She tells us that Tyrone's still in surgery but she'll keep us updated if she finds out any information. I quickly thank her before Lou-Lou and I round the corner to the small waiting room.
That's where I see Jackson and Ricardo in some kind of standoff, looking like they're about to rip each others faces off.
“You've gotta be kidding me,” Lou-Lou mutters. “Stop it!” she screams.
It's no use. In the blink of an eye, Jackson advances toward Ricardo and holds him up against the wall by his throat. “You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?” he sneers.
“You're out of your mind, Jackson. For fucks sake, I snapped that guy's neck. You think I would ever let anything happen to either one of you?”
Jackson shakes his head. “You knew about them switching his opponent before the fight. You had to know something was up. You told me everything was okay right before the fight. But, it wasn't fucking okay. You knew about the meeting because he had to go through you to get one! You knew he wanted out and you never fucking told me. And now, my best friend is in surgery fighting for his life.”
Jackson slams him up hard against the wall again, but I see Ricardo's eyes flash and that strange feeling washes over me. The very same one I had that night Jackson fought Dean in the bathroom and Ricardo showed up.
“I had no idea that any of this was gonna go down, Jackson. I got him a meeting, yeah. But I wasn't privy to their discussion. It was a closed meeting. Tyrone wouldn't tell me why he wanted the meeting either, he just said it was important. If I had known, I would have talked him out of it,” he screams, his voice cracking with emotion.
“You guys are like my brothers. You both are the closest thing to a real family I've ever had. I would never be okay with someone taking either one of you out, ever. I don't care who might have issued the order.”
Order? Taking them out? What is he talking about?
Jackson eases up on his grip and bangs the wall beside his head. “I swear to god, Ricardo; you better be telling me the truth. Because if I find out that you knew about this...we're fucking done in every way you can think of.”
The dangerous intensity in Ricardo's eyes is replaced by sadness. “I didn't know. I swear. I'd let him take me out before I'd ever let him do it to either one of you.”
What should be a somewhat comforting statement, instead forces the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up.
Jackson pulls him into a hug. “I don't know what I'm gonna do if he doesn't pull through this.”
My eyes water because the thought of losing Tyrone is heart-wrenching, but the moment turns tense again when Jackson fixes himself and his eyes darken. “Actually, I do.”
Ricardo shakes his head. “No, man. Get that thought out of your head right now. He didn't order it. It wasn't him. I'm telling you.”
Jackson slams him up against the wall again, but Ricardo deflects it and now he's the one slamming Jackson up against the wall.
“It was. I know it was,” Jackson screams. “And you can tell him I'm fucking done.”
Ricardo's hand wraps around his throat. “Don't be stupid. You'll get yourself killed. You can't be done with him. That ain't the way it works and you know it.”
Two thoughts hit me simultaneously at that moment—what else is Jackson keeping from me? And more importantly...what kind of dangerous situation is he involved in?
Jackson lifts his arm and maneuvers out of the choke hold. They face one another again, but this time, it's clear it's not going to end in a hug. Jackson's fist flies out but Ricardo blocks it at the last possible second. Jackson jabs him again, though and gets him right between the eyes.
Lou-Lou and I start screaming our heads off, trying to get them to stop, but they ignore us completely.
“You're not out,” Ricardo says before punching Jackson across the face. “I'm not gonna let you kill yourself,” he screams before he throws another punch.
Jackson has that wild look in his eyes when he issues a kick straight to Ricardo's side. My hearts in my throat because I know that once Jackson gets started and he's in this mindset, the only one who can make him stop is Ricardo, but since he's fighting Ricardo right now—I'm terrified of how this is going to end.
Ricardo spits blood on the ground and motions for Jackson to come at him again. If Jackson's eyes are wild, Ricardo's are purely menacing and downright murderous.
My stomach drops and my hands shake because this time, I know I've seen that look and I'm not mistaken like before.
And I think I might just know what, or rather who Jackson is involved with. But my god, I hope I'm wrong.
Before I can focus on that, though, I have to stop this fight. My instincts are taking over and I surge toward them. Lou-Lou tries pulling me back but I twist away. She lets out an ear piercing whistle but it still doesn't stop me or them.
Both of their arms are pulled back and I know it's the last possible second that I have before they both strike each other again.
Lou-Lou screams my name when she sees what I'm about to do, but I do it anyway.
There's no way to describe how it feels to be punched full force by two massive men at the same time.
Well, except one. It really fucking hurts...a lot. Way more than I thought it would. Enough to almost make me regret doing it in the first place. It's literally the complete opposite of 'double your pleasure, double your fun.'
Jackson's fist lands on my cheek, and Ricardo's fist lands somewhere in my stomach region. Seeing as I'm 5'3 they were both obviously going for some low blows.
I let out a sound somewhere between a cry, a yelp, and a scream before hunching over and falling to the floor. That's when I hear Momma's voice. “Oh my god. Look what you boys did! How could you?” she screams.
Both Jackson and Ricardo drop down to the floor, their expressions horrified. “Alyssa? Fuck, baby. I'm sorry. I...god,” Jackson says. He cups my face and I wince. “I'm so fucking sorry.”
“Me too,” Ricardo says. “I had no idea you were even here. What the hell were you thinking getting between us?”
“I just wanted you both to stop fighting. I didn't know how else to make you stop.”
“What is going on here?” another voice calls out. I look up to find Penelope standing over us concern splashed across her pretty face.
“It was an accident,” I say. When she raises an eyebrow, I stand up. “Honest, Penelope. I was the one who got in the middle. They didn't even see me.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “I'll get you a few ice packs.” Then she looks at Jackson and Ricardo. “Gentlemen,” she scoffs that word. “This is the intensive care unit of a hospital. This is not a zoo. Keep your hands to yourself. If it happens again I will have security escort you out,” she snaps, before she turns on her heels and storms out.
“What were you boys thinking?” Momma whispers, her voice shaking.
She looks so heartbroken and devastated right now, I feel myself break.
Jackson and Ricardo stand up. “We're sorry, Momma,” they say at the same time. “It will never happen again,” they promise.
Then they walk over to her and wrap their arms around her.