Page 36 of French 75
Knox snorts as he up-nods at Rhys. “I give as good as I get from now on.”
“Then don’t provoke me,” Rhys mutters between gritted teeth.
“Alright, alright.” Everest laughs, stepping between the two of them. “This isn’t why we’re here. Unless you two are planning on jumping into the pit, I want to watch Cass fight.”
“Amen.” I chuckle as I pat Everest on the back. Glancing down at the pit, I see there’s already a fight in progress, so I decide to bum a cigarette from Rhys when he pulls out his pack. “Thanks, man.”
“I’m curious,” Rhys says as he lights his cigarette. “Do you really think this is a good idea?”
Knox snorts with a shake of his head as I quirk my eyebrow. “What?”
“I’m not trying to judge,” Rhys says quickly, holding up a placating hand. “I’m really just concerned. I’ve heard about these kinds of fights, and they can get intense. Just…”
Everest frowns and pats Rhys’s arm. “I think what he’s trying to say is that we wonder if you know what you’re getting yourself into?”
I know all of this is coming from a place of worry. They’re my friends, and I guess they have a right to be, but I can’t lie and say I’m not annoyed. They don’t realize they do it, but they all treat me with kid gloves. They do it with Skylar too, but it’s in a different way. With him, they protect his feelings, are extra kind to him, and always have a nice thing to say. With me, they tiptoe.It’s like they all think I’m going to snap at any second, and it pisses me off.
“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“Woah,” Knox says as his eyes widen. “Calm down, Cassius. It was just a question.”
“No, they think I’m an idiot,” I snap, my hands balling into fists. “Why don’t you just come out and say it, Rhys? You’re the genius, aren’t you? What do you really mean?”
Rhys squares his shoulders, but there’s a flicker of hesitancy in his eyes. After a moment, he sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I’m not trying to start an argument here. It’s just… Why are you doing this?Really. What’s one good reason for wanting to beat the shit out of random strangers?”
That makes me pause. I… I’m doing this for Skylar. I’m doing this for our future.
But maybe… Maybe I like it? Because it gives me the kind of rush I need? Because it makes me feel in control, alive, and like I can do whatever the fuck I want? Because?—
Because of Skylar.
I’ve always fought because of Skylar. Growing up, it was to protect him. I made sure every bully in school was beaten to a pulp for even glancing at him the wrong way. I threatened and hurt every big kid in our shitty foster home who ever dared to lay a hand on him. If I could have hurt the assholes who ran that place, I would have.
Rhys won’t say it, but it’s written all over his face. When I let myself think about it, maybe…
“No,” I answer Rhys’s unspoken question. When the roar of the crowd dies down, I take a step back. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to fight.”
Before they can say anything else, I jump into the pit, but when I glance back, I see Knox giving Rhys a pointed stare. Itry to shake off my anger at him because he’s only trying to be a good friend.
But denial is a cruel bastard.
When I approach the commissioner, he smiles widely. “Hey!”
I clap his hand and up-nod. “Got anything for me tonight?”
“For you, always.” It seems that my fights are pretty entertaining for the crowd and bring in good money. Apparently, to a man like him, that makes us best friends. “How about an easy win tonight. I’ve got a newbie who wants to wet his beak.”
I shake my head. I need more than that tonight. I can’t explain why, but it’s just this sort of burning sensation in my chest. This heat that sizzles down to my bones. Something intense and needy and desperate. “Not tonight. What else you got?”
Biting down on his lip, he thinks it over. “Okay, okay. I see what you’re getting at. Get yourself ready, and I’ll bring you someone new.”
I thank him with a nod and head over to the center of the pit. Gearing myself up for what I hope is a decent fight, I jump on the tips of my toes. I tip my neck back and forth until I feel the satisfying crack. When I see my opponent, I grin.
This is going to be a good one.
The guy is huge. Not just in height, but he’s wide as fuck. He looks like a truck, like he’s taken too many roids for his own good. But his size doesn’t intimidate me. I’ve fought big guys before and always came out the winner.
Just like I plan on doing tonight.
