Asher (Inked Brotherhood 1)

“You think I want this?”

He removes my hand from his arm. “If you don’t, then what are you doing here?”

“I need the money, man.”

“Are you into drugs?” he asks, frowning. “You in a gang?”

“What? No.”

“Good. Then go back home, kiddo, and leave this life behind.”

“You don’t understand. I can’t.” I’m going to puke all over Johnny’s shoes. Blood fills my mouth, making me gag. “Need to fight.”

Carl mentioned a big tournament scheduled for New Year’s Day. That’s my chance to fight and get some good money.

Johnny sighs. “Go get some sleep and come back tomorrow in the afternoon. We’ll talk.”

Talk about what? He isn’t listening to me. But I nod anyway, heft my duffel and leave in search of a place to spend the night.

I spit blood onto the street. My whole body aches and by the time I stumble into the busier downtown streets, the pain is making my breath hiss on every step.

I lick the crushed pills from my hand, bitter as bile. Where am I heading?

A question that can apply to my life as a whole. I stagger past lit bars and dingy hotel fronts. No vacancies. No fucking place for me to stay. It has to be close to midnight and my duffel weighs like a ton of bricks.

Audrey. Her name, her face is a whisper in my mind. Maybe I can call her, ask to crash at her place. Even if that means letting her know everything, risking not seeing her again. I’m so tired.

But a search of my pockets tells me I don’t have my cell. Did I leave it at Zane’s? Or at the fight club? Did I drop it somewhere?

Shit.

Dizziness hits me hard. I need a place to crash.

A sign for room rental catches my eye—the one that isn’t swollen shut. I stumble into a dark entrance. Everything’s dark right now in my life. Has to be a metaphor or something.

There’s a button on the grimy desk and I press it. The place stinks of mold and piss. I lean against the desk, my pulse buzzing in my ears. Whoa, so dizzy.

A guy comes into the room, gives me a narrow look but doesn’t ask any questions. I put down some of my precious cash for a room and the guy gives me a key with a number and instructions.

I drag my sorry ass up a flight of stairs and locate my room. I walk inside, drop my duffel to the floor.

Then I flop onto the hard bed and pass out.

Chapter Seventeen

Audrey

Dakota leaves after a long afternoon of catching up and studying. It was great seeing her again and she had fun stories to tell me from her time with her family. Her cousins sound hilarious. One of them, Pete, managed to creep up on Dakota’s dad as the man was dozing and dyed his hair green.

Dyed hair seems to be a running theme in the family.

Then in revenge, her dad put blue food dye in Pete’s burger, so afterward Pete ran around with a blue tongue.

Yep. A theme alright. And the whole family sounds like a bunch of three-year-olds. I wish I’d been there to see it.

But I hear with only half an ear. My stomach is in knots. I’m upset, angry, sad, confused. Ash has turned my world upside down, but it keeps spinning out of orbit. He’s hot and then cold—making my body sing, making me feel cherished and protected, then vanishing into thin air and acting all distant and secretive.

What’s up with that?