Page 68 of Raise 'Em Up

We have always been able to wait, and doctor him up after a fight.

Mateo stumbles and shakes his head. I watch as he takes another hit.

Something isn't right here. Teo is acting like he doesn't know how to defend himself. His eyes are glazed and his footing is sloppy.

What the fuck is going on? I move forward towards the cage, but Angelo holds me back, laughing as Teo takes another right hook to the cheek.

Fuck, that's going to leave a mark.

Teo groans and my heart breaks. He did this for me. I would do the same for him, for any of our family, but this isn't worth it.

Leaving the Black Widows would destroy me, but losing Mateo would kill me.

Teo holds up his hands, trying to block, but he can hardly stand. “Lennox,” Rylee whispers beside me, and I know this is making her sick too.

She is tough and takes no shit, but when one of her guys is hurting, she hurts. That's one of the things I love about her.

“I know, baby girl,” I say, pulling her under my arm and kissing her head. She cuddles closer, and I hold her as we watch Teo get the ever loving shit kicked out of him.

Angelo is talking loudly to someone behind us, and I catch his final words.

“Shouldn't have tried to fuck over the family. Payback’s a bitch!” He chuckles and Rylee's body goes stiff.

“Don't,” I whisper and she clenches her teeth. I can feel her visibly shaking. “Baby girl, these are bad men. They will kill you in your sleep,” I warn her and she huffs.

“Don't you see what they’ve done, Len? They’ve drugged our man,” she hisses and I grunt.

“Fuck, I knew something was off!”

Teo gets hit again, this time in the stomach, and he faceplants the mat with a groan.

“Stay down, baby,” I whisper, and Rylee is breaking my fingers with her death grip.

Teo fights to get his weight off the ground, but he can't. Angelo calls it and shoots a wink to their uncle, who is smirking.

Bending low to where Teo is lying, almost unconscious, as he whispers something in his ear.

I can't hear him, but the way Mateo's body tenses, I know it's nothing good.

I wait until Angelo leaves the mat and the place starts to clear out.

A lot of people are pissed that Teo lost, since they bet on him to win. Maybe we should announce that he was sabotaged.

When the coast is clear, we run out to get Teo and bring him back into the locker room. Donny, Trevor, and I lift him, but it’s clear he’s not going to be able to walk.

“No, just get us out of here,” he mumbles, his words slurring.

“We need to have the doctor check you over,” Rylee snaps and I sigh.

“Not safe. Get to car.”

I glance around, and sure enough, Teo’s uncle is staring at us, especially Rylee.

“Okay, yeah, let’s go. I’ll call a doctor to make a house call,” I murmur. Trevor looks like he wants to argue, but thankfully, he listens, and soon we are in the car headed back to campus. Rylee is in the back with Teo and she’s on the verge of tears.

Teo’s face is a mess, he’s going to be hurting in the morning.

“Call Lincoln,” Teo mutters before his eyes roll back and he’s out cold.

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