Chapter 2 - Meeting some old friends.

Chapter 2 – Fight Club

Rowan Priest

POV

Sitting in another box watching the action down below. The audience is a lot louder here than the last place.

My phone rings bringing me out of my thoughts, checking my phone I see a call from Andre.

I sigh answering.

“Slade I just got onto the plane with Miss Gracie. Do you want me to return to you or fly out to New York with her?” he asks.

I think it through. “Return with her. I’ll call Gunner if there’s any trouble.” I tell him.

I watch a fight between a scrawny looking guy and a man that looks like he pops steroids every few seconds. We all know who will win so I don’t find the fight that interesting.

“I got a call from Missy; Field’s is out on bail. Everything is going according to plan.” He tells me.

“Good.” I say before hanging up.

I wrap a thick grey scarf around my neck, it covers half my face and I put in my blue contact lenses. I make my way out of the room and down to the main floor. Taking a front row seat, I watch the fight.

I haven’t been to a fight club since I was fifteen. I wanted a quick buck without asking my father for money. Anyone who knew my father knew the bastard would never give us a cent without reason. I didn’t do my chores or failed a test? He’d take my entire allowance and spend it something for himself. He’d have to watch him spend the money that was supposed to rest in my pockets. I’ve been close to killing my father several times. Do I love my father? More than everything. But does he make me want to kill him daily? Absolutely.

I’m not known for my patience. And he’d been testing my patience since I was five.

I watch the audience clamouring as the fight in the ring come to an end and the victor is the big guy called Big Tom... Of course, it is. We all knew he would be the winner.

The scrawny kid dead on the mat.

People come to remove him from the cage and carries him off. While his taken off these people couldn’t care whether he was dead or alive. The announcer announces the next fight and people move on.

My attention is taken by Missy beside me. I didn’t even notice her take a seat beside me...

“What are you doing here?” I ask, giving her side eye, how did she even know I was here?

“Babysitting your grown ass. Your pup called he was worried something might happen to his master.” She shakes her head.

I sigh. Of all the people in Chicago Andre had to call the most annoying one of them all.

Cecelia Crosby goes by Missy, she’s a sneaky one, a sharp mouth that makes you want to blow her brains out half the time though she’s great at tracking and anything that required stealth she’s a tiny little human with a great piece of meat between her ears.

“How about you tell me where Field’s is now?” I ask.

“You’ll know in a few.” She tells me.

I nod watching the rest of the fight. I’m only here because my father wants a diamond that’s on auction later tonight.

People start to make bets on the next fight, I watch two scrawny looking little boys enter the cage. They look scared shitless. The Romano family planned this event, they run the Chicago area. My father and Russell Romano go way back, they’re actually friends and meet once a year on vacation kind of friends.

Gunner walks in and takes the seat beside me. Gunner always known as Emit Roswell. He sits beside me. Many of the fighters fighting tonight were slaves or guards who messed up one way or another.

“I heard the Hudson brothers are here, just a heads up.” Gunner warns.

I sigh. Dominic and Alexander Hudson. We grew up together trained together, went to school together. Alex runs LA and his little brother helps him.

“Did you speak to Alex?” I ask.

He shakes his head. Alex sits on my left the seat Missy’s vacated, I didn’t even know she got up. “Priest.” Alex greets.

I nod. “Hudson.”

He is one of the only people who know my real identity in the underworld. It’s that way for a reason. I liked my privacy and walking around with a big X on my chest is not something I find fun.

I sigh when the whistle goes off and both boys are dead.

“Isn’t that Missy?” Gunner asks me.

I sigh deeply when I see the little bunny down there with a guy triple her size.

“I’m not her babysitter…” I tell him.

“One of yours?” Alex asks.

I nod.

Alex watches closely. He sees what I see, she’s going full out and the guy can barely get a hit in.

“Did she train with you?” he asks.

 I shake my head. “No that’s all on her. I think she was in the military before. I’m not sure.” My father hired her to be Damian’s right hand but they two of them can’t be in the same room without someone trying to kill the other, so she’s been working in Chicago for the last year and a half.

He smiles and shakes his head. “She’s good, I give this match another five minutes before she K. O’s him...” He tells me.

It took less than five minutes for her to have him on the floor. I didn’t expect her to have him on his stomach while she sits on his shoulder pulling his arm back. She had the big guy in an armbar. Damn that looks like it could hurt… A lot.

He’s screaming in pain. When he goes tap, she let’s go of him. She scales the cage, while he struggles to get to his feet clutching his arm. She jumps from the top of the cage feet first landing on top of him, her heels into his junk...

Jesus.

I watch the guy pass out from the pain.

I look over at Alex “So how’s the wife?” I ask.

He smiles. “She’s good. When you’re in LA again you should visit. Her and the kids would love to see you.” He suggests.

I laughed silently. But I cringe internally. I don’t do well with kids. It’s not that I don’t want any, it’s that they’re messy, loud and a lot of work.

Alex and Gabby got married three years ago and already have three children.

“I don’t know when I’ll be back there, but I’ll let you know for sure.” I assure him.

He gives me a look before looking at the cage, the next fight is already on the way. “So, any news in your love life? I heard you’re dating that chick, Hannah.” He asks.

I glare at him. “We’re not dating, we’re fucking…” I tell him.

“Is there a difference?” he asks.

“Bro there’s a fucking difference. He’s just getting his dick wet without the strings attached.” His brother says.

I nod and point at Dominic. We’re not as close as Alex and I are. We went to the same schools sure, but we just never got closer than greeting each other and going about our days.

“If Stef heard you saying this shit right now, she’d have you sleeping in the doghouse…” Alex looks at his brother.

“You think I’d ever say that in front of my wife? Stef would have my balls. Though she’s a sweetheart who doesn’t believe in violence...” Dominic sighs happily...

My eyes find Missy’s next opponent. Another big beefy guy. She’d have him by the balls in seconds.

True to word, I see the man thrown across the cage.

The woman’s a freaking rabbit, where does she hide her muscles?

“Fields is in my cottage at the edge of town. He’s looking for a way out of the US.” Gunner tells me.

I eye him. “You tell me now only?” this fucker is seconds from me putting a bullet between his eyes.

“He’ll be there the entire week. You’ve got time to get the plan in order. And your father wants you to stay until the end of this shindig to get his diamond or he’ll have my fucking balls and my children’s balls. That’s what he said dude. I like my balls right where it is.” He says clutching his junk…

I roll my eyes. Why is everyone I work with so fucking hyper.

Alex shakes his head. “Why not settle down? This life is so fucking tough sometimes, having someone who is waiting for you at home brings meaning to all of this senseless shit...” he looks over at me.

I clench my fists I look at the cage, there are two guys in there now, I grit my teeth. “I had that, and you saw how that worked out...” I remind him.

He shakes his head. “Rowan, that was a long time ago and you know better now. You would never let that happen again. Plus, the life you’re leading now. You think she’s going to approve of it?” he asks.

I grit my teeth, I look ahead. I don’t want to answer him, but we both know the answer. She wouldn’t. What the fuck is wrong with everyone why won’t they get off my back.

I think about the girl I just bought at auction…

“There might be someone…” I tell Alex to get him off my back.