Page 87 of Givin' Me Fitz!
Sawyer stood and nodded as he pointed at Jim. I wasn’t sure what unsaid agreement they’d made, but Sawyer sat down, taking my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.
The bell sounded for the third round. The two men tapped gloves again. The place went wild. TJ was circling Jaqeli, who was in the middle of the ring, jabbing and swiping, finally landing a strike at TJ, who couldn’t feint fast enough. Jaqeli landed a right cross that seemed to daze TJ for an instant.
Suddenly, TJ came around with an ax kick to Jaqeli’s temple, slamming the guy into the vinyl-coated fencing surrounding the mat. The ref stepped between them and said something to Jaqeli, who nodded. The ref made a motion for the two of them to re-engage, and when they met in the middle, Jaqeli took TJ down to the mat in an instant.
Sawyer squeezed my hand to the point I was sure he’d break it, and as TJ was caught in a choke hold, I wondered if Jaqeli was that much better than him, or if TJ had agreed to take the dive.
The club members sitting behind us stood and began yelling. A moment later, Jim stood, pounding his cane on the concrete floor and yelling, “TJ, it’s okay. I love you. Stay down.”
The ref began counting, but before he got to three, TJ was out of the hold and on his feet, landing punches on Jaqeli’s face and torso faster than my eyes could keep up with. He backed Jaqeli into the fencing and threw the guy on the mat before climbing on top of him and turning the man’s face into a bloody mess.
The ref tugged at TJ, who seemed to be entranced as he continued to swing, even though the guy was out cold. Finally, the ref got TJ on his feet and away from Jaqeli so the man’s people could get to him. TJ lifted his arm in the air in victory and blew a kiss to the crowd as the clapping, yelling, and whistling continued. It was an upset, and based on the booing I heard, a lot of people lost money.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sawyer slip on some rubber gloves and take something from Jim as the crowd continued to cheer. As I glanced toward the Scorpion contingent, I wasn’t surprised to see scowling faces all around.
Sparky touched my shoulder. “Ready?”
I nodded and pulled my badge from my pocket, draping the chain over my neck. I followed him, and when Sawyer stepped out after whispering something to Jim, I stopped him.
“Where are you going? The last thing you need to do is be over there when Sparky arrests your father. Stay here, please.”
Sawyer chuckled and kissed my lips before he and the rest of the Cowboys walked around the ring just as the Scorpions stood and headed in the Cowboys’ direction. That was when I noticed Keller had kept his seat.
Sparky grabbed my arm as the two clubs clashed and civilians scrambled to get out of the way. It was total mayhem, and by the time we arrived at the section where the Scorpions had been sitting, Keller stood.
“Keller Abbott, you’re under arrest for contempt of court.” Sparky held out the warrant.
“No argument here. Take me away and tell Ruthie I said thanks.” Keller held out his arms and Sparky reached behind his back to grab some zip cuffs from his pocket.
Sparky glanced at Keller and looked about ready to say something when the police I’d seen loitering in the casino earlier came into the theater. Whistles were blowing and people were running. It was completely out of control.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
I was convinced they were gunshots, and when people screamed and dropped to the floor, I knew the shit was hitting the fan. The metal chairs that were used for seating during the fight were flying through the air, and the fight in the ring that had just ended was tame compared to some of the shit taking place outside it.
Flashes and ear-ringing pops filled the room as flash bangs and tear gas were deployed in the theater. Monty pushed the three of us through the doors at the back of the theater at record speed where we all gulped the fresh air.
Once we were in the alley behind the casino with a bunch of people who had the same idea, Sparky and I took each of Keller’s arms to lead him to the street.
“Where’s the car?” I asked.
Before anyone could answer, a sector car pulled up and stopped. “Gentlemen, where do you think you’re going, and why’s he cuffed?”
What a fucking disaster.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Sawyer
“You motherfucker. You think you’ve won? You turned my father against the club he grew up with. Where I grew up.” The world was exploding around us, but I had Ricky Marlow right where I wanted him—blocked into a corner.
The fight between the clubs had the whole place in pandemonium. It was exactly what I needed to take care of a piece of shit who seemed to take pleasure in ripping my club apart.
I pulled the gun from my jacket pocket and grabbed Ricky Marlow by the shirt, pulling him into my body as I pulled the trigger. One in the gut, and two in the chest. I dropped him and the gun on the ground and pulled off the gloves, swallowing them and chasing it with a beer I found in a cupholder as I slowly walked out of the theater. They didn’t go down easy, but they went down.
A cop in a SWAT uniform stepped in front of me. “You look like you took a few hits. You’re going to jail with the rest of them until we figure this thing out. Don’t make it hard on yourself.” He held out a pair of zip cuffs that I’d seen Fitz put into his pockets in the mornings when he got ready for work and we were together.
There was no reason to fight the arrest. Being in jail was probably the safest place for me.
