“Don’t bother!” She folded her trembling arms across her chest to keep herself from lashing out with them. “You’ve ruined my life either way.”
“That’s not fair!”
Jade’s eyes wandered to the old bridge behind him. Five years ago she’d slipped out of the house with him—Venture, that beautiful, reckless boy with his outrageous dreams—into the midnight shadows. She’d sat under that bridge and listened to him pour his heart out, and she’d held his face in her hands, and she’d kissed him for the first time. A kiss that never should have happened. Maybe she’d been wrong in thinking Venture had been too much his own man to be manipulated by a woman, even when he was just a boy. Had he finally realized how he truly felt?
But he’d come after her when she’d tried to move on, told her he was in love with her. Promised her there would never be anyone else, that those other girls didn’t have a chance. She’d been willing to wait eight years for him, not knowing who he’d be when he came out of the lockup. Now, he’d gotten out early. They’d both barely made it this far alive, and he was still Venture Delving, but he no longer wanted her.
Jade looked into Venture’s dark blue eyes, clouded with anger and guilt. “You’re right. It’s not fair. You can’t help how you feel.” She nearly choked on a sob. “But you can’t make it okay either!”
His hand was shaking as he reached for hers. She wanted so much for him to hold it, to take it all back, to look at her like he used to, but she recoiled from his touch.
“No. Don’t, Vent. I can’t do this. Not again.”
There were tears in his eyes. She turned away. This was it. The last time Venture Delving was going to break her heart.
#
Venture sank onto a rock under the bridge. He couldn’t stop shaking. I love you. Don’t go. He’d been so close to saying it. But he knew that Jade would never be okay as long as she was with him. Instead, he’d let her believe he didn’t love her. He’d broken her heart.
It was better this way. Better that she was angry. Maybe he should send Lacy a note, tipping her off. Jade could tell her story. Tell the whole world she was no lover—or friend, even—of Venture Delving anymore. His enemies would love that. And hopefully leave Jade alone.
Jade, alone. Would Society eventually get over her youthful indiscretions? Dell Harper was a good man. He might get over it, especially with a bondsman of questionable character to blame for corrupting her. But would Jade get over Venture?
He’d never get over her. But it looked like he wasn’t going to live very long anyway. The Cresteds would never leave him alone, and he would never give in to their demands. At least without Jade to worry about, he could spend whatever time he had left defying them at every turn. Making them pay for what they’d turned him and his dreams into. He’d wanted to be a fighter. He’d been foolish enough to think, even after his time in the lockup, that he could learn to let the past go. That he could enjoy being a fighter again. Now his entire life was a fight, and it always would be. Battle after battle, until they got him. He could only hope that if he went out fighting, they wouldn’t win the war.
#
The shouts of rowdy boys filled the entrance to Beamer’s as Venture reentered the training center after having lunch with Chance, Dasher, and Earnest. The more daring among the boys gave Venture furtive hellos, but most of them still steered clear. Venture held his bag up above their heads as they darted around him, trying to work his way through quickly without knocking any of them over.
“Hey, Champ,” Dasher said as he walked behind Venture, “look who’s here.”
Venture followed Dasher’s gaze. Jade. She and Flora had just emerged from one of the smaller training rooms.
“All done, ladies?” Beamer said as he headed from his office to the elite boys’ training room.
“Yes, thanks,” Flora said.
But Jade saw Venture and her smile vanished. The girls exchanged greetings with Earnest and Dasher as they passed, but they avoided Venture.
“Coach,” Venture whispered to Beamer, “You’re letting her train again?”
Beamer raised his bushy eyebrows. “When have I been known to turn away someone who wants to train, just because Society thinks I should? I like the girl. And she’s not a bad fighter either.” He grinned at Venture. “Better get used to it if . . .”
Beamer frowned at the look on Venture’s face.
“Thank you again!” Jade called to Beamer from the front door. She’d put a smile back on, but Venture could see right through it to the ache in her eyes. Flora made no attempt to disguise her feelings. She looked at Venture as though she’d like to knee him right between the legs.
“You’re welcome any time, Miss Fieldstone.”
“Wow,” Chance said. “She not even look at you, Mr. Delving.”
The door banged shut after the girls.
“What’ve you done this time, Delving?” Beamer said.
Venture bit back a curse and said nothing.
“Earnest?” Beamer said.
Earnest shook his head. “He doesn’t tell me anything,” he grumbled.
Venture threw open the door to the changing room.
“Sorry, sir,” Chance said. Then, with a hopeful smile, “She forgive you, right?”
“I doubt it.” Venture practically tore off his street clothes. He couldn’t wait to get back to work. Back to something he had the slightest bit of control over.
“Champ?” Dasher said.
“Never mind.”
Earnest clicked the door shut behind them. “Well?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Earnest gestured at the door. “Just go catch up with her and apologize so you can get back to training.”
“I’m not going to apologize. I let her go.”
“You ended it?” Dasher stopped unbuttoning his shirt.
“You’re an idiot, Vent, you know that?” Earnest kicked his bag aside and folded his arms.
“Champions are supposed to be lonely, aren’t they?”
Dasher looked Venture straight in the eye. “Do you have any idea what that girl went through while you were in the lockup?”
“Well, now she doesn’t have to go through any more.”
Realization and anger washed over Dasher’s face. “I see,” he said stonily.
“So you’re giving up?” said Earnest.
“No, I’m handling it. I’m doing the right thing.”
“The right thing for who?” Earnest’s eyes were blazing at him.
“For her.”
“What did Jade have to say about that?” Dasher said.
Venture turned his back on Dasher. He couldn’t trust these guys anymore when it came to Jade. A few months in the lockup, and she’d won his best friends over to her side. If they found out that she didn’t know why he’d ended things, they’d run straight out and tell her.
“Let’s go,” Venture said. “Takedowns next, right?”
“Right.” Dasher shook his head and slipped out of his good shirt.
Venture strode to the training room and took the crash mat, a thicker, straw-filled pad, by the handles. He flung it into the center of the room. Dasher was going to need it; Venture was in the mood to bash somebody right through the floor.
Chapter Seventeen
Heads turned and the busy chatter slowed to a murmur as Venture made his way with Dasher, Earnest, and Chance through the small arena, where the Fighter’s Face-Off was held. Venture walked with a hand on Chance’s shoulder, as much to reassure himself as to reassure the kid. Chance had missed tagging along to tournaments almost as much as he’d missed Venture during those long months he was locked up. Venture felt steadier, more sure of who he was, with this scrawny boy at his side. And he needed all the help he could get, facing the world of fighting for the first time since everything had fallen apart.
A single man in the bleachers rose. “Starson! Delving!” he shouted.
Another man joined him, and another,
until the whole crowd was on their feet, chanting their names and clapping for them. Venture and Dasher raised their hands to the crowd. The cheering of the fans warmed Venture’s heart in a way they never had before. They had remembered him, they had believed in him, regardless of the accusations, the endless rumors. More importantly, they believed in his right to fight, his right to win if he was able; they believed in him and the ideals of protecting the rights of all Richlanders over the Crested elite and their desire to protect their power.
Venture and his friends moved farther from the spectators in the bleachers, closer to the far side of the competition areas where the fighting men congregated with their trainers and coaches. The greetings of Venture’s friends and rivals were more awed, more respectful than the boisterous crowd. Some looked at him as though he were the walking dead. Sometimes, that was what he still felt like, a man who’d spent months in the clutches of death, who’d been dead to the world, but who’d escaped its grasp while it was still toying with him, before it could completely devour him.
Calling wove and pushed his way through the others, eager to shake Venture’s hand. “Vent,” he said, “there were rumors you were dead.”
“Not yet, Call.”
“But you were almost killed?”
“He’s alive,” Earnest said, “and he’ll be back in fighting form in a few months.”
“I worry about you, Vent. Some said you were dead. Others said you’d never be able to fight again. You’ve got to believe I never wanted it to be true, as much as I wanted that title.”
“I know.” Venture smiled and put a hand on Calling’s shoulder. “You want to beat me for it.”
“I did, and that would’ve been my one disappointment if I won it this year. But . . . I’ve decided to retire. I’m not here to fight today. I’m coaching Lance.”
Venture frowned. “I’ll miss meeting up with you out there.”
“I’ll still meet up with you, from the coach’s bench.” He lowered his voice. “You’re a true champion, Vent Delving, through to the heart. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”
“Thanks, Call.”
#
At noon there was a break in the action, and they went out among the vendors and the singers and the jugglers begging for change. Chance kept casting wistful glances at a girl peddling candied fruits from her little cart. Venture wasn’t sure which caught Chance’s fancy more, the sweets or the pretty little girl.
“Come on,” Venture said. “We’ll buy some.”
Earnest and Dasher sat down on some benches nearby to eat some fried potatoes, and Venture took Chance to the candy peddler. He put the money in Chance’s hand so he could place it in the little vendor’s outstretched palm himself. The girl smiled sweetly at Chance and dropped the treats into a brown paper pouch.
“Vent!” Lance came up and shook Venture’s hand. “It’s so good to see you.”
“You too,” Venture said.
And then he saw Nick right behind Lance.
The last time he’d seen Nick was in the lockup, when Longlake had given him his pardon. Venture shot Nick a look. “You two are still friends?” he said to Lance.
“Nick’s back at Warrior’s. He’s done working for Longlake. Right, Nick?”
Nick was scared dumb. He just stood there and gulped.
“He told me what happened,” Lance said, “in the lockup.”
“That’s over,” Venture said, in a tone that ought to have told them the conversation was over too.
“Vent,” Lance pressed, “you actually escaped?”
Venture crossed his arms. Stupid Nick. Stupid, stupid Nick. “How would I do that?”
“You left two armed guards unconscious. Choked them out and took their weapons. I wouldn’t believe it for a minute, except that if anyone could pull something like that off, it would be you.”
Chance’s hand stopped, halfway to his mouth with one of the sweets. He glanced at Venture, wide-eyed and ready to be impressed.
“I appreciate the compliment, Lance, but I was pardoned.” Did Lance really expect him to confirm a story that might wind him up right back in the lockup? Surely they could charge him with attacking the guards if they wanted to. Longlake had only released him because he expected him to be slaughtered in the mud before he could crawl home from that stink hole.
Dear God, Why didn’t I think of that before? Venture started to sweat. He swallowed back foul memories. Bitterness.
Chance dropped the sugared fruit back in the pouch. He edged closer to Venture.
“So it’s not true?” Lance said.
“Lance,” Venture said through gritted teeth, “Ask me about anything, but don’t ask me about the lockup. Not ever again.”
“How about the Championship?” Chance piped up, trying to be helpful. “Are you going?”
“Of course,” Lance said. “That’s why I’m here, trying to get ready.”
“Me too,” Venture said.
Lance frowned. “You don’t mean this year. You’re going to fight this year?”
He hadn’t meant it that way, but . . . he didn’t like Lance’s tone, the look on his face. The worry, not for himself, but for Venture. No, it was beyond worry. It was pity. Immediately Venture thought of a few ways he might erase any pity Lance felt for him. Venture may not be able to make it through the Championship this year, but he was certainly more ready than Lance. Lance had been eliminated after the second round today, for goodness sake. That’s why he was out here stuffing his face instead of inside with Calling getting ready for his next match.
“Why not?” Venture said.
“Because . . .”
“Because when he beats you,” Nick said earnestly, “he doesn’t want people to say it was just because you weren’t ready.”
Lance flushed, but Venture could see it in his eyes. It was true.
Chance’s fingers tightened around the sweet. And then the candy flew, hitting Nick right between the eyes with a little ping.
“Ow! What the—”
Venture caught Chance’s wrist with one hand and held out the other in warning to Nick. Chance’s hand was already in the pouch again, his fingers closing around another sweet.
“Vent,” Lance said, “You really should wait. Take care of yourself. You’ve been through—”
“No. The only worrying you need to do about me, is about what I’m going to do to you on the mat. Because believe me, while I’m beating you, I won’t care one bit that you weren’t ready for the arena. And afterward, people can say whatever they want to say, as long as they say I’m still the Champion of All Richland. Come on, Chance.” He took one of the kid’s candies and popped it in his own mouth. “These guys aren’t worth it.”
“I don’t like him.” Chance scrunched the paper pouch shut.
“I noticed.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You have good aim. Maybe I should stop trying to get you to learn how to fight and send you out with a pocketful of rocks instead.”
Chance jabbed him playfully. “Catch!” He tossed a candy at Venture.
Venture caught it and popped it in his mouth. “These are really good. We should go back and buy some more.”
Chance grinned. “Mr. Delving,” he said as they headed for the pretty candy girl, “you really going to fight?”
“Oh, yes.” Venture envisioned Lance’s tap-out and the inevitable expression of total defeat on his face.
“You be ready, Mr. Delving. I know it.”
Chapter Eighteen
Venture stood at the back of the main training room with Earnest and Dasher, watching the boys warm up, waiting to catch Beamer’s attention. He’d just told Earnest and Dasher his plans to compete this year. He’d caught them by surprise, but they were in agreement. Venture’s stab wounds were completely healed. It would take him working night and day, building his back muscles back up and perfecting the new style they’d already begun helping him develop, to compensate for his weakened right arm. But
he could do it. Now he needed to tell Beamer, to let him know he’d be needing more mat time.
Venture heard the outside door open and shut, brisk steps in the entryway. And then the training room door opened, and the last person Venture ever expected to see at Beamer’s breezed through.
Rose Fieldstone. She must be looking for her granddaughter. Her granddaughter, who, once again, Venture had driven to such outlandish exploits as training at a fighting center.
Rose saw Venture and went straight to him. “Venture Delving!” she said, as though she’d found exactly who she was looking for.
“Mrs. Fieldstone?”
“You promised me you wouldn’t let my granddaughter do anything foolish. Perhaps I should’ve made you promise not to be the fool.”
“I . . .”
“He just can’t seem to help himself,” Earnest muttered.
Venture gave him a look. He was lucky there was a lady present.
Rose made no attempt to keep her voice down, and one hundred sweaty boys stopped in the middle of their exercises and stared.
Chance scrambled up and darted out the door and down the hall to get Jade. Stunned, Venture realized it too late to try to stop him.
Now they had Beamer’s attention. “Is everything all right here?” he said.
“No, everything is not all right. This man may be Champion of All Richland, and he may be a hero, but he’s a fool when it comes to love, and he’s broken my granddaughter’s heart.”
“I don’t know what I—” Beamer fumbled.
Chance dragged a breathless Jade into the training room.
Rose didn’t blink. “You’re supposed to be teaching these boys how to win. And this one’s just giving up.”
Venture cast a sidelong glance at Jade. “I’m not—”
“You’re letting the Cresteds win. I’ve been around a bit longer than that girl, long enough to know you’re not in love with somebody else. Do you realize that’s what she thinks?”
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