Page 11 of Fractured Mind
She giggles. “A War Brothers club member. All the men in the club are fiiine specimens.” She pretends to wipe sweat off her forehead.
As I enter the warehouse, anxiety twists my gut. The place is overcrowded, with everyone shoulder to shoulder, making me latch on to Ruby’s arm with a steely grip. The smell of smoke, sweat, and blood assaults my nostrils, and I swallow to suppress the bile that creeps up my throat.
We weave through the crowd. I try not to bump into anyone, but it’s impossible. The audience members’ eyes light up while they watch the two people brutally fighting in the ring. As we get closer to the stage, the spectators become louder and more aggressive.
My pulse is accelerating.What have I gotten myself into?
We’re at about the third row from the stage when one fighter falls to the ground hard and can’t get back up. Blood is streaming out of a wound above his eye, adding to my feeling of queasiness.
The presenter—a biker with the same MC vest on—holds the standing fighter’s arm up in the air. “And the winner is Titan!” he announces. There’s a mix of cheering and booing from the crowd.
“Is he okay?” I grimace as two men drag the unconscious man off the stage.
She glances in my direction. “It doesn’t look like it!”
“This is the last chance to place your bets before the main event begins,” the biker says over the microphone.
We reach Jackson, who’s standing with two other guys. Ruby grabs his wrist, and he turns. His eyes bulge when he sees me, and then he glowers at the two of us. “What were you thinking?” he asks his sister, his voice filled with irritation.
I step away from him. When I chance a peek at his male friends, they’re staring at me, especially the blond, whose devious smile is widening.
“Now for the main event...” The shouting around us gets louder. The presenter enthusiastically bellows, “We’ve got the fight you’ve all been waiting for... Here is Ashton De Santis.”
I cover my ears as the audience erupts into next-level yelling and cheering. An eerie song blares through the speakers, and when the drum kicks in, the guy emerges. Everyone parts to allow him room to move.
Ruby turns around to me. “It’s him! It’s him!”
I follow Ashton’s movements, but it isn’t until he climbs into the ring that I catch a glimpse. The bright light from above shows his bronze skin and defined, taut muscles. I stand in awe as he bounces left and right, his hair moving with the motion. He throws air punches, his movements agile.
As the other fighter enters the ring, Ashton’s face hardens. The man looks older, maybe late twenties or early thirties. While Ashton is lean and athletic, this man is solid, and there’s a significant difference in weight between them.How is that fair?
Ashton’s friends are yelling and cheering him on. He glances down, giving them a chin lift. Ashton’s eyes lock onto mine, and I find it hard to breathe as the air seems to vanish from my lungs. His body goes as stiff as stone and his face pales. His eyes hold me captive.
“See!” Jackson yells at Ruby. “Get Mia out of here. If Ashton gets distracted, he can get hurt or worse. Did you think about that?”
She frowns, and her shoulders slouch. “I’m sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
When the bell rings, Ashton’s gaze leaves mine in time for him to duck the other man’s right hook.
I cover my eyes but keep my fingers open wide enough to see through them. I’m about to tell Ruby we should go home when I’m shoved by a man beside me. As I turn, a brawl explodes near us, making my body jerk. I scan the overcrowded space for a way out, but I can’t see anything because of the commotion.
“Ruby,” I scream, frantically searching for her. “Ruby, where are you?”
The yelling and fighting drown out my voice. There are men everywhere, pushing, shoving, and throwing punches. I drive forward with all my might, trying to squeeze between two men, but they are bigger than me. I pant as I shove forward again between two others, but it’s no use. A chair hits the man beside me in the head, making me jolt as it just misses me.
“Everyone, calm the fuck down,” the biker yells on the microphone, but no one is paying attention.
Standing on my toes, I search for Ruby again, but finding her is impossible. There’s too much movement.
The brawlers pull the person between me and the fight forward, making my pulse thrash against my skin with fear. I hunch over, trying to protect myself from the two men stumbling straight for me. My muscles stiffen, waiting for the impact... but it doesn’t come.
A towering mass of muscle is before me, shoving them forward with such force that they fall to the ground. He shuffles back so I’m flush behind him, with the warmth of his skin against me. It’s Ashton. I feel a hand on my arm, and it makes me jump until I recognize it as Ruby’s. She gives me an apologetic look while the other three guys surround us like a protective wall.
Ashton’s friend turns to me, still with a crooked smile. The tallest of the four taps Ashton, motioning his head toward the exit. They turn as a unit and we push through the crowd.
It isn’t long until someone stumbles backward into us, making me reach out and firmly clasp Ashton’s arm. He freezes. His dark-brown eyes stare into mine before he encircles me with his arm, pulling me into his side, and instantly I can breathe again.
We move once again. The farther away we get from the brawl, the faster we can walk.