Page 23 of Repairing the Wreckage

“I mean, if you do get sent home after the next fight…”

I swallow and take a sip of water. “Everyone back home thinks I’m a cheater and a loser, I know.”

He huffs a silent laugh. “Well, yeah. Who do you think was actually in the video?”

“I don’t know.”

“Gotta be Naptime or Deadass. They’re roughly your size, although Deadass is covered in all those hideous tattoos.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

His lips pinch tight, as if he wants to disagree. But he picks up his fork and finishes eating. I do the same. We can only be out here for so long before someone in the house notices our absence.

“We’ll figure out something,” Venom says as he stuffs his empty container in the bag.

“What’s there to figure out? I’m just gonna keep grinding like I always do. Work hard. Keep my head down.” I throw a few punches in the air. “Fuck shit up in the cage.”

“They want the drama, though. You can’t hide and expect to make it to the final four.”

I glance toward the pool. “I can’t get drunk, run around in my underwear, and piss in the pool like those other jackasses. I’d rather leave with no money, than leave without my dignity.”

He rumbles with laughter. “Fair point.”

“What about you? Gonna strap into a banana hammock and put on a show for us later?”

“Fuck no.” He scowls. “Dropping Bull to the ground should be enough for a few days.”

“Cameras sure got lots of footage,” I agree, collecting my trash and stuffing it into one of the bags.

We walk into the house together. Loud voices and noise from the direction of the kitchen greet us.

“You good?” Venom asks. “I gotta run to my room for a minute.”

“Yeah.” A flicker of unease creeps over me. Is he going to find someone from the show and rat me out?

Too late now.

Gritting my teeth, I head to the kitchen. Woolly’s perched on a stool at the long counter that separates the kitchen area from the rest of the open room. He rocks sideways and almost falls off when he sees me.

“Stonewall!” he shouts. “Where’d ya go?”

A prickle of guilt jabs at me. I should’ve told him to join us. “Just outside for a minute.”

As one of the camera crew members turns in my direction, I quickly skirt by a bunch of guys and toss my bag in the overflowing can. The kitchen’s trashed. Food and garbage scattered everywhere. Fuckin’ slobs.

I grab a water from the fridge and take the stool next to Woolly. “What’d I miss?”

“Not much.” He gestures toward Deadass. “That one whipped out his dick and tried to piss in Thunder’s Mountain Dew bottle.”

“For fuck’s sake.” I scrub my hands over my face. “That’s fucking disgusting.”

Woolly shrugs. “It’s basically piss anyway. He wouldn’t have noticed.”

Naptime must’ve been listening in on our conversation. He grins and points at Deadass. “His dick’s the only one skinny enough to fit in the top of a soda bottle.”

“Wow.” I widen my eyes and stare at him. “That’s information no one needed.”

Venom joins us, slapping both of our shoulders. “Underhill wants us in the living room. We’re going to watch footage of our fights.”

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