Page 49 of If You Fight

But I’d had a taste of a better life, and I didn’t want to return to living in those piss stinking alleyways where every minute was a struggle to exist.

So I took Robert up on his offer to work as security for him, knowing full well that wouldn’t be what I’d be doing. Once you see how good life can be on the other side of the tracks, you don’t want to go back to where you used to be. Even doing his dirty work was better than returning to that life I’d had before.

Shaking my head, I answered Floyd’s question truthfully. “Not really. I just didn’t see any other way. He told me I wouldn’t have to fight anymore, and I believed him. And for a long time, he lived up to that deal. I guess that’s all changed now.”

“I hear rumors, you know? Rumors about a girl and things like that with you. Is that why you’re back here?” Floyd asked, worry hanging off each word.

He’d always warned us fighters not to let women ruin our lives. I’d assumed that was more sour grapes about his own life and not really career advice.

“She’s more than a girl,” I said as I sat up straight in my chair. “Her name’s Serena, and she’s everything to me. I’m back here for her.”

Floyd nodded, and I saw by the knowing look in his eyes he understood who Serena was. He didn’t say anything about her, but he knew.

When he finally spoke, he asked in a hesitant voice, “So she’s like her father with the fighting?”

I dismissed that with a wave of my hand. “No way. She’s nothing like him. She’s good and sweet, and there’s a gentleness to her I’ve never seen in anyone else in the world. She has no idea how hard this fight is going to be for me.”

His eyebrows raised, like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “And you’re here for her? Sounds like suicide to me.”

“I didn’t have a choice. When the woman you love needs you to lay it all on the line for her, you do it without a second thought, no matter how bad things might get for you.”

Floyd rolled his eyes. “I always had a feeling there was more hero than villain in you, son. So you’re doing this for the love of a woman. Still sounds crazy to me, but if anyone can do this, I’m betting it’s you.”

I patted him on the shoulder for the vote of confidence. “Thanks, man. Now I guess we just have to hope he doesn’t bring in another goddamned behemoth to fight me and I might get out of this in one piece, more or less.”

“I don’t know who he has lined up for you. He hasn’t given me the card yet. He knows I’ve been working with you, so I’m not surprised he’s keeping it to himself. Maybe he’ll have you fight one of the guys I’ve run past you in the last three weeks,” Floyd said hopefully.

“Yeah, maybe. If that’s the case, I might be okay.”

Robert wouldn’t be putting me up against any of Floyd’s guys. Nope. He was going to bring in someone who could hurt me so the message he wanted to send would come through loud and clear.

This stray was good enough to call his son in front of his friends, and he was good enough to do his dirty work, but he wasn’t good enough for his daughter.

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