Page 46 of Love Punch

“Not if I have anything to do with it,” I grumbled. “We can go to a caravan park in Skegness if he keeps this up.”

A server appeared at that moment and offered us each a glass of champagne. When he thrust the tray toward me, I waved him away. “That stuff is expensive, for Tylers only. And I am still working.”

“Nonsense.” Melody reached forward and plucked the glass of the tray before presenting it to me. “It may be expensive, and it may be for Tylers only. But you’re certainly a Tyler. And if my son doesn’t make that official at his soonest convenience, I will be marrying you off to any one of my nephews.”

Cory choked on his champagne, and Theo reached over to slap him on the back. “Don’t worry, cuz, I’ll marry him if you’re not one for the boys.”

Cory blanched, and sat back in his seat. Theo winked at me, and Sebastian puled him close and whispered in his ear. Theo gave me a long, hard stare, and then whispered something back. I saw him reach for Sebastian’s hand and shake it quickly.

“What the hell did you just bet on?” I asked. Theo just grinned and shook hs head.

Melody was reading the programme when I turned back around. “That Diego is rather a dish, isn’t he?” she mused as she flicked through. He was the only undercard fight of the night, and Bradley had been balancing his own training with making sure Diego was ready.

“He’s a fantastic fighter,” I replied, as if that was the statement she had made.

Just as the announcer started to talk, and the crowd noise escalated from a low hum to a roar, my radio buzzed again.

“Sir, there’s a gentleman at the VIP entrance. Says he knows you, mentioned you by name,”said the voice.

“Did you invite any more of the family?” I asked Melody. She shook her head.

Then another crackle of static. “He’s rather drunk, sir. Says he’s come to see his son.”

I felt the red mist of rage descend. “I’ll be there now. Do not let him step foot over the threshold.” I turned to Melody. “I will be back for Bradley’s fight, I promise you. But I’ve got an issue to sort first.”

I stood and walked as quickly as I could back into the underbelly of the stadium. My heart felt as though it were pounding through my chest, and I took several deep breaths in order to calm myself down.

As expected, when I reached the VIP door there was only one man stood just outside, lit by the fluorescent light and leaning against the doorframe as if he would fall without it.

“Dad, you look awful,” I said as I approached, motioning for the security guard to stand out of the way.

“I feel bloody awful, and they won’t even let me in,” he said. He was slurring his words and seemed to be struggling to focus on me. “I said I was a VIP and errything. Said you’d invited me, but…”

“You’re not invited, Dad. In fact, you were specifically barred.”

“You’vnt been answering my texts,” he said, taking a careful step forward. I took a step forward to match him, and to stop him entering the stadium.”

“I’ve not been answering your texts because I haven’t hadtime,“ I retorted. “I work hard on these things.”

“No time for family, then? I get it.” My father turned as if to leave, and then turned back with a look on his face like he’d forgotten what he was doing in the first place.

“M’here for the fight,” he explained to the bewildered security guard.

“Dad, you need to leave,” I said. “I will send you the money you asked for this week, but I…I can’t support this any more. I’m moving on with my life. You can’t seem to move on with yours, but that’s on you.”

My father didn’t even seem to notice my words, as he leaned in conspiratorially to the guard and stage whispered. “I had a bet on Bartosh last time, few hundred quid right? No one won, so I got it back, like. But my son’ll send me another five hundred to put on him. He’ll fucking beat Bradley Tyler.”

For just a second, I could’t speak. I was the kid scared of his alcoholic dad again. The kid who had been constantly let down by his parents’ inability to raise him. I was sad, angry…no, furious. And then…I felt it all lift. Like my limbs had been freed of the ropes that still bound us together as family. Because Bradley wa say family now, too. And my father had betrayed that family.

“Get him out,” I said to the security guard. “Not just out of the building, I want him out of the grounds. And then…” I pulled my phone out, took a picture of him. “I’ll be sending this photo to your manager. I expect them to communicate with stadiums around the country. This man is barred from any fight managed by Bradley Tyler in future, and if I get one whiff of his stenchanywhere near our company I will be rescinding our events from any arena that fails to adequately deal with him.”

The guard, ever the professional, nodded and moved to escort my father out.

“My son…my son is coming in a minute, I’ve got VIP tickets,” my father said to the guard as he was escorted out and into darkness. For a second, I felt sorry for the pathetic figure. And then I let him go. It was time to get back into the arena and support my family. The family I had chosen.

Chapter 21

Bradley

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