(Noah)

I waited like a damn fool and she never showed up. I went out to the parking lot and waited some more. She was nowhere to be found. The building had mostly cleared out. There was that last rush of these asshole guys trying to find someone to jerk them off or whatever. They’d start offering more and more money to women for a night out. It was pathetic to watch, but then again, I was pathetic as I stood there, waiting for Penny.

Maybe something had happened.

Maybe she had an emergency.

Maybe she had come to her senses and realized messing around with a guy like me would only get her into trouble.

I went back inside to get my stuff and leave. I actually had been dumb enough to have some extra clothes with me. Some soap. A small bottle of cologne. Like I was going to make sure I smelled the right way for Penny. It was only because of how intriguing she was to me. The way she just took action. The honesty on the outside and the hidden pain on the inside. She was beautiful without trying and goddamn, her body was good. Just… good. She had curves where my hands wanted curves to be. She wasn’t a twig. She was a real woman.

I tossed my bag over my shoulder and looked in the mirror.

My face really was roughed up.

Too many fights too soon.

Don’t get me wrong, the cash was fucking amazing. The more I fought, the more I was due for a loss. So that helped the betting and helped my pockets get more and more full. In my life, there was no due for a loss kind of thing. Would Marcos kill me? I don’t know. Killing me would take away a valuable fighter. But he’d be pissed. I guess it would depend on how bad I’d be beaten. Was it a lucky punch? Or was it a full beat down?

I had seen guys get killed in the circle and outside the circle. I had seen guys get smacked around, lose, and then were dragged out by their hair and shot to death.

What a life, right?

These guys betting on the fights thought that it was awesome. They thought we were all so free. To a point, I understood it. I didn’t give a shit about a mortgage or retirement or how much vacation time I had earned for the year. I didn’t have to worry about my kid getting bullied or my daughter needing braces. I didn’t have a beef with the neighbor over a fence or his dog shitting in my yard.

But that didn’t make me free.

The building was finally quiet. I walked to the door again and stood there. There were only a few cars left. All of them I recognized, except one. It was a small blue car. Kind of girly, if that made sense.

Something didn’t feel right.

It wasn’t my business to investigate though. I was best off to just go. Go back to my apartment and have a drink. Let the night wear off and start tomorrow fresh. Take a break from the fights to keep the heat off myself and off Marcos.

Then I remembered my orders for the night. I had to give Timmy five rounds. Because Marcos was up to something.

“What the hell…”

I looked over my shoulder.

It wasn’t my business. I needed to leave and then tomorrow I’d collect my earnings. Maybe grab a flight to an island for a weekend or two. Find some women to toss around in my bed and pretend that life was just perfectly fine.

That plan sounded great.

Before I could step out of the building, I heard an echoed scream…

* * *

I dropped my bag and started to run. It was only one scream, so I had to guess where I thought it was coming from. That took me to the second floor of the building. There used to be administrative offices there, all the doors open except one.

That gave it away.

I ran down the hall and stopped at the shut door.

Then I heard Seth’s voice.

“Now, we can do this the hard way,” he said. “I don’t want you tied and gagged. What fun is that? My dick isn’t going to suck itself, right? You help me and I help you. That’s how this relationship works.”

I put my hand to the door.

I hesitated.

This was where Seth and I were very different. Yeah, we had been street kids, growing up together, struggling, surviving. But where I had muscle and no fear of death, Seth loved the game of it all. He told me it was the only way that he kept sane. Knowing that he was going to die someday, but in the meantime, why not just live out life like a giant game? That didn’t mean pretending certain spots on the ground were lava. It meant living like the world was for the taking.

“I’m going to trust you one more time,” Seth said. “Got that?”

There was silence.

This was what Marcos needed me to drag the fight out for. So Seth could take this person. It was obviously a woman if Seth was looking for some action from her.

I waited again and then heard Seth say, “Now, let’s try it again. Do you know who I am?”

“No,” the voice said.

It hit me like a boulder to my gut.

Before I could process anything, my hand went to the doorknob and I opened the door.

Seth stood with his hands at his pants, unzipping his fly. He had a bottle of whiskey in his other hand. Sitting in front of him, hands behind the chair, fastened tight, was Penny.

* * *

“What the fuck is this?” I asked.

“Noah, my brother,” Seth said. He took his hands from his pants. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard a scream. I…”

“Little side work for me,” Seth said. He grinned and then took a drink from the bottle.

“What the…”

“I’ll be right back,” Seth said to Penny.

She looked at me, eyes wide. I saw her lips quivering with fear. Her eyes were captivating, calling to me.

She mouthed to me - Help me…

Seth and I left the office. He pulled the door shut.

“It’s all good,” Seth said. “This bitch has it coming.”

“What is this?” I asked. “Is this Marcos…”

Seth touched my shoulder. “Look, I know it’s hard for you to see this side of me. I get it. But this is important. For both of us. Okay? You beat people up and I help shake people down. That’s what keeps Marcos happy. So let me do my thing here.”

“A woman though?”

“Hey, it is what it is.”

“And you’re drinking?” I asked. “Seth, you’re fucking drunk.”

“Yeah. I know. It’s not always easy to do this stuff.”

“What’s her deal though?”

“Business,” Seth said. He took another drink. “Just… bad business.”

“Getting your dick sucked is business? Or is that bad business?”

Seth laughed. “Hey, no shame in getting a little extra out of this. Marcos is going to end up killing her anyway.”

Killing Penny? Why?

I should have just let it all go, but the question burned in me. I wanted to know what she did. Part of me also wanted to protect her.

“So you kidnapped her?”

“I guess you could say that,” Seth said.

“And you’re questioning her?”

“Marcos wanted me to make sure she was alone. He wants her tomorrow sometime. He got a call about something going on somewhere else.”

“So you were going to…”

“Have fun. Marcos wants her roughed up. So she’s broken when he gets to her.”

“You have to know why, right?”

“She knows things, Noah. She’s beautiful though, huh? I mean… I never fool around with someone before I hand them off. But this one…”

I made fists. I saw red. I was a second away from attacking Seth.

But I couldn’t give myself away.

“Okay,” I said. “Good for you.”

“Hey,” Seth said. “She looks familiar though.”

Then it hit me. Seth had met her the first night she came into the bathroom after a fight. He had held the door for her.

“Does she?” I asked.

Seth opened the door so I could see her again.

I looked Penny dead in the eyes. I shook my head. “No, man, I’ve never seen her before. Maybe she was around another fight?”

“Maybe,” Seth said. Then he pointed at Penny. “I’ll be back in a second.”

He shut the door.

“Hey,” I said. “What do you need out of her?”

“Whatever she’s willing to tell.”

“You’re going to hit her?”

“Sure.”

“Let me do it,” I said.

“What?”

“You heard me. It’s my turn for this shit, Seth. I can’t fight forever. Look at me, man. You’re getting kickbacks from Marcos for this shit.”

“Oh, man,” Seth said. He jammed the bottle to my chest. “Yes. Do it. Do it, Noah. Man…”

Seth was getting drunker by the second.

“Good,” I said. “I could blow off some steam.”

I pushed the bottle away. I took a step and Seth grabbed my arm.

“What about… what about your old man?” he asked.

I sucked in a breath and grinned. “Hey… like father, like son.”