Hooked (TKO #2)

by Ana Layne

  “Lance, I need to talk to you.” Howard nods to a corner where no one is standing. I glance over to Garrett, but he turns away from me.

  Howard crosses his arms over his chest as I stand in front of him. “Well, what is it? You’re worrying the hell out of me.”

  “I had no bearing on this. I had no clue this was going to happen and—”

  “And what? Just spit it out. I’m sure I can handle whatever you’re about to tell me.”

  “I almost wanted to ask you to forfeit tonight.”

  “I don’t forfeit.” He’s fucking playing around, and I’m beginning to get agitated.

  “I’m just going to come out and say this. You’re fighting Travis tonight.”

  The only thing I can think about is Hilary. What is seeing him going to do to her? “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “No, Lance, I’m not fucking kidding you. I’m as serious as a heart attack. My question to you is this, will you be able to handle yourself in the ring? Can you deliver a clean fight and not lose your head? If you can’t, then I will make you forfeit.”

  Fuck. Can I let go of everything for just a few minutes and come out on the other end okay? When I think about everything that he did to her and put her through, I really just want to beat the living shit out of him. I almost lost everything I love in fighting because of him. I have no respect for him, and I have to get in the ring with that coward and pretend none of it ever happened. I can’t lose my cool, though. Not with Hilary here. I told her I was a new man, and the new Lance doesn’t need to give a shit about Travis.

  “I have to let her know he’s here. I can and I will make this work,” I say firmly. “But I’m telling you, if he takes a cheap shot at me, I may not be able to hold myself back.”

  He nods in understanding. “If he takes a cheap shot, that’s his ass, not yours.”

  “Thanks for telling me this. At least I won’t be surprised.”

  “I figured this was one surprise you wouldn’t want.” He claps his hand on my shoulder before walking away. I turn to see Hilary and Raegan laughing and talking. I hate to be the one to ruin her night, but I don’t want her to hear it from anyone else.

  “Hey, Hil, can I talk to you for a minute?”

  Raegan perks up, and I now have her attention as well. “What is it, Lance?” Hilary asks.

  “I’m fighting Travis tonight.” Her eyes widen and begin to fill with tears. “I just found out less than a minute ago, and I wanted you to hear it from me.”

  “What if he tries to talk to me? Oh God, I don’t think I can do this.” The tears spill down her face, and I pull her close.

  “If he tries to talk to you, I’ll punch him square in his fucking mouth.”

  Raegan growls. God, her hormones must be flaring up. Garrett will have to worry about keeping her in check because I have no doubt she would go after Travis if he attempted to start anything.

  I glare at her, my eyes pleading her not to say another word. She huffs, crossing her arms over her chest, but never says another word. I pull Hilary’s hand into mine.

  “It’s going to be okay. I want you to stay by Raegan and Garrett. Howard will be there too, while I’m fighting, and they won’t let him anywhere near you. As soon as I’m done, we are leaving, okay?”

  She whimpers and nods. This is absolute torture for her, and I wish I had known this before. I would have never asked her to come along. I would have driven this solo with no problem at all, and now guilt consumes me. I feel responsible for bringing her here, knowing there is always the possibility he will be here. Maybe I thought I could protect her no matter what. I know I can, but now I’m concerned I might be endangering her.

  I give her a soft kiss on her forehead. It’s time for me to get ready. The number of people in the room has doubled, and Raegan is on alert for trouble. I know if something happens and I can’t get to Hilary fast enough, Raegan will get her out of here.

  Inside the dressing room, I’m alone with my thoughts. My mind is overwhelmed with wondering, and I hate it. I need to be concentrating. For once, I don’t give a shit about whether or not I am going to win. All I care about is her safety. I worry about him lurking around, preying on her.

  I sit in the metal chair in the corner of the room and place my head in my hands. I can’t do this. I know I told Howard I can go out there and keep my head straight, but the truth is, I don’t think I can. I want to, but it just doesn’t seem possible. The tension between Travis and I is personal, and I don’t think I can leave that baggage inside this dressing room.

  The door opens. I expect to see Howard, but it’s Garrett. “Hey, man, are you okay? I knew, but Howard wanted to be the one to tell you.”

  I may be able to lie to Howard, but I can’t lie to my best friend. “No.”

  “I can’t imagine what you’re getting ready to go through, but I know you, and you can do this.”

  “I am worried about myself, but it’s mainly her. What about her, Garrett? Why the fuck did I say I wanted to fight this evening?”

  Garrett squats down in front of me and sighs. “Because it’s in your blood. That’s why you said you wanted to fight this evening. If you’re that concerned, forfeit. No one will look down on you.”

  “I’m not a quitter. I’m not forfeiting.”

  “I know you’re not, but I just wanted to say it.”

  “Raegan is with her, and I know she will keep her safe.”

  “She will, and I’ll be out there too. You don’t need to worry. Just try to clear your head so you can be on top of your game. Don’t let that asshole win. Beat him, and show him you’re the best.”

  “Thanks, man.” I stand and stretch. My body is tense because of who is awaiting me in the ring. “Which one of us fights first? I forgot to ask Howard after he dropped this fucking bomb on me.”

  “Me, then a ladies’ match, and then you. See, I’ll be out there by Raegan and Hilary, and if anything happens, we’ll leave.”

  I smile, trying to raise my spirits. At least I have a little more time to clear my head. My nerves shoot back up when Blaize peeks in, and tells Garrett he’s about to announce him. I’m not ready. Garrett pats my shoulder and tells me it’s time to focus. I couldn’t agree more.

  Usually, I step out and watch Garrett in his matches, but right now I am still sitting in the dressing room. Seeing Travis beforehand could be career ending for me. I don’t want to see him until I step into the ring. I keep reminding myself that Hilary is safe. She’s with Howard and Raegan, and I have nothing to worry about. I just keep telling myself over and over again, in a weary attempt to ease the stress. I should have brought my headphones to listen to some music, but the cheers I’m hearing from outside these four walls are quite entertaining.

  Curiosity gets the better of me and I walk to the wooden door. I open it up to see Garrett doing what he does best. The crowd is chanting his name. I stretch my neck trying to see if I can catch a glimpse of Hilary, but the crowd is so thick my attempts are worthless. Another minute later, Garrett drags his opponent to the ground, sealing his victory, and the crowd erupts in cheers. I close the door as Blaize announces the ladies’ match. Minutes pass, and my hands become clammy. I grab my gloves and pull them on. Time is moving so slowly and it’s not helping my nerves. The door opens, and I almost jump out of my skin.

  “Lance, get ready, dude. You’re up,” Blaize calls out, giving me a thumbs up.

  “I’m coming,” I tell him as he shuts the door.

  First, I walk over to the metal trashcan and empty the contents of my stomach. I stand there continuing to dry heave until I feel I can walk away. I reach down into my bag and grab a bottle of water. I down the entire bottle, and drop it into the trashcan. It’s game time.

  Chapter 22

  Hilary

  “Oh shit, there he is.” I squirm on my seat. Raegan somehow picks him out of the crowd just like I did.

  “Don’t worry about him. Don’t even look at him, okay? Don’t let him think yo
u were looking for him,” she says sternly.

  I don’t want him to know I saw him, anyway. I just happened to notice him. Seeing him makes me want to throw up. Mind over matter, Hil, I keep reminding myself. Don’t let him get to you.

  “I’m good,” I tell her. “How do you think Lance is doing?”

  ”He’s probably shitting his pants right now.”

  I burst out laughing. “Really?”

  “I hope not. That would be gross, but he’s definitely stressing. Garrett told me.”

  “I wish this were just a dream,” I admit.

  “I know, but you and that little baby don’t need any stress so we’re going to talk about anything but this.”

  “Got it. What do you want to talk about?”

  Before she can answer me, the announcer calls Garrett’s name, and Raegan’s attention shifts to the ring. He makes his way up, where his opponent will be joining him shortly, and in a few minutes the fight is underway. I don’t see how Raegan watches with such confidence. She doesn’t seem to be worried about him at all, but then I see why. He’s damn good.

  I don’t know a thing about what is going on in the ring, but clearly he’s winning and the crowd is loving it. Raegan erupts into cheers when he’s announced as the winner, and even I can’t stop the smile from stretching across my face. For that brief moment I’m able to forget about the worries in the darkest part of my mind.

  The next match is between two ladies. I didn’t catch their names. “I miss being in there.” Raegan groans as she watches them.

  “Are you going to fight again after you have the baby?” I ask.

  “Probably not. Whitney didn’t, and I’ll probably follow in her steps. According to Lance, my real fight is beginning after the baby is born, anyway.”

  “Wow, look at him giving advice.”

  “Yeah, he’s grown up a lot. I thank you for that.”

  My insides flutter at her words, and I turn my attention to the ring. I imagine getting to see Raegan fighting before she got pregnant. I can see it in her eyes; she does miss it. The fight ends and the announcer calls the next round of names. His name makes me cringe, and again I’m fidgeting. The thought to throw up crosses my mind, but Raegan grabs my hand and gently squeezes it. When Garrett comes and stands on the other side of me, I know I’ll be okay. I can get through these next few minutes, and then try to forget any of this ever happened.

  The first person to make their way to the ring is Travis. I close my eyes, wishing he’d disappear. But when I open them again, he’s there and hasn’t noticed me.

  My heart ignites as Lance walks up. I know he wants to look over and see if I’m okay, but he doesn’t want to draw attention. He’s doing what he can to protect me, and I’m grateful for that. I can feel the tension in the ring. Their stares are anything but friendly, and words are exchanged. I’m trying not to be stressed, but I just want this fight to be over.

  Chapter 23

  Lance

  Travis is waiting for me in the ring as I walk down to meet him. The glare in his eyes is some pussy attempt to intimidate me, but he doesn’t scare me at all. He never has, and he never will. I’m fighting the urge to look over and make sure Hilary is still okay, but drawing attention to her is the worst thing I could do right now. I don’t know if he’s seen her or not, and all I can do is hope he hasn’t.

  I climb into the ring and listen to Blaize recite the rules I know by heart. I’m analyzing Travis. I’ve never fought him before, but I know he’s a lot of talk. I doubt he can back up all his bullshit, and I hope to knock him on his ass.

  We’re told to have a clean fight. I shake Travis’s hand.

  “I’m ready to break your face against this mat.” He growls at me. “I will get her back. I know she’s with you. Is she here? Is she going to watch me kick your ass? Because when I win, she’ll be coming home with me.”

  “Fuck you, Travis. You lost and you’re going to lose tonight, so shut your mouth.”

  “Oh, the pretty boy wants to talk shit? We’ll see how much you talk in a few minutes.”

  “Go to hell.”

  “I will, and I’m bringing her with me.” He smirks. I grimace, keeping my mouth in a straight line. I’m not saying another word to him. The only talking I’ll be doing is with my moves.

  The crowd is chanting, waiting for us to fight, and we’re sitting here talking shit like this is some schoolyard argument. I throw a hook. It takes him completely off guard, and the crowd loves it. Not as much as I do, though. While he’s still trying to figure out what happened, I throw another jab and try to sweep him off of his feet. He catches that one, and immediately retaliates with a counter punch. It hurt bad, but my face is so straight I’ll never let him know.

  I look up constantly, trying to figure out my next move. I hear Howard yelling something but I can’t look because I can’t draw attention to Hilary. Travis barrels into me, holding me tight while he jabs and punches. I need to get away from him and wear him down. The pain is searing through my body, but I won’t go down like this. I’m able to wiggle a little from his grasp and I swing my foot to knock him off balance. As he falls, I throw a few punches. Anything to make him feel a fraction of the pain he’s caused Hilary, and the pain he’s causing me now.

  I don’t stop there. I make him hurt. I’m in control now, and I won’t let up.

  I manage to get him in a leg lock, but he fights his way out of it. He has so much energy I’m almost worried he’ll wear me down before I can wear him down. He reaches up, attempting to fish hook me, and the referee taps his shoulder and tells him to stop or he’ll be disqualified. No way in hell do I want him out by disqualification. I’m gasping for air, thinking about my next move. Thinking about how to beat this asshole.

  “You thought you could get away with that?” I ask him, getting back to my feet. I’m bouncing around on the balls of my feet, ready for whatever he’s conjuring up.

  He’s back on his feet just like me. I’m ready to block whatever hit he may be about to throw when he spits in my face without warning. The crowd begins to boo him. I’ve fought just like I’m trained to do. I’ve done well. I haven’t let my issues affect any of this, but he just spit in my fucking face. I want to wipe it away but I can almost bet he’d use that to throw a cheap shot. This is getting old.

  Jab, kick, kick, jab. He’s finally starting to look like he’s wearing down. His face is droopy, and his breathing is ragged. His spit is running down my face and I want to hurl but I continue to throw hooks until I have him backed into a corner. I kick his legs from under him, and pin him down with all my strength. I’m waiting for him to get up and keep fighting but he can’t seem to find the strength to stand. The sound of tapping fills my ears and I look down to see him tapping out. The referee grabs my arm and lifts it into the air as I stand. I can’t believe I fucking beat him. As much as I’d like to gloat in his face, I use my other hand to wipe the remaining spit from my face.

  When I spot Hilary, she looks frazzled. I give her a wink to let her know I’m okay. The crowd cheers my name as I climb out of the ring. I want to make my way to Hilary but Travis is still in the ring, so I nod to Garrett and head to the dressing room. I’m holding true to my word. I told Hilary we would leave right away. I stand in front of the sink and wash my face. I can’t stand to have his spit on my face for another minute longer. The door opens and Garrett nods to me.

  “We’re going to be outside,” he says.

  “I’m coming right now. Let me grab my bag.”

  “That was brutal, man. I thought when he spat in your face you were going to fucking kill him.”

  “Laugh it up, but that was some disgusting shit. I really wanted to beat the living hell out of him for that.”

  “He’s a coward, but you already knew that. He just showed what a loser he really is. I thought Hilary was going to cry for a moment, but she was fine. I know it was killing you not to look at her.” We walk out of the dressing room.

  “Yeah, b
ut I knew he’d notice her if I looked her way,” I say. “I couldn’t do that to her.”

  “I get it, man. Oh fuck.” He seethes, glaring straight ahead.

  I spot Raegan standing firmly in front of Hilary, pointing and yelling something at Travis. Garrett and I take off in a sprint before Raegan tries to do something she shouldn’t. Hilary is crying, and as much as I want to hold her, I have to settle this with Travis.

  “Get the fuck away from her,” I yell. He turns to face me, letting out a sinister laugh.

  “Nope. I’m taking what’s mine. No one asked if I wanted a baby. You’re not getting away with this.”

  “What the fuck do you know about a baby?”

  “I-It slipped out.” Hilary is crying. “He tried to grab my arm but I jerked away, and I said something about hurting the baby. I’m sorry.”

  Raegan nods, confirming the story.

  “Don’t you ever be sorry, Hilary. You have nothing to be sorry about,” I tell her. I turn back to face Travis. “You aren’t allowed to put your hands on her again, do you hear me?”

  “You think I give a fuck? You think I want a baby? If it were up to me, that baby would be taken care of in an abortion clinic. She wants to keep it, though, the stupid bitch. Don’t fucking think about asking me for child support. You won’t see a dime from me.”

  Garrett grabs Raegan and pulls her away before she can get involved. Her face is crimson, and she’s liable to blow. Raegan grabs hold of Hilary’s arm and drags her with them, which is probably the safest option right now. I know I need to walk away before something worse starts. I should have learned my lesson from the last time Travis popped up after a fight, but I’m a glutton for punishment.

  “No one wants your fucking money, Travis. You shouldn’t have been fucking her if you didn’t want to think about having a baby. Maybe it’s time for you to start stepping up and taking responsibility for your actions. Be a fucking man. I’m stepping up and taking care of your child. That makes me a man, and you are nothing more than a big piece of shit.”