The pit of my stomach grows tight.
“Y’all remember our dark-haired queen of the night, right? She popped in like a backward Barbie and out like a west coast warrior?”
What ...
“Well, her name is Raven Carver, and she’s back, people!” he shouts, and people start shouting in excitement, eye after eye flying my way and I wanna die.
“I’m gonna fuck you guys up for this,” I mumble for only Cap and Royce to hear.
Assholes laugh at me.
“Now, a couple weeks ago, Raven, or Rae as we call her, slipped in here for a minute, and when she left, our warrior got jumped.”
Some people laugh, others throw out ‘fuck thats’ and the like, but my spine shoots straight, and I grip Cap and Royce by the thighs.
“And guess what else?” the guy shouts. “We know one of the guys who done done it.” People scream, and I jerk forward but, the boys yank me back down. “Bastards and bitches, welcome to the ring, the dumbass who put his hands on Maddoc Brayshaw’s woman.”
My pulse spikes as a dark figure makes his way toward the ring, several big ass buff dudes following close by.
He steps in the center, facing away from me.
“Y’all know the drill, they swing ‘til they can’t. You stay back and out the way, and when this little bitch has thoroughly had his ass handed to him, you can spit on him and walk away.” He pauses so the crowd can shout once more before pulling his megaphone back to his mouth. “Game time, motherfuckers. Shirt off, pansy. Let’s get it.”
The guy hops down and my fingers dig into Royce and Captain’s jeans as I watch the dude across from Maddoc start to pull his hoodie over his head.
I squint to try and see better, but I can’t make him out.
My eyes lift to Maddoc’s and right as they do, his meet mine.
His move prompts his opponent to turn as well and my jaw clenches shut.
Leo.
That little bitch.
“Cap...” I start, but he ignores me, so I snap, “Royce.”
“Yes.” He covers my hand with his and squeezes. “He fucking helped Collins. He gave him the video, and it was his boot that was marked against your ribs. He— ”
“Is a dead man in that ring,” I whisper, anxiousness now fighting its way in and pushing out all the excitement and adrenaline because I know Maddoc is fucking foaming out the mouth right now.
His friend. Someone he half trusted, who I thought was sketchy as fuck, fucked them.
Fucked me.
“We have to show these people, Raven,” Cap whispers in my ear. “And this is the place to do it. These people are drifters, you know that. Word will spread, and everyone will understand.”
“You don’t fuck with a Brayshaw,” Royce finishes for him, looking to me and I reluctantly pull my eyes from the scene to meet his. “None of us.”
The horn blares longer, the crowd gathers closer, and the intensity sparks like an invisible fucking flame.
A thrill runs down my spine and I glance around – wide eyes, baited breaths, and shaky hands surround me.
We all feel it, the power surging from the man in the middle.
My man.
And it’s on.Leo tries, I give him that, but he’s no match for the fury boiling inside every inch of Maddoc. He was played by his boy, and he’s letting everyone know what’ll happen should they stray.
Punch after punch, kick after fucking kick, and Leo still pushes to his feet, but only after Maddoc steps back to allow it.
And he continues to allow it, waits for it in fact, all to knock him back down with the full force behind his fist.
Leo’s cheek is busted open, his brow split just the same. Blood pours into his eyes and he wobbles on his feet, hands barely at his chest when he readies himself.
The crowd is no longer shouting but whispering with wide eyes.
“Cap.” I shake his thigh, not taking my eyes off Maddoc. “Should we...”
Leo’s legs give and he drops to his knees, his arms flopping to his side.
“No,” Cap says calmly. Instantly. “He’s got it coming and he knows it.”
“Why you think he keeps standing?” Royce whispers in my other ear. “He knows what he did, and he accepts it.”
Maddoc glares down at him, blood and sweat covering his body as well. His dark hair is matted and has fallen against his forehead. His chest heaves, his tattoo angrily rising and falling with each breath.
He gets right against him, forcing Leo’s head back completely.
Maddoc bends and grips his arm, causing Leo to fall to the side slightly.
My eyes widen as he grips his fingers and snaps the first two back completely.
Leo wails into the sky and I wince.
There goes his shooting hand.
Maddoc spits on him then kicks him over and the crowd flips the fuck out.
Beer is thrown and his back is slapped a solid fifteen times before he can even move from the ring.