When tragedy strikes in the ring, Giovanni Bravo falls into a deep depression, walking away from his dream of boxing to train instead. He agrees to a two month get-away, helping train Felix Sanchez, his high school buddy and now welterweight champ o...
The bloody mouthpiece flying through the air in slow motion as Trinidad's lifeless body hit the floor was just one of the things from that day that would forever be seared into Giovanni Bravo's memory. The screaming was the other. The ref jumped in front of Gio as if he'd even think of still going after Trinidad.
Trinidad lay there completely out, and within minutes, it was chaos. He wasn't breathing. The buzzing in Gio's ears got louder as the medics jumped into the ring and began trying resuscitation. People in the audience stood in motionless silence, most holding their hands to their mouths, looking as stunned as Gio felt. He froze where he stood, not even noticing that Abel and Jack stood by his side.
They started CPR on Trinidad, pounding forcefully on his chest. That's when the screaming started. The paramedics placed him on a stretcher, continuing to pound on his chest. Trinidad's pregnant wife's screams grew louder as a few people struggled to hold her back.
"You okay?" Jack asked, looking very concerned.
Gio glanced at him for a moment, nodding, but his eyes went back to the stretcher now being rushed out of the stadium. "He's not responding," he heard himself say.
"He'll be okay," Abel said, placing his hand on Gio's shoulder. "He just went down pretty hard."
Trinidad was pronounced dead before he ever reached the hospital. Dead at only twenty-two—and Gio had killed him.
Chapter 1
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The broadcaster on the small television in Gio's garage stood outside the cemetery where services for Trinidad had been held. The light from the television screen was the only thing that illuminated the otherwise dark garage. Gio wasn't even listening anymore. He'd stopped listening hours ago, but still, he sat there on his Raiders beanbag, like he had for days, staring at the screen.
The knock at the door was soft, and he didn't bother responding. Someone opened it anyway and walked in. Gio's eyes never left the screen that now panned out, showing the mourners entering their cars as the recording of the broadcast of the services played on. Trinidad had been buried days ago. Gio had already watched this footage repeatedly. Just like the first time, he felt numb each time he watched it again, but he couldn't tear himself away from the television.
"Hey."
Without looking away from the screen, Gio lifted his chin. It was the only response he showed to hearing his Noah, best friend's voice.
"Roni made zucchini bread. She wanted me to bring you some."
"Cool. Tell her I said thanks."
Noah took a step forward, pulling the string above Gio's head to turn the lights on and turning off the television. "You gotta stop this, G. Your mom's worried. She asked me to come over and talk to you. I was going to anyway. Everyone's worried, man."
