Fire. Fireballs. Blaze…
He sped up, steeling himself for what was coming next. He drew close enough to make out the empty beer bottles scattered around the fire, but he knew that the darkness prevented them from seeing him.
Marcus was raising a bottle of beer to his lips as Will lowered his shoulder and slammed into him from the back, just below his neck. He felt Marcus’s back whiplash under the impact, the only sound a painful gasp as Will drove him forward into the sand.
Will knew he had to move quickly, in order to reach Teddy before he or his brother could react. The sight of Marcus suddenly being driven to the ground seemed to paralyze them, though, and after Will drove a knee into Marcus’s back, he lunged toward Teddy, his legs moving like pistons, driving him back over the driftwood. Will landed on top of Teddy, but instead of using his fists, he reared back and slammed his forehead down onto Teddy’s nose.
He felt it crunch as it was flattened under the impact. Will rose quickly, ignoring the sight of Teddy rolling on the ground, hands to his face and blood spurting between his fingers, his screams partially muffled by the sound of him gagging.
Lance was already on the move and charging as Will took one large step back, keeping his distance. Lance was almost on him and going low when Will suddenly drove his knee upward, feeling as it connected with Lance’s face. Lance’s head whipped back and he was unconscious before he hit the ground.
Two down, one to go.
By then, Marcus was staggering to his feet. He grabbed a piece of driftwood and backed away as Will moved forward. But the last thing Will wanted was for Marcus to be able to position his feet before swinging. Will charged. Marcus swung the wood, but the strike was weak and Will batted it aside before smashing into Marcus’s chest. He wrapped his arms around him, locking them and lifting, using the momentum to drive Marcus back. It was a picture-perfect football tackle, and Marcus was slammed onto his back.
Will brought his full weight down on top of Marcus, and as he’d done with Teddy, he head-butted Marcus as hard as he could.
He felt the same crunching of bone, but this time he didn’t stop there. Instead, he smashed Marcus with his fist. He hit him again and again, giving in to the rage, unleashing his fury at the impotence he’d felt ever since the fire. He hit Marcus in the ear, then hit his ear again. Marcus’s screams only enraged him further. He swung again, this time aiming for the nose he’d already broken—when suddenly he felt someone seize his arm.
He turned, ready for Teddy, but it was Ronnie holding his arm, a terrified expression on her face.
“Stop! He’s not worth going to jail for!” she screamed. “Don’t ruin your life for him!”
He barely heard her, but he registered her tugging as she began trying to pull him off.
“Please, Will,” she said, her voice shaking. “You’re not like him. You have a future. Don’t throw it all away.”
As she gradually loosened her grip, he felt his energy drain away. He struggled to stand, the adrenaline leaving him shaky and off balance. Ronnie slipped an arm around his waist, and they slowly began walking back to the truck.
The next morning, he went to work with his hand aching, only to find Scott waiting for him in the small locker room. As Scott pulled up his coverall, he glared at Will before shrugging the one-piece over his shoulders.
“You didn’t have to quit the match,” he said, pulling up the zipper. “The paramedics were there the whole time.”
“I know,” Will said. “I wasn’t thinking. I’d seen them earlier, but I forgot. I’m sorry about having to forfeit the match.”
“Yeah, well, so am I,” Scott snapped. He reached for a rag and tucked it into his belt. “We could have won it all, but you had to rush off to play hero.”
“Scott, man, she needed help—”
“Yeah? And why did it have to be you? Why couldn’t you wait for help? Why didn’t you call 911? Why did you have to haul her off in your truck?”
“I told you—I forgot the paramedics were there. I thought it would take too long for an ambulance to arrive…”
Scott slammed his fist against the locker. “But you don’t even like her!” he shouted. “You don’t even know her anymore! Yeah, if it was Ashley or Cassie or even Ronnie, I could understand it. Hell, if it was a stranger, I could understand it. But Blaze? Blaze? The same chick who’s gonna send your girlfriend to jail? The chick that hangs out with Marcus?” Scott took a step toward him. “Do you think for a second she would have done the same for you? If you were hurt and you needed help? Not a chance!”