Game

by London Casey

  Well, that wasn’t true.

  I guess… well… I wasn’t in the fight of my life… but I was fighting for my life.

  ~

  The Fist, as he was called, was a couple inches shorter than me. But his left hand was huge. I didn’t know if it was some kind of birth defect or something, but his left hand was three times the size of his right. It was like he had a boulder for a fist and he wasn’t afraid to throw it around. He had a train tattooed on his left breast and a missile on his right side, from the top of his shorts up to his armpit. Very weird ink for sure.

  The first time he hit me, I saw stars. I went back and felt like I was going to fall forever into oblivion. I opened my arms wide and caught my balance. I left myself exposed and let The Fist come running at me. He wound up with that big hand of his and I was ready for him.

  I slipped to the side and let him charge by me. His natural reaction then was to look back. That’s when I made my attack. I came down with a hard right fist, right to his jaw. It spun his head around, turning his body. Two punches to his ribs sent him stumbling even more. I then kicked him square in the ass and sent him into the crowd of people. There was a mix of languages being shouted, all of them sounding angry.

  The Fist was quickly tossed back into the fight. He looked like he had a golfball attached to his jaw. Damn, I really did have a nice right.

  I put my hands up and nodded.

  The Fist spun around and threw his fist like it was a shot put. I ducked, but he kept going. Around and around, swinging his large hand at me. He screamed as he did so. The son of a bitch walked me backwards, over and over. My eyes were intent on his fist, knowing that it could be the death of me.

  I stayed with him knowing he’d either get dizzy and tired or I’d get a small opening and knock him the fuck out. The second I would knock him out I’d go right for the door.

  What about Shayna?

  That was the last thing I needed. A prize? Some baggage? A pain in the ass woman? No. I didn’t need that. Nobody needed that.

  I went back to the edge of the crowd.

  I had to make my move since The Fist wasn’t losing steam just yet.

  I waited for my opening and when I saw it, I curled up a tight fist. I figured if I hit him hard enough in the stomach, it would steal his breath and stop him.

  As I started to come forward, an arm hooked into me.

  “What the…”

  Another arm hooked to my other arm.

  “Bye bye, motherfucker,” a voice whispered.

  The Fist was right there, spinning, that boulder of a hand coming at me… faster by the second… closer by the second…

  I turned my head and braced myself.

  Part of me actually hoped he would just kill me.

  6.

  (Shayna)

  Zander started to laugh the second his guys grabbed Finn. It was a deep laugh that turned into a cough. He’d cough and laugh so hard his face would burn cherry red and his eyes would water.

  I gripped the railing and watched as The Fist swung and connected with Finn. The sound thudded over all the voices cheering and screaming. Finn’s head looked like it was going to snap from his spine. He was probably better off that way. Zander would find out all he could and then kill Finn. Even if Finn didn’t say a word, Zander would still kill him.

  The two guys let Finn go and he collapsed to the ground.

  Zander quickly started to clap and cheer.

  The Fist turned and lifted his arms. His freak hand was disgusting to look at. The truth was that he had been in some accident that caused his hand to look different. His hand was all bone which made his fist really hard. Zander injected stuff into The Fist’s hand to make it swell up even more. For effect. To look really ugly. To scare people. And since this fight didn’t have any money being bet on it, The Fist was used like an attraction. So everyone would leave and talk about it. Then the next time Zander hosted a fight, the crowd would be bigger and he’d make more money.

  A part of me almost felt bad for Finn, for stepping into all this. I had no idea where he came from or what kind of fights he was used to having, but this was a different world. A dark, underground world of violence, drugs, money, prostitutes, sex… you name it and Zander was in it.

  Before Zander could rise to his feet and call the fight over, something unbelievable happened.

  Finn started to move.

  He pushed to his hands and knees and then rose up. Like nothing had happened.

  “What the Christ?” Zander asked.

  I didn’t mean to smile, but it was cool to watch. Then again, Finn should have just stayed down. Or gotten up and ran the hell away. Try to save his ass.

  But he was honorable.

  He stood and put his fists up.

  He wanted to keep fighting.

  So The Fist turned and was ready to do it again. And just like before, two of Zander’s guys grabbed Finn.

  “Why?” I asked, not realizing I had said it out loud.

  “Because the world is cruel,” Zander said. “Lovely Shayna, you know that. You’ve seen it. He doesn’t belong here. He’s the outcast. And he’s going to suffer for it.”

  The Fist went after Finn again. I watched with horror.

  What was this guy trying to prove?

  I was quick to find out.

  As The Fist swung, Finn was ready. At the last second, he turned and threw the guy on his right into the firing lane. The Fist hit Zander’s guy and sent him off his feet. He flipped in the air and landed on his neck. His body instantly began to shake as he either had a broken neck or was slowly dying.

  Finn then swung the guy on his left. He brought him into view and punched him in the face, sending him down. Finn set his sights on The Fist then, taking everyone off guard. Nobody expected it. Especially Zander.

  Finn landed punch after punch to The Fist. He dodged every attempted punch and landed two of his own. When he brought The Fist to his knees, Finn didn’t let up. The lefts and rights were perfect with precision. This guy wasn’t some punk street fighter. He wasn’t some asshole who had a few beers and wanted a bar fight. He was professional. He was good. He was… beautiful.

  With one last punch, Finn sent The Fist down and out. He then spun and pointed right to Zander. Or maybe he was pointing to me.

  “Okay,” Zander said. “Now kill him.”

  With that command, something inside me snapped. Next thing I knew, I was running away from Zander. Running to the steps. Charging down the steps. There were two guys blocking the bottom of the steps. They smiled, knowing they weren’t going to let me through. I was half their size and I had no skill in fighting. But I did have something that could take their mind off their jobs for a second.

  I grabbed the bottom of my shirt and lifted.

  I flashed the guys and then ran into them, bumping them out of the way like they were feathers. My cheeks burned red as I hated myself for doing that.

  I worked through the crowd and ran right into the middle of the circle. The crowd yelled, cheered, cursed at Finn, cheered for Finn.

  None of that mattered.

  Zander was going to kill him if he didn’t get the hell out of there.

  “Oh, look,” he said, wiping blood from his mouth, “it’s my fucking prize.”

  I hooked my arm to his. “Run!”

  We moved and Zander’s guys started to come through the crowd after us.

  I tried to break away from Finn but he pulled at me.

  He wanted me to go with him.

  ~

  “Do you have a gun?” Finn asked.

  We were on the side of the building. I pointed to myself. “Where do you think I’d hide it?” I asked.

  “I can name a few places, sweetie.”

  “You’re a pig.”

  “You’re my prize.”

  “They’re going to kill you. No matter what.”

  “Watch me,” Finn said.

  He crept forward. I lingered behind him.

  Tw
o men came running out the backdoor. Finn wasted no time in running up behind the guy and punching him in the back of the head. He then grabbed the guy’s arm, twisted it, and stole his gun. He shot the guy in the leg and the guy collapsed. When the other guy turned, Finn shot him in the shoulder, sending him stumbling back and down.

  He was insane…

  “I have a truck,” Finn said. “Straight back there.” He pointed. “Keys are in my pocket. That’s my way out. What about you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re not coming with me, sweetie.”

  “I put my ass on the line for you, Finn.”

  “You don’t know me, Shayna,” he said. “You don’t want to know me.”

  A bullet zinged off the ground, sending pebbles of pavement at us.

  Finn jumped back and wrapped an arm around me. He pulled me close to him and we started to run, our bodies touching. My breasts pressed against his side. His arm was so tight around me. The steel touch of his muscles pounded against me against the random gunfire.

  As we approached Finn’s truck, a man stood there.

  Vale.

  That made Finn put the brakes on.

  Finn turned, stepped back, and then put me in front of him. He then put the gun to my head.

  “I’ll shoot,” he said.

  “What the hell?” I yelled.

  “Whoa, whoa,” Vale said. “Just go back in and talk to Zander. Let Shayna go and let’s settle it like men.”

  “No,” Finn said. “I’m out of here. Get the fuck away from my ride.”

  “No,” Vale said. “You hit me with a chair, buddy.”

  “You squeezed my head,” Finn said.

  “Both of you shut up,” I said. I glanced to my right and a guy was running toward us. “Finn… to the right…”

  Finn moved fast. He pointed the gun, shot, and then put it right back at me.

  “Christ,” Vale said. “Who the hell are you?”

  “Tell your boss not to fuck with me,” he said. “I’ll return my prize when I’m done with her.”

  “That can’t happen,” Vale said. He pushed from the truck.

  This wasn’t going to end good. Finn started to turn and backed up to the car. My back was pressed hard to his front. His defined chest against my upper back. Everything was hard that touched me. The guy had a gun to my head and I was… what… getting hot for him?

  “Shayna,” Vale said. “I can help you with this. With Zander. He won’t get mad.”

  I inched forward, breaking away from Finn. He let me go. He let me step at Vale. My heart raced.

  Vale always had a thing for me. He kept himself under control because Zander always had first grabs. Lucky for me he never tried anything. Which meant Vale never did.

  I reached out and put my hand to Vale’s gun and lowered it. “Don’t. I’ve always wanted you… Vale…”

  I bit my lip.

  He smiled. “Yeah?”

  There were more guys starting to come out of the building.

  I stepped back and lifted my shirt again.

  I felt gross and slutty.

  Vale’s eyes went miles wide and he dropped the gun.

  Behind me the truck started with a growling rumble and Finn had his escape. I quickly crouched, grabbed Vale’s gun, and turned. I jumped and grabbed the side of the truck and dove into the bed. I was on my stomach and I pushed up to my hands and knees. I tapped the gun against the window as Finn looked back at me.

  I had just sealed my fate.

  Vale snapped back to reality and jumped toward the truck. Finn backed up and hit him with the back corner of the truck, sending him to the ground. I felt a thud and my stomach flipped. I didn’t want to look and see if Vale had been crushed and killed.

  Finn sped away with me in the bed of the truck, a gun in my hand, trying to hold onto anything for dear life.

  Now what do I do?

  7.

  (Finn)

  She managed to tag along.

  Fuck.

  My hands gripped the wheel as I sped along the back roads. I knew every road - legal and illegal - in the state. So unless that fat fuck had helicopters coming after me, I could make an escape. Not to mention I had a little cabin secluded deep in the woods nobody knew was there.

  When I felt secure enough, I hit the brakes and stopped the truck.

  I threw open the driver’s door and got out.

  A second later, Shayna popped up, a gun in her hand.

  The gun shook in her hand. I could have disarmed her in a second. Maybe I should have. But I stood there, the truck running, watching as she stood up in the bed of the truck. She looked down at me, bringing her other hand to the gun. Goddamn, if her tits didn’t press together in her tight top, making them spill from the top even more. Her dark hair fell in her face.

  Stunning.

  That’s what she was. Deadly and stunning.

  She threatened me in a way that was never supposed to happen.

  “Get in the truck and drive,” she said.

  “Do you want to get in the truck with me? It can’t be comfortable back there.”

  Shayna looked around. “Where are we?”

  “In the woods,” I said.

  Shayna lifted the gun and pulled the trigger.

  “Are you fucking insane?” I yelled. I jumped up on the tire of the truck and looked up at her. “You’ll fucking tell them right where we are.”

  “Shit, right. Sorry.”

  I jumped back to the ground. “We’re a little bit of a drive from a cabin I own. Okay? I’m crashing there tonight and then I have to face my boss in the morning. I’m in deep shit, sweetie.”

  “And I’m not?”

  “I really don’t care what you’re in.”

  Shayna frowned. She walked to the edge of the bed and stepped up on it. She pointed the gun at me. “Drive me to your cabin then. I’ll stay there too.”

  “Yeah, sure, why not?”

  She started to try and get down from the truck. It was kind of fun to watch her struggle, but she did it while holding a loaded firearm. Not a smart combo. I put my hand out and offered it to her.

  “Come on,” I said. “Before you shoot yourself.”

  Shayna jumped down. Her feet hit and her tits did a little bounce. I looked away and took a breath.

  Don’t do this, Finn. This is far beyond anything with her already. She can crash the night and then she’s gone tomorrow.

  I let her go and climbed back into the driver’s seat of the truck. I watched Shayna walk around the front of the truck to the passenger side. She got in and shut the door. Then she turned and pointed the gun at me again.

  “Drive.”

  I grinned. “What do you think I’m going to do?”

  “I’ll shoot you.”

  I looked at Shayna. I nodded. “Okay. Okay.”

  I put the truck in drive and crept forward into the woods.

  There had been a lot of weird things that happened with women in my life, but never like this. A beautiful woman with a gun to my head. And my dick was half hard and my mind trying to convince me not to sleep with Shayna.

  It made me wonder what her story was. What was she doing tonight? Why did she pick tonight to bail on that Zander guy? Why the fuck did she have to look at me and start this madness? Why the…

  A set of high beams flashed behind me.

  And they started to speed up, fast.

  We were caught.

  ~

  I parked the truck and thought about taking the gun from Shayna. But I let her have it because she would need to defend herself. I could use my fists and strength.

  “Do not leave this truck,” I said. “If shit goes bad, drive.”

  “Where?”

  “Away,” I said and jumped out.

  I moved forward, the lights blaring at me. I tried to block them and saw a figure get out of the SUV behind me. I hurried forward and wanted to offer my own attack before any words were spoken. I kept my left arm u
p to protect myself and swung with my right fist. I hit the guy in the mouth and he went down. I then moved beyond the lights and blinked fast, letting my eyes adjust.

  I dropped to one knee and brought my fist back.

  “Yo! Finn!”

  My fist stopped. “Cormac?”

  “Jesus Christ,” he said and touched his mouth. “What the fuck…”

  “Holy shit, brother.” I stood up and pulled him to his feet. “Holy shit. I’m sorry, man.”

  “It’s good,” Cormac said. “Steel jaw here. I’m good. I was trying to find you.”

  “You found me. You could have called me or something.”

  “Sorry,” Cormac said. “I was taking your lead on things.”

  “Anyone tail you?”

  “No. You’re in the clear. But you’re in deep shit.”

  “I know,” I said. “Real deep shit.” My mouth opened to say something about Shayna but I held off. Why? “I’m heading to my cabin for the night. Then I have to contact Fiore and face him.”

  “Dude, those guys were bad back there. They’re connected.”

  “Not Italian.”

  “I know. You want company?”

  “At the cabin? No. I’m good. You head home. Stay clear of this, Cormac.”

  “Hey, I’m sorry I told you about tonight. I shouldn’t have. Just that my buddy, Davey, he said it’s wild, you know? That the women are unbelievable and that it never gets busted. I just thought…”

  “No worries,” I said. “You didn’t twist my arm. I’m always up for trouble.”

  “Your version of trouble and mine are different.”

  “I think we’ve been that way our entire lives, man.”

  “Truth, bro.”

  “Just get out of here,” I said. “If they come after me and you get hurt…”

  That was enough to say.

  I put my hand out and Cormac took it. I pulled him in and we hugged. Fists to each other’s backs and we held there for three seconds. One for me, one for him, and one for who we lost. That was our thing.

  We broke apart and Cormac got into his car and backed away. He turned and snuck his way disappearing into the woods. We both had the woods memorized by heart. Normally I would have had Cormac come with me to the cabin. I could use the extra muscle. But I already had company with me, didn’t I?