up her hands. "You don't have to tell me anything," she said quickly. She certainly knew what it was like to have things she never talked about. Couldn't talk about.
"No, it's okay." Ruby tipped her head back, staring up into the lush branches above. "There's not much to tell. She left."
The breeze ruffled the leaves above them, a soft sound that barely broke the silence.
"I was little," Ruby said after a moment, shrugging her slender shoulders. "I barely remember her. Dad says she was beautiful."
Hart figured that must be true; the woman had produced Ruby, after all.
"Do you know what happened? What made her leave?"
"She got a better offer," Ruby said shortly.
"Than her family?" Hart asked, eyebrows raised.
Ruby gave another shrug. "She got a job in the City. Working at a restaurant. Got hired as a cleaner but was promoted her first day. For her face, not her work. She started staying later and later. I remember that. Dad would stay up, waiting. He was always worried. He was fighting then; we didn't have the arena yet. On the nights he fought, she was supposed to be home. But she wasn't. So he had to leave me in the apartment by myself."
Ruby slunk further down against the tree, stretching her legs out in the grass. "And then one day she came home on time. To pack." Ruby met Hart's eyes. "She could make more without a family. Without a kid. So she left. We haven't heard from her since."
"That's—" Hart fumbled, unsure what to say. Terrible. Reprehensible. Disgusting.
"Practical. She was right. You know more than anyone. Life's easier without family tying you down."
"But I would never just leave them!" Hart said, appalled. It might be easier for her to live without a crippled mother and three kids to support, but what would be the point of living without them?
"And I won't leave my dad," Ruby said simply. "That's why we're here and people like my mother are in the City."
"I'd rather be here," Hart said firmly.
Ruby smiled. "Me too." She leaned over, knocking her shoulder against Hart's. "That was the night dad started saving for the gym. He took every fight they offered and put every cent away. So he could make a good life for me, even without her."
"He did a pretty good job," Hart offered.
"Yeah," Ruby smiled. "Even if he does throw me out of the gym every other day."
"You deserve it," Hart laughed.
"Yep," Ruby said proudly, leaning her head back. Hart tilted her face up, as well, feeling the sun on her skin.
Chapter Seven
Hart stepped confidently into the ring. The audience crowed her name, and she grinned at the sound. She was a winner, a champion, and they were screaming her name. It felt good. Across the ring, her opponent clambered between the ropes. Hart barely spared him a glance. He was big, but they all were. Their size didn't faze her anymore.
Leo introduced them, and Hart was sure the gathered throng cheered louder for her than for Adler. At the clang of the bell, Hart stepped forward. Her opponent was one hundred and seventy pounds, lean and blond. Young. He moved gracefully, but Hart thought he seemed overconfident. Her grin widened. Easy.
Adler swung first and Hart smirked. She danced back, light on her feet. He moved, herding her back against the ropes. She let him, keeping distance between them, letting his fists swing but not connect.
His face was set in concentration, his brow furrowed. Hart slipped easily past him, moving back to the center of the ring. He threw a few more punches, light, quick jabs. She dodged them and felt her smirk grow. He met her eyes and raised an eyebrow.
Suddenly, Adler charged, fists swinging, cuffing her against the side of her head. She ducked, raising her arms to block the blows. They rained down on her forearms, stinging. She cupped her arms protectively around her head, muffling the sounds of the arena, of Adler's heavy breathing above her. The sound of her own heart pounded louder in her ears.
She dropped to a knee, ducking out of his range. Before
"No, it's okay." Ruby tipped her head back, staring up into the lush branches above. "There's not much to tell. She left."
The breeze ruffled the leaves above them, a soft sound that barely broke the silence.
"I was little," Ruby said after a moment, shrugging her slender shoulders. "I barely remember her. Dad says she was beautiful."
Hart figured that must be true; the woman had produced Ruby, after all.
"Do you know what happened? What made her leave?"
"She got a better offer," Ruby said shortly.
"Than her family?" Hart asked, eyebrows raised.
Ruby gave another shrug. "She got a job in the City. Working at a restaurant. Got hired as a cleaner but was promoted her first day. For her face, not her work. She started staying later and later. I remember that. Dad would stay up, waiting. He was always worried. He was fighting then; we didn't have the arena yet. On the nights he fought, she was supposed to be home. But she wasn't. So he had to leave me in the apartment by myself."
Ruby slunk further down against the tree, stretching her legs out in the grass. "And then one day she came home on time. To pack." Ruby met Hart's eyes. "She could make more without a family. Without a kid. So she left. We haven't heard from her since."
"That's—" Hart fumbled, unsure what to say. Terrible. Reprehensible. Disgusting.
"Practical. She was right. You know more than anyone. Life's easier without family tying you down."
"But I would never just leave them!" Hart said, appalled. It might be easier for her to live without a crippled mother and three kids to support, but what would be the point of living without them?
"And I won't leave my dad," Ruby said simply. "That's why we're here and people like my mother are in the City."
"I'd rather be here," Hart said firmly.
Ruby smiled. "Me too." She leaned over, knocking her shoulder against Hart's. "That was the night dad started saving for the gym. He took every fight they offered and put every cent away. So he could make a good life for me, even without her."
"He did a pretty good job," Hart offered.
"Yeah," Ruby smiled. "Even if he does throw me out of the gym every other day."
"You deserve it," Hart laughed.
"Yep," Ruby said proudly, leaning her head back. Hart tilted her face up, as well, feeling the sun on her skin.
Chapter Seven
Hart stepped confidently into the ring. The audience crowed her name, and she grinned at the sound. She was a winner, a champion, and they were screaming her name. It felt good. Across the ring, her opponent clambered between the ropes. Hart barely spared him a glance. He was big, but they all were. Their size didn't faze her anymore.
Leo introduced them, and Hart was sure the gathered throng cheered louder for her than for Adler. At the clang of the bell, Hart stepped forward. Her opponent was one hundred and seventy pounds, lean and blond. Young. He moved gracefully, but Hart thought he seemed overconfident. Her grin widened. Easy.
Adler swung first and Hart smirked. She danced back, light on her feet. He moved, herding her back against the ropes. She let him, keeping distance between them, letting his fists swing but not connect.
His face was set in concentration, his brow furrowed. Hart slipped easily past him, moving back to the center of the ring. He threw a few more punches, light, quick jabs. She dodged them and felt her smirk grow. He met her eyes and raised an eyebrow.
Suddenly, Adler charged, fists swinging, cuffing her against the side of her head. She ducked, raising her arms to block the blows. They rained down on her forearms, stinging. She cupped her arms protectively around her head, muffling the sounds of the arena, of Adler's heavy breathing above her. The sound of her own heart pounded louder in her ears.
She dropped to a knee, ducking out of his range. Before
Similar Books
