Page 84 of Spike

“Nervous yet?”Ropes asked.

“Just get me tothe dressing room so I can puke and warm up,” I replied.

We snaked our waythrough the crowd until we found a corridor which led to my dressing room.Although it didn’t have my name on it, I assumed it was mine, because the words‘Dead Meat’ were printed on the name plate. Inside the room, our accommodationswere equally as dreary and welcoming.

“Good,” Clutchsaid, dropping his duffel bag on the dusty floor. “They want a fight. Let’sgive ’em one.”

Minus and Ropeshelped Clutch set up a prep area and he was about to start taping me up whenEdison and his two bodyguards came into the room.

“Spike, I’m soglad you decided to show up,” Edison said, cheerily.

“Didn’t sound tome like I had much in the way of options,” I replied.

“Sure, you did. Infact, I’d say ninety-nine out of a hundred men in your position would haveopted to pay the business license fee.”

“I don’t buy myway out of fights.”

“I don’t thinkwe’ve had the pleasure,” Minus said, stepping in.

“No, I don’t believewe have. Although I did business with your predecessor a handful of times. Ofcourse, that’s before the Burning Saints became real life Saints,” Edison saidwith a greasy smile that made me want to punchhimin the face.

“Don’t let thegood press fool ya,” Minus said.

“Your boy said theexact same thing to me.” Edison crossed his arms. “Interesting. I suppose we’llsee just how much bite your little doggie has in him tonight.”

“We doin’ a weighin?” Clutch asked. “I’d like to see who we’re gonna fight tonight before theopening bell.

“No need to checkweight,” Edison said. “Your fighter is the same size as the man who wasoriginally scheduled to challenge the champion.”

“And that man is?”Clutch asked.

“I believe you methim the other night,” Edison said to me, before pointing to the man on hisleft. “Kevin Arlovski is your opponent in tonight’s fight.”

“The truck nuts heis,” Clutch growled.

“What’s theproblem?” Edison asked.

“He’s a fuckingorilla, that’s the fucking problem,” Clutch said.

“You told me thiswas a middleweight fight,” I said.

“No. I told you Ineeded a middleweight fighter. After Kevin’s original opponent dropped out, Iwas forced to find a suitable replacement. Lucky for you, you fit the bill.”

“Lucky for me?You’re out of your fucking mind. He’s five inches taller and seventy-fivepounds heavier.”

“It’s not my faultyour mama only packed you one lunch a day,” Kevin said.

“See, the two ofyou are fighting already. How perfect,” Edison said.

“The fight’s off,”Minus said.

“If Spike goes backon our agreement, his debt to me will double, and the time limit in which topay me will be cut in half.”

“He doesn’t oweyou shit,” Minus said.

I scowled. “I canhandle myself—”

“You stay quiet,”Minus hissed, before turning back to Edison. “I should have never agreed to lethim do this in the first place. This whole thing’s bullshit.”

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