“Of course I’m fighting. I’ll fucking kill him. And after I do, I’m going after the rest of his family.”
I heard the bass from the music in the venue reverberating through the corridors and I closed my eyes, letting the atmosphere wash over me, trying to centre myself and clear my head of all the crap it’d taken on in the last few minutes. I needed to be focused to get the job done and do it well. There couldn’t be any room for error. Not with so much at stake.
They called out Jensen’s name and I heard the crowd roar as he went out to a hail of boos and jeers. Looked like I wasn’t the only one that couldn’t wait to see him get his ass handed to him.
The lads each patted me on the shoulder and told me to fucking smash it. I nodded, but I didn’t speak. When they called my name, I walked in and jabbed my arms as I headed for the ring. People clapped me on the back as I went past, and I heard the shouts and cheers, but I couldn’t settle, not until I’d seen where she was. There were hundreds of people in here, but all I cared about was her.
I climbed up into the ring and put my mouth guard in. Then I scanned the room for a red top and blonde hair. As soon as I saw her standing with Emily, I felt a calmness wash over me. She tried to smile, but I could see how nervous she was. This was the worst thing she could ever watch, but she loved me enough to go through it. She was putting herself through hell to be there for me.
Why the fuck was I doing this again?
Why was I putting her through this?
The ref came over and called me forward to toe the line. Jensen stood in the middle, smirking at me. The cocky bastard.
I sauntered over and glared back at him. I was gonna enjoy every minute of this.
“Right, lads,” the ref shouted to us over the noise of the hecklers. “Let’s have a clean fight. No biting, no holding, no butting. No hitting with an open hand and no gouging of the eyes. Yes?” We both nodded in agreement. “Good. Let’s get it on then, gentlemen.”
Just as the ref stepped back, Jensen eyed my chest and stared down at my lion tattoo, and then he laughed. The sound of him cackling over the chants in the gym made my demons rise up like a phantom army. Ghosts of my past ready to right the wrongs in the most vicious way they could. Most times I could control them, but tonight I had no desire to. I wanted them to run free.
“Best day of my life that was, cutting you up. Nice touch getting the lion tattoo over the top of it though. Very apt. Me and Yates always were the kings. But you? You’re a fucking mess. Just like your fucked-up mother. God knows what a girl like Harper sees in you. It won’t be long before she dumps your ass and finds herself -”
He didn’t get to finish what he’d started to say. A red mist settled over me, just like it had when I’d been hiding down that alleyway listening to the way he talked to her. Hearing the way he disrespected her. I charged forward and pulled my head back, then smacked him hard on the face with an almighty head butt. The cracking sound of his nose breaking and the blood that splattered all over his face sent a surge of pride through my veins. The ref shouted and the crowd booed and jeered, but I didn’t care. I lifted my fist up and smacked him hard in the head, sending him spiralling to the floor.
Who was the fucking mess now?
“Jesus Christ! That’s a foul, son. You’re disqualified. No butting. That’s the rules. Are you a fucking moron?”
I don’t know who this ref thought he was, but he was close to following Lockwood on the floor of the ring if he carried on talking to me like that.
I saw a few of Lockwood’s guys jump the ropes and two ran over to tend to him whilst the others charged for me. I was ready for them, but when I raised my fists to fight back, I was jostled out of the way by Ryan and a few other faces I recognised from Sandland. It looked like my foul play had turned this event into a free-for-all, and the ring was filling up with people ready to have a go. The Lockwood crew versus the Renaissance men. The unjust against the righteous. In life, they always held the upper hand with their money and status, but here we had the power. Our numbers were greater than theirs and our fury burned stronger.
Lockwood wasn’t moving, he lay there spark out. His fucked-up team tended to him as best they could as anarchy reined all around them. I spun round and smacked my fist into one of theirs that was hurtling across the ring towards me, under the illusion that he could take me on. As soon as my fist connected with his face, he fell to the floor clutching his nose and howling like a fool. Ryan was kicking the shit out of a guy and I spotted Zak wrestling another to the ground. But in all the madness my first thought was for her. If anyone had laid a finger on her I’d burn this whole fucking gym to the ground. The lads could look after themselves, they all knew how to fight, even Finn to an extent, but not her. She was my responsibility. Mine to protect. I had to find her.
I glanced over to where she’d been standing before, but she wasn’t there, and panic gripped my heart in an instant, thinking she might be hurt. I tried to get to the edge of the ring, pushing brawlers out of my way as they lurched and staggered around swinging punches anywhere and everywhere. I ducked my head dodging a sharp right-hook, and that’s when I spotted her. Groups of people were streaming out of the gym to try to escape, but not my girl. She was pushing against the throngs, trying to make her way to the ring like she was swimming against the tide, with Emily not far behind her. She was trying to get to me, but I’d save her first.
In that moment, I couldn’t give a shit that I’d probably just pissed all over my boxing career or that my friends were fighting in this ring because of me. All I cared about was getting to her and making sure she was okay. I was done with being the puppet for everyone; Pat, my Mum, the Lockwoods.
Tonight had played out just how I’d wanted.
I’d never wanted a clean fight.
Why would I?
Nothing he’d ever done to me had been clean or fair. I’d gone against the rules, and I wouldn’t be asked to fight in a place like this again, but I’d stayed true to myself. I’d given him a dose of the Mathers comeback, and that was all that mattered.
I jumped out of the ring with the sole purpose of getting to her and dragging her out of here, but Pat stepped in my way, blocking my path and my clear vision to where she was. He was fuming, but his anger was no match for mine.
“You’re fucking finished, Mathers. You’ve cost me a lot of money tonight, son, not to mention my reputation, you stubborn little shit. I won’t work with you again. If I have my way, you’ll never box for anyone, ever.”
His words meant nothing to me. I couldn’t care less. So, he’d lost money. But I hadn’t lost face. I’d done what I set out to do all along. I’d shown this town and everyone in it that I wouldn’t be messed with, and neither would Harper.
“You don’t have to threaten me, Pat. I’m done. It’s all bullshit.” I breathed a little easier as Harper came up beside me, and when she heard what I’d said, her eyes widened.
“Don’t say a fucking word to him you piece of shit.” She barged in front of me, shouting over the crowds to Pat.
She was un-fucking-believable. My warrior princess, ready to throw down with anyone who pissed her off or got in her way. I bloody loved her.
“You’d do well to remember your manners, girl. Speak to me like that again and I’ll-”