“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Bull screams as Venom applies what looks like light pressure but must hurt like a motherfucker.
“Don’t fuckin’ come at me like that again,” Venom warns. He releases Bull, who cradles his arm to his chest and falls flat on his back.
“You still can’t knock me out! Your wussy little hand holds are nothin’!” he screams from the floor. “No one knocks out The Bull!”
I step forward. “Dropping you to the floor wasn’t enough punishment? You’re begging for a KO, too?”
“Fuck off, Stonewall. No one asked you.” Bull kicks out at me, missing my shin by a mile.
The other guys hoot and jump around. The camera guys zoom in on Bull’s pained expression. I shake my head and back away.
“You couldn’t go a little more?” Jordan asks Venom.
Venom snarls. “Would breaking his arm make good television?” He walks off before Jordan comes up with an answer.
Outside the gym, Woolly and I catch up to Venom.
“That was epic.” Woolly thumps Venom on the back. “Been dying to shut that motherfucker up all day.”
“What got into him?” I ask. “Seemed more agitated than usual all morning.”
“Producers probably had a talk with him.” Venom glares at one of the hallway cameras as we pass it.
“They’ll keep pressuring us to get into these petty fights outside of the ring,” Woolly says. “You did good, Venom. Chose the time and place.”
Venom scowls. “I didn’t really choose either one. I wasn’t gonna let him hit me, though. I ended it the quickest way I could think of.”
“You’re going to need to show me that wrist lock.” I bump my elbow into Venom’s arm. “You moved so damn fast, I couldn’t see how you rotated your hand to trap his wrist.”
“It’s a waterfall lock. I wouldn’t try using it in the ring when you’re both moving so fast. You can really hurt someone if you’re not careful. But it can be good in certain situations.”
“Like a bull comin’ at you?” Woolly quips.
“Yeah, like that.”
“Food’s here!” someone shouts, the words echoing through the house.
“I wanna get there before Deadass touches my sushi.” Woolly slaps my shoulder and jogs ahead of us. “I’ll guard your grub!”
Venom stops a few feet from the turn that will lead to the kitchen and dining area. It’s a dead zone where there don’t seem to be any cameras. “Grab our food and meet me out back. Behind the pool house, there’s a table. None of the camera guys are ever out there. Leave your mic inside.”
“That where you go to meditate in the afternoons?” I ask.
“Yeah, so don’t tell anyone about it.”
“Okay.” I glance down the hall. “You want me to bring Woolly?”
He stares in the same direction. “Not yet. You seem like you need to unburden yourself. The fewer people you have observing, the easier it’ll be.”
“Unburden?” I lift my eyebrows. “What makes you say that?”
He flicks his gaze to me and tilts his head.
“Yeah. All right.”
I have to trust someone here eventually.
* * *