Dark Horse

by Wilde, Rhea

“Real leather? Henry, I always wear real leather.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  “What? Wait a minute… You think my other jackets…”

  “Let’s go,” I laughed at him. “We’ve got some business to take care of.”

  Maxwell badgered me for only a few moments longer. He knew that I had to be focused tonight. My approval for his new outfit was the last thing either one of us had to worry about.

  As we headed into the city, a familiar-looking limo pulled-up to the curb right next to us. Maxwell and I stopped in our tracks and watched as the driver door opened. He immediately made our way to us and opened the door.

  “Ms. Zara has instructed me to escort you to your destination,” the driver said to us. “She wants to make sure you arrive in a timely manner.”

  I looked over at Maxwell. He shrugged his shoulders and quickly made his way into the limo. I followed him inside and we resumed our journey to The Pit.

  Maxwell sat across from me and remained silent. I began wrapping my left hand in black boxing wraps. It was a good idea to keep my hands and wrists protected, regardless of what condition I was in. The fact that it would hide the swelling of my swollen right hand was an added bonus. With my left hand wrapped, I started to wrap my right hand. I tightened the cloth against my knuckles and immediately felt the pain. Nothing Maxwell and I did could dull what I was feeling. There just wasn’t enough time.

  I continued to gingerly wrap my hand as Maxwell looked upon me with concern on his face.

  “There’s still time,” he said to me. “You can back out of this fight. Lanea is the one paying his bill. You won’t lose anything.”

  “But I will lose something, Maxwell. I’ll lose my shot.”

  “There will be other shots. There’s always another fight.”

  “I don’t want another fight. After this fight, it’s over—Ahh!”

  I flinched again as I tightened the cloth around my knuckles. The black wraps managed to hide the appearance of my hand but it couldn’t mask the pain I was feeling.

  “What are you doing, Henry?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “…Don’t fight.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t fight him, Henry. You’re going to get yourself in trouble.”

  “I’m not backing out of the fight. I don’t have a choice.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  Maxwell suddenly raised his voice at me. The concern on his face was replaced with a look of fear. I had trouble looking back at him. I knew that he was worried about me because I had never seen him look like this before.

  “Anderson isn’t like anybody you’ve ever fought. The man is a killer, Henry.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’ll beat him.”

  “Beat him? You’ve only got one fucking hand! You can’t even make a fist! You don’t have the one thing you need to beat this guy!”

  I finished wrapping my right hand. Maxwell stared at me as I held it up to him. Slowly, I began to clench my fist in front of him. I could almost hear the muscles being strained underneath their wraps. I managed to tighten my hand into a compact fist but the pain was excruciating. I gritted my teeth as I held it in front of him.

  “I’m going to win,” I said to him. “And when I do, I’m going to take this money and I’m going to get away from all of this fighting. I’ll take you with me, Maxwell. It will all be over. Even Lanea can stop betting and just enjoy her wealth. There will be nothing left for her to see.”

  “Lanea? You think Lanea is going to change after this fight.”

  “Why not? I’ll have beaten the best fighter in the world. There will be nowhere left to go. We can all relax.”

  “Henry…”

  I started to laugh at Maxwell as I thought about how we would all celebrate when the fight was over. But he looked back at me and didn’t share the same feelings I had. He looked almost disappointed to hear everything I was saying to him.

  “She got to you,” he said to me.

  “What?”

  “Lanea. She did exactly what I warned you about.”

  “What are you talking—”

  “I told you that she’s the most dangerous person you’ll ever meet. She sank her teeth into you. You knew that she was using you for her own entertainment.”

  “I know. But I just have this feeling. There’s more to her than what everybody thinks.”

  “There isn’t! She doesn’t give a fuck about you, Henry! All she cares about is her own entertainment. And you think that there’s more to it just because she slept with you? Come on, Henry! Wake up!”

  I sighed as Maxwell tried to get through to me. He had a point. Maybe I was being blind in thinking that there was more to Lanea than what was obvious.

  “Fine,” I said. “But that doesn’t change things. After I win tonight, we’ll all be happy. We’ll get our cut from her winnings and we can walk away. If Lanea wants to keep doing what she’s doing—”

  “She’s always going to keep doing what she’s doing. You can’t expect a girl like that to change. That’s just who she is. Watching you beat a guy up and put more money into her bank account isn’t going to turn her into the person you want her to be.”

  I didn’t say anything back to Maxwell. He had made his point and I had made mine. The bottom line was that I wasn’t going to back out of the fight. And before we knew it, we had arrived at the Zara building for what was hopefully the last time.

  We were escorted down into the arena where everybody was already waiting. The Pit was much more crowded than it was the previous times I’d been here. As I made my way through the people, several of them looked at me and cheered me on. I thought it was strange that they were lending me their support but I didn’t think anything more of it.

  Maxwell and I headed toward the end of The Pit where Lanea was sitting upon her throne with Octavio right next to her. She was wearing an emerald green evening gown. Matching gloves extended from her fingertips all the way to her elbows. Her hair was up over her head with a thin diamond tiara resting upon it. Her legs were crossed and there was a slit on the side that showed off her entire thigh. When we got up next to her, she stood up from her seat and stared at me.

  “Well,” she sighed a quick breath. “Tonight is the night. This is history, Henry. Are you ready?”

  I nodded to her. I turned my head and looked down into The Pit and saw that my opponent was already there waiting for me. He didn’t look much different from the little footage I saw in Lanea’s suite. His arms and chest were covered in tattoos. His head was bald. He didn’t wear anything except for a pair of black slacks and some boots. I looked into his eyes from the top of the stairs. He wasn’t smiling or grimacing or trying to intimidate me. He was only staring back at me with a focus that I was trying to match.

  “There he is,” Lanea said. “The best fighter in the world. In the flesh. This is your dream, Henry. Beat him and you can walk away from all of this.”

  I turned to Lanea and she had a sly smile on her face. Her eyes looked me up and down. For a moment, I could have sworn that her eyes lingered on my right hand. I couldn’t think about anything else though. This wasn’t for her or Maxwell or even me. I had to do this for Elsa. Everything was on the line.

  I turned around and motioned for Maxwell to come with me. We stood off to the side so that nobody could hear us talking to one another. Lanea was still looking at us as I instructed him on what to do.

  “I can beat this guy,” I said to Maxwell. “You just have to believe in me. You believe me, right?”

  Maxwell hesitated to respond. He had made it clear that he was concerned about my hand. But there was no point in doing any of this if he didn’t think I could win.

  “Maxwell?”

  “…Yeah,” he finally sighed. “You can beat this guy.”

  “Okay. That’s what I wanted to hear. You take all of that money and you bet it on me, okay? It doesn’t matter. It’s a sure thing. Just
like every other fight. How many fights have I won for you, Maxwell?”

  “I don’t know,” he laughed. “It was a lot.”

  “It was. And one more should be enough. The outcome of this won’t be any different.”

  He put his hands on my shoulders and shook me in an attempt to get me focused. Our eyes locked upon each other and I nodded to him.

  I walked back toward the stairs that led into The Pit. Before I made my way in, I looked at Lanea one last time. She smiled at me. I thought about everything I’d been through with her then slowly turned my attention to the man waiting for me. I descended the stairs into The Pit and headed for my destiny.

  Chapter 23 - Lanea

  I stood there and watched as Henry walked down into The Pit. There was an air of confidence about him that almost made me second-guess what I had planned. Almost.

  “He’s not ready for this,” Octavio whispered into my ear.

  “Maybe. That’s not my concern any longer. I told you he didn’t have a choice but to take the fight.”

  I sat back down upon my throne. I took a moment to take in all of the sights and sounds surrounding me. That palpable tension in the air was indescribable. The men were all shouting their bets at Francis as he took them down one by one. More money than I’d ever thought possible was going to be changing hands tonight. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. I had been waiting for this moment my entire life.

  I tapped my fingers against my knee in anticipation. I watched as Anderson and Henry stretched themselves out in preparation for what they were about to go through. Two of the greatest gladiators performing for their empress. It was a glorious feeling.

  Octavio continued to remain next to me while Maxwell stood off just to the side. I watched him as he intently eyeballed his fighter.

  “Nervous?” I asked him.

  “What? No, I’m not nervous. It’s just a big fight, that’s all. Henry’s about to whip this guy’s ass.”

  “Good. That’s exactly what I want to hear.”

  Maxwell looked at me skeptically but I only smiled back at him. After he had taken down everybody’s bets, Francis finally made his way back to me.

  “What have you got for me?” I asked him.

  “This is interesting,” he said. “Everybody’s divided evenly.”

  “What?”

  “There isn’t a favorite in this fight. Some people think Henry can actually pull this off while everybody is saying he’s in over his head.”

  “The odds, Francis. What are the odds?”

  “One to one, Ms. Zara. It’s dead even.”

  Despite my best efforts, I still wasn’t able to swing the odds in my favor. Anderson’s reputation was too great to overcome with only a simple speech. I sighed as I considered what I would win. Regardless of the odds, I knew that I didn’t have a choice. My plan wasn’t perfect but I would still come out on top.

  I looked over at Maxwell as he counted his money in front of him.

  “Okay, Francis,” I said. “My bet is ten million dollars.”

  Maxwell jerked his head up from the money he was counting. I smiled at him as he stared at me.

  “Ms. Zara?” Francis asked me. “Are you sure you’re comfortable betting that amount? That much money would swing the odds out of your favor. You wouldn’t be getting a one-to-one split.”

  “I know,” I said. “But a win is a win. And profit is profit. Whatever I make from the ten million will be just fine.”

  “And who are you placing that ten million on, Ms. Zara?”

  “…Anderson.”

  “What?”

  I smiled at Maxwell’s surprise. The look on his face was priceless. To finally have all of this come to fruition was like a dream come true. He didn’t have a clue.

  “Ms. Zara?”

  “You heard me,” I said to Francis. “Ten million dollars on Anderson. Adjust the odds in Henry’s favor. I don’t care. He’s not winning tonight.”

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Maxwell exclaimed. “We had a deal.”

  “And that deal was to get him a big fight. I never said that I would bet on him.”

  “You can’t—”

  “Yes, I can. Now hurry up and place your bet. Francis is waiting for you. There’s still profit to be made, Maxwell. Don’t let false hope blind you from reality. You and I both know that Henry isn’t capable of pulling this off.”

  Maxwell hesitated. Francis stood there and waited for him to make his bet. I continued to smile at Maxwell, looking at the pathetic amount of money in his hand.

  “It’s two-to-one now in favor of Henry,” Francis said.

  “It figures,” I said. “Once a dark horse, always a dark horse. What’s it going to be, Maxwell?”

  Maxwell sighed then handed the money to Francis.

  “That’s everything we have together,” Maxwell said. “Every dollar we earned. It’s all we have left. Put it all on Henry.”

  Francis nodded then took Maxwell’s money. He walked away and disappeared out of the arena to finalize all of the bets that had been placed. Now the only thing left to do was find out where all of that money was going.

  As I stared and smiled at Maxwell, he looked at me with disdain.

  “You’re one cruel bitch, you know that, Lanea?” he said to me.

  “Now, Maxwell. That’s no way to talk to a lady.”

  “You’re not a lady. You’re a monster. I told Henry to watch out for you and he didn’t listen. To think that he could actually get through to you and change you. He should’ve known better.”

  Maxwell managed to get my attention. I widened my eyes and began to laugh again.

  “Oh, Maxwell. If you knew, then you should have warned him. You should have been prepared. Hell, you could have placed a bet on Anderson since you knew Henry was going into this fight injured.”

  “What? How do you know…”

  I smiled at him and Maxwell continued to look disgusted.

  “You set him up,” he said to me. “You had him jumped just so you could win your fucking bet.”

  “If it’s any consolation, I didn’t get nearly the odds I wanted.”

  “Fuck your odds! Henry jumped through fucking hoops for you. The man has no business in The Pit and you’re pushing him because you know he doesn’t have a choice.”

  “It’s a shame. I was almost developing a liking to Henry. It didn’t have to be like this, Maxwell. All he had to do was keep his dick in his pants. I would have kept him around. He could have been more than just a fighter to me. But when he decided to go fucking around… It’s only fair that I screw him back.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “The woman,” I said. “Henry is inviting women over to my apartment and fucking them in my room on my bed.”

  “What?”

  Maxwell looked down at the ground and tried to remember what I was talking about.

  “Oh, come now, Maxwell. There’s no need to deny it. It’s my property. You’re always being monitored.”

  “Henry hasn’t had any women over except for you and Nina. And he hates Nina.”

  “He hates her? Then who the fuck is she?”

  “You really are a stupid bitch, aren’t you? She’s the mother of his daughter.”

  “Daughter?”

  “Yes, daughter. Why the fuck do you think Henry’s been doing this in the first place? Why do you think he was so reluctant to fight? Why do you think he wants to get away from all of this? You’re right, Lanea. He doesn’t have a choice. But that’s because women like you and Nina don’t give him one. And you know that? That’s just fine. ‘Cause Henry’s gonna beat the shit out of this guy and take all of your money. It doesn’t matter if you take away his hand.”

  “Well, it should matter. Because even if Henry does manage to win this fight, I won’t be able to give him his ten-percent.”

  Maxwell started to laugh at me. I suddenly became confused as he started to shake his head.

&nbs
p; “You still don’t get it,” he said. “This isn’t about the money or Henry or you or me. All that matters is his daughter. After he wins, he’s one step closer, with or without your help.”

  Before I could respond, Maxwell walked away from me. He took his place on the railing and looked down into The Pit. I didn’t know why but Maxwell managed to get me worked up. I suddenly found myself trying to regain my composure.

  “Why didn’t you tell me who that woman was?” I complained to Octavio.

  “Ms. Zara, we weren’t able to follow—”

  “Never mind. I’m not interested in your excuses.”

  I tried to catch my breath but I remained flustered. After all this time, I had only just discovered what Henry’s true motives were. There was a part of me that felt uncomfortable about the position I had put him in.

  But there was no point in thinking any longer about what could have been. I shook away any feelings I might have for him inside of me. I exhaled a deep breath and leaned back into my seat.

  As I watched Henry prepared himself for the fight ahead, I reminded myself of why I enjoyed this in the first place. There was a lot at stake but the circumstances always revolved around me.

  They’re your puppets. All of them. Let them put on a show for you.

  Chapter 24 - Lanea

  The murmuring among the crowd continued. I looked down into The Pit and decided that both men had enough time to prepare. I stood up from my throne and held my hands up.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” I said. “If I can have your attention, please.”

  The crowd settled down. All of the noise ceased. Henry and Anderson stood their calmly as they waited for me to continue.

  “It is a pleasure to have you all here this evening. Tonight is a very special night in The Pit. And that’s why you’re all here. You’re here to see two combatants, two gladiators, two champions among men, give it their all. Let’s celebrate this clash between these men and show them our support for everything they’re doing. Henry. Anderson. We are very grateful for everything you’ve done for us. Nothing else needs to be said. Gentlemen, whenever you’re ready.”

  The crowd began to cheer. I smiled at the spectacle in front of me and slowly took my seat back upon my throne. I glanced over at Maxwell for just a moment and saw that he was still locked on everything that was happening down beneath him. Everybody was focused. I looked down and watched as the two men held their fists up.