Fight For You

Chapter 8

The Candy Shop wasn't in any better of a neighborhood than the gym, but that didn't stop people from coming to a strip club. I guess that's why the promoters decided to do the match here. They figured the same people that liked to watch women take their clothes off also liked to watch grown men beat the shit out of each other.

A lot of guys just wanted to pound their fists into something, but that wasn't my deal. I had enough bloodshed in my life. I did it to escape my reality. Fighting in the cage was the only thing that ever made sense to me. Once my gloves went on I was in the zone.

I pulled into a parking spot toward the back of the lot. I didn't want to draw any attention to my car, or to me for that matter. People knew me as El Principe in the ring, but most figured it was a stage name. Anyone who figured out I was son of the biggest Don in Chicago, just wanted to see me shed some blood.

I grabbed my bag out of the back of the car and turned toward the strip club, spotting Jackie's silhouette standing near a back door. I wasn't sure it was her until she turned slightly and I caught a glimpse of her bright green eyes. I didn't care that she wasn't the traditional blonde haired, blue eyed, big titted girl that all of my guys usually got hard for. She was dark and sensual. Almost untouchable.

But I'd had her once before and I knew she was there for me which made me think of other things than beating the shit out of some guy and what I could do to her outside of the ring. I took a few steps forward, ready to approach the dark-haired angel, but another guy beat me to the punch: her ex-boyfriend Emilio. Who the hell invited him to the fight?

I ducked to the side, hiding in the shadows. The last thing I needed was to be DQ'ed because I got in some brawl in the parking lot with a fucking gang banger. But I had to make sure Jackie was safe, so I kept a close distance and watched, because if he did do something stupid I would make sure that he paid.

She stood with her arms crossed over her chest as soon as he approached, narrowing her eyes. Good, at least she didn't want him here. He smiled, arms extended. He wore a red tank top, revealing arms that were covered in tattoos, and not ones that looked like they were done in a shop. These looked more like badly drawn prison tats.

"Hey, Jackie," he sneered. "Didn't expect to see you here.

"What the fuck do you want, Emilio?"

"Ouch. My heart." I couldn't see his face, but his words dripped with sarcasm. I didn't know what the fucker was up to, but it was getting hard to hold myself back.

"Look, I don't want any trouble. I'm just here to see the fight, okay?" She turned toward the door and he grasped her arm, jerking her back toward him. A muffled cry escaped her lips as he spun her around to face him.

It took everything in my power not to move.

"Don't fucking lie to me, bitch. I know you're here to see Nicky Ragusa, fucking El Principe. My brothers told me that you were running around with him. Heard he even got you a sweet little bike. Aint that nice?" His greasy hand was wrapped so tightly around her arm I knew he was leaving bruises.

"Yes, Emilio, I'm here to see Nicky. Is that what you want to hear?" The words came out a garbled mess. This was not the tough chick that walked into my office. She genuinely feared for her life.

I couldn't take it anymore. If it meant that I was disqualified then fuck it. I had to save her. I clenched my fists and slowly walked out of the shadows. But the crunching of gravel and the echoes of laughter alerted me that people were approaching and it brought me back to reality.

I couldn't start a fight in the middle of the parking lot. Not when there were witnesses. People walked by and offered a polite smile. I glanced back to where Jackie and Emilio were standing, but they were both gone.