job at the library and was in to process of securing some student loans for my last year of school, but Bash’s broken hand had kept him from finding work. He’d been relying on what little money his stake in the gym provided. This fight and the promised purse would definitely give him some piece of mind.
“If I win, I’ll get a bonus.” His gaze went dark and intense. “I’m going to win, Liv. And then we’ll be able to pay cash for your classes.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but then snapped it shut. Today was perfect. No reason to spoil that. When the time came, we’d decide together what to do with the money. And I had no doubt that he’d win. He’d been fighting his whole life and, no matter how hard-won the battle was, he always wound up coming out on top.
“I love you,” I said, running my hand over his sexy, stubbled cheek.
“Love you too, Liv. Always.”
The End
Sort of…
Three weeks earlier…
Matty
“Look, kid, your brother had fans after only one fight here at the warehouse. Him, I’d pay the big bucks for. You?” Mickey eyed me up and down, and shrugged. “You’re an unknown here. It’s not an even trade off. I’m sorry,” he said, shaking his head and not looking one fucking bit sorry. “But if Bash can’t make it tonight like he agreed, then me and you still got a five thousand dollar problem, and me and him got a whole new problem. He made a commitment, and I was counting on him.”
I wanted to dive over his shitty desk and pop him in his stupid mug, but I kept it together because I had no other options. With Bash’s hand broken and the Spada fight off the table, things were looking grim for him already. There was no way I was letting this bottom feeder get his claws into him again on top of it.
Enough was enough.
“From this point forward, all your problems are with me. I want my brother out of it. You tell me what I need to do to make this right for him, and I’ll do it.”
Mickey’s snake-like eyes lit up. We both knew he had me on the ropes, and he was going to make me pay. I vowed then and there that, someday, I’d be on the other side of things. And when I was?
I clenched my fist tight at my sides and waited.
“Funny you should say that, Matthias. Because I’ve been thinking. This is great,” he twirled his finger around in a circle, motioning to his shitty little office and the warehouse surrounding it. “But I’ve been wanting to go legit. Build this into a legacy that I can pass down to my children someday.”
I felt a stab of pity for his kids, but managed to mask my distaste at the idea that he even had them. Barely.
Time to play nice, Matty, I reminded myself.
“Legit sounds like a good plan, long term,” I said with a nod. “So what do you need from me?”
“I was thinking you could be my guy.”
I paused, and frowned at him. “Your guy?”
“My guy,” he said with a grin. “I want to start an MMA crew. Manage a few fighters, mix it up with the big boys and make a name for myself. I had my sources checking into you, now that we seem to be doing so much business together lately. They say you’re hot shit and that, once your brothers get their rhythm with their own careers and you focus on your own, you got the goods to be the next big thing. That true?”
Was it?
Who fucking knew anymore. What I did know was that being “Mickey’s guy” sounded about as appetizing as an open-faced cock and balls sandwich, no gravy.
“I’m a good fighter,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “But I’m not really looking for management right now. There’s got to be something else-”
“Nope.” Mickey shook his head slowly and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the worn desk in front of him. “There is nothing else you have that I want, kid.”
Something in his satisfied smirk made me wonder if there never was anything else he’d wanted. Like this had always been the goal.
I wanted to argue. To tell him to
“If I win, I’ll get a bonus.” His gaze went dark and intense. “I’m going to win, Liv. And then we’ll be able to pay cash for your classes.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but then snapped it shut. Today was perfect. No reason to spoil that. When the time came, we’d decide together what to do with the money. And I had no doubt that he’d win. He’d been fighting his whole life and, no matter how hard-won the battle was, he always wound up coming out on top.
“I love you,” I said, running my hand over his sexy, stubbled cheek.
“Love you too, Liv. Always.”
The End
Sort of…
Three weeks earlier…
Matty
“Look, kid, your brother had fans after only one fight here at the warehouse. Him, I’d pay the big bucks for. You?” Mickey eyed me up and down, and shrugged. “You’re an unknown here. It’s not an even trade off. I’m sorry,” he said, shaking his head and not looking one fucking bit sorry. “But if Bash can’t make it tonight like he agreed, then me and you still got a five thousand dollar problem, and me and him got a whole new problem. He made a commitment, and I was counting on him.”
I wanted to dive over his shitty desk and pop him in his stupid mug, but I kept it together because I had no other options. With Bash’s hand broken and the Spada fight off the table, things were looking grim for him already. There was no way I was letting this bottom feeder get his claws into him again on top of it.
Enough was enough.
“From this point forward, all your problems are with me. I want my brother out of it. You tell me what I need to do to make this right for him, and I’ll do it.”
Mickey’s snake-like eyes lit up. We both knew he had me on the ropes, and he was going to make me pay. I vowed then and there that, someday, I’d be on the other side of things. And when I was?
I clenched my fist tight at my sides and waited.
“Funny you should say that, Matthias. Because I’ve been thinking. This is great,” he twirled his finger around in a circle, motioning to his shitty little office and the warehouse surrounding it. “But I’ve been wanting to go legit. Build this into a legacy that I can pass down to my children someday.”
I felt a stab of pity for his kids, but managed to mask my distaste at the idea that he even had them. Barely.
Time to play nice, Matty, I reminded myself.
“Legit sounds like a good plan, long term,” I said with a nod. “So what do you need from me?”
“I was thinking you could be my guy.”
I paused, and frowned at him. “Your guy?”
“My guy,” he said with a grin. “I want to start an MMA crew. Manage a few fighters, mix it up with the big boys and make a name for myself. I had my sources checking into you, now that we seem to be doing so much business together lately. They say you’re hot shit and that, once your brothers get their rhythm with their own careers and you focus on your own, you got the goods to be the next big thing. That true?”
Was it?
Who fucking knew anymore. What I did know was that being “Mickey’s guy” sounded about as appetizing as an open-faced cock and balls sandwich, no gravy.
“I’m a good fighter,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “But I’m not really looking for management right now. There’s got to be something else-”
“Nope.” Mickey shook his head slowly and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the worn desk in front of him. “There is nothing else you have that I want, kid.”
Something in his satisfied smirk made me wonder if there never was anything else he’d wanted. Like this had always been the goal.
I wanted to argue. To tell him to
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