- Chapter Sixteen -

Huxton

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My left eye burned. I didn't know if it was from blood or sweat. The cut from the last fight still seared my nerves; pulsing, trying to distract me. But nothing would distract me. Not with Reese mere feet away.

I'd been praying for a chance at taking him down. It was cruel that the chance had come now, at the end of a long row of rough fights. I wasn't stupid. I knew Nehro had arranged all of this.

Swaying on my feet, I shook myself. Exhaustion demanded that I let my muscles give in. My body was so eager to collapse on the ground.

I couldn't.

The bell rang, but neither of us moved. Reese was observing me, the edge of his mouth trying to decide if it wanted to smirk or not. The bastard was happy, he was sure he had an advantage. Of course, he did; he was full-throttle, I was half-empty.

Inching his foot forward, he started to move. I let him, saving myself for when I had to actually use my muscles. The world was crafted from screams and howls. When he was close enough to be heard, Reese grinned. “How you feeling?”

Tensing my legs, ignoring how they cramped, I said, “Fucking fantastic. I see your nose is better. Just in time for me to break it again.”

His eyebrows crunched together. “I'm so happy I get to destroy you. What a great day this is.” Done with banter, he dove right at me. His fist was easy to spot, but not his leg.

His foot caught me in the ribs, sending me rolling to one side. Flashes of yellow filled my brain as I tumbled. My body was demanding that I give up.

I could tap out. Nehro had never told me that was an option. Now that I knew, it was the smart thing to do it. The thing is, I wanted Nehro to see that I was bigger, stronger; better. He couldn't break me with a line of men. I'd shatter all of them.

Perhaps he knew I wouldn't tap out, anyway. He'd promised me a break if I defeated Reese. I didn't need temptation. This was a man I wanted to fight.

How could I back down?

Reese stalked my way, diving at me on the cement. I twisted to catch him, but his arm got under my chin and began to constrict. Scratching at his wrists, I went foggy—pieces of my brain throbbing, ready to explode like balloons.

Slamming my elbow back, I nailed him in the guts. It was enough to get him loose, my weight shoving him off of me. Stumbling to my feet, I got my hands up—but he came at me too fast.

That headbutt sent me sprawling. The sea of people became a dull ringing. Gasping, I inched backwards, standing as far from Reese as I could. He was fucking me up, and the wild grin on his face said he knew it. He was beating me.

Breathing deep, he shook the sweat from his hair and laughed. “This is perfect, this is what I wanted.” Looking above me, he studied the faces that reveled in our destruction. His hand went up, a small wave.

Peeking sideways, I saw Zoe—pale and distressed.

He took a step towards me and said, “I want her to watch you fall. To see that I was better—that I am better.”

Clenching my hands until the cords of my arms burned, I waited for him to get close. “You're pretty caught up on a girl you abandoned, Reese.”

His whole face darkened. “She abandoned me! I did everything for her, and she couldn't forgive me for one fucking mistake that was her fault in the first place?”

On the balls of my feet, I focused. I channeled every memory I had of my days fighting on the street. The purple diamonds on my hands were solid reminders of each win I'd had, a tally I kept for myself. One of them meant five wins in a row... and I'd managed to cover every fucking knuckle.

I wasn't some rule-trained MMA fighter. This place, the Dog House, was as familiar to me as the other underground rings I'd battled in.

Reese thought he knew what he was up against...

But he didn't. He couldn't have.

Laughing cynically, I nodded at him. “It was her fault you fucked someone else? Nice logic.”

“She'd become boring, man.” Two steps, three... he was so close, almost there. “The bitch stopped being the girl I'd first met. It was her job to remember what I'd done for her!”

There; it was time.

Not winding up, giving him no time to prepare, I jabbed my fist straight into Reese's mouth. The skin wrinkled, his head jerking with the momentum. I expected him to be more shocked, but he took the hit and slammed me back, sending me flying over the ground.

Grunting, I buckled down, hands on my thighs. The ringing had dulled, but my blood kept sloshing in my veins. Right then, my voice was stronger than the rest of me. “Zoe doesn't owe you anything.”

Wiping his mouth, he looked at the streak of red. “Of course she fucking owes me.” He curled his fingers, slapped his chest. “I saved her god damn grandmother. Zoe was too fucked up to drive, or didn't you know that? How much our 'sweet girl' was hooked on dope?” He threw back his head, snorting. “She couldn't have driven that night! I had to!”

My heart thumped, then began to shrink.

What did he just say?

Crouched there, I looked down at my hands—the blood that had soaked through the wraps—and just stared. He'd said Zoe couldn't drive that night—that he'd had to? He'd been so factual. Spoken from his own memory of the event. Did that mean...

With great slowness, I looked up at my approaching opponent. “It was you,” I whispered, making myself stand. Rage had formed in my bones, turned them to steel. It numbed my pain and gave me strength. “You were driving that night, not Gram.”

Reese froze in front of me, it was astounding that he'd heard me over the noise around us. His panicked stare, red veins spider-webbing around the whites...  his reaction said volumes.

Pressure throbbed behind my eyeballs.

That was what Gram meant... when she'd told me not to go too fast. She thought I was him. She'd called me Reese. Some part of her broken mind remembers that night.

It was him.

He was breathing severely, lips red as raspberries. I'd split the skin with my punch. I had every intention to do it again.

The entire reason Zoe blamed herself... tortured herself... was because she thought that by not going with her Gram, she'd been responsible.

But it wasn't her grandmother who'd been driving. She hadn't been behind the wheel.

“You're incredible,” I hissed. “You made her hate herself. Zoe thought this was her sacrifice to make because you fucking lied to her! You piece of shit! You motherfucking piece of shit!”

Boiling with disgust, I let myself give in to my base desires. I wanted to claw the skin from this man's face. I wanted him to feel so much pain, to understand what Zoe had gone through.

Reese... he was the root of it all.

Causing the crash.

Introducing her to Nehro.

Making her feel like she owed him for 'saving' her grandmother.

All along, he'd been responsible for everything.

Knocking Reese to the floor, I jammed my fist into his cheek. The sound was satisfying. Again and again, I pounded him like I'd harassed so many gym bags. But this wasn't canvas, this was flesh and bone.

Reese caught me by the throat, strangling me, shoving me off. Coughing, I went for him again. I didn't see the knife, not until it sliced cleanly through part of my forearm.

Stumbling away, I looked down at the cut. It welled with blood, dripping to the floor and causing a cry of dismay from the crowd.

I heard Zoe's scream. It cut deeper than the knife had.

Reese was grunting, his hair heavy from sweat. He rocked onto his feet; I followed his example, the two of us standing. The blade was wicked, but small enough that he'd been able to conceal it in his pocket.

“No weapons,” I breathed. “It's against the rules.”

“Fuck the rules,” he spit. Phlegm and blood splattered by his shoes. “I don't care. I'm ending this here.”

I dared to look away, trying to spot Nehro. The bastard was on the sidelines, and he was making no move to end this fight. My brain tingled, warning me of two things. One, that Nehro had every intent of letting Reese cut me to ribbons...

And two, that my opponent was on the move.

He came at me in a stumbling rush. He was clouded by rage, and I couldn't understand where it came from. Sure, I hated this guy... but not enough to actually kill him. Reese had planned out my murder; here, in front of everyone.

In front of her.

He had warned me that day in the gym. He really did want to tear me to pieces in front of Zoe. Was it just because she'd broken up with him? Could he be so petty?

A man like this... yes.

Twisting away from Reese's strike, I caught Zoe watching. Her eyes were crystallized, pure terror. Twice tonight, she'd been sure I would die.

I hoped I could prove her wrong again.

The next time his knife came for me, I knew what I had to do. Reese was sloppy, I was weak, but while he was fighting out of hate... I was fighting for her. This was about more than my own skin.

Reese would never understand that.

Metal sliced into my shoulder. It burned like acid, turned the edges of my vision black. It wasn't a vital spot, that was what mattered.

Grabbing him by the wrist, I filled my chest with air. Everything flexed, my weight slamming us both towards the ground. Across one knee, I cracked Reese's wrist. His scream muddled my ears, the knife bouncing along the cement.

Crushing him down all the way, I jammed my knee into his stomach. His head lolled, then fell to one side so he could vomit. The noise that left him was hardly human.

It took all of my inner strength not to hit him again. The man was terrible, he deserved to suffer, but... fuck. I was so tired, I wanted nothing to do with any of this. I wanted to be done. I longed to curl my busted body around Zoe and go to sleep somewhere warm.

Ten more years, I reminded myself.

When I'd first realized how long I'd be at Zoe's beck and call, it had been intimidating. I lived day to day, and ten years was as long as an infinity.

But now...

Now, I couldn't picture a world without Zoe Lillith. Ten years, twenty, a million. I would take them if I could get them, no matter how they had to be spent.

Some people go their whole lives, never knowing what they're fighting for.

I'd been graced with a reason.

At least, now, I'd never have to fight Reese again. There was no way he wasn't going to jail over this, I'd see to that.

Standing, I said softly, “You lost. It's over.” My eyes darted, finding Zoe. She was dazed with disbelief. Around us, barking rained down from the attendees.

I was the dog that had come out on top.

Reese groaned, his lashes fluttering in his disorientation. He found me, animosity filling his vision. My smile didn't help, probably. When he said nothing, I turned away. I hid my wince, limping towards Zoe as she came to meet me.

“Huck! Are you okay?”

“Nope,” I chuckled darkly. “Shit, everything hurts. I can hardly stand.”

She smiled, starting to speak. I saw her lips pucker, remembered what she'd said to my deaf ears earlier.

I love you.

This time, she said, “I'm so glad you're okay.”

“Okay is a strong word, doll.” I was too dizzy, focusing was a challenge. She looked around me, her nervousness demanding I look, too. Spinning, I nearly passing out from the motion. All the damage was catching up with me. I was wrecked.

Nehro walked past Reese, not sparing him a glance. He hovered over us, a human crafted from a fucking vulture. “I've never seen someone do what you did tonight. Congratulations, Huxton. You're one of a kind.”

Smiling, I put my weight on Zoe. Then, I lifted a hand and flipped him off. “We're leaving. Unless you plan to fight me yourself, now.” Fuck, don't let that happen.

Shaking his head, Nehro's lips twitched into a sneer. “No. I'm too smart for that.”

“Well, thank fucking god for brains,” I mumbled.

He said, “Huxton, I wanted to offer you something else.” Pausing, he watched as the patrons started moving into the ring, eyeing Reese where he was on his knees, groaning.

I nodded at the doubled-over man. “You plan to take care of that?”

“In a minute. Listen to me, first.” His hands linked at his lower back. Pretend politeness, like I could be fooled by his mannerisms. “You realize your current position, right?”

He didn't need to elaborate. The blood on my face and hands and all of my screaming muscles made it clear. “Let me jump ahead,” I said. “Are you about to threaten me?”

“Hardly.” Nehro blinked, then smiled. “Maybe a little. You'll be in no shape to fight for the next week, I'm sure. So what will you do if I call on Zoe?”

Twisting enough so I could stare down at her, I gave her a tiny hug. “You promised me a week off if I won. Guess I'm not shocked you'd take that back.” I was too tired to be disappointed. “If you're trying to grind me into hamburger, it won't work. I'll come to the damn fights, and if I know I can't win... I'll tap out. She doesn't default as long as I show up, right?”

Something dark wormed through Nehro's glare. “You don't need to win, true. But a fight has to end with a man defeated, or go as long as five minutes before one surrenders. Otherwise we'd have people cheating the bets by jumping in and giving up instantly.”

I laughed humorlessly. “Can't have people cheating, right?”

Nehro sighed, looking over at Reese again. He was waving people away from him. “You think I let him take the weapon in there?”

Zoe spoke first. “Of course you did!”

Shrugging, Nehro let a sickly-sweet smile grow. “Fine, assume I did. That means you should listen to me extra well, if you believe I'd go that far.” There, his eyes hardened. He wasn't fooling around, voice dropping low. “Huxton. If you keep fighting for her, you're going to end up as a corpse. Why not take my offer, instead?”

“I don't want your fucking offer.”

He said, “You haven't heard it yet.”

Swaying, my energy dissipating, I leaned on Zoe. “I know it won't favor her. Why the fuck are you so determined to make her sell her body to you? What's the point of your obsession?”

Tilting his head, long strands of midnight-black hair rolled over Nehro's shoulder. “Tell me, why are you so obsessed?” I straightened up at his question. “Perhaps the answer lies in you, Huxton. You're willing to die for her, is my desire to have her in my control so shocking?”

Those silent words that pierced my heart now flowed through my head.

I love you.

Tensing my jaw, I heard my molars creak from the pressure. “It's different for me. What you're doing is cruel.”

“My offer isn't too cruel, for you.” He offered his hand, waiting for me to shake it. “Here's my deal. I'll pay you triple per fight, let you rest up between them, and all you have to do is not fight for Zoe anymore.” His smile was sharp as a scythe. “You can pay her debt down with your own money, if you wish. It'd be cleared in less than five years, half the time you'd both struggle doing this.”

Ice flowed into my belly. I stared at his hand, not touching it. “No.”

His fingers twitched. “The crowd loves you. I'd like to keep you here, fighting and bringing them in, even if it means letting Zoe out of her debt faster.”

“But not letting her go entirely,” I snapped.

“No,” he agreed, smiling. “Not entirely.”

Slapping his arm away, I snarled. “You don't get it. Five years, one year... I wouldn't agree to anything like that.”

Zoe pushed her palm against my chest, starting to lead me away. “I told you before, Nehro... I'll fight those men myself before I sleep with you. Your plan is flawed. You'll never have me.”

“Oh no, you're wrong there.” In the light, his teeth looked yellow. “I will have you. You owe me enough money that I have the luxury of time to think of a method. Perhaps I'll consider your earlier suggestion?” He turned, moving into the ring and towards Reese. “Your grandmother is a delightful pawn, after all.”

She locked up, and I thought I was going to have to hold her back from attacking Nehro. Crushing her with what strength I had, I whispered in her ear, “It's okay. We'll figure it out. He can't force you to do anything. I'll make sure of it.”

But honestly... as determined as I was, Nehro's threat was cryptic. I couldn't handle more fights if he demanded them. Did we need to take my savings and create a god damn rotating roster of fighters?

It would drain my finances, but... I'd do it.

Nehro didn't grasp how far I would go for Zoe. He was eager to claim her body, he thought we were similar.

He was dead wrong.

In front of us, Nehro was helping Reese to his feet. “Come on,” the man grunted. “We need to get you patched up.”

Reese shivered, like his muscles wanted to constrict and strangle anyone touching him. Pushing Nehro away, he stumbled towards the edge of the ring. The owner of the Dog House followed, swearing under his breath. “What the hell, Reese? You need to sit down, you're hurt!”

Curling down to the floor, he glared at Nehro. His black centers were a liquid abyss. “Fuck you! You think I want your help? You fucked this all up!” The knife glimmered, rusty-red in the lighting. “You said once she belonged to you, I could finally have her again, and you couldn't even make that happen! Fuck your help, Nehro!”

Reese didn't move fast, but I believe that Nehro never expected the attack. Grunting as the blade sank into his chest, the lanky man held his palms in the air, hovering just outside Reese's wrists. It was the first time I'd seen him look scared.

Instinctively, I put my arm in front of Zoe. “Back up!” I hissed.

Reese let the knife go, his attention rising—finding us. My ribs struggled to keep my heart and lungs from expanding too far. Fuck, we had to get away. Reese was a man with nothing to lose.

I was a man afraid to lose everything.

The walls of bodies surged, a new energy crossing the room. To my surprise, the crowd rushed forward, swarming onto the two men. Whether it was to stop Reese, to hurt him, or to help Nehro... I didn't know.

My skull was too small, it couldn't hold my thoughts and the growing darkness. Moaning, I saw myself falling—saw the ceiling, saw her worried eyes.

Stay awake, I commanded myself. You have to save her.

I was the only one who could.

In the end, my body and mind didn't obey. With screams in my ears, I lost myself to the heaviness of unconsciousness. I had nothing more to give.