Get Off on the Pain (27 page)

“Lyric.” I feel Alex shaking me until I look up and meet his eyes. It takes me a second for my eyes to come into focus. “Are you okay?”

“We need to go. Now!” I take off for the door in a panic. “Take me to him, Alex! Take me right fucking now.”

“Whoa!” Alex grabs my arm and pulls me back before I can make it outside. “Where the hell are you going? I’m not taking you there. I don’t have a death wish. I already fucked myself by even telling you.”

I yank my arm out of his grip and run past Styles and outside. I don’t care about anything right now. The whole world can kiss my ass. All I care about is getting to Memphis before it’s too late.

“I’m going to him. I have to get there before the fight starts.” I’m in the middle of running to my car when I feel Alex’s arms encircle me, stopping me midstride. “Let go of me!”

I start swinging at Alex, but he refuses to let go of me. “I’m not letting you go there alone. Fuck! I shouldn’t have told you. It’s not safe for you there.”

“He’s my father, Alex. He’s my fucking father and he’s a ruthless bastard. I have to get to Memphis.”

Alex’s grip on me loosens and turns into a hug as I start sobbing in his arms. This is my fault. None of this would be happening if I had turned him in years ago, but I didn’t. Instead, I let him leave. I let him fucking leave because he’s my only family. As much as I hate him, he’s my only family by blood. Blood always comes first . . . until now.

“Fuck,” Alex whispers.

Fuck is exactly what I’m thinking

IT’S DARK, WET, AND SMELLS like ass in here. Even from here in the back room I can hear the screaming of the crowd going wild, waiting for the fight to start. All they care about is blood. Most of them probably don’t even give a shit about who it belongs to. I realized that during the last fight. Compared to the alley fights this shit is hellish.

I was told this would be the last one. All I have to do is win this fight, follow Asher’s orders, whatever the fuck that may be, and Alex goes free. I made sure of that.

Closing my eyes, I take a few deep breaths and release them before swinging at the heavy bag in front of me. Talking with Jack earlier today has me even more pumped up and anxious to get this over with than usual. I realized he was right. It’s time to leave my anger in the past and get on with my life. I’m ready to do that, more now than ever before. It’s going to be hard, but I’m a fighter; always have been.

I swing at the bag a few more times before gripping it and growling, letting some of my heated anger out. I’ve been in this room for the last hour. My knuckles are even more cut up and swollen now. It doesn’t bother me though. The pain has nothing compared to what I’ll have when this is all over: freedom.

I look up when I hear the door squeak open. Two men in suits walk in. The bald one nods his head toward the door. “Be ready in five minutes. The boss said you better be ready to win or be ready to die. It’s your fucking choice which one it will be.”

I grind my jaw and flex my fists at my sides. “I’ll win. Tell him not to worry,” I say stiffly.

As soon as the door closes behind them I turn back to the bag and swing out as hard as I can. I feel a pop somewhere in my hand, but the pain is spread out so evenly that I can’t tell exactly what just broke. It doesn’t matter.

I stand there for a few more minutes, evening out my breathing, before I make my way out of the room. The other fighter is in a room on the opposite side of the warehouse, so I won’t get a glimpse at who it is until I’m in the ring.

A line of suited up douchebags stand against the wall as I make my way down the long hall toward the main room. The closer I get the louder the screaming gets, pumping me up and giving me a rush. After tonight I need to push this feeling aside. I won’t need it anymore. This is a promise I’m making to my family . . . to myself.

Once I get in front of the crooked ass stage, I look to my left to see Asher sitting in his stupid chair all high and mighty. There’s always three chairs surrounding him and the one to his left is always empty. The other one has an older man that looks about his age but isn’t as big as him. I remember seeing him last time, but he didn’t say or do anything to stand out.

I feel someone shove me forward. “Get ready.”

Swinging my elbow out, it connects with the asshole’s jaw, causing him to stumble backward. He tries coming at me, but before he can manage my name is being called to enter the stage.

The crowd starts chanting my name, a few of them whistling as I crack my neck and make my entrance. As I look around me everyone seems to look the fucking same. None of these faces matter to me. Pleasing them means nothing to me.

After a few seconds the screaming dies out with the entry of my opponent as he starts making his way down his path towards this hell. I turn my back toward him, not wanting to get a look at his face until I have to. That’s only going to get me more anxious, and right now I need to focus. I hear the ring announcer speaking, introducing the other fighter, but it’s all blurring together, non-comprehendible as I withdraw into myself to focus on my breathing.

“ . . . Ryder, the Cruiser, Lane . . .”

I suck in a breath and tilt my head back as soon as Ryder’s name leaves his mouth. I feel my whole body tense into a different kind of anger now. This isn’t just fighting for Asher now. This is personal. I’ve had beef with Ryder for as long as I can remember, and his father arresting me that shitty night was all Ryder needed to believe that he won. This is real fucking personal.

Ryder jumps between the ropes with a sickening grin on his face, eyeing me up and down as if this is his chance to prove that he still has the upper hand. Nah. Fuck that. I won’t let that happen. He isn’t shit in my world.

My eyes meet his and lock as we both start to circle around each other, waiting on the announcer to say the magic fucking word.

“This is going to be a good one,” the announcer says with a hiss. “FIGHT!”

Ryder lets out a snicker while jumping at me, trying to intimidate me. It doesn’t work. I’ve never been scared of that little shit and never will be. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, Memphis.” He grins. “I’ll take it easy on your ass. It’s probably still hurting from prison.”

Without giving anything away I swing out, hitting Ryder with a right hook. He’s shaken up, not expecting it, and stumbles back.

My body is completely still as he circles around me, looking for his opportunity to strike. I’m giving him one chance and then I’m taking his ass out.

“Yup. Looks a little sore.” He swings out with his left foot, but I lift my leg up right as he tries kicking it out from under me. This must’ve pissed him off, because before I know it he swings out with his elbow and connects it to my left cheekbone before following up with a right hook.

The crowd lets out a mixture of excitement and disappointment as I falter backwards a few steps, but I’m able to catch myself before connecting my right fist to his jaw.

Blood splatters across his face, causing him to growl out in anger and spit red onto the cement next to my feet, before coming at me, knocking me against the ropes.

He punches me in the ribs a few times, cornering me in, before I plow my knee into his gut and swing out with my elbow, hitting him square on the mouth. We’re now back in the middle of the ring, both of us taking this opportunity to let out our demons and prove to the other who’s finally better. The thing is . . . I’ve known all along. I’ve never had a doubt and he’s going to feel it tonight in this very ring.

We circle around each other a few times before Ryder comes at me, diving for my legs, but I grab onto his neck and plow my knee into his head twice before tossing him aside.

Rolling over, he jumps to his feet and shakes his head, sweat now pouring down his chest as he stares at me, eyes heated.

He motions for me to come at him, but I shake my head, motioning for him to make his move first. I don’t take orders from anyone . . . especially a piece of shit like him.

A lopsided grin flashes across his face before he side steps around me and quickly captures me in a headlock, falling backwards and bringing me down with him. I allow two quick jabs to the ribs before I maneuver my way out of his hold and jump to my feet, cracking my neck.

Looking around him, he raises his arms and motions for the crowd to make more noise. He’s getting too damn cocky now and it’s only making me want to rip his fucking head off.

I stand still, my fists clenched at my sides and jaw grinding, until he turns around to face me. That’s when I swing my foot and kick him right in the fucking head, catching his ass off guard. His body drops down to the cement, but he’s still moving; I made sure of it. I’m not done with his ass yet.

The crowd goes wild as I circle around him, waiting for him to get back to his feet. It takes him a few seconds until he’s steady on his feet, coming at me.

We go on back and forth for a while, maybe a good twenty minutes, before I blank out and swing over and over again, letting out all my rage until Ryder is gasping out for air and pulling at my clothing.

Realizing that Ryder is struggling, I stop and hold him up so that he doesn’t fall backwards onto the cement. I tilt his chin up so that his eyes meet mine and I whisper, “I could kill you if I wanted to, but I’m better than that, better than you.”

I release his shirt and let him fall down onto the ground. I look out into the crowd and flex my jaw as they go wild, screaming out my name and chanting, “Finish him.”

I shake my head and start heading for the ropes, just ready to get the fuck out of here, but am stopped by two of Asher’s men, blocking me in.

The tall one with a beard down to his chest places his hand out. “You hear the crowd.” He nods his head over in Asher’s direction. “The boss said to finish him.”

“Fuck you!” I grind out before looking at Asher and yelling for him to fuck off and go to hell.

The guy grabs my arm, but I punch him in the throat before elbowing him in the jaw.

I see Asher rise from his seat, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to exit the ring anyways. I don’t even get one leg out of the ropes before a whole group of his men surround the ring, trapping me inside.

I turn to face Asher. “I won’t do it. I’m done. It’s over.”

Asher claps his hands while walking up to the ring. “It seems Memphis here wants to put on a show for everyone.” He looks around him. “Are you fuckers enjoying the show?”

The crowd starts screaming and this only seems to please Asher more. He lets out a chuckle and starts rolling up his sleeves while nodding at his men to make their moves.

A couple men drag Ryder out of the ring while a huge guy about six foot five enters the ring. He looks me up and down with a smirk while circling around me.

“You refuse to obey my orders, Son!” Asher shakes the ropes while eyeing me up. “Then you will take Rio the fucking Giant down . . . and I do mean down. Or he takes you down. You got me?”

I clench my fists at my sides and take a deep breath. This guy can’t be serious. He really wants blood here tonight. “Fuck you,” I growl. “That wasn’t what we agreed on.”

Asher laughs before his face turns dead serious. “No. Fuck you, because only one of you fucktards will be left standing.”

Then, without another word he walks away to stand in front of his precious fucking chair. He’s watching us with a smirk, knowing that he’s won. One of us will take our last breath tonight.

I feel my blood boiling now. I should have known it would come to this. There’s no way I’m walking out with my life. Either way I look at it, I lose. I refuse to let my hands take another one’s life again. I won’t fucking give him the fight he wants. He wants to see me struggle. He wants to see the beast come out that he’s heard about. Well here’s a big fuck you to him.

Standing up straight, I stand in the middle of the ring and stare Rio right in the face. I’m not a coward. I won’t do what someone else wants me to do just to give him a little show. It’s not in me.

Rio swings at me, but I don’t make an attempt to dodge it. It connects hard on my left cheek, sending me into the ropes.

I stand up straight again and prepare myself for another hit. Before long, Asher will realize that he isn’t getting what he wants. He’ll either stop the fight or have me killed. Either way, whether I fight or don’t fight . . . someone dies tonight.