by Shey Stahl
“What was that for?”
I drew back, smiling. “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”
Her hand on my face pushed me away. “Lock that shit down. You have a fight to win.” Her tone was militant. There would be no discussion and I fucking loved her for it.
She always knew exactly what I needed to hear.
Taking my headphones out again, I ignored everyone for the rest of the flight.
When we arrived in Vegas we got settled in our rooms and I locked myself in the bathroom until dinner.
When two fighters don’t back down, stand directly in front of each other and exchange punches.
All the preparing for the fight had left me with little time to think about the crowd around a professional fight. Nor did I warn Tallan about the magnitude of it. Las Vegas wasn’t exactly mellow and then add on the media and devoted boxing fans, it was intense.
The promotor of the fight, Cooper Brinks, arranged suites for me and all my guys with an open invitation to anywhere in Vegas we wanted to go. The guys immediately took them up on the offers and introduced Jared and Catie to the strip clubs.
I wasn’t about to go anywhere near a place like that and wanted to stay back at the hotel, but my manager and Cooper wanted me to make an appearance at Del Frisco’s, a high-class steak house off the strip.
Tallan went with me, which was probably for the better because I knew if she were there, my temper wouldn’t get the best of me. It’d been a long day so my dad stayed in his room with Kathy, which I thought was better because of the magnitude of everything here.
We no sooner arrived at the restaurant and press and fans swarmed the car and entrance, much like when our flight landed.
“This is nothing like I thought it would be,” Tallan said, drawing in a shaky breath as we stepped from the security of the car.
I kept my head down and drew her into my side, comforted in the heat of her body against mine. “You okay, honey?”
She smiled tenderly, curving herself around me. “I’m fine. All these… women are so beautiful.”
I shrugged, never breaking my eyes from hers. “I wouldn’t know.”
Her brow scrunched. “Why?”
“I’m too busy looking at you.”
She snorted, rolling her eyes. “So cheesy.”
We both laughed it off and stepped forward.
We were escorted in, lights flashing, women begging me to look their way, and a private table in the back of the low-lit restaurant.
“Destry.” Cooper smiled, his stark while teeth noticeable against his dark skin and black suit. “It’s a pleasure to see you.”
We shook hands, though I only gave him a nod and his eyes drifted to Tallan and blatantly so. Her beautiful body was barely contained in a fitting blue dress that dipped down in the middle revealing her tits a little too much for my liking.
Cooper’s eyes never left her body as she took a seat.
Keep staring, asshole. Keep fucking starin’.
He winked at her, reaching for her hand across the table. “And you must be Ms. Spencer?”
“Just call me Tallan, please.” She shook his hand but I could tell she was feeling uncomfortable, probably because his eyes never left her chest.
Clearing my throat, I gave him a heated stare.
That’s right. Keep your fucking eyes off my girl.
Cooper went into business mode, informing me we had press to do all week and HBO Face off. I agreed to most all of it, or at least Gordy had because I wanted to fight Ray Lucas. It didn’t matter what else happened, as long as we met in that ring again.
“They’re going to ask about Silas Cade and your involvement there,” Gordy warned me sometime after our meals arrived. Tallan was already feeling tipsy from the wine.
Her permanent grin faded, her eyes snapping to mine, curious as to how I was going to reply.
I knew the media would ask this eventually. I stared at Gordy, my face blank, eyes emotionless to the world around me in more ways than one. “And I should tell them?”
“You should tell them the truth,” he said simply, a low grating sound to his rough voice. He talked as if someone had clawed at his throat with nails for the last thirty years. “You two had a scuffle. He was found later with enough cocaine to kill a horse. There’s no sense in lying to them or avoiding the question.”
“Okay.”
Gordy waited for my eyes to meet his again before he said, “And they’ll more than likely ask your thoughts on Wes.”
Wes Callahan.
My posture stiffened immediately, my appetite gone completely. The mention of his name could set me off, and it did. Tallan coughed, placing her napkin on the table and setting her wine glass down knowing I was seconds away from walking out.
My stare, cold and deadly locked on Cooper, and then Gordy. “Why’s that?”
Gordy shifted in his seat, his elbows resting on the white clothed table. “He’s Ray’s manager now.”
My thighs hit the table when I stood and it was a good goddamn thing Tallan was there, because if it hadn’t been for her, I would have flipped the fucking table over in front of everyone.
Wes Callahan was my best friend growing up. I trusted him with everything, including my accounts. The day after I lost to Ray Lucas, he disappeared with a little over two hundred grand of my money. Hadn’t heard from him since and now he was working for Ray?
I stood there waiting for them to say anything and when they didn’t, I turned to leave.
“Destry wait!” Gordy urged, standing himself.
“No.” I turned to Cooper and then Gordy pointing at the two of them, my other hand reaching for Tallan. “You both knew about this before tonight.” My eyes narrowed, my burning reproachful stare fixed on my manager. “Probably since he hired him, but you waited three goddamn days before the fight to tell me. Maybe that was your plan… a little incentive or motivation? Well, congratulations, your plan worked.” My water glass dumped in my haste to move around the table, along with the three-hundred-dollar bottle of wine they ordered.
I rushed out of the restaurant, dragging Tallan with me in the process.
The heat hit my face like an oven once outside, my blood boiling and my hands shaking with the adrenaline pumping through me like a wildfire.
How could they do this?
I gave Wes everything I could and he left when I had nothing, because of her.
I couldn’t show much of a reaction. I could barely even move once I was outside and the same crowd bombarded us.
Wanting reassurance, Tallan tucked her arm in mine. “Are you okay?”
To my right, as my wild eyes focused on her, I noticed now wasn’t the time, or the place, but I kissed Tallan in front of everyone.
Taken back by my sudden public display of affection, she laughed it off, her hand raising to her lips. She stared at me, wordlessly trying to process what happened. “Let’s go back to the hotel, champ.”
I drew in slow steady breaths, my pulse thumping in my ears. “I should warn you now.” I took a firmer hold on her hand leading her to the car waiting for us. “I’m going to be in a very bad mood the rest of the week.”
Tallan said nothing. She didn’t need to. The fact that she didn’t run away screaming was enough to show me she understood where it was I was coming from with all this.
THURSDAY WAS FULL of press, and I hated press and the people in it. They were there to provoke you and I didn’t appreciate that. And now I was dating a journalist.
One thing was for sure, after last night and every interview I did, I was getting fucking sick of being introduced as the former heavyweight champion of the world.
The fight couldn’t come soon enough for me.
During the press conference, I kept to myself and my only remark to Ray Lucas directly was when they had us stand face to face, our fists raised. I still hadn’t calmed down from the other night when I found out about Wes who, wouldn’t you know it, didn’t show his face at the pre-fig
ht press conference.
Lucas stood there staring at me, cold and unaware of anything else around him. You could only stare at someone for so long before something had to give. I broke the ice first.
Wanting to get under his skin, I whispered, “Don’t smile,’ and then winked at him.
He glared. Nothing more. Believe me, I wanted to say so much more.
After the press conference, they had us scheduled for HBO Face Off, another publicity stunt before the fight to get us riled up. I intended to go in there with nothing. I wouldn’t let him get to me.
They had us in an all-black room, facing one another in chairs, with the host off to the side asking the questions. “Fuck this shit,” I mumbled to myself when I walked in the room.
I didn’t want to talk to Lucas. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. Nor did I want to stare at him for a fucking hour without being able to hit him.
“So, Destry,” Carl, the host of the show began, his voice was low and drawn out attempting to add to the drama of it. “You requested the rematch, why?”
“Why do I need a reason for a rematch?” I looked over at him, completely serious, my forearms resting on the back of the chair.
“Fair enough.” A faint grin eased over Carl. “Now, you’ve remained fairly quiet during the press for this fight, why?”
Did he think I’d make this easy on him?
“I intimidate by hitting my opponent.” I smiled, directly focused on Lucas and showed no signs of relenting. “Words mean nothing if you can’t back them up with action.”
“You should know,” Lucas pipped in, finally speaking, when before now he studiously tried to even avoid my presence here. “You gave up.”
I swallowed over the rage inside, the need to knock this fucking guy out and lifted my chin. “Ah, look at him pumping himself up. You got nothing to worry about, right, Champ?”
This was the reason behind shows like this. People wanted to see the anger between us. They wanted to think we hated one another when we stepped onto that canvas. Most in attendance of a fight thought the two fighters despised one another. Rarely did they. Most were friends at times and simply doing their job.
Occasionally, you got rivals like this one, where the money you made or the title gained meant nothing. The pride of winning was what you wanted. Ray knew that.
“You think Destry gave up in that fight?” Carl asked Lucas.
Go ahead, answer that, ya pussy.
“The whole world knows he did.” Lucas snorted, watching my reaction as he boldly met my eyes. “He just won’t admit it. This guy’s a nobody now. Look at him. Where the hell has he been since he lost? Hiding out, same place he’s been his entire life. Hiding out. Everyone in his life has left him and came over to the winner’s side. Shows you what kind of person he is right there. Can’t keep a girl or his manager. But you know, I only agreed to fight him again because I want to see what he has. You’re only as good as the man you beat.” He spoke almost conversationally, his eyes watchful drinking in every flicker of emotion registered on my face, as desperately as I tried to remain cold and impassive, refusing to give him the satisfaction. “I don’t feel I beat the Destry Stone everyone warned me about.” Lucas crossed his arms over his chest watching my reaction to his words. “This man here, this unrelenting southpaw, I want to fight him.”
Maybe Lucas wasn’t as dumb as he looked.
Nah, he’s still a pussy.
“Is this fight personal?”
I looked at Carl, my stare leveling. “I think you know the answer to that.”
Carl sensed the sharp turn in my mood and backed up, raising his hands up in almost a teasing manner.
Lucas smiled at him. “He’s upset that everyone he fought before me was there for a paycheck. Pays good to fight the champ. And the one fucking time he’s challenged, he chokes.”
There was a truth to his statement though. Not every fight would challenge you. Some were designed for a payout. That didn’t mean I didn’t win those fights. I won the fights regardless.
“Do you agree with what he’s saying?” Carl asked, looking to me, his stare almost taunting.
I wonder if they get a bonus if I take a swing at Lucas in here. I bet they do.
“He’s already the champion of the world. He’s got nothing to prove, but he can’t keep his fuckin’ mouth shut. He doesn’t want to meet me in the ring again. He’s scared. He knows he’s going to lose this time so he talks shit.” Standing, I knocked the chair over in the process ripping away the microphone from my chest and threw it on the floor. “Show’s over.”
I was at the point I was sick of it all and wanted the fight over with. I was tired of the noise in my head and the constant hunger I couldn’t calm for anything, or anyone. Fire raged inside me that I struggled to contain.
If they wanted drama, I gave it to them.
He gave up.
I focused on those words specifically because, well, the truth hurt sometimes. It fuckin’ stung like salt in my wounds. I did give up. I did hide out.
And I would be what everyone warned him about.
A southpaw.
A trait of a fighter with questionable punch-resistance.
NIGHT BEFORE FIGHT
Being in the bar was the last place I should have been the night before the fight. Not only was I not drinking that night, I didn’t need some douche bag trying to start a fight based on who I was. You wouldn’t believe the audacity most people have and the need to prove themselves. They start shit to prove their manhood.
It was nearing dinner time as we sat at a table at the Gordon Ramsay Pub inside Caesars Palace. It was me, Adam, Tallan, Jared and Mugsy, who we hadn’t seen since we sat down. He and Jared disappeared to get beer, but hadn’t returned.
Some bodyguard he’s turned out to be.
About twenty minutes after we arrived, I noticed Stella and Ray Lucas had arrived. My eyes snapped to Adam who was seated across from me at our table. Keeping one hand on my water, the other rested in my lap, instinctively flexing at the sight of Lucas.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when Stella walked into the room and Tallan noticed her for the first time. Somehow, and I didn’t exactly know how, they hadn’t met yet since we’d been in Vegas.
I don’t think Tallan was sure how to react either.
Naturally, Lucas had his arm wrapped around her, draped over her shoulder like he owned her. In many ways, he did and Stella wanted it that way.
“Is that Stella?” she asked, whispering in my ear, her body remaining close to my side in the large booth.
I nodded, no words being spoken. I didn’t want her to hear the shake in my voice from the anger pooling inside of me.
Leave. Just get up and tell everyone it’s time to go.
I didn’t do that.
“I’ll be right back,” I told Tallan, standing up from the table.
“I’ll come with you,” Adam noted, rising himself.
“No.” We exchanged a look, one where he silently told me to keep my head. “Stay with Tallan.”
Ray saw me when I was returning from the bathroom and bumped into me near the bar where he was standing. Literally shoved me, as if that was the way to get my attention right then. “Who’s that girl you’re with?”
Walk away. Don’t say anything to him now. Walk away and meet him in the ring.
I wasn’t sure what made him think he should come over to me, but he did and I wanted nothing to do with him. What made me stay, and essentially rooted me in place was this motherfucker was serious. He desperately wanted to know who Tallan was and what she was to me.
Kick his ass in the ring. Not here. Don’t touch him in the bar. Don’t. You’ll regret it.
I was getting good at talking myself down from the ledge.
“How’s Stella?” I gave him a cocky nod, my chin raised up. “She talk about me?”
“Nope.” Lucas smiled, the action setting my nerves sailing. “And don’t worry, Tallan’ll be on my dick before the
end of the night.”
He knew her name?
That wasn’t as surprising to me given we’d been pictured together a lot this week, the press was bound to get her name out. But still, he wasn’t going to intimidate me with that. I took a quick step forward, my eyes flared at the taunting but I remained controlled and right in his face.
I should knock your fucking teeth out in front of everyone.
I didn’t say anything back. At least not with words. And it wasn’t lost on me I never told him her name. He’d obviously done his homework on her, or me.
I knew exactly what Lucas was trying to do which was intimidate me. It didn’t work that way tonight. It only pissed me off. He didn’t know when to stop and kept it up, purposely trying to irritate me. It worked.
I shoved him back away from me, letting him know he wasn’t welcome near me, and had everyone’s attention immediately, including the security guards at the door. The night was a total disaster and it started long before dinner. You could feel the change after the interview with Lucas from my stance to my breathing.
It seemed nothing anyone said to me, or anyone else, was delivered correctly and I took offense to it, snapping back at them harshly.
Even Tallan, who was pulling on my jacket trying to get me to snap out of this.
I couldn’t blame her for trying to control me. She’d never been around me in this way. Everything about me needed to be focused on the fight and nothing else. Conversations and anything else was hard for me to focus on. Damn near impossible at times.
Like now.
“Destry.” She slapped at my shoulder. “Knock it off. Let’s go back to the room.”
“What’s your fucking problem with me anyway, Stone?” His voice was inflamed with his hatred for me. “I granted you a rematch. The least you could do is show me some respect.”
“My fucking problem is you.” I gave Lucas a threatening smile. I tried to disguise my annoyance with humor in front of the crowd because the last thing I wanted was for him, or Stella, to see I was bothered by this.
“Hey, man.” He held his hands up, chuckling, his eyes sparkling like he’d already won the fight.