who are sure aren't hungry for it."
Hart groaned. "What am I going to tell my mother?" The idea of going home empty-handed twisted unpleasantly in the pit of her stomach.
"That you lost."
"Oh, thanks," she grumbled, pushing back, away from the locker and out of Ruby's grip.
"Look," Ruby said sharply, grabbing her shoulders and forcing Hart to face her. Her expression was stern. "You lost. Adler won. Just like last time you won and the other guy lost. Don't get cocky and you won't lose as often." She pointed a finger in Hart's face. "Every fight is a new fight. It doesn't matter if you won a hundred times before or lost the last time. It doesn't matter once you step in that ring. Got it?"
Hart's shoulders slumped. "Got it," she mumbled.
"Good. Now, let's go take care of your hand."
Hart looked down at the bloody mess she had made of her knuckles and swore. Ruby was right; she was an idiot.
Ruby threw a grin over her shoulder as she rifled through the first aid cabinet. "We'll tell my dad it happened in the fight."
She took Hart's hand gently, dabbing at the blood with a clean cloth. "Next time, you just have to be the one who wants it more, okay?"
"Okay," Hart agreed.
*~*~*
Hart ducked low, her hair ruffling as her opponent's fist sailed uselessly over her head. He was big, over a head taller than Hart, at least. But he was slow. His advantage was strength, not speed or agility. Hart thought of Ruby in the ring, small and lithe, ducking and dodging every blow that was thrown at her and tried to do the same.
She kept her feet light, dancing away from the man every time he lumbered towards her. He kept coming, though, and coming and coming. Hart panted, each breath feeling like knives in her chest. Want it more , she told herself. Be hungry . She struggled to keep herself just out of his reach. Sweat dripped into her eyes and she blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision. Caine's square jaw was set firmly, his blue eyes narrowed in on her. He was breathing just as heavily as Hart.
She steeled herself and kept moving, focusing on the memory of her siblings' smiles every time she brought home her winnings. She spun and twisted, dropping into a crouch. Her leg shot out. Caine stumbled and Hart jumped up. She threw her shoulder into his torso, hard. He swayed and, shockingly, went down—his head hitting a post with a horrifying thump . Caine's eyes rolled up and he collapsed back to the mat. Hart stared down at him, her stomach twisting. The crowd was cheering her name, but she couldn't look away from Caine. He wasn't moving.
"Hart. Hart," Ruby's voice cut through the fog that had descended on Hart as she stared down at Caine's lifeless body. She looked up to see Ruby reaching insistently through the ropes. Ruby grabbed her arm and tugged, reeling her in. "It's fine, Hart. He's going to be fine."
Hart let Ruby pull her out of the ring and into her arms; she buried her face against Ruby's shoulder, shuddering. The image of Caine's fallen form seemed burned into the back of her eyelids, vivid even when she squeezed her eyes shut tight. After a moment, she felt Leo slip the purse into her hand.
*~*~*
"In the left corner, Hart, one hundred and forty pounds and a three-time winner! And in the right corner, Kemp, one hundred and eighty pounds and undefeated!"
Hart eyed her opponent warily as he swaggered into the ring. He was older than her and bigger than her, but so were all the other men she had fought. There was something in his eyes, though. Something harder and fiercer than she was used to seeing in her opponents. Even as they threw punches, she knew that the men she fought were doing it for the same reasons she did–family and survival. They were opponents, but they were also all Gutter trash trying to make a living in the world.
They were in this together.
Kemp, though … Kemp seemed different. There was none of the usual desperation in his eyes. Instead, he looked at Hart like she was something he had
Hart groaned. "What am I going to tell my mother?" The idea of going home empty-handed twisted unpleasantly in the pit of her stomach.
"That you lost."
"Oh, thanks," she grumbled, pushing back, away from the locker and out of Ruby's grip.
"Look," Ruby said sharply, grabbing her shoulders and forcing Hart to face her. Her expression was stern. "You lost. Adler won. Just like last time you won and the other guy lost. Don't get cocky and you won't lose as often." She pointed a finger in Hart's face. "Every fight is a new fight. It doesn't matter if you won a hundred times before or lost the last time. It doesn't matter once you step in that ring. Got it?"
Hart's shoulders slumped. "Got it," she mumbled.
"Good. Now, let's go take care of your hand."
Hart looked down at the bloody mess she had made of her knuckles and swore. Ruby was right; she was an idiot.
Ruby threw a grin over her shoulder as she rifled through the first aid cabinet. "We'll tell my dad it happened in the fight."
She took Hart's hand gently, dabbing at the blood with a clean cloth. "Next time, you just have to be the one who wants it more, okay?"
"Okay," Hart agreed.
*~*~*
Hart ducked low, her hair ruffling as her opponent's fist sailed uselessly over her head. He was big, over a head taller than Hart, at least. But he was slow. His advantage was strength, not speed or agility. Hart thought of Ruby in the ring, small and lithe, ducking and dodging every blow that was thrown at her and tried to do the same.
She kept her feet light, dancing away from the man every time he lumbered towards her. He kept coming, though, and coming and coming. Hart panted, each breath feeling like knives in her chest. Want it more , she told herself. Be hungry . She struggled to keep herself just out of his reach. Sweat dripped into her eyes and she blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision. Caine's square jaw was set firmly, his blue eyes narrowed in on her. He was breathing just as heavily as Hart.
She steeled herself and kept moving, focusing on the memory of her siblings' smiles every time she brought home her winnings. She spun and twisted, dropping into a crouch. Her leg shot out. Caine stumbled and Hart jumped up. She threw her shoulder into his torso, hard. He swayed and, shockingly, went down—his head hitting a post with a horrifying thump . Caine's eyes rolled up and he collapsed back to the mat. Hart stared down at him, her stomach twisting. The crowd was cheering her name, but she couldn't look away from Caine. He wasn't moving.
"Hart. Hart," Ruby's voice cut through the fog that had descended on Hart as she stared down at Caine's lifeless body. She looked up to see Ruby reaching insistently through the ropes. Ruby grabbed her arm and tugged, reeling her in. "It's fine, Hart. He's going to be fine."
Hart let Ruby pull her out of the ring and into her arms; she buried her face against Ruby's shoulder, shuddering. The image of Caine's fallen form seemed burned into the back of her eyelids, vivid even when she squeezed her eyes shut tight. After a moment, she felt Leo slip the purse into her hand.
*~*~*
"In the left corner, Hart, one hundred and forty pounds and a three-time winner! And in the right corner, Kemp, one hundred and eighty pounds and undefeated!"
Hart eyed her opponent warily as he swaggered into the ring. He was older than her and bigger than her, but so were all the other men she had fought. There was something in his eyes, though. Something harder and fiercer than she was used to seeing in her opponents. Even as they threw punches, she knew that the men she fought were doing it for the same reasons she did–family and survival. They were opponents, but they were also all Gutter trash trying to make a living in the world.
They were in this together.
Kemp, though … Kemp seemed different. There was none of the usual desperation in his eyes. Instead, he looked at Hart like she was something he had
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