Page 10 of Fight

“This can’t stand! The asshole who fucked me up needs to pay,” Arthur snarls. He smells like sewage when he’s angry, and all I want for him is to get the fuck out of my office.

Leaning away in my chair, I cross my heavily tattooed arms over my chest.

“From the top, explain to me what happened,” I command.

Holding back an eye roll that he knows won’t fly with me, he takes a deep breath.

“I was finishing up a job with Oscar, picking up car parts, when I decided to hit a club for a drink,” he explains. Arthur does a lot of side jobs I don’t approve of, and boosting cars and selling them for scraps is one of them. It’s supposed to keep him out of trouble, which is the reason I studiously ignore it.

Unfortunately, this alpha is always getting into some kind of trouble, so I raise my eyebrow at him.

“It was a strip club, and there was a misunderstanding,” he admits, making me sigh in annoyance.

“Explain,” I grunt. “What was the misunderstanding?”

“I squeezed the dancer’s tit, and the owner beat the tar out of me,” he grumbles. It did not escape my notice that he’s wheezing a bit and limping. Looks as if the owner got more than his fair share of swings on him. His scent changes again, making me think there’s a bit more to the story.

“If you went to a titty bar in Chicago, this probably wouldn’t have happened,” I rumble with a sigh. “What do you want to do? I draw the line at setting fire to his business.”

Arthur’s eyes light up, and I know he’s happy with my response. I’m going to need to open the windows to air out my office, I’m so fucking ready to send him on his way.

“I want to pick him up with some of my boys and show him a lesson he’ll never forget,” he growls. There’s something shifty about him as he glances to the side, and again I feel as if I’m not receiving the entire story.

“Is there anything else I need to know?” I ask. “Don’t kill him or bring the police to our door, Arthur.”

I keep the alpha around because he’s quick on his feet, and follows directions for the most part. He’s also part of my father’s old guard, so there’s a sentimental reason for it as well. My issue with him is he follows his cock too often on his down time instead of his brain.

“No, Sir,” Arthur says with a smirk, knowing he’s about to get his way.

“Great, go away then,” I grunt, done with his ridiculous antics.

Face falling, he nods as he walks out the door.

Did he think I was going to entertain him with a little jig? Absolutely not.

Rolling my eyes, I stand, needing to stretch my legs. My office isn’t in a warehouse as some might think, but rather at a fighting gym. A large amount of my income comes from the illegal fights I host, with idiots trying to pit their boxers against mine.

It’s a lost cause, because I only back the best, and Jasper trains them all.

Strolling through the gym, I stop here and there to watch fighters sparing together, spotting a weakness here and there. Jerking my chin at the trainer working under Jasper, I mention my concerns before moving on. I know my views will be passed on, because once upon a time I was also a fighter before I took over the Firm.

I watch tapes, I can see weaknesses and strengths, and it makes us stronger, so we can pivot as needed. There’s an element of excitement in the fighting ring during a big fight as everyone roars for blood, knowing each man who fights will leave it all in the ring. Fighters are paid well for their blood, sweat, and tears, and in return, it keeps my outfit running and my coffers fat.

Continuing through the gym, I see Gabriel sparring hard against another fighter we brought in to stretch his abilities. He’s set to fight someone in a larger weight class than he’s in, and I want to make sure he’s ready for it.

Stopping short so I don’t distract them, I watch as Gabriel ducks and jabs, using his slightly smaller size to his advantage. Eomon is an older fighter, but that means he has more tricks up his sleeve.

I watch with rapt attention as Eomon attempts to swipe Gabriel’s feet out from under him, but instead his opponent jumps and bends backwards as he throws a punch. My jaw drops as I watch as Gabriel purposely tangles his legs in Eomon’s to force him to the ground. The fight gets fierce as they grapple and attempt to pin the other as they throw punches.

They’re a lot more evenly matched than I thought, they just have different styles when they spar. Jasper calls it when Gabriel wraps his strong legs around Eomon’s throat, forcing the man to turn redder than a tomato as he attempts to force him off but can’t. That’s the only reason why a fight should be called in my opinion.

They’re practicing, not literally attempting to knock each other's block off.

Moving closer, I listen to the tips Eomon gives Gabriel, even as he coughs from the lack of air he had earlier. Jasper glances at me as he sees me walk up, smirking as he inclines his head.

The man is a legend in the underground fighting circuit, and I have no problems giving the smug bastard his props.

“Think he’ll be ready for next week?” I ask, my gaze on the beta in question.

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