Little Petey has been breaking my balls about his guy. He calls him the gorilla. I was thinking of tossing Tommy out there for fun. Then I thought about Ax. Maybe Henry. But then this fell right into my lap. Because if I lose you in this fight, what do I care? I’m going to have to kill you anyway.”
“I was shot saving Rose,” I said. “Someone was after her. That’s what I’m trying to tell you.”
Aton stuffed the cloth back into my mouth. “Tell you what, Wes. You knock the gorilla down and keep him down long enough that I make an easy five off my fat fuck of a cousin, I’ll let you say anything you want. But you get a minute. Because then, Tommy is putting a bullet in the back of your head.”
~
The gorilla.
Holy fucking shit.
That was my reaction as I stood there.
He was tall, hunched, and had the longest arms I’d ever seen. His fists looked like boulders. The guy looked like a deformity, like he belonged in a circus or something. His face was scarred, his head bald, and when he saw me, he lifted his fists ready to fight.
I never backed down from a fight. And this was no different. Well, a little different. I had to win to talk to Aton. I had to fight this big fuck of a guy and then convince Aton not to kill me.
I wasn’t sure which one was going to be harder.
The gorilla lumbered at me. He had thick black hair damn near everywhere. He was sweaty, his white sleeveless shirt almost had a yellow tint to it.
“Take it to him!” Little Petey yelled.
“Let’s go, Wes,” Aton said. No emotion behind his words.
Story of my life - fighting to survive. Literally fighting to survive. All the time.
“What’s your real name?” I asked as the gorilla closed in on me.
“Gary,” he growled.
I put my fists up. “Ready?”
“Always.”
I gave a nod and stepped back.
Gary quickly threw a right fist. His arm swung like a tree trunk at me. I moved out of the way and swatted at his arm. I threw a right and smashed him in the gut. He groaned and started to lean forward. But then he quickly backhanded my bad shoulder. It sent me backward and to the ground. The pain was white hot and I saw stars for a second.
Stomping right at me, Gary was quick to start throwing more punches. I had no choice but to put my arms to my face and go with the punches. They hurt like hell and I thought the gorilla was going to shatter my arm bones into pieces.
The worst part was the sweat splashing from him. He smelled really fucking bad.
Dealing with big guys wasn’t easy, but you had to keep your mind straight and remember that the old cliche about them falling hard was very true.