Part 28 (2/2)

Tav tossed his cigarette to the ground and headed inside. I took one last look up at the moon, and then followed him.

The crowd inside was dancing while waiting for the next fight to be set up. This would be the last fight of the night before the main event. Tav had set up a cage fight between me and some guy everyone called Tiny. If his name was anything to go off of, I wasn't sure it would be much of a fight.

”Hey, sorry. I didn't know who you were. Drake just said not to let the fighters leave.”

I turned to look at the new bouncer. He seemed pretty young to be working the doors of an underground fight club.

”It's fine. Are all the fighters here?”

”You mean is Tiny here? Yeah, he's here. And he is anything but Tiny. Good luck.”

”I don't need luck.”

I turned away and disappeared into the crowd. The fight would be starting soon and I needed to get ready. I pa.s.sed by h.o.a.rds of people dirty dancing on the dance floor.

I couldn't even make it across the room before I felt hands grabbing at my a.s.s. I rolled my eyes and turned around to come face to face with the two giddy girls I had pa.s.sed outside.

They were clearly liquored up and quite grabby. The bottle blond bimbo pressed herself against me while groping my c.o.c.k. I wasn't interested. I grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her hands away from me. She pouted as if it would change my mind, but I just gave her a dirty look and walked away.

I reached the back room where Drake and Tav were waiting. A few of the other regular fighters were being patched up by Lexi, our local underground nurse. Story goes she was in school to be a doctor, but had to drop out because of her father. Drake and Tav picked her up and pay her pretty good to patch up the boys.

”Hey good looking. In an hour it'll be you in this chair needing to be patched up.” Lexi called over her shoulder.

”I think Tiny will be needing your services more than I will.”

”Don't count on it. That guy is huge.”

”You can forfeit. Or you can give him the win, and we can still make bank.” Drake said, while counting out a stack of twenties.

Was this some kind of joke? I haven't lost a fight since I started here, and now they expect me to give up?

”I'm not going to lose; I don't care how big the guy is.”

”You've got spirit kid, I'll give you that.”

”I'm not losing.” I growled.

I know I shouldn't let Drakes comments get to me, but I wasn't a kid and I wasn't going to lose.

”If you say so, but my money is on the other guy.”

”Then I hope you're prepared to part with it.”

Tav laughed, but Drake looked like he wanted to kill me. Lexi just shook her head.

”I like his confidence. I'll place my money on him.”

”You're going to lose, little brother”

”I'll take that chance.”

At least Tav believed in me, sort of. I was pretty sure that he was only betting on me to go against his brother. Everything was a compet.i.tion between those two. I usually stayed out of their p.i.s.sing contests; I don't need to fight to be alpha. This isn't my home; it's just a stop along the way.

”Go on then, get ready. You got a fight to lose.”

”Don't listen to him; he's just scared of having to pay up.”

I didn't really care. I walked to the back of the room and pulled open the locker. Inside was pretty much empty except for the wraps I use when fighting. I picked one up and flicked my wrist to unravel it.

I hooked my thumb into the loop and began wrapping the fabric around my wrist, then around my hands, weaving it between my fingers and securing the Velcro around my wrist. I flexed my hand to test the tension, and then repeated the process with the other hand.

I pulled my s.h.i.+rt off and tossed it into the locker and took a seat on the bench. I was already wearing the shorts I planned to fight in. I tilted my head to one side, then the other, letting it crack. One thing I did miss about home was sleeping in a comfortable bed.

I closed my eyes and tried to drown out the sound of Drake and Tav talking, and the sound of one of the fighters. .h.i.tting on Lexi. She was hot, that was for sure. Her blond hair was shorter in the back, with longer strands in the front. It was almost like a diagonal pixie cut with light blue and pink dyed into her bangs.

I heard the door open, but didn't pay much attention to it until I heard the girls voice. It was the same girl from outside that I had snapped at. I sat there for a minute listening to see what it was she wanted, and how she knew the brothers, since no one was allowed back here besides fighters, and Lexi.

”I've been absent less than a year and you guys have already gone and filled the place with a.s.sholes.”

”Nikki, this place has always been filled with a.s.sholes.” Tav countered.

”Yeah, well maybe it's time to change that.”

”People pay to watch a.s.sholes fight and I get paid to patch them up so they can do it again. If you changed that, they would be out of business and I would be out of a job.” Lexi said, b.u.t.ting in.

”You're hot; you can get a job anywhere.”

”Not one that pays this good.”

I never really asked how much Lexi got paid, since it was never any of my business, but I figured it would have to be a decent amount, since she already owns her own condo and a brand new sports car.

”So you would subject your own best friend to a.s.sholes and jerk faces just so you didn't have to find a normal job.”

”Jerk faces? What are we, five? And yes I would subject my best friend to a.s.sholes and 'jerk faces' in a heartbeat to keep from having to find a normal job. I don't do normal.”

”You know, the only reason they pay you so much is because Tav wants in your pants, right?”

”Ew Nikki. Tav sees me as his little sister.”

”Alright, that is quite enough.” Tav said, cutting in.

I couldn't help but smirk a bit. Everyone knows Tav has a thing for Lexi, except for Lexi. Somehow she has managed to stay completely clueless.

”Nikki, I want you to meet the newest pride of The Cellar. Tristan, get over here.”

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