Page 64 of Hateful Lies

“They want me to give a show,” she continues, “if you want to give a show, that’s up to you. But I plan to fight.”

I scoff. “I have no intention of embarrassing myself by being cute out there.”

“Neither do I,” she says before walking away.

Before we know it, the second fight has ended, and we’re given the cue to get into the ring. I watch in the shadows as Derick introduces “the lass that will outlast and turn you into a flaming mess that’s brighter than her hair.” He tries to rhyme, which earns him a spiteful glare from Erin.

“He better not embarrass me,” I mutter to Nova.

“The boy will try.”

Derick steps forward under the spotlight in his wide-leg jeans that look like a denim ballgown. “And the challenger who dominates the ring when she struts on it. The girl with the dangerous moves that make panthers flee her path.” I hop into the ring and pace toward Derick. With my shoulders raised and a hateful look on my face, I dare him to keep bullshitting. He giggles nervously. “Hey, girl, the challenger is over there…”

He giggles into his cordless white mic and hurries out of the ring to jeers and laughter. I head over to my corner and block out the crowd beyond the ring. Nobody exists but Erin and me, and I’ve already got my attack planned. I jog out easily to the center of the ring and dance side to side. I can feel my breasts bouncing, and that earns cheers. Big fucking deal.

Erin approaches me and throws a few punches in the air. We’re toying with each other and pretending to stick with the script. She throws a punch, and I bounce backward. Coming up quick, I tap her shoulder with my wrapped fist. She does the same to me, and soon we’re pushing each other around. The crowd is starting to get louder, but this is just fluff.

“Let’s see some titty shake.”

I shake my head in disgust and don’t even see the punch, but I feel the searing pain. Erin lands a punch in my eye, and I stumble backward onto my knees. I shouldn’t have looked away, and she took advantage. Erin has no intention of letting me win despite Bryce’s demand. I don’t go after her immediately. I move around her, biding my time as she eyes me with a shitty grin.

I lunge and go after that ridiculous ponytail. Erin should have pinned that thick rope of hair up. I grab it and pummel her face with my fist repeatedly as she struggles to break free. This is too easy. I push her off me, and she stumbles onto the ground.

“Show me your tits!”

These fuckers aren’t interested in skill. I flip the crowd off and spit into the crowd to screams of disgust. Erin is back on her feet, and it gets dirty. As we charge one another, the punches are savage. Pain flames across my ribs as she howls when I pound her in the gut. She tries to use her height to take me down, but I maneuver quickly behind her and kick her to the ground. She thrashes around, trying to get me off her, but I keep punching as the blood races up from her mouth.

I hear a nasty crack as I aim straight for her nose.

“Pull her fucking top off!”

I spot the guy screaming obscenities, and he glares at me with disappointment. I leap off Erin— she’s not going anywhere—and hop over the rope, landing on him. I grab the douchebag by the hem of his T-shirt and pull it up over his head. The asshole doesn’t know how to fight. He’s flailing like a blindfolded kid trying to hit a piñata. Hands grab me from behind, pulling me off him. I struggle as I hear the shouts and the laughter.

All the rage, all the hate, squeezes my head until I cannot see straight. My busted eye is swelling, and I squeeze both my eyes shut and scream with pent-up rage as I’m dragged away through the crowd, throwing punches. The cold air hits me as someone holds my wrists, and I’m dragged out through the back door.

“Watch her head.”

Good. Nova is with me. My body relaxes, but the fury doesn’t leave me. I don’t want to be controlled. I open my good eye and stare up into the blackness. The stars are concealed by monochrome clouds edged in gray moonlight. The darkness drifts toward me, easing downward, threatening to overwhelm me. I lie panting on the gravel, and when I try to move, it digs into my back.

“Who the fuck are you?” shouts Nova.

“A friend.”

My good eye focuses on Wyatt. He looks down on me with real concern. I shut my eyes and a moan slips out. I don’t want to see pity. Pity is for people who have no control over their lives, but I have control. I open my eye again as he pulls off his sweatshirt. He leans to place it over me but stops and stares. His eyes are on my hip, and I know he sees my ink. I lift my hand quickly to cover it. But he pulls it away. I feel his touch on my skin as his finger traces the outline of the phoenix rising inked on my hip.

The jagged gravel cuts, but I roll my body away.

Later, Bryce tries to call it a draw, but Grinder points out that Erin had to be carried out while I walked away. The fight ends in my favor. I let Bryce down, losing him more money than he owes me, but I didn’t let down my friends and any other person that believed I could do it. I know how to win.

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