The Thing About Love

by Kim Karr

  “Can I talk to him?”

  “He’s out cold.”

  “Can you take him to the hospital and I’ll meet you there?”

  He said nothing.

  My nerves started to flutter. “Where are you? I’ll call for an ambulance?”

  His laughter was almost sardonic. “Look, lady, we don’t take nobody to no hospital, and we don’t call for no ambulances. You got that?”

  All I could do was close my eyes. “Yes, I got that.”

  There was some crinkling of paper. “I was about to throw his ass out on the street when I remembered he told me if I called you I’d get $200.”

  “How did he tell you that? He’s out cold.”

  He sighed. “When he came in he gave me your number. And in case of an emergency, I was to keep him with me until you got here. If I did, I’d get $200 bucks. And I did, so are you coming to get him, or what?”

  I got to my feet. “Yes. I’ll be right there. What’s the address?”

  “Lady, I ain’t no phone book. We’re at the AX. And when you come, don’t forget the money.”

  “No, I won’t.”

  After hanging up, I got dressed as fast as I could. Once I slipped my sneakers on, I googled the AX. I gasped as I read posts about the underground fighting ring, or rather the cage fights. They were illegal. That much I knew. According to the internet, the referees weren’t trained, the fights weren’t monitored, and the rules weren’t set in stone. There were also no medical personnel there to help with injuries.

  It sounded barbaric.

  Why was Finn there, of all places?

  No time to think about anything, I had to move fast. In a rush, I scrambled down the stairs and rifled through the kitchen cabinets for the coffee can where my uncle had once kept money when we were kids, in case we needed it. Luckily, there was still some in there, and I grabbed it all. I was fairly certain Finn didn’t have that amount of cash on him. And I didn’t have much, either.

  Combining what I had with the money from the can, it totaled two hundred and twenty dollars. I tossed it in my purse.

  In my car, I plugged the address into my GPS and then headed downtown.

  What had he done?

  In the past, I’d cleaned and bandaged Finn’s cuts, but he’d always come home and then asked me for help. Things had to be pretty bad if he couldn’t even get to the house.

  Finn liked to fight, sure, but he was training with someone that was helping him get ready to apply to the UFC.

  I had no idea where I was when my GPS told me I’d arrived. The building didn’t have a sign on it, but it looked like an old abandoned factory.

  Cars, trucks, and motorcycles filled the parking lots, and when I got out, a man that had been loitering around whistled at me. “Hey, over here, pretty thing.”

  I didn’t know why I even looked his way, but I did. He had leaned against a building and was unzipping his pants.

  “Help a guy out,” he smiled.

  My heart started to pound.

  Luckily, I’d thrown on a pair of jeans and a tank top, along with my Converse, and I was able to move fast.

  Throwing open the door, I could hardly believe what I was looking at. Hundreds of people filled the space. Stepping inside, I was nearly blinded by the fluorescent lights and the music was so loud, the floors were shaking. I felt there was a subway running beneath me.

  This unsanctioned event was utterly rampant.

  Pushing my way in through the throng of people, I ignored the smell and the heat. I had no idea where I was going, but I just kept moving. Even as the sweat beaded on my skin, I didn’t stop.

  Up high, windows were open, and fans were blaring in almost every corner. I don’t think the place had air-conditioning.

  There were sweaty men and women everywhere, most of them drunk or high. To my surprise, some of the men were dressed in suits and some of the women wore expensive high heels.

  When I got close enough to the center, I could see the cage. People were screaming as they huddled around it. “Rambo. Rambo. Rambo.”

  Their attention was on the fighter covered in tattoos who was pushing through the crowd with his corner men and three half-naked ring girls leading the way. He was huge. Big and ripped with biceps so large they had to be bigger than my thighs. Blood was dripping from his eye down to his mouth, and I prayed to God he wasn’t whom Finn had fought.

  Scurrying away from the hustle and bustle, I spotted a sign that read, “Office.”

  Finn had to be in there.

  Weaving around and through the crowd, I reached the door and knocked on it.

  “Go the fuck away,” came an angry voice.

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Stupid. This was stupid. I should have called my uncle. “I’m here to pick up my cousin.”

  The door flung open, and his eyes raked over me. “You got my money?”

  I nodded and took the money out of my purse, tossing one of the twenties back in before I handed it to him.

  After he took it, he shoved it down his pants. He didn’t have to worry—it wasn’t like I was going to try to get it back, but if I were, there was no chance of it. “He’s over there. Now get him out of here.”

  My eyes darted to the heap on the floor. “Finn,” I cried out as I rushed over to him. He was shirtless and lay lifeless on the floor. There was dried blood on his face and hands, and he was coated in a sheen of sweat. “Finn,” I said again softly.

  The burly guy turned up the wall unit, and a blast of cold air hit me in the face. I felt my nipples pebble and cursed myself for wearing this shirt.

  The manager sat at his desk and picked up his sandwich.

  “What happened to him?” I screamed.

  With a hunk of food in his mouth, he said, “Like I already told you, he got knocked out.”

  “By who?”

  He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “Rambo.”

  “Why was he fighting a guy so much bigger than him?”

  “Why do you think, girlie? Money.”

  I looked back down at Finn. “How much money?”

  “Ten grand. Any more questions?”

  I shook my head. Finn knew I was in dire straits and when he said he’d help me out, I thought he meant with his time, not by trying to raise cash through fighting. I fought back my tears.

  “Then get him out of here.”

  With my ear to Finn’s chest, I could hear him breathing, and sighed in relief. “I need help. I can’t carry him alone.”

  He sipped his beer and then burped. “That will cost you another hundred.”

  I pushed Finn’s hair away from his eyes and saw how swollen both were, and by the amount of blood around his nostrils, it looked like he’d broken his nose again. “I don’t have another hundred.”

  “Then come back when you do. I’ll be here all night.”

  Tears fell hot from my eyes. I didn’t have a hundred dollars in my account. I wasn’t even sure I had ten dollars. “I have twenty dollars left in my purse. If I give you that, will you please just help me get him to the car?”

  The guy had turned his attention to the porn he was watching on the small television. “I told you. That’s gonna cost you a hundred.”

  “Finn.” I tried again to lift him. I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. “Please Finn, get up.”

  The guy turned toward me, “He’s out cold, girlie. There ain’t no way he’s getting up on his own, but I’ll take that twenty and a blowie if it helps you out.”

  Disgusted, I got to my feet. “In your dreams.”

  He shrugged. “Just thought I’d offer.”

  I pushed the hair that had fallen loose from my ponytail back into the elastic. “You’ll keep him in here until I get back?”

  His eyes were glued to the screen. “Like I said, I’m here all night, and he sure as hell ain’t going anywhere.”

  Straightening my shoulders, I headed toward the door. “I shouldn’t be very long.”

  He didn’t respond.


  He didn’t care.

  Outside his door, I pulled out my cell, but I had no reception. The place was concrete—everywhere.

  Sighing, I made my way back toward the entrance. Fluorescent lights from overhead flickered as I weaved through the crowd once again. Hands touched my ass, my breasts, and tugged on my ponytail, but I did not show any fear. Instead, I just moved faster, and faster still.

  Gasping for air out in the humid Georgia night, I pushed away the feeling that I couldn’t breathe and that I wasn’t quite steady on my feet. There was no time for that nonsense.

  Knowing it would alter the dynamics of our relationship, but having no other choice, I pulled out my cell once again and called the only person I could think to call.

  When he answered, I started to cry, and I hated myself for that. “I need you. Can you come?”

  “Where are you?”

  I told him. I told him everything. It just came out.

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “And can you bring a hundred dollars in cash, please?”

  “Yeah, sure,” he said without question. “And go where I told you, and don’t move from there.”

  “I won’t.”

  I hung up and clung to myself.

  How had things gotten this bad?

  “Hey, pretty thing,” said that same gruff voice.

  I tried to back away, but the brick way got in my way.

  He grabbed my arm with his huge hand. “Did you change your mind?”

  I felt it coming, but there was no way I could stop it.

  PANIC.

  And once it started, there was no stopping it.

  I’d learned that many years ago.

  Take With a Grain of Salt

  JAKE

  THE PLACE WAS A FUCKING mob scene.

  Without hesitation, I pushed my way through the crowd and shook my head when I looked in the direction of the cage. One guy had the other on the floor, and his fists were pummeling down without mercy.

  AX was one archaic place.

  Bare-knuckled fights without protection. Choke holds, eye gouging, groin attacks, the only rule was there were no rules. Over the past few months, I’d seen these guys come through the ER claiming they’d fallen or gotten into it with a buddy, but the bruising around the neck and bloodied knuckles always gave it away.

  Whatever, I wasn’t there to judge. My job was to keep them alive. Nothing I did could stop them from wanting to kill each other.

  The volume of people inside was unreal. Those who weren’t watching the fight were either drinking or smoking or looking for a good time. It smelled like piss and vomit and cigarettes everywhere, yet hands were exchanging hundred dollar bills like it was a fancy casino in Las Vegas.

  I searched for the sign she’d told me to look for, and then strode past it down the hallway she’d mentioned.

  It was where the restrooms were located. It was dark, and water dripped from copper pipes above. There was no doubt the place had once been condemned and was now occupied for the sake of off-the-grid illegal activity only.

  A payoff here and there must be what was keeping them open for business. With any luck, not for much longer.

  There were a few dudes in leather loitering about halfway down the corridor. This set me on edge. It could be a drug deal going down, or perhaps a plan was being hatched to inspire a good time.

  Who the fuck knew or cared, so long as it didn’t involve Jules or me. To help ensure that, I pulled the hoodie of my sweatshirt up and started down the yellowed linoleum. Drawing attention was the worst thing I could do in a place like this. Invisible was what I wanted to be.

  Christ! Jules would be anything but invisible with that bold dirty blonde hair of hers and those big green eyes.

  Every muscle in my body tensed and my hands made fists so tight my knuckles ached when I thought about what an easy target she was.

  These guys were all hyped up, one was bouncing on his toes, and another was throwing punches in the air. They did, however, seem in their own world. Exchanging stories of fights they’d seen go down, they barely appeared to notice me. I kept my cool and made casual as I breezed by them. Giving the only one guy who looked my way a slight nod, I then quickly averted my gaze.

  I wasn’t a chicken shit, by any means.

  In fact, I was a black belt, and I could probably take all three of them if I had to.

  I just didn’t want to have to.

  I had to find Jules.

  The women’s restroom was where I’d told her to go. I had no idea how safe it was or wasn’t, but it was better than anywhere else I could think of since she’d refused to leave.

  It was just ahead, and I glanced over my shoulder to see if any of the guys I’d passed were watching me, but no one was. They were too caught up in the insanity of this place to displace their attention for long.

  I huffed in a huge breath and pushed inside. It was hotter than hell in here. I glanced around and saw only one small window opened for ventilation.

  The room was quiet despite the open window. Having no idea if anyone was in there, I peered down like a peeping tom to look under the stalls. Only one was occupied, and by a pair of red Converse. Uncertain if it was her or not, I whispered, “Jules.”

  The door opened slowly with a creak that seemed way too loud, and there she was standing in the opening staring at me with wide green eyes.

  “Are you all right?” I asked.

  “I’m fine,” she answered, her voice low, shaky and her hands gripping the edges of the stall frame.

  I wasn’t convinced.

  “You shouldn’t have come here alone,” I barked, taking a step forward to inspect her.

  She came closer to me. “I had to, Jake. I didn’t have a choice. I already told you that guy said he was going to throw my cousin out on the street if I didn’t come get him.”

  I looked her up and down, and not because I was turned on, but because I was concerned. The blood had drained from her face, her breathing was slightly labored, and she seemed unsteady on her feet. As my gaze rose, I noticed a large red blotchy spot just above her elbow. “What happened to your arm?” I asked, gently taking her wrist to lift her limb.

  “It’s not a big deal.”

  “What happened?” I asked again, a little more sternly this time. Upon examination, the redness didn’t appear irritated or punctured in any way, but more like a hand mark, like someone had grabbed her.

  She tugged her arm away before I could finish looking at it. “I said I was fine.”

  “And I said, tell me what happened!”

  She stared up at me wide-eyed with resolve. “Fine. When I was outside calling you, some drunk creep approached me and took me by the arm, but I took care of the situation.”

  There was no way to explain the surge of adrenaline that spiked through me, the need to put that motherfucker in his place. I wanted to find him and tear him limb by limb.

  It was crazy.

  No, it was insanity.

  Acting out irresponsibly in that way could cost me everything I’d worked for.

  With a muttered curse, I shook off the white-hot rage that was threatening to consume me and focused on Jules. “How exactly did you take care of it?”

  She smiled a bit, and right away that put me mildly at ease. “I kneed him in the balls and marched back inside.”

  Fuck, yeah.

  Smirking at her, I pulled her against me like it was the most natural thing in the world, and then I stroked my hand over her cheek. “What are you, some kind of ninja?”

  She leaned into my touch for just a moment, but then she pulled back and looked up at me. “How did you know?”

  The comedy she found in the situation wasn’t really funny. However, the fact that she could find it so fueled an insanely crazy need to kiss her. I couldn’t right now, though. Focus. I had to focus. “Other than being slightly delusional, where’d you learn to do that?” I asked instead, thinking it would be a great s
kill for my sister to learn.

  “Finn taught me. And we should probably go get him, he really didn’t look good.”

  “He’s in the office at the end of the hall, right?”

  She nodded. “That creep said he’d keep him in there until I returned.”

  Creep. The term probably wasn’t that far off the mark . . . for either of the men.

  Looking at the way her tits filled out that tank top like half oranges, I unzipped the beat-up navy sweatshirt I was wearing and handed it to her. “Speaking of creeps, put this on, and pull the hood up. We’ll draw less attention that way when we leave.”

  To her credit, she might have wanted to refuse, but she said nothing. Instead, she surprisingly held her arms back for me to help her into it. From behind her, I reached around and zipped it. She smelled like sunshine in a place that smelled anything but. I had an urge to hold her for a moment, and I had no idea why. Hugging was definitely not my thing. Besides, my sister did enough of that for the both of us.

  I took her hand. “Come on, stay close to me.”

  Back in the hallway, the group of guys had cleared, and it was empty. With quick strides, I was knocking on the closed metal door that read, “Manager,” in a matter of seconds.

  Manager.

  That was a joke.

  More like human janitor.

  “Go the fuck away.”

  I raised a brow as I looked over at Jules. “I got this,” she told me. She put her face close to the door. “It’s Finn’s cousin, I’m back to get him.”

  When the door swung open, I had to admit I was clearly impressed. “He’s awake now,” the burly dude with lettuce stuck in his beard, grumbled.

  He looked me up and down. “Who the fuck are you?”

  I looked around the shabby office and wondered what the hell her cousin was doing in a place like this. “A friend.”

  “Friends ain’t welcome.”

  Jules stepped forward and breezed right past him. “He’s here to help me get Finn to the car. And don’t worry, you’ll still get your money.”

  Those beady eyes of his narrowed on me “Fine then. Saves me the trouble,” he muttered, and then he held his palm out. “I’m guessing you’re the ATM.”

  I wanted to shove the twenties up his ass as I pulled them out of my pocket, but I wasn’t stupid either. Getting into it with this prick wasn’t going to make getting out with a defeated fighter in tow any easier. Besides, by the looks of the heap of a body in the corner, it was already going to be tough enough.