Downfall(38)

“Kid, you’ve fought for me for years. You could ask for help. I know your boss would give it without question.” A black eyebrow lifted in my direction. “I would also be willing to float you a loan. My conditions for repayment would probably piss off your boss, though.”

I cleared my throat. I refused to be indebted to men who could destroy me. My mom needed me too much for me to get into bed with the actual bad guys—even if they were the best of the bad in these parts.

I forced a weak grin and shook out my taped-up hands. “I appreciate it. But taking care of my mom is something I have to do on my own. She took care of me without help; I owe her the same.”

“That’s a lifelong commitment. Why not make it easier on yourself?” The slightly accented voice didn’t sound angry, just honestly confused as to why I insisted on doing things the hard way.

“I don’t want to owe anyone anything.” I heard Orley’s voice in the back of my mind telling me the same thing. When you didn’t owe anyone, it was a lot easier to walk away. The more she leaned on me, the more she relied on me, the more she felt she owed me, the harder it would be for her to rabbit out of town in the middle of the night if things went wrong. I understood where she was coming from a little bit better now. I never wanted to be under the thumb of anyone, even the men I both admired and feared the most.

Surprisingly, the man in front of me seemed to understand without further explanation. He clapped a hand on my shoulder and gave a squeeze. “Better not to owe anyone. But be smart enough to know when to ask for help if you need it.” He gave me a little shake, reminding me of the coiled strength hidden beneath those pinstripes. “Still have a bad feeling about these guys. They didn’t bring their fighter in early to check the space out or get a look at you. Something’s up. I don’t trust anyone with enough money to make setting up a private fight worth my while. That being said, you know I can’t get involved. I’m just the middle man.”

He kept his expression bland, but we both knew if he let me die my boss would go off the rails, and if those two went at it, there would be a war on the streets no one would be able to stop. Mortals would suffer as gods fought and rained down destruction. I’d like to avoid both dying and setting two formidable men against one another, if at all possible. So, I just grunted my response and found my mouth guard to pop in.

No longer able to talk, I followed the dark-haired man who pulled all the strings in the city into the crudely painted circle in the middle of the cement floor. There were old bloodstains deeply imbedded in the concrete. I’d been responsible for some and others were left from my own injuries. It was a familiar place, one I knew like the back of my hand, but the three men smirking at me from the other side of the circle suddenly made it feel foreign and strange. I was used to the opponent looking at me with confidence and challenge. It was weird to see that same look on the faces of middle-aged men who clearly had never thrown a punch. What did they know that I didn’t?

Since my mouth was filled with the plastic guard, my companion was the one who had to address the others in the room.

“You gentlemen are paying for this circus. Are we standing around the rest of the night, or did you find a fighter you think can take on our boy?”

His voice was always so smooth, that accent making it sound lyrical and exotic, but his stance and the fire in his odd eyes let the opposition know he was in charge, regardless of who was putting up the money.

The oldest of the other men stepped forward, and for a split second I thought he looked vaguely familiar. He was dressed as fancy as the man in the pinstripe suit, but it was obvious with one look that he went out of his way to flaunt his wealth. The diamond tie tack was ridiculous in this part of the city, so were his big ass rings and the designer watch on his wrist. If he walked out the door unescorted, all of those things would be ruthlessly stripped from him in seconds.

“We’re ready when you are. I can’t tell you how excited I’ve been for this fight since you agreed to set it up. You think you’re quite impressive, don’t you, young man?” He asked the question with a sneer, so I didn’t bother to grunt or nod in response.

We stared at each other silently, some kind of wordless battle waging. I had no idea what this dude had against me, but it was becoming obvious the reason he wanted me in this warehouse was to teach me some kind of lesson. All the unease and anxiety started to claw at my bones and tear at me for not listening when I knew something wasn’t right.

Suddenly, the man waved his hand. There was a commotion behind him and the sound of echoing footsteps as someone prowled through the empty warehouse.

“I went to great lengths to find an opponent for you. Someone special. Someone totally unique.” There was a nasty gleam in his eyes I didn’t like at all. He clearly thought he had the upper hand here, and his self-assuredness was obnoxious.

“What the fuck is the meaning of this?” Suddenly the dark-haired man standing next to me stiffened and started to vibrate with barely suppressed rage. That weird heat he emanated started to grow. I watched dispassionately as the older man stumbled back a step in surprise. “A woman? You want the kid to fight a woman? You know this setup is a total knockout or until the other opponent stops breathing, correct? You expect him to KO a female?”

The older man clapped his hands together and pulled the young woman next to his side. She shot him a baleful look before letting her gaze land on me.