by Penelope Sky
Bosco gave me a terrifying scare, like he wasn’t in the mood to be delicate anymore. “There’s nothing he can do to you. Walk in there with your head held high and show every man in that casino what happens when they fuck with Carmen Barsetti. Now get your ass up and change. Don’t make me ask you again.” He turned around and marched off, making good on his word not to give me another warning.
His tough love invigorated me, made me realize I shouldn’t be afraid of a sick man like that. I should show him that he couldn’t treat women that way—that he would pay for his actions.
Bosco was visibly angry, his arms swinging by his sides and his shoulders tense. He usually took his time when he walked across the casino floor, drawing attention to himself as well as his majestic prestige. But now he didn’t care. All he wanted to do was get to the ring as quickly as possible.
The casino floor wasn’t nearly as full as it usually was. There were only a few tables operating, while the others remained vacant and the dealers stood there idly, having nothing to do since there were no players. The women danced in their cages even though hardly anyone was watching.
“It’s quiet tonight.” I kept up my stride beside him, feeling uncomfortable when his hands weren’t on me.
“They’re all underground.” Before he arrived at the elevator, his men hit the button and the doors opened. He stepped inside with me at his side. The men stayed outside, and the doors shut, bringing us into solitude. The elevator shifted then began its descent. He slid his hands into his pockets and stared at the metal doors, his jaw clenching in rage. He looked like he wanted to fight The Butcher himself.
“What happens if The Butcher wins the fight?”
He didn’t answer, keeping his eyes straight ahead. He was so pissed off, perhaps he didn’t hear me.
I didn’t dare ask my question again.
The elevator came to a halt, and the doors opened to pure pandemonium. Men were yelling at each other, making bets. There was a ring in the center, lifted up so everyone could see well. It looked like the kind of ring they had in Vegas where professional fighters duked it out on live TV. Men sat in the bleachers that rose up toward the back so everyone had a good view.
Cash was being exchanged between men, and dealers were going around taking bets.
Two men sat in the ring at opposite corners, handcuffed and shirtless. They only wore their jeans, their shoes and socks removed.
The second I looked at The Butcher, I was scared all over again.
Bosco must have felt my fear because he grabbed my hand and pulled me with him. His men made a path through the crowd, and we ascended the steps to a special platform with a few chairs. “Sit.” He commanded me like a dog.
I would have told him off for it normally, but now wasn’t the time.
He turned to walk away again.
“Where are you going?” I blurted out. I was guarded by six men, but I preferred Bosco’s protection over anyone else’s.
He turned back to me, still looking livid. “Getting the execution started.” He moved down the steps and stepped into the ring, wearing his fitted black suit and matching tie. The second he stepped through the ropes, every man in the audience cheered.
I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. It was an underground fight club, a place where criminals fought to the death. All the men cheered as they put their money on the line, gambling on life and death.
My heart was racing so fast. This was unreal.
Bosco walked up to The Butcher and kneeled down so they were eye level. They exchanged a few words, their eyes locked on one another. It was impossible to figure out how the conversation was going because it was so loud in the concrete room.
Bosco finished what he needed to say and stood up. He moved to the center of the ring, and once his right hand moved into the air, everyone turned dead silent.
If there were crickets, we would be able to hear them.
Bosco lowered his hand, his shoulders stiff with the power that ran through his veins. He surveyed the men in the room, the members of his casino. He was in charge of this building, of the entire city. He was the only one with the strength to organize a community of murderers, traitors, and thieves. “Bets are closed.” He indicated to the man in the corner, the one The Butcher would have to fight. “Mango is sentenced to the ring for stealing from a fellow member. Two and a half million dollars was swiped off the table and into his pocket. The punishment fits the crime.”
Everyone in the audience booed.
Bosco turned to The Butcher. “The Butcher is sentenced to the ring for his crimes against me.” The men had started to cheer, but once they understood the severity of the crime, they turned quiet once more. “He tried to steal something that belongs to me, something more valuable than all the cash on my casino floor, all the jewels in my vault, all the cars in my garage. For his crime, he will be sentenced to death.”
The crowd booed once more.
The Butcher stared at Bosco, and slowly, a grin spread across his face. It was more of a sneer than a smile, and his scars stretched across his face as his muscles pulled his skin tighter. Like this was all a game, he grinned at Bosco fearlessly.
I was fifty feet away, but the distance wasn’t enough. If The Butcher won The Brawl, I didn’t know what Bosco would do. Perhaps he would take him to the curb and shoot him on the sidewalk. Either way, I wouldn’t be able to sleep that night until he was dead.
Bosco raised his right hand again. “Let The Brawl begin.”
Thunderous cheers erupted, so loud I could barely hear myself think.
Bosco left the ring and moved back to the platform where I sat. The men were released from their handcuffs so the fight could begin. Bosco moved to the seat beside me, and like everything was normal, he crossed his ankle over his knee and rested his hands in his lap. His affection was absent, probably because he was so angry that touching me wasn’t appealing.
Ronan took the seat beside him, dressed in a gray suit.
I crossed my legs and appeared as indifferent as possible, even though it seemed like I was deep in the underworld. I wore a skintight black dress and the diamonds Bosco asked me to wear. My hair was pulled back, and I had on the tallest heels I’d ever worn in my life.
The men came loose from their holds, and that’s when the fight began.
It was bloody. It was intense. It was almost too much to watch.
The two men pounded their fists into each other’s faces. Since there were no rules, the men didn’t hesitate before they poked each other in the eye and slammed their heel into the other guy’s knee.
Blood smeared across their cheeks, and their muscles bulged with the adrenaline. Both of their lives were on the line, so they gave it everything they had.
Bosco was silent as he watched the fight, still as a statue and his eyes unblinking.
Ronan leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, watching every single kick and hit. “What did you say to him?”
Bosco didn’t look at his brother. “That he will die for coming too close to my woman.”
I heard what he said, and I was slightly touched by the way he referred to me.
“Let’s hope it works out that way.”
The fight kept going, and it seemed like they were both tiring out.
I just wanted it to end. The only reason I kept watching was because I wanted to be respected. If I looked away, people would think I was weak.
Things took a turn for the worse when The Butcher punched the guy so hard he flew down onto the concrete floor. Then he grabbed his leg, and with his bare hands, snapped his knee, breaking it with enough force that the crunch was audible in the entire room.
“Shit,” Ronan muttered under his breath.
I felt a little vomit rise in my throat.
The man screamed out in pain, holding his knee because the agony was too much. He started to crawl away while The Butcher looked down at him. Then The Butcher raised his gaze and looked right at me, that same look on his
face that he wore the other night. He purposely provoked me, tried to get under my skin.
I held his gaze with an indifferent look, refusing to cower under his intimidation.
He turned his gaze to Bosco than slammed his foot on the man’s head. He kept slamming down until his skull caved in, and he lay lifelessly on the floor, limp as a dead fish. Blood was smeared everywhere.
Men cheered when they won their bets.
This wasn’t how I wanted the fight to go, and I hid my disappointment as best I could.
The Butcher walked to the edge of the ring, looked at Bosco, and then took a bow.
Wow, he was one smug son of a bitch.
Bosco’s expression didn’t change.
Ronan was silent.
I waited for Bosco’s men to pull The Butcher out of the ring so he could be shot in an alleyway, but nothing happened.
Bosco stood up then loosened his tie.
My eyes moved to him, unsure what was happening.
Bosco stared at The Butcher as he pulled off his tie and dropped his jacket onto the chair.
My eyes snapped wide open. “What the hell are you doing?”
Bosco unbuttoned the front of his shirt then dropped that on top of his jacket, standing shirtless on the platform.
The Butcher grinned like this was his lucky day.
Ronan stood next to his brother. “I don’t think this is—”
“Shut up.” Bosco silenced him with his hostility.
This couldn’t be happening. I moved to my feet next and stood right in front of him, forcing him to look at me instead of The Butcher. “Bosco, this is stupid. You could just shoot him later.”
He pulled his shoe off next. “I want to do this. Now sit down.” He spoke calmly despite the intensity of the situation.
“No!” I grabbed both of his wrists. “I won’t let you. What if he kills you?”
He kept his indifferent expression. “He won’t.”
“That man just crushed the other guy’s skull!”
He slowly pulled my hands off his wrists. “Carmen, I made a promise to you. I keep my promises.”
“Then shoot him! Have someone else do it. Don’t do this!” I was entering a full-blown panic attack. “You can’t do this. I won’t let you. Please stay. Please.” I pressed my hands against his chest, begging him to listen to me. Tears burned in my eyes because I was terrified of losing this man. I’d come to care for him so deeply that I wouldn’t be able to go on if I lost him. I didn’t want a single scar on that beautiful face. “Don’t do this to me. I can’t lose you…”
That lopsided grin stretched across his face. “Beautiful.” His hand cupped my cheek, and he wiped away a tear. “As much as I’m enjoying this, I have to go.”
“Why?” I demanded. “This is stupid—”
“This man will suffer for what he did. I will keep the respect of my men in the process. Men will be too terrified to even look at you. This is my world, and this is how I run things. I’m the executioner—and I will kill him with my bare hands.”
I was crying harder now. “Babe, don’t leave me…” I used his nickname, desperate to make him listen to me. “I’m begging you…”
“I know,” he whispered. “And I love watching you beg. But I never make a promise I can’t keep. I promise I’ll come back to you.”
“You can’t make a promise like that!”
“I can. And I will.” He cupped both of my cheeks and kissed me on the mouth. It was soft and short. He abruptly pulled away and slipped off his other shoe and socks before he moved to the stairs. “Ronan, keep her back.”
Ronan stood in the way so I couldn’t chase after him. He gave me a sad look, like he didn’t like this either. “There’s nothing we can do now. He can’t turn back.”
My face was stained with tears, and my makeup was smeared across my face. Every time I tried to breathe, I couldn’t get enough air. “This can’t be happening…this can’t be happening.”
Ronan grabbed my hands and guided me back to the chair.
The crowd went wild when Bosco approached the ring. They were even louder than before, men whistling and screaming. More bets were made as people gambled on the biggest brawl that had ever taken place.
Ronan sat directly beside me, sighing loudly under his breath.
“Why is he doing this?”
“Because he made a promise to you. The Butcher will dead in twenty-four hours.” He looked at his watch. “And he’s only got an hour left.”
I didn’t know what else to do because I was so scared, so I grabbed Ronan’s hand and squeezed it, squeezed it so hard it was like I was going into labor. “I can’t lose him, Ronan. I just can’t. That man is everything to me…”
He squeezed my hand back. “He’s everything to me too.”
Bosco stared at The Butcher for a long time, his arms by his sides with a calm look on his face. He sized up his opponent with his poker face, hiding every thought deep below the surface. He slowly moved as he circled The Butcher.
The Butcher grinned like this was the happiest day of his life. He was already bloody and covered with sweat, but he seemed rejuvenated to see Bosco face him himself. “When you’re dead, she’s mine.”
The second part of that threat didn’t scare me. Only the first part. I didn’t care about myself in that moment because all I cared about was Bosco getting out of there alive—and without a broken knee.
Bosco’s expression didn’t change even though a comment like that would normally make him snap.
“I’m not sure if I can watch this…” I covered my cheek with my hand, uncertain if I wanted to cover my eyes or keep watching. “If Bosco is about to lose, will you intervene?”
Ronan shook his head. “I can’t. It’s against the rules.”
“But this is your brother—”
“Trust me, he wouldn’t want me to.”
Bosco was the first one to rush in, moving quickly with his lithe and ripped physique. He slammed his fist into The Butcher’s face and another into his stomach, making him stumble back from the force.
Bosco quickly stepped back and pulled his fists toward his chin, just as a boxer would. His slacks hung low on his hips, and his muscled physique gleamed from the sweat he’d already produced. He wasn’t nearly as large as The Butcher, but he was definitely quicker.
The Butcher recovered then laughed, like that hit did nothing. “That’s all you got?”
Bosco remained silent, refusing to react to his taunts or make some of his own. He was fully focused on the fight, not distracted by his hatred.
I kept squeezing Ronan’s hand. “I want this to end.”
“It won’t be long.”
The Butcher charged Bosco suddenly, moving his head down like ram trying to destroy a boulder.
Bosco moved out of the way then slammed his knee into The Butcher’s face.
The Butcher fell to the ground but quickly got up.
“Bosco knows how to fight?”
Ronan nodded. “Martial arts, boxing, and street fighting. He’s conserving his energy, only taking the hits he knows he’ll land.”
I was relieved Bosco knew what he was doing.
When The Butcher got up, he was angry. His nostrils flared like a pissed bull, and he went after Bosco again, moving quicker. “When I get my hands on that little bitch, I’m gonna fuck her in the ass so hard—”
Bosco slugged him in the stomach then slammed his face down into his knee. He somehow remained calm even though The Butcher was saying all the right things to get a rise out of him.
The Butcher snapped and threw his fists, landing three in Bosco’s face and one in the gut. He came at him with every bit of his strength, slamming all of his weight into the punches and beating Bosco until he was bloody.
“No!” I covered my face, unable to watch.
“Come on, Bosco,” Ronan said under his breath.
More cheers and boos erupted as the fight went on.
Listening to it was jus
t as bad as seeing it, so I looked up again.
Bosco’s face was dripping with blood, but so was The Butcher’s. They were both breathing hard, becoming exhausted by throwing the punches as well as taking them. Bosco’s left eye was already darkening, and blood streaked from both nostrils.
“And when I’m done fucking that bitch, I’ll slit her throat and leave her on your mother’s grave.”
I held my breath at the comment, knowing that would get to Bosco.
“Shit,” Ronan said.
Bosco’s eyes widened, and he moved in, slamming his fists into The Butcher’s face.
The Butcher covered himself with his arms and laughed, laughed loud enough for everyone to hear. “Finally found a button.” He slammed his fist up, hitting Bosco underneath the chin.
Bosco fell to the ground.
“No!” I brought Ronan’s hand to my face as I started to tremble.
“Get up, Bosco,” Ronan said.
Bosco stayed down, seeming to be unconscious.
“Oh my god…oh my god…” I covered my face and started to sob. “No…please.”
The Butcher started to speak. “The king has fallen. Now it’s time for me to break each bone. One at a time—” His words died in his mouth, then there was a loud smack as his heavy body hit the pavement.
I opened my eyes again, seeing Bosco on his feet and standing over The Butcher. He slammed his bare foot right on the other man’s throat, making The Butcher cough loudly. Then Bosco snapped his elbow, breaking it with an audible crack.
The Butcher didn’t cry out, but he tried to get up with his single working arm, falling over onto his stomach instead.
Bosco jumped into the air then landed right on The Butcher’s lower back, making another cracking noise that was unmistakable.
He broke The Butcher’s back.
This time, The Butcher screamed. He tried to move his legs, but he couldn’t. He tried to crawl away with one arm, but he was too heavy. The panic entered his eyes, and it was so apparent it was almost hard to look at.
Ronan breathed a sigh of relief. “Bosco has the best poker face in the world.”