Page 61 of Saving Blood

“Nah, it’s nothing. Just sayin’, as bad as my father was, your parents were way worse.” Blood drags his hand through his hair. “I’ll never understand how parents can do shit to a kid. You must’ve been so scared.”

“I guess at first, but then I kinda got used to it. I’d sing to myself, and when I got older, I’d make up fantasies in my head with me as the heroine. The strong one, the one who could beat all odds.”

Blood tries to pull me to him again, but I resist. “I don’t want your sympathy; I just want you to understand how punishment like that takes ahold of a person. Then, when Hector doled out the same kind of punishment, I felt in a strange way like I deserved it.”

“Punishment? That’s fuckin’ torture. Hector’s a sadistic bastard, but your own parents?”

“There’s something else you should know.”

“Shit, babe, I don’t know if I can handle anything else.”

My real name isn’t Maxine; it’s Chastity, Chastity Parker. The last name I gave Ricky for the passport.”

“At this point, I don’t give a fuck what your real name is. I’m just blown away you survived at all.”

“Somehow I found the inner strength to go on. Almost like I didn’t want Hector or my parents to win—and, in a way, I’ve done it—survived.

“When Hector first approached me about infiltrating your club, I didn’t care one way or the other. I figured, with more independence, maybe I could escape. I didn’t give a shit if every one of you blew yourselves to hell as long as I got closer to getting back to the States.”

“And now you feel different.”

“The Royal Bastards are different. I didn’t expect the . . . camaraderie, the way you all seem to work together. I always got the impression Hector’s crew could be bought for the right price. There’s no loyalty, just greed, ego and harsh retaliation, even amongst themselves. Hector has no problem doling out punishment wherever and whenever.”

“You sure the fuck pushed back against all the bullshit.”

“It was the main reason why I changed my name. Chastity died the night I was stuffed into a cargo van and shipped to Rosarito. After weeks of abject fear, Maxine was born. The name and the new persona stood for confidence and strength.” I look down at myself. “The same tenacity and perseverance I’ve brought to my fighting is what will set me free. That and the passport.”

25

BLOOD

A passport I arranged.

Note to self: Don’t make promises when you’re balls-deep in a hot woman.

Maxine bites her bottom lip. “There is one other thing.”

“I know I’m gonna hate whatever you say next.”

“Hector wants me to throw the fight tomorrow night.”

“Shit—”

“I told him I wouldn’t do it, and that’s what we were fighting about in the alley.”

“How did it end?”

“I agreed, but there’s no way I’m taking a dive so he can bet on my opponent and win big. Not after all the training I’ve done.”

I push off the mattress. “I need a drink.”

I have way too much floating around in my brain right now. Javi’s murder, Maxine’s confession about her past and the horrors she endured, plus Hector wanting to rig the biggest fight of the night.

I return with the bottle of Jack and two glasses. I pour two healthy shots into each glass and hand her one of them. I gulp at mine, then settle back on the bed, resting my back against the headboard.

“This time, I have my escape all figured out. From the fight club, it’s only about two miles to the pedestrian crossing in Otay Mesa. I’m scheduled to fight at midnight, and then, after the fight, I disappear into the crowd. You said the turnout is going to be huge. The beauty part is from midnight until six in the morning is the slowest time at the border crossing, meaning I should be in California in less than an hour.”

“I don’t like it. I’m hearing a lot of holes in that plan.”

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