‘Dad,’ I croak, my mouth too dry. ‘Please, don’t. I’m sorry. I’m sorry—’
A swish and then the buckle impacts my back, slicing through the skin, and I cry out.
‘Shut your mouth, pussy,’ he hisses. ‘Never beg. Never sniffle. You’re a man. Take it like one. That’s what you deserve.’
And he hits me again and again and again.
Chapter Fourteen
Asher
Marty isn’t at the fight club, but Carl is, as he told me he’d be. He eyes me suspiciously as I stand in front of his cluttered desk in the dark basement.
“So you’re Asher. Asher Devlin.”
I nod, my hands fisting at my sides.
“And you fought here once.”
“That’s right.”
Someone knocks on the door and it swings open. “Cooper wants to meet the new guy,” a voice says.
Carl gets up and I turn around.
A middle-aged guy walks inside, his iron-gray hair thick and curly, his arms bulging with muscles, although he’s a bit heavy around the middle.
An ex boxer. I know this guy. But from where?
“So this is Asher.” The guy’s bushy brows dip over his dark eyes. “Jake Devlin’s kid. I know your dad. I’m Johnny Cooper.”
He’s buddies with my old man. Fuck.
Will he tell my dad I’m here? I somehow don’t think my dad will come round looking for me, but you never know.
“Your dad know you’re here?”
“I fought here before,” I say again, hoping that’s enough. Has to be. I have no other credentials.
“I bet Jake trained you well.” He nods. “But the time you fought here, kid... That was a friendly fight. A test. Before real opening times. This is the real thing. Big business. Rich guys from all over coming to let out some steam and place their money on bloody fights.”
“I can handle it.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
He looks at Carl, then back to me. Rubs his chin. “All right, boy. Let’s see what you got. Carl, take him to the cage.”
I let out a long breath. This is my chance. I’ll show them I have what it takes.
***
Johnny stands outside the rusty cage, arms folded over his massive chest. I’ve changed into shorts and taped my hands. After the warm-up, I enter the cage and spring up and down as I wait for my opponent, not to let the muscles cool.
I didn’t expect Carl to show up. He’s in shorts, his torso gleaming. The man’s built like a brick shithouse.
The cage door closes behind him and he grins at me. “Ready?”