by A. R. Breck
“Well, I’m late. At first, I thought it was because I’ve been so stressed out over Logan and everything. But as the days went on and I still wasn’t getting my period, I knew something wasn’t right. I bought it the other night but was putting off taking it. I don’t know, it was sitting on my counter and I just took it today and bam, pregnant. Of course, this would happen to me.” She groans. “I’m not ready for a kid. I can’t even take care of myself, how am I supposed to take care of a baby? And Jackson? I can’t see him ever having a child. He’s such an asshole half the time. Shit, he’s going to kill me.” She rubs her hands down her face in worry.
“He’s not going to kill you.” I roll my eyes.
“Uh, are you sure? He literally fucking sneers when he walks past me. It’s like I’m a piece of hair in his food or something.”
“Let’s just forget about him, have a good night, and try to enjoy ourselves, all right? Easton has a big fight tonight.” I flip off the car and hop out, and Cara follows suit.
“Who is he fighting again? Isn’t it supposed to be a huge deal tonight or something?”
“Someone named Aziel, I think? Easton kept saying The Seven, whatever that meant.”
Cara grips my forearm so tightly, I cringe. “Ow. What the hell?”
“What? The Seven aren’t fighters.” Her eyes are wide.
“Okay? Well that’s what he said. Maybe I’m mistaken. Why, though? Who are The Seven?”
“The Seven are a motorcycle gang down in California. They aren’t into MMA, so I don't understand why Easton is fighting one of them.”
“Maybe it’s a different Seven.”
“It’s not. Aziel is one of them—wrath. Seven of the men each have a sin name. Aziel is the youngest, but he’s still older than Easton, at least in his twenties.” She looks as me nervously as she worries her lip.
“How do you even know about these people? I’ve never heard about them in my life.”
“I overheard Logan talking about them once to Easton. I think they’re in the gun business with Rich. Obviously, I don’t know much about it, but they’re pretty scary people from what I’ve heard.”
“Well, now I’m not too excited about tonight. This doesn’t sound good at all.” I worry my hands together as we approach Jerry.
“Hey, ladies. Big fight tonight.” He smiles at us as he opens the door.
“Mhmm.” We both mumble and shuffle inside.
“Hey, it can’t be that big of a deal. Easton hasn’t said anything to you about it?”
“No, not a word.” I say as we walk down the dark hallway to the main area. The lights flicker underneath the door, giving a peek at the anarchy on the other side.
“It can’t be that big of a deal, then. At least, he must not be too worried about it. That, or he doesn’t want to worry you. I’m sure he’ll be fine. Have you ever known him to not be okay? I mean, seriously?” She raises her eyebrows as she gets to the door. Her hand sits on the handle, but she has yet to open it.
I listen to the yelling and chaos on the other side of the door. Two minutes ago, I thought tonight would be smooth sailing. Another night of Easton in the ring with someone who he could easily dominate with no problem. Now he’s going up against some biker gang? Some potential psycho? My stomach feels like the other side of this door—complete chaos.
Is there really an option, though? “Let’s go.” I say.
“Really? You don’t look so sure.”
“I don't have any other choice. Easton is counting on me to be on the side of the ring when he’s done. I can’t just bail out because I’m afraid of something happening to him. What kind of girlfriend would I be?” I hike my purse up on my shoulder, ready to mosh my way to the front, as usual.
She chuckles. “You’d be a pretty shitty girlfriend, honestly.” That’s all she says. Reiteration that this is what I need to do, or else I’d probably never hear the end of it. “Remember, any sight of Jackson, and you better help me get the hell out of there.”
Shit. Cara’s pregnant. For a second, I forgot all about it. “Right. Jackson, bad. Aziel, bad. I think I’ve got it. Let’s go.” The wings of the massive birds in my stomach flap away, and I have to press a hand to it to calm the flutters.
“I need a drink!” I shout in Cara’s ear. She rolls her eyes and grabs onto my wrist, pulling me to the bar and ordering us drinks. Me, my usual vodka lemonade. Her, for once, water.
I have yet to get myself a fake ID.
It takes longer than usual to get to the front. Cara is much more conscious of her stomach, and doesn’t shove her way through like she usually does. She’s not polite, per se, but she definitely isn’t as aggressive as she usually is.
Once we get to the front, we take the two steps up to the miniature VIP section and take a seat in our usual chairs.
“Damn, this sucks. I’m going to have to stop going here soon.” She frowns as she looks at her stomach. “Stupid fucking Jackson.”
“That’s probably smart. Although, I’ll be sitting it out with you. I could never come here alone.” I shiver at the thought.
I will never walk around outside of this building by myself again. Not ever.
I look around and see the crowd bigger than ever tonight. What surprises me is the amount of people here with leather vests on. What do they call them—cuts?
Did all these people travel from California to watch one of their biker bros fight? What kind of shit is this?
When the lights dim, Erickson steps into the ring, “Well, what a fan-fucking-tastic evening it is tonight, right folks?”
Yelling and swearing rings through the room so loud, you can’t help but get pumped up.
My blood warms and sizzles through my veins in anticipation, but also in worry. I love watching Easton fight. I love watching as his body moves and he dominates everyone in his path. I’m nervous for tonight, though.
“We have got quite an interesting night ahead of us. Let me first introduce our veteran, our one and only Easton the “Reaper” Malone, everyone!” As usual, the screams from the girls overpower everyone else as the shadows appear from the back hall. Easton, Jackson, and Duke walk out like they’ve already won.
No fear, no worry, no apprehension. That’s Easton, though. He doesn’t need to worry in the slightest.
He’s the Reaper.
When a few men in suits walk out behind them, I can already tell those are his potential sponsors coming to watch his fight tonight.
Shit. How intimidating.
“All right, all right. On the other side of the ring, we’ve got someone special tonight. Someone not familiar with MMA, but we’ve got some friends in town all the way from California, and when I received a call this week looking for some entertainment tonight, I knew the perfect idea. All the way from California, please welcome Aziel the “Seven” Hughes!” He hollers through the microphone, and my jaw nearly drops to the floor at all the shouting and excitement coming from nearly every single person. Looking over at Cara, she has the same shocked expression on her face.
“Holy shit.” She whispers.
I nod but say nothing. My eyes are focused on the back, but I’m shocked a second time when someone from the crowd lifts themselves up over the ring and jumps in. It's a man. A big, tall man with hair tied back in a ponytail and a beard covering his face. He’s in shorts, but he whips his t-shirt over his head and tosses it into the crowd. Girls go wild as they make a grab for it.
The man in front of us stands with tattoos littering his entire chest and arms. Big, black, swirling tattoos on his hulking form.
This guy is way too big for Easton. How old is this guy, even? He can’t fight Easton. What the fuck?
I stand up, ready to go and yell at Jackson and Duke when Cara yanks me down by his shirt.
“Stop. Whatever you’re about to do, just stop. They know what they’re doing.”
“But—” I get ready to argue.
“No. Just stop.” She sounds so sure, but her uncertain g
aze at this hulk of a man in front of me is unsettling.
Glancing over at Easton, he doesn’t look the least bit worried. Actually, he looks relaxed as he gazes as Aziel and gives him a head nod.
What the fuck? Are they friends?
“Get ready everyone, because this is going to be one hell of a fight tonight!” He gives a fist pump in the air with his microphone in hand and hops out of the ring.
The lights dim even further, and then the spotlights heighten over the ring.
It’s just these two, and suddenly, the crowd goes quiet.
All you can hear is their feet pad around the ring as they stalk each other. It starts out slow, with each of them feeling each other’s moments out. Testing the waters.
Aziel swings first, but Easton’s fast. He dodges out of the way quickly and chuckles, shaking his head. Aziel smirks back at him as he tries again, but again, Easton dodges it.
My eyes burn from not blinking. How can I? I'm so confused on what’s going on. I feel like this is a fucking dream or something.
Aziel steps up his game, swinging left, then right. Two quick punches and the second one lands right in Easton’s jaw. Easton shakes his head to clear the fog, stands up straight, spits a wad of blood on the ground, and gets his game face on.
Okay, there’s my boy.
Aziel leans his head back and barks out a laugh as he moves back a bit. He knows he pissed Easton off. Easton shakes his head, a little bit of playfulness still dancing in his eyes, but he hates getting hit. They might be friends, but it’s clear that Easton’s motivation is to take Aziel down at this point.
Things speed up, and Easton moves forward, landing a hit right in Aziel’s eye. This makes Aziel crack down, and they both start really going at it, hitting each other over at over again. They each attempt to move out of the way, and at times they do, but mostly, they just pummel each other like there’s no tomorrow.
When blood starts pouring on the ground between them, I stand up.
I’ve never seen a fight get this gory before. I’ve never seen one go on this long before. And lastly, I’ve never seen someone fight this long or this hard, and still be standing.
Yet, they both are.
After what feels like a millennium, Aziel lands a hard uppercut to Easton, and when Easton’s head flies back, gasps ring out throughout the Pit. Easton stumbles back to the edge of the ring. I can see his glistening back from here, so close I could reach a hand out and touch him. I can’t do that, though. I could never interrupt his zone. His mood.
Once he regains his stability, he gets up and charges to Aziel, landing a hard punch to the gut. Aziel bends over in pain, and Easton grabs him in a headlock and starts hitting him once, twice, three times, and on the fourth, he kicks Aziel’s legs out and he drops like a brick.
Aziel, that is.
Easton, on the other hand, stands there with his head down and stares at Aziel. His hair swings in front of his forehead, not showing off his eyes. His arms swing at his sides as his adrenaline courses through his body.
From somewhere in the distance, Erickson roars through the microphone, "And the Reaper wins, again!"
The lights dim, but zone in on Easton.
When his gaze flies up, it’s like the first time I ever saw him. His eyes connect with mine in such a heavy trance that I could never look away. He traps me, and keeps me trapped, over and over again.
Every. Single. Time.
Sweat drips off the tips of his hair, and his body glistens in the white light as it shines down on him. He gives me a smirk, and the blood coating his teeth should be atrocious. It’s not. It’s menacing, barbaric, and somehow, fucking hot.
When he tilts his head up, I see the blood drip down his chin and across his chest, and his face has blood splattered across it like dust.
My body heats up to an inferno.
I might’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again.
If there was ever a time where he’s looked like a Reaper, it’s right now.
He is the Reaper.
Deadly. Destructive. Mine.
~
“Can we go yet?” Cara leans over and whispers in my ear.
I swallow down a groan and look at Cara. “Fine. Give me five minutes.”
We’ve been having a good time since the fight, or at least, I have been. Cara’s been pouting behind me and poking me to leave every ten minutes. After Easton, Jackson, Duke, and Aziel all left the ring earlier, everyone moved over to the bar area to hangout. When Easton and Aziel came out talking to each other a short time later, I was surprised, and honestly, a little confused. They both looked black and blue, but Easton looked a little better off.
They both looked terrifying.
I furrowed my eyebrows at him as he came up behind me to give my waist a squeeze. “Rose, this is Aziel. Aziel, this is my girl, Rose.”
I shook Aziel’s paw of a hand, conscious of Easton’s hands wrapped around me possessively. Staking his claim.
Aziel didn’t say anything, just gave me a small smirk and head nod.
“How do you guys know each other?” I couldn’t keep my mouth shut about it. My nosiness knows no bounds.
“He’s a business partner of sorts, I guess you could say.”
I was going to continue grilling them about their friendship when Jackson stalked out behind Aziel and Cara grabbed onto my wrist, hauling me back before I could interrogate further.
Since then, I’ve been dealing with Cara leaning over my shoulder, asking me to go, and Easton dragging me down into his lap, making me tingly from his hands running all over my body.
I walk over to Easton where he’s sitting in his designated chair. He’s already staring at me, a small smirk playing on the edges of his lips. He knows I’m turned on and frustrated, and all I want to do is get out of here with him. I would, but I’ve got Cara to deal with. I can’t leave her here, mostly now that her and Jackson are on such bad terms.
“Ready to get out of here, baby?” He grabs me by the wrist and I drop into his warm lap that smells like Easton. Rich and warm and manly.
“I can’t. I’ve got to take Cara home.” I frown at him.
He groans. “Can’t she go home with Jackson or something?”
I scoff. “Seriously? Can’t you tell they’re not on good terms right now? They’re avoiding each other like they both have the plague. Shit, Cara has been complaining over my shoulder for the past hour.”
He looks over his shoulder at Jackson, who has some dark-haired girl with a biker vest on, leaning over his shoulder with her cleavage about to spill out. “Jackson looks fine to me.”
I sneer at him. “You’re stupid, of course you would say that.”
“Hey, that’s not me with the random over my shoulder.” He lifts a brow in my direction.
“I know. And that’s why I love you. I’m going to take Cara home. I’ll meet you at your house in an hour?”
“Don’t be late.” He growls in my ear.
With much effort, I peel myself off his lap and walk towards Cara. “Ready to go?”
When I look at her, I see her eyes glazed over with fresh tears. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
She shakes her head and blinks up at me. “Nothing, let’s go.”
Unfortunately, the way to get out of here is right past Jackson, and I instantly know the reason why Cara is upset. This jackass is probably going to get some tonight, while the girl who’s pregnant with his child is going home, alone, and probably scared shitless.
“Fucking slut.” Cara lashes out as we pass them, making me gasp. I was not expecting her to say anything. And clearly, either was Jackson or the biker bitch.
“Excuse me, what did you just say?” Biker bitch snarls at Cara.
Cara keeps walking, not saying anything with her chin up. Even with her eyes full of tears, she still acts like a badass.
Bike bitch takes a step out of Jackson’s arms and comes up behind Cara, pushing her down on the ground.
I g
asp again. “Cara!” I shout. “Are you okay?” I try to help her up, but she just sniffles on the ground as she tries to get off the ground.
“What the hell is your problem?” I bark at biker bitch. Seriously. Biker. Bitch.
“She just called me a slut! I don’t even know her!” She waves her hand at Cara.
“She’s pregnant, you moron! What the hell do you think you’re doing!”
“Rose!” Cara screams.
“What the fuck?” Easton says out of nowhere.
My eyes grow wide at the realization of what I just did. Shit, I didn’t mean to. I really, really, didn’t mean to.
Cara shoots up to standing and looks at Jackson, who’s looking at her like he doesn’t even know her.
“You're pregnant?” He says on a deadly whisper.
Cara nods, pale as a sheet.
“Is it mine?” He curls his upper lip, like the thought of him having a child tastes bad.
Cara nods again, not saying a word.
Jackson’s trigger goes off, and he takes a step back and lifts a chair behind him, tossing it towards the bar. Glasses and bottles of liquor shatter as they fall to the ground. People scream and try to get out of the way.
Easton roars, “Jackson, what the fuck!”
“What the fuck, Cara?” Jackson booms, being the loudest I have ever, ever heard him.
He stalks off towards the exit without another word.
“Jackson!” Cara cries, grabbing her purse off the ground and running after him.
“Fuck you, Cara! Leave me the fuck alone!” He roars, slamming the back door shut.
Cara hysterically cries as she runs after him, opening up the back door and chasing after him.
All I can do is watch in sadness.
This isn’t good. Not good at all.
I look over at Easton, and he’s looking at me with a frown on his face.
“Cara’s pregnant? Why didn't you tell me?”
“I literally just found out before I came here.” I keep looking at the door, hoping Cara is going to walk back through safely.
He follows my direction towards the back door. “You better go after her. Make sure she gets home safely. I’ll have Jerry walk you to your car.”
“Can’t you come with me?” I grab onto his forearm. All I want to do is go back to his place and forget all the drama. Just for tonight.
