Renegade Path

“Yeah. I know.”

“I won’t say a word.”

“I know you won’t.” He hesitated. “I don’t want to get out before you, though.”

My throat tightened. “Brother,” I choked out the words slowly, “the second you get the green light, fucking run. Don’t you dare hang back because of me. I’ll be fine.”

His uncertain stare punched me in the gut.

“I’m serious,” I insisted in a controlled voice. “I’ll be out soon enough. They can’t keep me here past my birthday.”

“Yeah, okay.” He held out his hand and I clasped it, pulling him in for a loose hug, careful not to crush his bruised ribs.

Hope. There it was again, unfurling in my chest.

What would kill it this time?

Fight night started off normal enough. I won the first round. Eraser won his fight. It should’ve been time to go upstairs.

“Got a new one for ya,” Danny shouted.

The evil laughter in his voice set me on edge.

He dragged a shivering Wiggles to the outside of the ring.

“No.” I stared at my former roommate. “Fuck no. He’s a kid. He can’t fight.”

Wiggles crawled to his hands and knees. Danny glared at me.

“What’d you say, Hawkins?” Ollie asked.

I turned toward Ollie. “I said, I’m not fighting him.”

“Cash, get in there.” Ollie pointed at Eraser, then the ring.

Eraser shook his head and backed away.

Another guard stepped up to the ring. “I’ll fight him.”

“Fuck yeah,” Ollie shouted.

“You’re gonna fight him?” I yelled. “What a big badass, beatin’ up on a kid.”

“No.” He stared down at me. “You.”

I’d seen the guards challenge some of the other kids. The expectation was that you let them win. So far, they had.

I caught Eraser’s eye and he gave me a subtle headshake.

I threw my arms open wide and faced the other guard. “Let’s go, big guy.”

He snarled at me and whipped off his shirt. His chest was covered in crude tattoos. Prison ink? It wasn’t like I had the opportunity to ask. He came at me fast, throwing a punch that glanced off my cheekbone.

He had a bit of a size advantage over me, and he was quick.

But I had rage on my side. I put my head down and charged like a bull, pushing him back a few feet before taking him to the floor.

Fighting from the ground had seemed like a good idea. Until he quickly got me into a headlock. He bent my body in half until I couldn’t draw any air. I threw an elbow, hitting his jaw. The blow loosened his hold for the second I needed to catch a breath and throw another jab. Skin scraped off my knee as I twisted and grappled to turn myself into a less vulnerable position. I ignored the stinging and landed a punch to his chest, then his face.

I staggered to my feet and put some distance between us.

His labored breathing alerted me that he was up.

The wild-eyed kids watching the fight screamed my name.

Two more guards stood off to the side, watching with uncertain expressions.

We outnumbered the guards.

“Watch yourself, Hawkins,” Ollie warned. His meaning was clear. I’d put on a good show. It was time for me to lose the fight and make the other guard look like a champion.

My opponent rushed me from behind. He came at me fast. In some kind of crazy super-human move, I crouched, grabbed his arm, and used his own momentum to flip him over my shoulder.

He hit the concrete with a sickening thud.

I stared at his writhing body, stunned at the move I’d just made.

Mayhem exploded around me.

The kids launched themselves at the other two guards.

Breathing hard, I narrowed my gaze on Ollie.

I hated this fucker. Hated the way he bullied kids into fights. Hated his smug face when he won money off our blood and sweat. He deserved to bleed for a change.

“Stand down, Hawkins!” Ollie yelled.

Blood and sweat dripped into my eye. I flicked it away.

I hurled myself at Ollie, tackling him at the knees.

“Roman, no!” Eraser yelled.

I landed several punches before two sets of steel arms pulled me off of Ollie. One slammed a baton into my stomach, knocking the wind out of me.

Another blow exploded at the back of my skull.

Everything went dark.

Chapter Forty-Four

Roman

Pain throbbed through my wrists.

My shoulders burned.

I stopped there.

Everything hurt.

I groaned and blinked open my eyes.

“Thank fuck,” Eraser breathed out.

My arms were stretched up over my head, leaving me hanging. I put weight on my feet to take the pressure off my wrists and shoulders. I wiggled my fingers, moaning at the pins and needles sensation rushing into my limbs.

Slowly, I turned and found Eraser in a similar position next to me. Blood stained the front of his T-shirt.

“You all right?” he asked.

“No. Are you?”

He shrugged and the chains holding him up clinked together. “Been better.”

“Where are we?”

“Solitary.”

I glanced around the small cell. “Why are we together?”