I walk over and kiss her. “It’s done.”
“Then why does it feel so ramped up?”
“Me and the old man are going to squash our shit in the ring.”
“You can’t do that. You’ll hurt him,” she says.
“I won’t, but I will show him I’m done being under his thumb. This has needed to happen for a long time, D’Rose.” I give her a look that says we’re done talking about it.
Like a good old lady should, she nods her head and holds her hands out for my cut.
“Don’t go far, it won’t take long, I promise.” I shrug out of my cut, take off my shirt, and climb into the ring. I expected this. It’s why I’m dressed in a pair of casual sweats. I do a lap around the ring, keeping my muscles loose as I warm up. My father taught me well.
He does the same. The disgust in his eyes and the ugly sneer curling his lips have me about to see red.
“Just couldn’t leave that shit alone, could you?” he asks.
“Not your call to make…old man.”
“I raised you better,” he hisses.
I ignore his words. It’s going to take a lot to keep from hurting him. Years of anger and resentment are lodged inside me. I roll my neck.
The bell rings.
Mouth comes out swinging.
I use my speed to my advantage and avoid his right left combo, but he catches me with the third strike right on the chin. Pain explodes in my face. I shake it off and answer with a few blows to the body.
He maneuvers away, and we circle once again.
He throws a left hook that snaps my jaw back and from there, it’s an all-out fist fight. I return his left with a right as we face one another in the center of the ring, neither of us trying to attempt a real fight. Blood flies, my eyes swell, and his grunts and groans are music to my ears. My knuckles ache, but I can barely feel it. I’m fucking giddy. Finally, he’s no longer untouchable.
“That’s enough! You trying to kill each other?” Stone’s voice rings out. “That shit between you stays in the ring. You beat each other to a bloody pulp, now go get cleaned up and do something else to help you blow off steam.”
The Pres’ word is law, so we have to back down.
I spit blood out in the ring. “I’m done being controlled by you.” I walk away before he can reply. Nothing he has to say matters anymore. I’m not stupid, I know this isn’t the end of it, but it is for now, which is all that matters. I live my life from one moment to the next with tentative plans for the future, because isn’t that all we ever have? I climb out of the ring, feeling the bruises forming on my body.
Dixie Rose walks toward me with a huge grin on her face.
Suddenly, I’m twenty feet tall. This was for her, too.
She rises on her tiptoes and kisses me softly. “How about you let your old lady clean you up?”
“If you’re up to it. I don’t think it’s safe for me to shower alone. Have to be careful of concussions, you know?” I say.
“Guess I’ll have to get wet then.”
Her double entendre makes my dick twitch. I follow her down the hall to my room like she’s the pied piper. This is the start of us again, and nothing could dampen my happiness.
When we slip inside my door, she gazes up at me and smiles. “Were you defending my honor out there, Joel?”
“The way I should have a long ass time ago,” I answer, dropping my gaze to the floor.
“Hey.” She gently cups my face and forces me to look at her. “You don’t feel bad for the shit he did. You kept me safe. I hated your guts, and you never said a word against me or explained until you knew I wouldn’t get caught in the crossfire. You’re my fucking hero.”
“Yeah?” I ask.