Page 42 of Fall

"Is that the best you have?" I laugh at them.

The two guys grin at me together, this time getting several hits on my body before I manage to spin away from them both. The thin guy takes me by surprise when he slams a punch into my stomach and then jumps over me. The shock of the thin man attacking is all the other two need as they grab both my arms. The thin man walks in front of me and smirks.

“I trained for years to kill you. I doubt you remember my brother, he is in a coma because of you,” the thin man says, all the nervous acting he was doing before is gone. He lifts his hand and punches me, punch after punch until I can’t hold my head up. I don’t remember his brother, I don’t remember any of the men I fight. I had to put every man I fought in the back of my mind, forgetting they ever happened.

“HARLEY FIGHT FOR ME!” I hear Tilly's voice shout through the haze.

I lift my head, my eyes locking on her as she hangs onto the bars of the cage. What the fuck is she doing here?

“Tilly,” I whisper, and then, the man punches me once more.

Thoughts of Tilly run through my head as I roar and push the men holding me away with all of my strength. The man in front looks shocked, but he tries to punch me again, which is a big mistake for him as I catch his hand and crush it in my own. I use my other hand to lift the thin man close to my face as he screams for me to let go of his hand.

“I’m sorry about your brother, and this,” I tell him, and his eyes widen just before I let go of his hand and punch him hard in the face. I’m not shocked when he falls to the ground as I let him go before I turn to face the two large guys waiting for me.

“I haven’t got all the time in the world . . .” I laugh, waiting for them to run at me as the screaming of the crowd gets louder.

I wipe the blood off my lip as I smile at them. They look at each other and then somehow seem to decide that running at me together is the best way. It’s a bad move on their part. I grab the one who gets to me first, punching his head and roundhouse kicking him in the side. He falls into the other guy, and they both fall to the ground. I jump on him as he flies over his friend, and I start punching his face. He is out cold in two minutes. The other guy gives me a panicked look when I pull his friend's unconscious body off him.

“Don’t,” the man says, holding up his hands as he backs away. The sight of all the unconscious men at my feet has freaked him out, and he isn’t going to try to attack me, not now.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” I say, slamming my fist into his face, and he stumbles backward. I grab his head, slamming it into the bars of the cage and kicking his legs as he falls to the ground.

“THE KINGS HAVE WON!” cheers a voice over the speakers, and the crowd screams.

My eyes meet Tilly’s just as Luke gets to her side and gives me a nod. He will keep her safe in here. I walk out of the cage, where Arthur is waiting. He offers me a towel, and I just look at him.

“Don’t you like seeing me covered in blood? It’s how you make your money.” I laugh, and he narrows his eyes at me. I wipe some of the blood off my face and slap his face, leaving blood all over him.

“Take it, and get out,” he says, pulling out a note from his pocket and giving it to me.

“Gladly,” I take the note, walking away from the bastard and toward the changing rooms.

When the changing room doors are closed behind me, I rest my head on them.I fucking won.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Tilly

“Here let me,” I mutter as Harley tries to push the ice away that I’m holding to his lip.

He smiles at me before gently kissing me, and I sigh. Ever since he walked out of The Cage with Em at his side, he hasn’t said he is in any pain at all when I know he must be. I waited as he came back and showered the blood off and got dressed. I offered him painkillers, but he refused to have any.

“It doesn’t hurt,” he says, and I give him a disbelieving glare. Harley’s one eye is swollen, nearly shut, and there are a range of bruises already showing all over his face. I don’t believe him for a second.

“You know how awesome you are? Allie says ‘awesome’ a lot and–” He sways a little in the seat.

“You fought five guys today, there’s no way you’re not in pain, and yes, Allie says ‘awesome’ a lot,” I tell him and give him a worried look. What if he has a concussion or something?

“It's the painkillers I crushed into his drink,” Luke says, sitting on the sofa with my baby girl in his arms, and I give him a wide-eyed look. “What? I knew the stubborn fucker wouldn’t have them.” He shrugs.

“Language,” Harley says with a dopey smile as he leans back on the sofa. I watch as he slowly falls asleep, and I move him so that he is lying down on the sofa. I pull one of the blankets over him as Izzy comes into the room.

“It was a good idea; he needs to rest,” I comment, stroking Harley's hair off his face and watching him for a second as Luke doesn’t say a word.

“Any news on Maisy?” I ask.

“Is he all right?” Izzy asks, and I nod.

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