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“Next time, you can get ready with me.”
“Cool, but that would require you to actually invite me inside,” she teases.
We share a laugh, and she links her arm through mine. “I promise you can come over one day this week for dinner.”
“Will Kyson be okay with that?”
“Who cares?” I’m done caring about him.
“Fair enough.” She beams and digs a few bills out of her pocket. “I forgot to tell you it’s cash only. My treat.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
We join the line with the others waiting to get inside and I hope I fly under Britney and her posse’s radar. The noise flowing from the warehouse makes my heart beat faster. As we get closer, I can hear the distant roar of the crowd and the echoing sound of someone announcing rules on a microphone.
“Holy moly,” I mutter under my breath as the scene unfolds around us. I’ve never seen anything like it.
The inside of the warehouse is chaotic. The high metal ceiling thunders with echoes with loud voices. People are everywhere: standing, sitting, leaning against walls, or shouting bets at each other while intense, menacing looking men prepare in their respective huddles and corners. My heart rate spikes further as I observe the makeshift ring set up in the center of the room.
“Told you it would be worth it. Hotter than watching football practice.” Lauren grins.
“How often do they do this?”
“Once a month.”
I continue to glance around the building in complete awe. This whole scene is like something out of a movie.
“That’s Hudson Beyers.” Lauren points to a beast of a guy covered in tattoos. “I heard he belongs to a motorcycle gang,” she whispers.
“Seriously?”
“Yup. Isn’t he delicious?”
“You mean dangerous?” Speaking of bad boys, immediately, I catch a glimpse of Britney and her friends along with Remy and Gauge. They all seem to be circling around someone.
My stomach drops to my feet when I see who that someone is.
Kyson.
“Um, Lo.” I tug on Lauren’s arm to get her attention.
“What?”
“Please tell me I’m imagining things because it looks like Kyson is psyching himself up to get in the ring.”
“Surprise.” She laughs awkwardly as I cringe at the size of some of the other fighters.
“He can’t do this.”
“He kind of does this all the time. He’s pretty good.”
“Does Remy and Gauge fight too?”
Lauren shakes her head. “No, they only come to watch and bet on the matches.”
A mixture of fear and disbelief swirls inside me as I watch Kyson preparing for his match. His usually cocky demeanor is replaced by a focused intensity. He wraps his hands with tape and nods at his opponent with a steely gaze.
