The Fire In Me (Ryder) (COMPLETED) 1 ✔️

Chapter Sixty-Five Man Of My Word

I Did Something Bad- Taylor Swift

     "Ryder, maybe you shouldn't do this," Dylan says nervously. I don't know why he is so nervous, maybe because I am angrier than hell, maybe because every man we see in here is six thousand feet tall and very, very buff, or maybe it is because he's finally realized he doesn't want to die by Dallas' hand. I don't know. Maybe it's none of those, but I'm really thinking it's the last one, but he's not the only one nervous. I'm not really, but I have a terrible feeling in my stomach that I kept ignoring or doing my best to.

     "If you don't want to be here, Dylan, then you can leave. I'm not leaving. I'm not afraid of Dallas, I'm not afraid of these men, and I need to let this anger out on people that don't care rather than you, Rocco, or Dallas. Or Thomas. Remember what I did to Adam? Dylan, I need to let my anger out so I don't snap like that on any of you. These people are willing to fight, they're used to fighting, but so am I. I can do this, so please let me." I say, pleading with my eyes.

     "You know Dallas will notice if you have one single bruise on your face?" Dylan asks, raising his eyebrows. "What are you gonna do about that? What if you have more than one bruise on your face? What if you come back and your whole face is swollen? What about your abdomen? Dallas would kill you if you were beaten up badly."

     "Hey, you ready to fight?" Carl asks, and I hold up my hand facing Dylan fully. My eyes catch a hooded figure through the crowd behind us, but I shake my head and stare Dylan in the eyes.

     "Dylan, I've been shot," I say holding up a finger. "I've been beaten up to the point where I lost a baby." I hold up another finger. "My bike exploded along with some guy who stole my keys." I hold up another finger. "Before that, I was kidnapped. A man carved his name into my stomach," I hold up two more fingers. "I'm sure I can handle an angry Dallas. I've done it before."

     "Just, don't lose yourself out there, okay?" I roll my eyes, nodding.

     "You're up, Ryder." Carl says as I pull up my hood to cover my face.

     "Can't make any promises." I shrug as Carl pulls me away and through the crowd to the ring. I turn around facing the ring seeing a big man in there already. I pop my knuckles before doing my neck and then flex my shoulders getting ready.

     "How can someone as tiny as you make popping your knuckles seem scary?" Carl asks as I grab the ropes to jump in but I give him one last look, smiling.

     "A lot of practice." I say and then I jump into the ring facing my opponent. If I never fought before, I'd be scared. I flex my wrapped hands and I give my right hand a glance. Please don't fail me now. The man swings a slow but probably powerful swing and I quickly duck and spin behind him. I kick him and he falls against the ropes. I just need to get him tired. I need to wait him out. The man pushes off the ropes and faces me angrily. Get him tired. No problem, right? He swings again and again, but I ducked each time spinning away from him.

     It was almost like a game of cat and mouse, and the cat wasn't getting tired from chasing the mouse, he was getting angry. That means, his punches will be more challenging. Just don't get hit. Easy. Maybe. The man faces me and he growls with anger. Yeah, he's definitely mad. Maybe I should stop running and fight? Okay, just don't die. Not a problem. I can do this. I can't do this. He swings his fist and I block him punching him in the stomach before punching him again making him step back. I start to punch again but he blocks it so I punch him in the face with my other fist.

     He falls to the ground with a thud before he slowly stands again facing me. Now, I could see he was getting tired. This is my one chance to actually fight. So I do. I go to him punching him with hard strikes to the face and the stomach until finally he falls to the ground and doesn't get up. Men carry him out as I look at Dylan and he nods at me. I nod back, about to turn around, but I stop when the door opens and Rocco walks in. Uh oh. If he's here that means... the door opens again and Dallas walks in, taking a look around the room. This- this isn't good.