Page 73 of Sacrifice
“I’m calling to offer you a fight...” I hold the phone away from my face and blow out a breath. I give myself five seconds to get myself together before putting it back to my ear. “. . . you’d fight on July 13th. That’s not far off, especially if you haven’t been training. I don’t want to throw you in there to be fed to the wolves—”
“What kind of money we talking?”
He laughs. “You’re interested?”
“For the right price, yeah.”
“I’ll come to Boston tomorrow. Meet me at our office on Peiffer Street tomorrow at one. Can you do that?”
“I’ll be there.”
* * *
CREW
I lookout across the field. I don’t even know how I got here. I hung up with Wetzel and just drove.
I step out of my truck and shut the door behind me. My boots sink into the lawn as I make my way across the grass. The sun is warm as it prepares to set in the west, birds chirping in the trees strategically planted around me. I’m on autopilot, drawn to my destination like a magnet.
My stomach churns, my chest hot as choices roll through my mind. I know, ultimately, I don’thavea choice. I gotta do what I gotta do to get the money. I just feel so fucking overwhelmed, like my life is flashing before my eyes. Everything is rolling, compounding, and I have no one to talk about anything with. All I have is Will, but he doesn’t know anything more than I do about anything. I need someone logical, someone levelheaded.
I need my brother.
I spot the gray headstone in front of me. I’ve only been here once since the burial. I didn’t stay long. Seeing his name carved into the cold stone, his life defined by two dates, was more than I could take. It was fucking brutal.
I notice the purple flowers Julia has put in the urns on either side of the stone. They’re weathered and fraying. They stand there and do their job and take all the abuse the world throws at them. That’s me these days. Fuck it if life wasn’t easier when I just ran away from everything.Why can’t I do that this time?
“Hey,” I say gruffly.
I glance around, but no one else is here. I kick at a rock and shake my head, feeling like a damn fool. But I can’t help it. I just need to behere.
“I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, Gage.” I laugh. A red bird chirps overhead and watches me.
I release a breath and feel my energy leave my body with it. “I’m in over my head here, brother. I really fuckin’ am. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
My voice starts to crack. The words start pouring out. “Am I doin’ the right thing? I’m trying to take care of your girls. I’ve moved them in with me. I’ve told Jules not to worry about anything but Ever. I’m doing everything I can, Gage, but I feel like none of it is enough. None of it is what you’d do. I just keep making fucking decisions and it solves nothing. Just gets me to another fucking problem.
“I’m gonna take this fight tomorrow. Between you, me, and this headstone here, I’m worried. I mean, I gotta do it. I don’t see any other way to get the money. But what if it doesn’t work? What if I manage to swing this fight and then I don’t win? Then what? We both can’t abandon them.” I groan into the air, frustration boiling over. “Damn it! There has to be another solution and I just don’t fucking know what it is!”
I place both hands on the tombstone and bow my head. “I love them, too, you know. I don’t know if that’s right, either, but I do. And if you were here, I’d stay away but you aren’t. I’m trying to do the right thing and I can’t help but love them.” I laugh. “I bet that little confession has you turning over right now, huh?” The bird chirps again and I watch it jump from branch to branch. “I don’t even know why I’m here. I guess I just wanted you to know I’m trying. As long as I live, I’ll protect them and do everything I have to in order to make sure their lives are better than ours were. But if you have any genius ideas about how to fix this shit, feel free to impart your knowledge.” I nod and take a couple of steps backwards. “I won’t let you down, Gage. I’m manning the fuck up.”
The little bird calls out and I look up. It leaps off the branch and flies across the graveyard and out of sight.
With a final glance at the stone, I head back to my truck. I know what needs to be done. I just have to work out the details.
TWENTY-NINE
CREW
“Mr. Gentry?”
My head snaps to the brunette behind the large mahogany desk. I run my hands down my jeans.
“Mr. Wetzel’s ready for you.”
She nods towards a door to her left. I stand and walk across the room and knock on it.
“Come in,” a man’s voice says from the other side. I pause just a second before opening it.
