“Come on, Blaze. I’ve seen these guys. They’re killers. They’re not here for the glory.”
“And you think I am?”
“You build the crowd. You’re here for the dough, I get that, but you work everyone to your favor. This is going to be a bloodbath. I was told that I had to leave you, once they broke you. I don’t leave, don’t go out there.”
Blaze laughed. “You think I just run and hide?”
“O’Neal isn’t a good guy. You know this.”
“I know, which is why I’ll go out there and kick their asses.”
“Blaze, I don’t want to have to bury you.”
He slapped Gus on the shoulder. “You’re not going to have to. He’s given me what I want.”
Blaze cracked his knuckles, already prepared to take on whomever he picked. He’d only been doing odd jobs for O’Neal. A way of earning some money in the process. He had a plan, after all, and the way to see that through was to keep his head down, not make waves, and earn money fast. The work as a bouncer wasn’t going to help pay for the life he wanted.
O’Neal was a piece of shit. He wasn’t afraid of him.
Entering the ring, he lifted his arms and enjoyed the crowd going wild. He’d always been a fighter. It was something no one could take away from him. Since he was young, he’d fought. Staring into the crowd, he saw the men who just wanted to have some fun, and then he spotted the three men from O’Neal’s. They stood out like sore fucking thumbs. Their stoic faces gave them away.
Gus came out of the changing room, and Blaze nodded at him to get started.
When Gus tried to organize one of the other fighters, the first O’Neal guy came forward, pushing the crowd out of the way.
Blaze was impressed, but the guy was jerky in his movements. Watching him advance toward him, even as Gus was trying to organize the bets, he was sharper. He dodged the attack but landed a blow to the guy’s stomach, then whirled around and slammed his fist against the guy’s face.
He didn’t see it coming, and being in the ring with this fucker, Blaze felt a rage take over him like no other. He didn’t want O’Neal’s place. Running a loan shark business and ordering around women wasn’t his idea of fun. O’Neal had messed with the wrong man.
The first man went down without getting a single shot in.
The second guy did much better. Blaze handled three punches to his face and a kick to his chest, but he got to his feet and took down his opponent, who didn’t even see the attack coming.
When it came to the third guy, Blaze’s rage was at an all-time high. He landed a couple of blows, and Blaze allowed it, feeling his anger surge with every single strike until he finally knocked him on his ass.
All three men were unconscious. Then he heard the sirens and had no doubt O’Neal had called in a few favors.
He nodded at Gus before taking off. O’Neal would know by now he took the back exit, so he changed tactic, going through the front then chasing off in the opposite direction of his car.
Thirty minutes later, he got to his car and drove off toward his apartment. He was so fucking fuming.
No, he was past fuming. He was pissed.
After entering his apartment, he locked the doors and threw down his keys. He’d have no choice but to pay O’Neal a visit.
“You’re back.”
He turned to see Fay in … nothing.
“I thought you were spending the night with Blair.”
“I was, but I called a cab. She went to her apartment. I made sure she was inside safely, and I got him to bring me here.” She stepped toward him. “I was completely drunk.”
He hadn’t pulled on his shirt.
“You’ve been fighting,” she said.
“Yeah.”
“Did you win?”
“Always.”
“I find that so sexy.”
“Are you drunk?”
“Not anymore.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Blaze needed her warmth, her soft body against his, just so he wouldn’t go to O’Neal and kill the bastard.
Sliding his hands down her body, he went to her ass and squeezed her plump flesh.
“I love it when your hands are on me. So, so, so much.” She ran her hands down his body. “You know, I used to think about you, all the time.”
“Fay?”
She was drunk.
“I want your cock inside me, Blaze. Please, I need it. I need you.”
She may not think she was drunk, but he knew differently. Cupping her face, he tilted her head back. “There is nothing I want more than to fuck you, Fay. You are mine, but I’m not going to take you when you’re drunk.”
“Do you not want me?” she asked.
“Always.”
“Did you want me during prom?”
The question caught him off guard. “What?”
“Blair told me you stopped two guys from asking me to prom, but you never took me yourself.”