Draw (Gentry Boys #1)(37)
Then his eyes dimmed and with a quickness I hadn’t counted on, he got me square in the same spot he’d nailed the first time. It was a hard hit and I needed a moment to breathe it out. His friends hooted and shouted things in Spanish which I didn’t catch. I still knew they were rooting for my destruction.
I thought he was moving in for another hit. I prepared to have a go at his upper body again but it was a trap. He caught me in a headlock and pummeled my ribs. He was strong as hell. I couldn’t have twisted away if I tried. So I lowered my head into the middle of his chest and drove him back. I heard him grunting, felt his hot breath on my neck as his footing faltered. When he stumbled, his grip lessened enough for me to break loose. My right hook was ready to go and I unleashed it into Emilio’s broad face.
I didn’t get him as good as I’d liked, though it was enough to draw a trickle of blood out of the corner of his mouth. Other than spitting a stream of red saliva on the ground he seemed unfazed.
His next blow glanced off my right shoulder and I responded with another dive for his face. He was ready for me and before I was able to gather my arms into a defensive position he landed a jarring hit to the right side of my head. It wasn’t enough to do real damage but it did ring the hell out of my ears and I shook my head, trying to clear my senses. I heard Creed, or maybe it was Chase, shouting my name, trying to bring me back. When Emilio managed to nail me right in the center of my chest I felt the wind leave my lungs in a sickening rush and I fell to my knees. The crowd howled as one voice and I saw Emilio’s thick legs barreling my way to inflict some harm I wouldn’t be rising from so easily. As I watched Emilio close in it seemed that every moment in my life, all the agonies and torments, had congealed into a featureless chaos to bring me here.
But then, you could assume the same about the next moment too.
“So Cordero Gentry is a philosopher now?”
“Cordero Gentry is a lot of things.”
“Tell me.”
The memory of her voice filled my lungs with air again.
Emilio drew back with a feral growl and aimed for my skull. He missed me by inches as I rolled backwards, feeling every scratch of the refuse littering the ground digging into my back while my body flipped. I was on my feet before Emilio even recovered from his errant punch. He only saw me coming at the last second and his face registered the shock of a man who was unused to losing games like this. I got him in the lower jaw and then belted a good round of hard hits to his chest until he was gasping, stumbling, teetering backwards. When he fell I recognized the distinct joyous howls of my brothers, Chase and Creed, the very legs I stood on.
There was a lot of shouting and a lot of money changing hands as bets were settled. Emilio even managed a rueful grin of respect before he was hustled away by his mob. A couple of the scowling frat boys caught my eye but I didn’t give a shit about them. If they’d lost some of their beer money here tonight then so much the better.
After a few deep inhales I knew no ribs were broken. Bruised, yes, as the right side of my face was sure to be. The cheek was already puffing up and a small cut bled into my eye.
“Beautiful,” Creed teased, tossing my shirt over. He went to collect our cash and we hurried out of that teeming hell.
It felt good to pull soft fabric over my sweaty skin. I settled into the backseat of the truck cab while Creed and Chase carried on in the front.
Chase swiveled around while Creed sped onto the Interstate towards the east valley.
“What do you say, man? Chippies and treats to cap off the night?”
“Nah,” I shook my head. “Let’s just go home.”
“Home?” Chase spat. “What f*ck you mean ‘home’?”
Creed shushed him with a poke in the side. “That’s fine, Cord. You look kind of wrecked.”
Chase grumbled some more and I caught sight of my face in the rearview mirror. I’d been way more banged up than this for far less reward and it had never bothered me before. Except now all I could think about was the likely expression of horror on Saylor’s face when she saw, once again, that I was no better than the rest of the alley cat Gentrys who skulked around the place we came from.
Grimly I watched the lights of the freeway whiz past. That girl couldn’t cross my mind without thinking about how the folds of her dress hugged her hot little figure. But what really hammered me were the small glances of uncertain affection she gave me as I’d hoped that for once I had a right to something decent.
It was no good. Saylor wasn’t going to be there waiting for me tonight. And even though it had been a while, I wasn’t in the mood for a dirty f*ck with some empty shell. I closed my eyes, wanting only the oblivion of rest.
Then we were slowing to a stop and Chase uttered, “Holy shit,” in a tone of wonder which made me open my eyes.
She was bathed in the truck’s headlights, squinting into the glare and looking so good my dick twitched.
Creed shut the engine off and both my brothers spun to see what I would do.
“Cord?” she called with a touch of uncertainty.
I opened the door and slid out, every muscle of my body even more tense than it had been in the seconds before the bout with Emilio.
Saylor bit her lip and approached me. I watched her face as she took in my ragged appearance. Instead of the shock I’d imagined though, she only seemed relieved. She stood before me and tilted her head back as she reached for my hand.