by Jayne Blue
The desk phone rang again and Meyer picked it up.
“Okay, go get your woman. I promise to find the leak and plug it. I need you to fight.”
“I’m not making any promises until this is fixed.”
“Got it got it. Go get her and come on back here. The company, in its current state, needs you to fight. I have everything riding on the Kane Broadman title and now it appears you are my biggest star next to him. I can’t afford you to walk.”
“You heard my terms.”
“I didn’t hear money yet.”
“I’m not talking money, yet. Clear this shit up with Cassidy first. Right now, you can promise me bags of cash but you know and I know that would be kind flimsy. We’ll talk terms when I get her back.”
Cassidy
It was a four-hour wait until the next available flight to Detroit. She thought she would be on one two hours earlier but she was bumped. The next one filled before she had a chance to even buy her ticket.
She was worried. Second-guessing herself. She should have stayed and fought.
No, go home and stay out of the way so Craddock could train. Her ideas of how to help him and save herself were a jumbled mess and she was already missing him. She was missing Dylan too.
She reminded herself that this was a break she was giving him, and not a break up, but the part she did not tell Jessie. That she was admitting to herself alone in the airport was maybe she was not cut out for this.
Scratch that. No 'maybe' about it. This world of Vegas and fight promoters and Leo wants to meet you did not fit with social work and developing educational guidelines at pilot schools.
She felt a tear try to escape. This was different from catching Craddock being an asshole. He was not an asshole. He was a good man. She watched him turn into one. He controlled his temper, was good to Dylan, he risked his life saving Jessie’s, and he loved her. She knew that.
But she also knew he was born to take this shot at the title. Maybe even win it.
If he did win it, where would that leave her? Social work required her to be there for others and outside of a spotlight. Foster kids did not need glamour they needed stability.
And she wasn’t ready to be the wifey. His dreams were big and she loved them. She loved him, but her dreams were important and maybe, she could really help some kid in trouble.
It was right that she leave. The way she played it, maybe he would think it was temporary, then he would get used to the idea, and then, after he sees he can live without her, he will.
She sat in the uncomfortable chair and slowly felt chunks of her heart break off.
“Now boarding, Flight 1420 to Detroit.” Finally.
Part of her was holding on to the hope that a long delay was a sign she should stay. Then as the hours ticked by, she wondered if Craddock knew. Getting on the flight was key. She could sort it all out back in Grand City. She could lean on Bess, Sawyer, even Dr. Showers to help her return to normal. Whatever that was.
She would be the last to board, the back of the plane, in the center, probably between two people who wanted to talk or unwrap the tuna sandwich they bought. Her mood was as dark as it had ever been.
People crowded the velvet ropes for their turn and she found herself annoyed. Some asshole behind her was up her ass.
“Excuse me did you want to go ahead of me because that’s the third time you stepped on my heel.” She had barely finished the sentence when the asshole in question whispered in her ear.
“I like the view from here actually.” Craddock leaned down and said it quietly to her. She did not mean for it but a sob escaped her lips.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m going with you. Dylan is in the gift shop. I promise. If you go we go.” She looked around and sure enough, Dylan was inspecting Elvis paperweights.
“That’s ridiculous. Let me get out of Vegas, did you see what they are saying about me? About you?” People were starting to look at them. He pulled her out of line and to the side of the lounge area for a little bit of privacy.
“I did and it’s bullshit. I told Meyer Thompson if you’re not happy I’m not happy and I won’t fight unless he fixes it.”
“But it’s neck and neck, you need to stop the bleeding and look strong these last few days.”
“Turns out that’s bullshit, too. I am out in front, by a mile. The only question now is will I fight at all?” He looked her in the eyes and she felt like he was telling the truth, “Not doing it without you.”
“I want you to fight. I am not what you need. I’m not cut out for this Vegas thing. L.A.? I can’t even imagine that.” She felt tears roll. Dammit, once that started she would have a hard time stopping it.
“You are stuck with me. If you want me to go back to Grand City with you and coach, run a garbage truck or carry your lunch at grad school, I will do any and all of those things. So will Dylan.”
“I said I want you to fight.”
“Then you need to fight too, every step of the way. For us.” He let it hang there. He was going to be with her whether she got on the plane or stayed ringside. She let it sink in. Craddock was holding on even if she was letting go. He’d shown her how to hold on from the first day they met.
He looked at her with a calm determination this time. He wasn’t raging or growling or anything but being damned reasonable. She saw clearly that his determination to becoming a champion was second only to his determination to being there for her and Dylan. She also knew she was just as determined.
“Okay. I’ll fight.” Cassidy said and she meant it. She would fight or everything, for Craddock, for Dylan, and for her own place in the world. She could have all those things if she held on right now.
He picked her up and squeezed the air out of her lungs. She let a sob escape at the realization of how she had almost thrown away the best thing in her life.
“So are we getting on the plane or are we kicking some ass here?”
“We’re kicking some ass here.” She said and he kissed the damn tears that had escaped.
“Hey Craddock, Crad!” They heard Dylan call from the gift shop.
He held up a chocolate bar shaped like Elvis and one like a slot machine.
“Which one? Elvis? Or slot machine candy bar?” Dylan’s face was serious as a heart attack about the decision and he waved both in the air to display them.
“Get ‘em both. My treat.” Craddock grabbed her bag with one big hand and her small hand with the other.
“Hi Cassidy are we staying here or going home?” Cassidy noticed Dylan had his carry on too. They really were coming with her if she left.
“Staying for a while I think, until the fight, you were coming today on the plane?” She still could not believe Craddock was willing to give up his dream for her.
“Yep, family sticks together. Also we don’t take shit from anyone, that’s what mom said the Latin words on the shirt mean.”
Cassidy laughed out loud and she also let the word roll around in her mind. Family. She was with her family.
“I never had a family before.” She said to Dylan.
“Well you do now.” He replied in a matter of fact way they tugged at her heart and Craddock gave her a little squeeze as they made their way out of the airport.
“You do now.” Craddock whispered in her ear.
Chapter Nine
Craddock
He made sure that he had her hand in his the entire cab ride and he knew it was in his when they returned to Meyer Thompson’s office. Inside they found Sunny, Zeke, and surprisingly Zeke’s dad, The Preacher.
“Glad he caught you Miss Parker. Craddock was planning to run away with you which would have been damned inconvenient.”
“Well technically we were going home not running away but I get your point.”
“Have a seat. What you’re about to hear concerns all of you.” Cassidy and Craddock took two chairs around a little conference table area. Zeke and his dad looked confused about why they wer
e meeting.
“So, Sunny says she had nothing to do with planting the stories to influence the outcome of the popularity portion of our little fight club. This was very important to me because we don’t fix fights or any aspect of the 21C.”
“Bad for business?” Cassidy said.
“Very. So to prove her innocence, Sunny has been working hard and fast. Why don’t you tell them your side of things?”
“Well I tweeted, it’s public, and you can see it. I took pictures; you just have to look at the feeds. But I never gave any outlet a story that Cassidy was two timing or that she was cheating on Craddock. All the pictures I shared she’s only with Craddock actually.”
“So how’d they get these others? Who fed them this bullshit story?”
“Actually, my sources say it all came from Reverend Powell.”
“What the hell? My dad would never do that.” Zeke stood up for his dad.
“The guy at TMZ that I do feed stuff to, and the guy I feed stuff to at Fighter World. Both say Reverend Powell is their new best source of insider gossip on 21C’s fresh blood.”
“With a little pressure they offered up some proof.” Meyer Thompson added.
“What kind of proof could there possibly be that my dad did anything like this. He’s a minister, a man of god; he’d never risk his reputation over something so stupid.”
“Well listen for yourself.” Sunny played a recording that sounded a lot like Zeke’s dad.
“I’ll send the pictures next. Oh yeah, both, one then the other, sometimes on the same day.”
Another voice, one he didn’t know answered, “Thanks Pastor Powell, we’ll keep that other thing quiet as long as you keep getting us the good scoop on Craddock Flynn.”
“Dad what the hell is that about?” Zeke’s dad’s face was beat red and Zeke’s eyes were wild.
His paragon of virtue father was feeding filthy gossip to tabloids to advance his son’s career. Not exactly something you want all your flock to know. Craddock was actually feeling sorry for Zeke.
“I can explain. She’s clearly not pure. She’s luring you and Craddock into her little garden isn’t she?” Craddock watched as Zeke’s dad lost his shit and started sounding crazier and crazier then looked at Cassidy in a way that was very creepy.
“Just think, you get the championship, your platform is huge, we expand the church, and it’s all totally for the glory of..”
“Shut up dad. Just shut up.” Zeke put his hands over his ears.
“Then there’s the matter of the other thing that’s referred to on the tape.” Thompson pointed out the cryptic phrase that had gotten past Zeke in the revelation that his dad was a snake.
“We will not be discussing that. It is of no concern of yours.” The reverend snapped at Meyer.
“You’ll likely be talking to someone at some point. Sunny turned all of this over to the gaming commission. I want to be very transparent.”
“You’ll ruin me.” Reverend Powell cried and exploded out of his chair and got right in Meyer Thompson’s face. Craddock and Cassidy both were witnessing the unraveling of the preacher and had no words.
“Better your business than mine.” Meyer Thompson said.
Craddock was in shock. He always looked at Zeke with jealousy. He was the perfect kid with the perfect family and money to back it up. It turned out The Preacher’s Son had a mess on his hands and all of a sudden a name you would not want to have on your merch.
“Son, let’s go.” The Preacher ordered Zeke to follow him.
“I’m not going anywhere with you right now. You’re lucky I don’t smash your face in.” Zeke was experiencing his own unraveling as they sat at the conference table. The Preacher had no idea what to do now that his son was in full rebellion. So he addressed his anger back to Meyer Thompson.
“You’ll be hearing from my lawyers Thompson.” Instead of heading straight for the door, the holiest man in Grand City abruptly turned and grabbed Cassidy’s chair. He put his face within inches of hers, spit flew as spewed hate.
“I knew you were a fucking slut the minute I saw you writhing around with my son like Eve in our treehouse!”
Craddock pulled Cassidy back and Zeke flew at his own father. He also made good on his threat to smash his face in and The Preacher crashed to the floor.
“Don’t ever talk to her that way again. In fact don’t ever talk to me again.” Zeke had come to Cassidy’s defense a beat before Craddock. Maybe he was not such a douchebag after all.
The Preacher picked himself up and staggered out. At some point, Meyer had alerted security and there were several bouncer-looking guys ready to be sure he did leave.
“Holy shit.” Craddock said as he put an arm around a shaking Cassidy.
“Nothing holy about it kid.” Thompson quipped. “Oh, sorry Zeke.”
Zeke was in some other place mentally. Cassidy moved away from Craddock and came up next to him. She put her hands out to him and he squeezed them both.
Watching a man’s hero fall was not what he had planned when he came in Meyer’s office and watching Zeke Powell’s world collapse did not make him feel victorious. Craddock was surprised to find that he felt only sadness for Zeke and shock at what had gone down.
Cassidy
Zeke assured her he was fine. Someone had called Mace and Coach Roy and they were there. Zeke seemed to need help with the basics of left right left. He shuffled out of the office and into a new reality. Cassidy’s heart ached for him.
Craddock did not miss a beat with Thompson. This was his opportunity to take control and he wasn’t going to miss an opportunity.
“Sunny you’re going to want to step out. This is private. Cassidy you stay please.” Sunny closed the door behind her and she watched Craddock fight a different kind of opponent.
“So I know a big contract offer from 21C isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on right about now.”
“You got me there.”
“And I know you need me to fight Zeke or well to be honest it’s looking like it might be Gustavo.”
“Yep, we’re on the same page.” Meyer sat back in his chair. He recognized he was about to get an offer. Cassidy was amazed to see how brilliant Craddock was at negotiating. Meyer Thompson was a billionaire that had probably done a thousand deals but amazingly, Craddock had the upper hand.
“So here’s what I want. Of course, you are honoring my first contract. That is not a question. But I don’t want a dime for the qualifier.”
“That doesn’t seem smart, Crad.” She was reassessing his brilliance with that last move.
“Trust me.” He gave her wink.
“When I beat Zeke or Gustavo and advance to the title fight I want 10 million guaranteed and five-percent of the pay per view which includes commercial revenue.”
“That deal is over a billion right now.”
“Well I’m only asking for a tiny little five-percent and I’m giving you my blood.” Craddock said.
“Three percent and eight-million.”
“Done.” The two men shook hands.
“My lawyer will send the papers by end of business tomorrow.” Craddock said and they walked out.
“Do you have a lawyer?” She whispered out of side of her mouth.
“Shh. No.” He whispered back.
“What the fuck just happened?” She asked as they made their way out of the gym. Cassidy was having a hard time processing the last twenty minutes.
“The Preacher is going to hell for sure and we just made a deal that can fund about a thousand of Dr. Shower’s research projects.”
“I can’t believe it. I really can’t understand the numbers you just said, and Zeke I hope he’s okay, and oh my god, the snow globes Dylan is going to be able to buy.” She felt a little maniacal.
“Yeah, first I gotta beat Gustavo again, or Zeke, but it’s looking like it might be Gustavo. I’m fighting that one for free so hold off on the snow globes.” Craddock kissed her and dragged her behind him. They
had some unpacking to do.
A week later, she sat in metal chair and rubbed her hands on her thighs. She was nervous as hell.
Zeke had come in second in popularity but as Craddock predicted he had dropped out.
His dad’s antics were starting to become a national scandal, first the fighting gossip pages and then national news after it was revealed what the “other things” mentioned on the tape actually were.
The Preacher liked hookers. Lots and lots of them. He also liked pictures of himself with hookers. It was a scandal that the public was eating up.
Zeke’s life was in turmoil and the idea of fighting as The Preacher’s Son was not something anyone would want to do.
She worried about what would happen to her friend but he had left Vegas when the news broke, pulled out of the running for the qualifying fight. She had called and texted him but Zeke Powell was gone and did not want to be found right now.
So, Gustavo and Craddock faced off.
Winner got the title match in two months against Kane Broadman.
They had their Fighting Flynn merch on, Jessie, Dylan and Coach Boggs. The fight was carried on a small sports network but it was not the fight of the century. Whoever won would get that.
Gustavo fought hard, hit Craddock’s arms, kicked at his legs, but any blow aimed at his head was quickly deflected. Instead of dropping his left, as Whitey always accused him of doing, Craddock kept it on guard.
Gustavo took him down hard and it looked bad for Craddock more than once.
It was torture watching Craddock fight. Each time she was feeling sicker and sicker as the stakes rose. She understood why his mom avoided it.
She looked up and Craddock was in right front of her. Gustavo was trying like hell to sink his legs into Craddock’s.
Craddock caught her eye and said it.
“This one’s for you pretty.” Faster than she could really register Craddock switched their positions.
She heard Jessie yell, “Nice scramble, now get the arm!” Craddock did.
Gustavo’s arm looked like it would break. Next to her Dylan announced, “I hate the arm bar. I’m closing my eyes.”
