Page 1 of Saddled in Secrets
Seven years ago…
The crowd roars when my opponent crumples onto the stained concrete. Their rowdy applause is meant to congratulate me, but the noise just spears at my temples like a drill. I don’t feel victorious. Everything hurts, especially my pride. It’s been three years since I left my father’s crew and this is all I have to show for it.
That weighs me down more than the heavy ache in my muscles. I stumble to my corner of the makeshift ring and collapse onto the folding chair. It barely holds me upright. The metal legs wobble under the force of my desolate reality. I’m not sure how much longer I can do this. But what choice do I have?
A glance around the dingy basement proves just how far my ambition has taken me. I fought to escape a life of crime… only to fight for food and a roof over my head. Maybe this is where I belong—in a windowless room that smells like piss and sweat.
“Great job, kid.” A meaty palm claps my bare shoulder.
I’m off the chair and rounding on him in the next breath, all signs of exhaustion forgotten. The man’s low chuckle mocks me over the dying cheers of my win. I clench my bruised knuckles and he lifts his hands in surrender. Once the red haze clears from my vision, recognition takes hold. Even a gutter rat like me knows Jimmy Benson.
His family—mostly his older brother—practically owns the entire town of Cloverleaf Meadows. They’re millionaires, local celebrities, and legitimate. The cash they rake in through their multiple businesses is squeaky clean. My father’s wildest dreams couldn’t reach their level, no matter how many laws he broke to get there.
But this Benson in front of me isn’t strait-laced like the rest of them. Dad used to brag about Jimmy sniffing around his games every now and then. I can only imagine what this rich asshole wants with me.
“You just made me a lot of money.” He rocks back and forth on the soles of his expensive cowboy boots. “And I think there’s potential to make a lot more.”
Ah, there it is. I narrow my eyes, silently telling him to fuck off. There’s not a damn thing he could say that would interest me.
Jimmy bobs his head and raises his palms again. “Okay, I get it. Just something to think about.”
And then he’s blending into the crowd like a poisonous snake. My upper lip curls, the fire in my gut rekindling. Fucking criminals. They’re all the same.
I’m about to reclaim my seat when another man approaches. His stride is poised and relaxed, labeling him as not a threat. This Benson deserves my attention, unlike his uncle.
My chin lifts in greeting. “What’re you doing here?”
An underground fighting match doesn’t seem like Brody’s scene. We’re from complete opposite sides of the tracks, but that hasn’t kept us from crossing paths. He’s older than me, but not by much. Rumor has it that he’s about to take on more responsibilities at Benson Farmstead. Must be rough having unlimited wealth and power at the age of twenty-five.
“I could ask you the same question,” Brody drawls.
Which is odd until I recall how I started our conversation. “Something I can do for you?”
“Well, that depends.”
My sigh is losing interest with this exchange. “On what?”
“Whenever I’ve followed my uncle to these matches, you’re in the ring.”
“And?”
“You’re damn good. Drop ‘em like flies.”
A prickling sensation spreads along my nape and I step back. “I don’t need you to stroke my ego… or anything else.”
His glare warns me to watch what I’m implying. “You’re not my type.”
“Hey, man. No offense.”
“None taken and for the record, I couldn’t care less about what direction your dick swings.”
“Uh, right. My bad.”
“Do you like doing this, Colton?” He motions from the bookies dolling out filthy cash to the blood stains on the floor.
I shrug. “It pays the bills.”
“How about I offer you an alternative?”
