“All done,” I said.
He turned back to me. “You look radiant, darling.”
“Fuck you.”
He laughed then took me by the arm and dragged me back down the steps. More people were coming in now, and the basement had maybe fifteen men standing around in a loose circle.
“Where’s your fighter?” I asked.
“He’ll be here soon. Stand with Spud and Clutch and don’t move. If you’re good, they won’t bother you. If you’re not, I gave Spud permission to do whatever he wants.” He gave me a leery grin then pushed me toward the twin pigs. I walked over and leaned against the wall next to them, and they barely gave me a second glance. Michael nodded to them, and then disappeared back upstairs.
I could sense the tension in the air almost immediately. People were hyped up, but also terrified. I guessed everyone knew how important the fight was, not just for Rex, but for the entire mob.
Nobody paid any attention to me, which let me look around at the crowd freely. I didn’t recognize everyone, but they were all dangerous looking people. Plenty of baggy clothing and tattoos dominated the space, and people smoked freely. I noticed that they tended to group themselves in threes and fours, and the room was nearly split in half. I assumed they were the two main factions in Michael’s gang, and I noticed that I was standing on the slightly larger side. More people slowly filtered down the stairs until the room was packed save for a large circular space in the center.
The noise was loud with laughter and cursing. People drank and smoked and joked, but nobody bothered to look at me. I realized I didn’t seem like a prisoner anymore. I guessed that they would look down on Michael keeping a girl in a cage for over a day, and that was why he let me out and had me clean myself up. I looked over at Spud and he grinned back. Chills ran down my spine when I realized he had been staring at me. I mentally promised myself that I could get revenge on him the first opportunity I found.
I had no idea what time it was or how long we had been standing down there before Michael walked down the steps. The room quieted almost immediately. Michael was followed by a tall man with heavy muscles and thick tattoos running all along his body. He wore a tight white T-shirt and gym shorts, and his knuckles were wrapped in white linen. He wasn’t enormous or particularly dangerous looking, but I could tell by the way people reacted to him that he was a tough man. Everyone nodded and gave him respect as he passed, but he ignored everyone but Michael. They came over to where Spud, Clutch, and I stood, and I could hear them talking.
“You need to kill him,” Michael said.
“Yes,” the man replied.
“Make it fast and dirty. Send a message.”
“Okay.”
“The more blood, the better I’ll pay you. Remember that.”
“Okay.”
They didn’t speak any more after that. I wasn’t surprised about what I had heard. The man started to move around and loosen himself up. I was terrified for Rex. This guy clearly was going to try and murder him, but I didn’t know if Rex would play by the same rules. I had never been to a fight like that in my entire life.
Time passed slowly as Michael’s fighter moved around the ring, keeping himself loose. The way he stretched and shook his body made it clear how fast and dangerous he was. I had never seen a man so smooth and sure of himself, except for Rex. But where Rex had a lively smile and a sense of humor, this man was blank and dangerous. He said nothing and had no expression on his face at all. He was like a stone human, or a killing machine.
I was also terrified that Rex wouldn’t show up. Nearly an hour passed, and he was nowhere to be seen. Michael kept looking back at me with this horrible smile, as if he was savoring what he would get to do to me if Rex never showed. I couldn’t imagine that he would run away at that point and leave me there with Michael, but it was starting to look like that was a possibility. I was done for if Rex didn’t come. He was already late, or at least I guessed he was, and people were beginning to get angry.
I felt weak and trapped. I wanted to get out of that situation on my own, but I knew that I was surrounded on all sides by people bigger than I was. If Rex came, he would have his hands full trying to survive. I needed to find the strength to get myself out of the room in the end, and not rely on Rex saving the day. I looked at my two guards and as the crowd pulsed around us, I thought of a plan.
Suddenly, the place started to quiet down. There was a creaking on the staircase, and Rex appeared, hobbling down the steps. He turned the corner and the crowd parted for him. My breath caught in my chest: he still looked injured, but there were no new bruises. He limped into the center of the ring, face grim and serious. He looked at me and I met his deep green eyes. I saw something pass over his expression, a kind of rage I’d never witnessed before, but it was quickly gone, and he looked away. I didn’t understand why he was limping, but I told myself I would trust him.