‘I hope you’ve reserved a good seat for me,’ I throw at him sarcastically.
‘You’re not going.’
My eyes widen. ‘Why can’t I go?’
He folds his arms over his chest. ‘Do you really want to watch two men inflict savage injuries on each other?’
I narrow my eyes. ‘I thought you said the injuries are not going to be savage?’
He frowns. ‘Just stop it, Lil. You’re not coming, OK?’
‘It’s a spectator sport so won’t there be others there, including women?’
‘Yes.’ His voice is cautious.
‘And you said it is a noble tradition.’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, I want to be with you while you engage in this noble tradition.’
‘Well, I don’t want you there.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because I will be distracted and unable to concentrate if you are. I want to know that you are in a safe place. At home.’
Some part of me is relieved to know that I am not going to see the fight. It makes me sick to even watch a boxing fight between total strangers. I don’t know that I can take watching Jake bloodied in such a barbaric way. ‘Will you at least let me come and wait in the car for you?’
He sighs. ‘All right, you can wait in the car with Shane.’
I look at him. ‘Will many people be going?’
‘Entrance is by word of mouth and the location will only be revealed a few hours earlier by the organizers, so nobody really knows how many will turn up until the day.’
‘Will people be betting?’
He shrugs. ‘They usually do.’
Saturday flies into my life. Nobody talks and I sit in the back of the car, sullen and fearful, as Shane drives us to a barn in the middle of nowhere. Dominic has gone on ahead and will meet us at the location of the fight.
A swarthy boy is directing cars down a beaten track to a field. I am shocked to see what looks like hundreds of cars parked there. Shane passes them and comes to a stop outside a barn. There is a van selling hot dogs and burgers. As I watch, people are going into the barn.
Dominic has been waiting for us to arrive. He comes striding toward us. He is tall and broad like his brothers, but it is immediately apparent that he is not the thinker of the family.
‘It’s a fucking zoo in there,’ he says bending down at Jake’s window.
‘Is Pilkington here yet?’ Jake asks.
‘Just arrived. He’s got a lot of supporters. His women are going crazy, but don’t worry, it won’t take you long to put him to sleep.’
Jake gets out of the car. I scramble out, too. Dominic acknowledges me with a nod. I don’t nod back. I know it is him that has caused this fight.
Jake turns toward me and smiles. ‘Kiss me good luck?’
I fling myself at him and, holding the sides of his face between my palms, I kiss him desperately. His mouth is warm. His hands come around my waist. And his tongue traces my teeth gently. But there is no passion. There is only the sense of cold fingers crawling all over me. I break away. He smiles again at me.
Shane comes around to stand beside me as I watch Jake stride away with Dom.