Adam pressed his lips against my ear. “You might want to plug your ears, kiddo.”
I cupped my hands on each side of my head, and Adam sounded the horn. Instead of attacking, Travis took a few steps back. Brady swung, and Travis dodged to the right. Brady swung again, and Travis ducked and sidestepped to the other side.
“What the hell? This ain’t a boxing match, Travis!” Adam yelled.
Travis landed a punch to Brady’s nose. The volume in the basement was deafening then. Travis sank a left hook into Brady’s jaw, and my hands flew over my mouth when Brady attempted a few more punches, each one catching air. Brady fell against his entourage when Travis elbowed him in the face. Just when I thought it was almost over, Brady came out swinging again. Throw after throw, Brady couldn’t seem to keep up. Both men were covered in sweat, and I gasped when Brady missed another punch, slamming his hand into a cement pillar. When he folded over, cradling his fist beneath him, Travis went in for the kill.
He was relentless, first bringing his knee to Brady’s face and then pummeling him over and over until Brady stumbled and hit the ground. The noise level boomed as Adam left my side to throw the red square on Brady’s bloodied face.
Travis disappeared behind his fans, and I pressed my back against the wall, feeling my way to the doorway we came in. Reaching the lantern was a huge relief. I worried about being knocked down and trampled.
My eyes focused on doorway, waiting for the crowd to spill into the small room. After several minutes and no sign of Travis, I prepared to retrace my steps to the window. With the number of people trying to leave at once, it wasn’t safe enough to chance wandering around.
Just as I stepped into the darkness, footsteps crunched against the loose concrete on the floor. Travis was looking for me in a panic.
“Pigeon!”
“I’m here!” I called out, running into his arms.
Travis looked down and frowned. “You scared the shit out of me! I almost had to start another fight just to get to you … I finally get here and you’re gone!”
“I’m glad you’re back. I wasn’t looking forward to trying to find my way in the dark.”
All worry left his face, and he smiled widely. “I believe you lost the bet.”
Adam stomped in, looked at me, and then glowered at Travis. “We need to talk.”
Travis winked at me. “Stay put. I’ll be right back.”
They disappeared into the darkness. Adam raised his voice a few times, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying. Travis returned, shoving a wad of cash into his pocket, and then he offered a half smile. “You’re going to need more clothes.”
“You’re really going to make me stay with you for a month?”
“Would you have made me go without sex for a month?”
I laughed, knowing I would. “We better stop at Morgan.”
Travis beamed. “This should be interesting.”
As Adam passed, he slammed my winnings into my palm, and then merged into the dissipating mob.
Travis raised an eyebrow. “You put in?”
I smiled and shrugged. “I thought I should get the full experience.”
He led me to the window and then crawled out, turning to help me up and out to the fresh night air. The crickets were chirping in the shadows, stopping just long enough to let us pass. The monkey grass that lined the sidewalk weaved in the gentle breeze, reminding me of the sound the ocean makes when I wasn’t quite close enough to hear the waves breaking. It wasn’t too hot or too cold; it was the perfect night.
“Why on earth would you want me to stay with you, anyway?” I asked.
Travis shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I don’t know. Everything’s better when you’re around.”
The warm and fuzzies I felt from his words quickly faded with the sight of the red, blotchy mess on his shirt. “Ew. You have blood all over you.”
Travis looked down with indifference and then opened the door, gesturing for me to walk in. I breezed by Kara, who studied on her bed, held captive by the textbooks that surrounded her.
“The boilers were fixed this morning,” she said.
“I heard,” I said, rifling through my closet.