Protect & Serve(149)

“Yeah, he and Kevin’s dad go way back. I’m surprised he let me stick around as long as he did before…”

“He fired you?!”

“Suspended, but yeah, it’s only a matter of time.”

“That’s bullshit! They can’t do that. Don’t worry Bri, we’ll sue them for unfair termination. I’ll make sure they give you back pay and everything. Places like that think they can fuck with people, but they don’t have any clue what I can do to them. Forget about them pressing charges. I’ll get a whole team of lawyers to tear that place apart. They won’t know what hit them.”

“Luke, calm down. It’s okay.”

“I’m so sorry Bria. If that piece of shit wouldn’t have been there, then none of this would have happened. I should have waited to deal with him later. It’s just… when he tried to hit you… I saw red.”

“I know. I said it’s okay. At first I was devastated, but I’ve had the last couple of days to think it over and it might actually turn out to be a good thing.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I’ll have to sell my car to pay the bills and that’s gonna suck. But this might be what I needed to get myself going. I already scheduled a day next month to take the bar exam.”

“That’s great. You’ll pass it. I know you will.”

“Thanks, Luke.”

There was another awkward pause.

“Hey, Bria?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s something else I needed to ask you.”

“I’m listening.”

“I want you to fly out here for the fight. Will you do it?”

“It’s tomorrow night, Luke. It’s too late. Besides, I told you, you don’t have to make anything up to me. I’m doing fine.”

“I’m not trying to make anything up to you. I need you here. I haven’t been able to get my head straight since that day at your office. I thought I fucked everything up for good.”

“That’s… Luke, this is last minute. I can’t afford a flight out there on such short notice...”

“I’ll have the promoter send a jet to pick you up. Please, Bria. I can’t win without you.”

“I don’t know…”

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. If I go in there tomorrow night feeling like this I’ll get my ass kicked.”

“I have a hard time believing that.”

“C’mon. It’s not like you have a job to be at tomorrow.”

I could tell she was smiling now.

“That’s a low blow.”

“Does that mean yes?”

“Yes,” she said. “If you really want me.”

“I don’t just want you. I need you. We can make this work. After we get through tomorrow night it will be like a fresh start for both of us. We can still do everything we talked about. Are you in?

“I’m in.”

I spent the next half hour threatening the promoter.

“Don, if you don’t send that jet to pick her up, I won’t fight. It’s as easy as that.”

“Listen god damn it,” he said, “I can’t send the company jet half way across the county just so you can have your little girlfriend here. Your demands are getting out of control and I have to draw the line somewhere.”

“You know you can make this happen. And you will, because it’s not going to be easy to find a replacement challenger for a title fight on less than twenty-four hours’ notice.”

The stress of his job was doing a number on his face. Despite the thousands he no doubt spent on Botox injections, you could still see the deep lines in his forehead.

“You’re a real asshole, you know that Greer? Okay, I’ll take care of it. My assistant will get you the information.”

“I’ll make it up to you.”

“You damn well better.”

Bria was ecstatic when I called her with the details. The fastest the jet could make it there was in the afternoon. It would be close, but she would make it in time for the fight.

It felt like a million pounds had been lifted off my shoulders. Knowing that my girl would be in my corner meant I could focus all of my attention on the task at hand.

I made it back to the room a little before midnight.

“What the fuck, kid? There you are. We’ve been going crazy looking for you,” said Jimmy.

“Had a little business to take care of coach, that’s all.” I threw a playful jab at his stomach.

“Business? Jesus you could have given us a little warning. Or at least answered you phone. We thought you bailed on the whole thing.”

“Naw, I never thought that, Luke,” yelled Nick from his spot on the couch. “Never doubted you once.”