by Laila Cole
“You need to get up. It’s eight in the morning. Don’t you have a study group at nine?”
“You’re right!” I said in a panic. I jumped off the couch and grabbed my purse. I was supposed to meet my friend Jaclyn at the OSU campus in Bend to study for our biology final the coming Friday. I collected my things and headed toward the front door in a hurry. Just as I’d placed my hand on the door handle he addressed me. “Hey, thanks for last night. I really think that bath helped. I may look like shit but I feel a lot better.”
He wasn’t kidding; his body was black and blue. “You’re welcome. Now please, please, please stay out of trouble!”
I left his house not thinking about his bruised and broken body, or who did it to him. Instead I was thinking about my dream, realizing that Pandora’s box had been opened, and flooding out of it were difficult thoughts and emotions I never knew existed. I could no longer deny what I’d always known, way deep down in the depths of my mind. I had a big-time crush on my stepbrother.
Chapter 3
Bend, Oregon – Sunday, May 17th, 2009
I made it to the library at 9:00 AM where I saw Jaclyn waiting in a study room with a smile on her face from ear to ear. Her blonde hair was tied into a ponytail, her eyes sharp in a pair of black-rimmed glasses. I walked quietly to the study room and shut the door so we could talk. “You made it! How was sitting?” she said.
“It was… interesting. How about your night? What did you end up doing? Sorry I couldn’t go out.”
She giggled. “I went to a party and then I ended up in Powell Butte.”
Powell Butte was a small town about ten to fifteen minutes east of Redmond, and filled with farms, and well, not much else. “Powell Butte? What in the hell were you doing out there?”
Jaclyn closed her biology textbook, letting it slam shut with a thud. “Do you promise not to tell anyone what I’m about to tell you?”
“Umm, I promise. Spill it.” Jaclyn was always filled with juicy, sexy secrets and deep down I envied her free spirited lifestyle and attitude.
She let out a mischievous smile. “I fucked the hottest guy I’ve ever met last night. My body still trembles when I think about it.”
My eyes opened wide with surprise. “Oh my! How naughty of you!” I said sarcastically. Jaclyn had fucked just about everyone on campus, so to hear of another notch in her bedpost, and she did have notches, didn’t surprise me.
“Beth, you just don’t understand. You should have seen this guy. Chiseled abs, pecs like Adonis and a dick as big as I’ve ever seen. Next time I go to the fights you just have to come!”
“The fights? What on earth are you talking about?”
“Alright. Up at Powell Butte, every Friday and Saturday night there are no holds barred, bare knuckle fist fights in a an empty barn, on a deserted farm. It is seriously intense. The fighters are just to die for. That’s where I met Jason, he’s got friends too and I can easily hook you up!”
I wasn’t a big partier and grew nervous as she spoke so enthusiastically. Something like that sounded dangerous. “Maybe. I’m not much for violence or parties, you know that.”
“You know what, I wasn’t into the violence either, but it’s more like entertainment than anything else. And plus, they want to fight. It’s a sport. You should see how proud they are when they win.”
“Hmm,” I said. “I’ll think about it. It does sound interesting.”
She nudged my arm. “Come on Bethany, it’s time to come out of your shell and explore what life has to offer. And this Friday night, it’s a bare fisted fight between two chiseled studs.”
I giggled. The truth was, I needed someone like Jaclyn to nudge me along. I’d never be the slut or gregarious party animal that she was, but she was right, I could use a little excitement in my life. “Ok. I’ll go as long as Drake doesn’t need me. He picked up a shift at the Whispering Wind last night, and after it was over a group of bikers beat the shit out of him. I haven’t seen a beat down that bad in, well, ever.”
She smiled. “Just wait until Friday night rolls around. These studs are ruthless.”
“I’m serious. The bikers almost hospitalized him. I hope he’s not selling meth; he had cash on him too. A lot of it.”
Her demeanor changed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be insensitive. Is he ok?”
“Yea. He’s one tough bastard but he’ll make it. It’s just that if he picks up another shift he might need me to sit.”
“Cool. Your stepbrother sounds kinda hot. I think I need to meet him.”
“Jaclyn,” I said, my tone stiffening, offering her a slight warning that she was crossing the line.
She just giggled again. “Sorry, Beth. I was just kidding. Just let me know on Friday night if you can’t make it. It will be good to let loose after Professor Miyagi’s bullshit final.” She stared at the nine-hundred-page biology textbook with a bird-in-flight on the cover with disgust.
“Yes! And that reminds me, if we don’t start actually studying we’re not going to get anything done and we’ll fail! Joy!”
She hesitantly opened her textbook. “You know what? Fuck biology. I don’t want to study it I want to experience it. I just want to keep getting nailed to the headboard by Jason, all day and all night.”
I rolled my eyes. “Come on Jaclyn, this is serious. No one in my family has graduated college and I don’t want to let them down by failing my bio test. Let’s study.”
She nodded and we went to work, cramming the material, but my mind was distracted. I couldn’t stop thinking about Drake and I hoped he was ok.
Chapter 4
Bend, Oregon – Friday, May 22nd, 2009
I left Professor Miyagi’s class with an empty, glazed over stare on my face. Jaclyn walked our right after me with her face looking much of the same. “Holy shit Jacs! Did you fail it?”
“Ha. I totally fucking bombed it. God dammit that was hard! I need a drink, and I need my man,” she said. She pulled her vibrating flip phone out of her purse and got excited. “Woohoo! It’s Jason. He wants to know if we’re heading out to Powell Butte. He said his friend Castro Ruiz is coming with him. Hint-hint.”
My heart began to pound. “Really?” I said, immediately ruminating on ways to get out of it.
“Really. Here, here’s a pic. It’s kind of grainy but he wants to know what you think.”
She held her phone to my face and I scanned the picture. There was a boy all right, and he was ripped from head to toe, and as hot as he was he didn’t come near as close to melting my insides like my stepbrother did. My forehead glistened with sweat from my nerves. “He’s definitely cute.”
“Just cute?” Jaclyn said. “That boy is fucking h-o-t!”
She received another text and looked up at me. “Are you in or are you out. Castro said he wants to meet you.”
I stammered. “I don’t know. Um, um, I think Drake needs me to babysit tonight.”
“No, no, no,” she said. “Don’t bullshit me. You’re coming. Drake can find another sitter, he’s a big boy.”
I grew more desperate to escape the evening. “But money’s tight for him for right now and I do it for free.”
She grew annoyed and looked me dead in the eyes. “Beth. You’re coming. End of story.”
Nervous tension rattled through me and I nodded. “Okay. I’ll go. What time are we leaving?”
“The fights start at 8, so we’ll leave here at 7, maybe we’ll pre party a little. I’ve got half a bottle of vodka in my car.”
“Ok. Pick me up outside the north entrance to the dorms, I’ll be there waiting at 7.”
“Done son!” she said, acting as tomboyish, and annoying as humanly possible.
***
I waited outside of the dorms impatiently. I was always punctual, so when Jaclyn was fifteen minutes late I began to get annoyed. I checked my phone for a text but found none. The moment I pulled my head back up from checking my phone her Black Honda Civic pulled right in front of me. And of course she h
onked and rolled the down the window. “Get on in slut!”
I walked over to the passenger side door and opened it.
“Damn you look good!” she said.
“Thank you.” I dressed up and was wearing a hip hugging little black dress that had been hiding in my closet since I moved into the dorms. My black hair was straightened and shimmering, and hung just above my shoulders. If I was going to meet a hot boy I didn’t want to disappoint him.
Jaclyn pulled a bottle of vodka from the backseat of the car and looked around suspiciously. “Go on, take a sip. There’s no one around.”
I hesitated. “It’s ok. I’ll wait till we get there.”
“Suit yourself.”
I shook my head in disapproval as she took a drink. “Come on now, that’s just irresponsible.”
She screwed the cap on and stuffed it under the seat. “You’re right I just get so damn excited!”
We’d been driving along the highway for five minutes when I got a call from Drake. I answered it immediately. “Hello? Drake?”
“Hey sis. I need a favor. I know it’s last minute but can you sit for me again? I’ve picked up another shift at the bar and I have to run out quick.”
I seethed inside that I couldn’t be there for him. “I’m sorry I can’t. I’m out with Jaclyn.”
“Dammit. I can pay you if you need.” His voice sounded tense.
“I’m sorry Drake, she’s driving. It’s not up to me or I’d come. Hey, how are you feeling?”
“A lot better, thanks. I can move around pretty good, just swollen and sore still. Well, all right then, I can call up my neighbor Anne. She should be free, but I prefer you. Stay safe sis.”
“You too Drake. Call me if you need anything later. And please, for the love of god, if those bikers come back for trouble just leave! No amount of money is worth getting the shit kicked out of you!”
“Will do,” he said. “Bye.”
He hadn’t even given me a chance to say goodbye. I closed the phone worried.
“Is he ok?” Jaclyn said.
“Yea, he’s just got another shift at that shitty bar. He’ll be fine. Hey tonight can you drop me off at his place instead of mine? It’s only ten minutes away from Powell Butte.”
She shrugged. “Sure, I don’t see why not.” She grew more and more excited the closer we were to the fights. “We’re almost there!” she said.
Her phone was buzzing off the hook with texts, which I assumed were from Jason. “Man that guy won’t leave you alone will he?”
She laughed. “The man is insatiable! But that’s just the way I like ‘em. It let’s me know they’re into me.”
“Right,” I said.
“Here it is!” she said, turning left onto a small dirt road that stretched into the middle of nowhere. We drove over a large hill, and as we cleared its apex a parking lot of cars and trucks were below. “What did I tell you huh?”
I was shocked to see as many vehicles as I did. There were at least a few dozen. Next to the cars and trucks was a large barn, a few burly looking men smoking cigarettes and laughing stood outside it next to a row of motorcycles. I expected too see more people. “Where is everyone?”
“We’re a little late, they’re probably inside gearing up for a fight.” She parked in the very back next to a large truck. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s go!”
I checked the clock, it was 8:05 PM. “Boy these things certainly start on time don’t they?”
“Yep,” she said, her phone rang and she answered. “I’m sorry babe, we’re running late.” Jaclyn covered the phone’s receiver with her hand and spoke to me. “Jason said we can go in the back and skip the bouncer. A fight’s about to start so we need to hurry.” She uncovered the receiver and spoke to Jason. “Ok, babe. We’re coming right up.”
We hurried through the makeshift parking lot to the barn, a loud masculine roar began to get clearer and clearer, and that roar made my heart pound. This was just the type of place my mother warned me never to enter, a true house of ill repute.
Jaclyn knocked on the back door, which creaked as it opened. Jaclyn lost herself in a wave of excitement. “Jason baby I missed you!” she said, lunging into his arms. He hugged her tightly, every single one of his muscles flexing. She kissed him on the lips.
He looked over at me and extended his hand, his exposed chest flexing. “And you must be Beth?”
“That’s me.” I nodded and faked the biggest smile I could as I shook his hand.
“Hey, you gals are just a little too late. Castro’s about to fight, come on let’s go before we miss it.”
The sweat, dust, and must hung thick in the air as we moved through the massive barn. We walked through a crowd of people to find the ring, which was no more than a circle of dirt outlined by stacks of hay three feet high. The ring itself didn’t matter; it was what happened inside of it that got this crowd riled up. And by the looks of the faces of the men and women around me, they were dying for a fight.
A biker wearing spurred leather boots, riding pants, and a vest studded with patches entered the ring, a cheap microphone in his right hand, which was hooked to an old boom box that was just loud enough to hear over the crowd’s roar. His stringy gray hair was flowing backward as he moved, riling up the crowd.
I turned to Jaclyn. “Hey, who is that?”
She yelled into my ear. “That’s Cyrus Westin, leader of the Steel Assassins MC. He runs this show and god knows what else.”
My heart started to pound as the crowd grew more intense. Cyrus greeted the horde. “Well are you vicious bastards ready for some blood? Or are you vicious bastards ready or some blood?” The crowd yelled, and the excitement grew in waves. “Should I bring the fighters out?”
“Yea!” the crowd screamed as men chugged beer bottles and the cherries of their cigarettes burned red-hot.
“Well alright then! Let’s get this shit started! In the east side of the pit, with a an undefeated record of 7 and 0, and fighting out of Pineville, Oregon, Castro Ruiz!”
The crowd went absolutely ballistic. He was clearly a favorite. Jaclyn shook my shoulder in excitement and turned to place a big, fat kiss on Jason’s lips.
Castro emerged from the crowd and stepped into the ring, slamming his fists together. I tried to fight the excitement rumbling inside of me but I just couldn’t stop it. I looked to Jacs. “God damn that boy is hot!”
She laughed and clapped her hands. “Woohoo! What did I tell you?”
Cyrus continued. “Alright, alright, I get it, you’re in love with Castro. Calm yourselves. Remember you bloodthirsty motherfuckers it takes two to fight!” The crowd cheered again. “Please, please calm yourselves.” The crowd toned down to a simmer. “In the west side of the pit, in his second fight, with a record of 0 and 1, and fighting out of Redmond, Oregon, Jackson Douglas!”
I looked to Jaclyn. “Jackson who?” I said. The crowd’s response was mixed, some booed and some cheered. Money began to change hands as the audience began to place wagers on the outcome of the fight.
I looked for Jackson Douglas and spotted him as he stepped through the crowd. My heart leapt from my chest when I saw Drake. I was caught by absolute surprise, and I was not happy.
I pushed passed men twice my size to get to the very edge of the ring to make sure I wasn’t imagining him. I saw his face, but he didn’t see mine. I was so angry inside. I couldn’t believe he was involved in bare knuckle fighting, it seemed so god damned irresponsible.
I’d known there was more to the story of how he ended up bruised and beaten, but I never imagined it would have been this. The anger was fleeting, because whether I liked it or not, he was going to fight, and the absolute last thing I wanted was to see him lose to man he dwarfed in size. Drake’s body had hardly begun to heal; he was still covered in painful bruises. Whatever he was getting paid, it wasn’t worth it.
Drake and Castro faced off in the center of the pit and slammed knuckles. The announcer looked them both in the eye
s. “Fight dirty!” he said. “Get it on!” With that he moved to the side of the circle and the battle commenced.
Castro was quick to attack, firing off jabs at Drake’s face, but Drake surprised me in his sheer agility as he ducked and dodged, not letting Castro get a hit in edgewise. Castro tried to cross him with a right hook and missed, and Drake crushed his face with a punch so hard he left Castro in a daze.
“Go I screamed! Hit him again!” I found myself cheering him on, encouraging violence that I was so fervently against.
