Released (Caged #3)(20)

I shrugged my shoulders up and down.

“The doctor cleared me,” I told him. “I can work tonight.”

I chuckled and ran my hand over my hair.

“I kind of have to,” I admitted. “Rent’s due tomorrow, and with the hospital stay and shit, I can’t cover it. I can do challenge until closing. I’m up for it.”

“Shit, Liam,” Dordy said as he plopped the glass down on the counter. “I figured you and Yolanda had this worked out. We got a new fighter.”

“You got what?” I asked. That creepy-crawly feeling I had when I realized Tria had moved all her stuff out started coming back.

“A new fighter,” Dordy repeated, as if I really needed to hear that again.

Yeah, yeah—I asked for it.

“What the f*ck?” I asked.

“Yolanda said she wasn’t working with you anymore,” Dordy said. “She brought in a new guy a couple days ago. Frank something-or-another.”

Frank something-or-another. Yeah, Frank Hess—he worked out at the gym with me. He was about twice my size, and I knew exactly what Yolanda had done. Not only had she replaced me, but she replaced me with someone outside my weight class so I couldn’t even fight him if I wanted to—not without putting on forty or fifty pounds. Hell, where I was right now was really down to middleweight—I’d probably have to gain sixty to have a chance.

“Sorry, dude,” Dordy said. “I really thought you had it all worked out with her.”

“You’re the guy that pays me,” I reminded him. “What difference does it make who’s training me?”

“Liam, you know how this shit works. Yolanda’s my girl. She brings in the fighters. If I don’t use the guy she wants, she takes her business to another bar, and I got nobody running my fights and nobody bringing in challengers. You know that’s the main attraction here.”

“I’m the main attraction here!” I snarled back.

“You were,” Dordy agreed, “but Frank is already growing on people.”

“Fuck,” I muttered. “Can I keep helping you out with the bar, like I was when I was recovering?”

“Shit,” Dordy mumbled. “You know I only did that to help you when you were laid up—I don’t need any bar help. It only cuts into my profits, which kinda suck as they are. I’m really sorry, dude. I’ll give ya a reference or whatever, but I don’t have anything for you here.”

There was no arguing with him. Without bothering to even talk to Wade or Gary, I grabbed the few personal items I had in the locker room and left Feet First. As I walked, that slowly growing tingle of dread spread over my limbs and engulfed me.

There was no way in hell I was going to be able to raise rent in the next twenty-four hours. I’d been there long enough that the landlord would probably let me slide a day, but not any longer than that. Baynor had given me my money back, and I currently had about four hundred and fifty in cash. I needed a hundred more to cover the rent.

Without fighting, I was completely and totally f*cked.

I was trying my very best not to panic, but it wasn’t easy. The clinic was probably still open, and it would have been a good time to get the prescription filled, but I didn’t want to use even the five dollars Baynor said it would cost.

Shit—what else could I do to earn money fast? Should I start looking for another place to fight? Tria never did like the whole fighting thing, so maybe it was some kind of blessing. At least, it would have been if I had enough money for rent tomorrow.

Fuck, f*ck, f*ck.

I wanted Tria here so I could talk to her. I didn’t want to worry her or anything, I just wanted her here. I wanted to talk and hold her and…

Dammit.

As soon as I got back to the apartment, I dropped my butt onto the couch and my head into my hands. I growled audibly, ran my hands through my hair, and glared at the broken table in front of me. The journal was on it, and I reached over and flipped to the page where I had my list and added Get a job to the top.

The page next to it was still blank. I stared at it for a moment and decided maybe I could talk to Tria after all. Well, sort of. I picked up the pen on the table and started to write.

Tria,

I want to be better for you. I know I told you to get an abortion, but I was just afraid of something happening to you. I still can’t stand the thought of something happening to you, and it scares the shit out of me. But if you want to have it, then I want to be there with you. I don’t know how to say the shit that’s in my head, I just know I want to be in your life. If we’re going to have a baby, I want us all together as a family.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do to support you so you can finish school, but I’m not going to fight anymore. I thought you’d like that.

I love you.

Liam

I wondered if I should tear it out and shove it under Yolanda’s apartment door, but I was afraid Tria didn’t want to hear from me. There was no guarantee Yolanda wouldn’t just pitch it before Tria saw it anyway. I knew Yolanda wouldn’t normally do that, but the work thing—that pissed me off. She knew I had no other way to make money, and she knew I was going to have to be able to help Tria. Even if Tria never spoke to me again, I still had to get money to her for the baby.

Our baby.

Fucking hell.