Fight for You

by Magan Vernon

  Dad laughed, shaking his head before he lifted his fist. I knew he was ready to hit me again but this time I caught the punch before it connected with my jaw. His arm shaking with effort, but I didn’t let it go, telling him without words who held the power now. “This is how I’m going to run this town. Whether you like it or not.” I pushed his hand down and stepped back, leaving him staring at me while I walked out of his office.

  ***

  Whenever someone died in the family everyone gathered at their house, brought tons of food and wine, and reminisced on their life. Uncle Guido’s passing was no different. At least on the outside. There was something in the air: the stillness, the knowledge that this wasn’t like Nanu or Nonna’s death. This was something that could have been prevented. He died because of a stupid mistake. Because we had to go and take revenge.

  I needed to catch my breath, get away from the stillness. So I stepped out to the back deck and saw Aunt Jo sitting on the porch swing, gazing out into the woods with a blank look on her face.

  “Hey, Aunt Jo,” I said, approaching her tentatively.

  She didn’t turn toward me until I was so close I could touch her knee. I wasn’t surprised to see that her face was hollow, her eyes bloodshot from crying. “Hey, Nicky.”

  “I’d ask how you’re doing, but I know that’s a stupid question.” I sat down next to her and rocked the swing slowly.

  “It really is. You were always the best at being honest. Better than anyone else in this family,” she said, staring back out into the woods.

  I swallowed, shaking my head. “I’m not, Aunt Jo. I’m just another messed up kid, trying to figure things out and screwing things up along the way.”

  She blew a breath of air out of her nose. “We all make mistakes. We can’t all be saints, except your Uncle Guido.”

  “Yeah, he really was...” I folded my hands on my lap, rocking the swing with my feet.

  She turned slowly toward me, the tears pricking her eyes. “You know when people hear that our marriage was arranged they always look at me like I’m crazy, like it’s some archaic thing, but they don’t know that it was the best thing that ever happened to me. To Dominic.”

  She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked down at the ground. “I was a confused kid, too. And when I wound up pregnant in high school your nanu was pretty pissed.”

  “Uncle Guido knocked you up in high school?”

  She laughed, sniffling and looking up at me as she shook her head. “No, it wasn’t Guido. It was some bastardo on the football team. He said the baby wasn’t his and broke up with me as soon as he found out.” She sniffled. “Then Nanu sent me to live with our aunt in Sicily and marry Guido. He said that he’d take care of me, and the baby. I thought it stupid at the time too and I begged him not to take me. I threatened him, was even going to get an abortion.”

  She smiled. “But it was like love at first sight with Guido. He took care of me when I needed it and he’s always loved Dom as if he were his own.”

  I raised my eyebrows. I didn’t know any of this. I always just thought Dominic’s blue eyes were some genetic trait from Uncle Guido’s family, but now it did make a little more sense and showed how great of a guy Uncle Guido really was: the guy that took care of the kid that wasn’t even his and treated him just like his other two kids.

  I swallowed hard. “Does Dominic know? Is that why he isn’t here tonight?” I’d been looking for my cousin since I got there, and trying to avoid my dad ever since our confrontation at the office, but I didn’t see either of them.

  She shook her head, biting her lip. “I haven’t seen him all day. I think he’s pretty worked up about Guido’s death right now. I don’t want him to think Guido loved him any differently because he didn’t. He loved Dominic.”

  I put my hand on Aunt Jo’s. “I know he did and still does. Uncle Guido is his father, blood related or not. He was definitely the heart of this family.”

  She put her arms out and pulled me in for a hug. “You’re so right, Nicky. Thank you.”

  I pulled her close, letting her cry into my shoulder. I’d let her cry as long as she needed to but it was only a few seconds before she pulled away, wiping the tears from under her eyes and patting my shoulders. “But I can’t keep crying on you. You have another girl you have to go take care of. Where is she?”

  I forced a smile. “I’m about to go see her now.”

  Aunt Jo sniffled, giving me a genuine smile back. “Good. Do me a favor, Nicky. Don’t let her go. If you love someone, let them know every day. There are things we can’t control in this world; love and death are the two big ones. Make sure you let those people you love know how much they mean to you every single day.”

  “I will, Aunt Jo. Thanks.”

  I squeezed her hand. “Look, I’m sorry.. About everything. I feel like you know part of this is my fault.”

  She shook her head. “This isn’t your fault, Nicky. Don’t ever think that. It comes with being part of this family. Guido knew that when he married me; hell, before he married me. This family is everything to us and it always will be. We will be strong together.”

  “We will. Our famiglia will be stronger than ever.”

  I gave her one last hug and stood up, grabbing my keys and walking around to the side of the house. My plan was to go to Jackie’s house and beg for her forgiveness, grovel and do whatever I had to do to hold her and have her in my arms again. But before I could open the door to my rental, my phone vibrated in my pocket and Dominic’s number flashed on the screen.

  “Hey, cuz, where the hell are you?”

  “Ragusa, nice little rental car you got there.” El Lobo’s voice was smooth on the other end, like a cartoon villain. He could see me and he had my cousin’s phone. I never liked it when the guy had the upper hand in the cage and now El Lobo had it outside as well.

  I clenched my hand on the phone and my breath caught in my throat. “Hello, Martinez. How can I help you?”

  “Well, it sees that I’m in the market for a new gym. I mean, killing your uncle was just for sport and your poor little kid of a cousin doesn’t make that great of a punching bag.”

  A loud, blood-curdling scream came from the background followed by a group laughing.

  I ran my hand down my face. I had to think fast. On my feet. I finally understood what Coach told me, that I wasn’t fighting against my opponent during this battle, but against myself. “Okay, Martinez. Want to show me you run this town? Take me. I’m the one you really want. Let’s forget all this bullshit game playing and have it out. You and me.”

  “You want me to give up your little cousin so you can fight me?” He laughed.

  “That’s what I said, isn’t it? Are you afraid you’re going to lose?”

  “I never lose,” he growled.

  “Good. Then bring my cousin and meet me at the warehouse district. We’ll settle this once and for all.”

  “How do I know you aren’t just going to bring your little Dago posse and have me killed?” he asked, an edge to his voice.

  “It’s fucking eight o’clock at night and my famiglia is grieving. You already know this or else you wouldn’t have called me. This is between you and me. Meet me there and let my cousin go and then it’s just us. Fighter against fighter.”

  The other end was silent for a moment and I was afraid he hung up. Finally he spoke. “Okay, Ragusa, I’ll see you where El Matador was. Be there in twenty minutes. Don’t be late or your cousin may be swimming with the fishes.”

  I hung up the phone and looked back at my aunt’s house. I could have gone inside and told my family what was going on. I could have devised a plan with them and had some sort of back-up. I could have even sent a text to my guys. But I didn’t. I knew this was my fight and my fight alone to face.

  Chapter 22

  El Lobo was already standing in the middle of the parking lot when I pulled up. I thought he wouldn’t make good on his word but Dominic was there as well. His hands and feet were
tied together behind his back and a strip of duct tape over his mouth.

  “Do you really need all the theatrics?” I said, pointing at my cousin as I got out of the car and walked over to him.

  “Better to be safe than sorry, Ragusa.” El Lobo smiled a sinister smile.

  “So you’ve got me.” I held my arms out. “Now let Dominic go.”

  “Nuh uh.” El Lobo shook his head. “We fight first.”

  I clenched and unclenched my fists, craning my neck from side to side. “I said you could fight me in exchange for releasing my cousin.”

  El Lobo laughed. “Nobody said anything about a fair fight.”

  I glared at him. I should have just brought my gun and shot him right there. But I knew he probably wasn’t alone. “Fine,” I growled.

  “If you win, he can go.”

  “That’s the deal,” I said, cracking my knuckles.

  “Too bad I never lose, Ragusa.” He jumped forward, landing a swift kick to my shoulder causing me to stumble backward.

  Dominic muffled grunt of protest only made El Lobo laugh.

  “Nice shot, Martinez.” I jumped up. “You were always one to fight dirty. You couldn’t actually win a fight if you played the game right.” I bounced around him, keeping my hands up.

  He put his foot up for another kick and this time I blocked it, grabbing his ankle and pushing him backward until his back slammed on the cement. He yelped and I bent to get him into a submission, but he rolled over, putting his arms up to block me. “Always the valiant one, Ragusa. Thinking you gotta play by the rules to succeed. But then you have your own set of rules.”

  I turned, jumping up and blocking another kick from him. “They aren’t my rules. They’re society’s rules.”

  “Not in the animal kingdom, baby. You take from me, I take from you tenfold. Circle of life.” He went in, jabbing quickly over and over, so fast I didn’t have time to block half of them. I spit the blood out of my mouth and landed a hard right hook to his jaw, feeling the crack as his head snapped to the left.

  “Mother fucker!” he yelled, grabbing onto his face and stumbling back.

  I lurched forward, but El Lobo was quicker and put his hands up for the block, pushing me backward.

  I shook my head, keeping my guard up and blocking another punch. El Lobo grinned widely and charged, knocking the wind out of me so I landed flat on my back. He sat on top of me, pinning me, and his fists connected with my jaw over and over again. My life flashed before my eyes. I thought that was it. I was going to die right there. Maybe this was the end. Maybe I was just born to die. Maybe everything in my life had led to the moment that I would die in some abandoned lot and this was what my father set me up for.

  A muffled cry knocked me out of my reverie and had El Lobo pausing his assault on my face mid-punch. Then he stood up. “What the fuck is that? Did I say you could move, little Dago fucker?”

  I stayed on the ground, afraid to move. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Dominic’s silhouette. This wasn’t about just me. It never was. This was for him. For Jackie. For my famiglia. I had to win for all of them.

  El Lobo’s back was to me, so I took my chance. My body ached, but I slowly stood up. I wrapped one arm around his neck, pushing my forearm against one side of his neck and my biceps against the other while my other arm pushed against the back of his head. Gasping for air as I locked my feet on his, his arm fell and his feet buckled underneath him.

  I dropped to the ground with him, loosening my grip, but keeping my hold. I didn’t want to kill him, but I didn’t want him to get away, either. I’d won.

  I stood up slowly and looked for Dominic. He wasn’t alone anymore. Two other guys stood on either side of him, each holding a gun.

  “What are you going to do now? Are you going to kill me? Go ahead. Fucking shoot. That’s what you want anyway, isn’t it? Just have more of our families die?” I looked at them hard. “Aren’t you tired of this shit? Of all of our friends dying? Don’t you just want it to end?”

  The two guys looked at each other and slowly lowered their guns. I let out a deep breath and dropped my hands. Who knew I’d be able to talk a gangbanger out of shooting me? Maybe there was hope for humanity after all.

  “Nah,” said one of them, raising his gun.

  I heard the crack of the gun as it went off and bent to the side, feeling the searing pain of the bullet in my chest before everything went dark.

  Epilogue

  Jackie

  Nicky Ragusa. El Principe. The Fighter. The love of my life. Now he looked like a shell of the man I knew as he lay there in the hospital bed. I hadn’t spoken to him in days, not since I left his condo crying, thinking that he was a monster. That didn’t stop my tears. He almost died at the hands of someone I went out of my way to defend.

  I hadn’t left his bedside since Dominic called me that morning. I couldn’t leave him until he opened his eyes and I knew he was going to be okay.

  It’s funny, I never thought the night we met would end up being a blessing, but the hospital regulations made people leave after visiting hours if they weren’t family and he still had me listed as his fiancée. I’d never actually thought about marriage and kids and all of that before, but for Nicky I would think about a future. If he lived through this, I would have a forever with him.

  “You gonna stay here all night, Jackie?” Dominic limped in the room. Nick’s dad had tracked his phone after he left his aunt’s house that night and when he saw where Nick was headed, he called in the cavalry. If they’d been just a little faster, Nick wouldn’t have been lying in a hospital bed. But at least they came in time to get him to the hospital and save Dominic. I didn’t even bother asking what happened to El Lobo and the guys that shot Nick. I didn’t want to know.

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  He handed me a foam cup of coffee from the vending machine. “I figured you would be.”

  “Thanks, Dom. How are you holding up?” He stood at the end of the bed, staring at his cousin.

  He shrugged. “Could be better.”

  I winced. It was a stupid question to ask. The guy’s father had been killed, then he himself was kidnapped and nearly killed, and his favorite cousin got shot all within about twenty-four hours. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” He patted the footboard. “Casualty of this lifestyle.” He sighed, staring at Nicky as if he was lost in thought. “I should get going, though. My mom’s been hounding my ass and I’ve gotta get up early to open the restaurant. Somebody’s got to keep my dad’s legacy going”

  “Thanks for the coffee,” I murmured. “I’ll keep you posted if anything changes.”

  He nodded. “Yeah. Thanks, Jackie.” Slowly he let go of the bed, not taking his eyes off Nicky until he was out the door.

  I let out a deep breath and looked down at Nicky. It was just the two of us now, aside from the nurses that came in to check on him every hour.

  “You’re pretty banged up, baby,” I whispered, tracing the scar above his left eye. The one he got from the night his car was shot in front of my house. The guy had done nothing but fight for me. I’d never had someone care for me so much. No one that wanted me, no one like Nicky. My Nicky.

  “No amount of ‘I’m sorries’ is going to fix this shit storm.” I sniffled, wiping the tears from my eyes. “It’s funny that it took me almost losing you to realize what I really had. All those things I said that I can never take back. All those horrible things. And now I just have to watch you lie here and suffer. It makes me feel like the real monster.”

  I stared at the monitor. His heart was still beating, but barely. The doctors said he was lucky the bullet didn’t hit his heart or he’d be dead right now. As soon as he was out of the hospital, I was going to invest in a bulletproof vest and make him wear it everywhere like the fucking rappers did. If he still wanted me back.

  “It’s good to see that your heart’s still ticking, because it’s going to have a lot of work cut out for it. I’m never letting it g
o, you know?”

  I held his hand, squeezing it gently. I wanted to know that he was going to wake up. His cousin was still in the next room, barely hanging on. There were talks of taking Phil off life support and I couldn’t imagine having the same discussion with Nick’s family about him. Just thinking about it made a whole new set of tears prick my eyes.

  “Listen Nick, you always tell me that you’re a fighter. I’ve watched you in the cage and I’ve watched you fight for your family and for me.” I sniffled, wiping the tears from my eyes. “I need you to wake up, Nicky. I need you to fight for me again. Please, Nicky. Fight for me.”

  A small jolt flicked against my palm and I gasped, looking down at Nicky’s hand. It couldn’t be him. Could it? “Was that you?” I looked at his face which hadn’t changed. It was still as stiff as a statue.

  “Move your hand again. Show me that you’re fighting. Show me that I’m not imagining it.” I held his hand, bringing it to my cheek, staring at his face, willing something to happen. I waited and waited, but nothing changed.

  Maybe I was imagining it. Maybe I was crazy. I sighed, and as a fresh set of tears dripped from my eyes onto his fingers I saw it. Even with my blurry eyes it was there. His thumb was moving.

  “Nicky!” I stared at his hand and put it on my cheek and then put my hand on his face, looking at him. “You’re awake. Can you hear me? Nicky?”

  The EKG began ticking faster. Then slowly Nicky’s eyelids fluttered until he opened them, staring right at me.

  He licked his lips. “Mornin’ Jackie.”

  “You’re alive!”

  “Of course I am, Jackie.” His voice was rough, scratchy. “I told you I’d fight for you.”

  I climbed onto the bed next to him and held him as close as I dared. I knew the doctors would be in as soon as they figured out he was awake, but I just wanted to enjoy my moment with him. My fighter.

  The tears fell freely from my cheeks. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “I’ve missed you too, Jackie.”