"You what?" Alessandro gaped at me. I kept cracking my knuckles and rubbing my neck. I knew tonight everything was on the line for me. For her. "Are you outta your fucking mind?" He added for good measure.
I was at Giana's place visiting the kid. Alessandro had been with her taking care of the baby, and when G left the room to feed baby Matteo I told Ale about the fight set up for tonight against Andrei.
"What other choice did I have? It's the only way I could think of to save Lexi from this bullshit arrangement" I huffed. Alessandro gave me a funny look. "Why does that responsibility fall on you?" He asked me. Ah fuck. Of course that wouldn't make sense to him. He doesn't know my history with her.
"Because I've been there time and again while Enzo and her butt heads. They'll both be miserable and I don't want that for my cousin either" I bullshitted. I didn't mention him getting drunk and pushing her, but I had plenty of reasons to do what I did. I'm just hoping Lexi sees it that way.
It sounds bad when I say I 'won' her. I know she won't take kindly to that. Even if it is to save her from Enzo, it'll still be bargaining off her freedom, and taking her for myself in a damn bride swap.
"Andrei has a reputation, Rizzo. He's a beast. And he's fucking nuts. Those aren't the type of men you wanna fight. He's gonna try and kill you" he told me like I didn't already know it. That's why I've been fidgeting all day. I'm anxious about this one. I'm trying to mentally prepare, but there is no way to prepare for it.
I can prep for a fight, sure. I do that all the time when I set up a fight for myself in the Underground. But this is an entirely different situation. This isn't two men fighting for fighting's sake. This has weight behind it. It has consequences within it.
And my opponent is someone I'm not entirely sure I can beat. And Anthony Rizzo doesn't say that very often. I have no idea if I can beat Andrei Petrov in a bare knuckle fight to metaphorical death. Or at least I hope it's metaphorical.
Christ. What have I gotten myself into?
Alessandro leaned back on my cousin's sofa and released a breath through flapping lips. "I'll come tonight. For support" he told me finally. He knows he can't talk me out of this. "Does Enzo know?" He asked me next. I rubbed my jaw and shook my head no. Enzo was inside his house when I made this deal with the guys.
"You should tell him, Rizzo. Not just for support, but because you're trying to pouch the dude's wife" he called me out. I snorted. That's laughable.
"It's not his wife. He doesn't give a fuck about her. Besides, Enzo and I are in a disagreement at the moment. Better I just leave him alone" I told him. I know Enzo is boiling somewhere with a very bruised face and jaw.
I don't know what'll come of it, but I feel like this issue isn't just over. Not when I beat Enzo's ass like that. I've never done that to him before. All that has to sit on the back burner though. After tonight I'll face the rest.
"Disagreement?" Alessandro raised a dark brow. I waved him off. "What are we fucking gossiping?" I deflected.
"Yeah, alright, whatever. Go eat your wheaties or find yourself some spinach popeye, cuz tonight you're gonna need it."
-
I guess Alessandro is a fucking gossip because I think just about everybody showed up to the Underground tonight to watch this fight. They were all circled around me telling me I'm the best fighter they know, that I'm gonna beat his ass, and shaking my shoulders to get my blood pumping.
This would be right around the time that I'd be wrapping my knuckles for the fight, but Andrei requested bare knuckle fighting, and I wasn't in a position to deny him, so I was only in a pair of shorts. No shoes, no shirt, no jewelry.
I can't remember a time where the place has been so crowded. I've seen big crowds in my fight clubs, sure, but this one out does them all. We had our usual crowd, but we also had all the Italian mobsters tonight, and all the Bratva mobsters too. Even Vitaly was here.
I hadn't laid eyes on Andrei yet. He was in one corner of the joint and I was at the other. I needed to get in the zone, so I took a moment for myself and left the guys.
Lexi had texted me a while earlier with a selfie of her with a sunset behind her in London. The message attached said, "Never got to thank you for your help the other night. Andrei mentioned you 'handling' Enzo the following morning. Anyways...here's a pretty view. The sunset of course, not me" with a smirking emoji attached.
I zoomed into the picture and looked at her. That soft creamy skin so flawless from her face to her body. Those blue eyes, so blue they've become its own shade of color for me. Those gorgeous pink lips, so full and kissable. Her hair that's so blonde, so soft, and smells like green apples.
I thought about her wit, and sarcasm, and her knack for rambling about books and making it somehow interesting to a guy like me anyways.
As much as I don't want to be married or settle down with a woman, I know I'm the better choice for her. Enzo wouldn't care about her activism, or books she's read, or keep up with her banter. She'd wilt beneath him when I saw her blossom for me.
I'm her first. I know her body in an intimate way that no one else has.
I know I lose my freedom if I actually win this fight and Lexi marries me, but we can divorce at any point once the heat of this contract dies down in a couple years or so. If nothing else I believe Lexi is my friend. We can figure things out until that day comes where we part.
Whenever I fight I always fight to forget. This is the first time I am fighting to remember. I have to remember what I'm fighting for. Her.
-
The circle wasn't very wide since the crowd was accommodating for space. Guys were standing on plastic chairs in the back rows to be able to see over all the other heads. Andrei was standing before me bare knuckled and shirtless too. All his dark ink was like war paint across his beastly figure.
We were both moving in place to keep our muscles warmed up as the announcer spoke. The crowd went eerily silent when he explained the rules.
"Gentlemen, tonight we've got ourselves a first time fighter. Andrei Petrov. He comes to us all the way from Russia, and his reputation tells us he knows a thing or two about fighting. And of course we have our one and only Anthony Rizzo as his opponent. I don't have to speak on his reputation, we all know it, so place your bets" he did his job and advertised the big fight for the bigger bets.
"Tonight we have ourselves a bare knuckled, no rules, match as per Andrei's request. And the bossman has agreed. So gentlemen, we have ourselves a gruesome one coming" he finished.
People started placing bets all the while I was watching my opponent. I need to understand him to beat him. Does he favor his right side? His left? All the noise behind me started to zone out into the background like it does before any of my fights. I clenched and unclenched my fists.
'You can do this, Rizzo. Don't rush into anything. Learn about his movements a little bit before you strike' my mind's voice started coaching me as it does.
I could feel it against my flesh when all eyes shifted back to us, now that the bets are in and they're ready to watch us beat the shit outta each other. "FIGHT" the announcer called out. Here we go.
Andrei and I were both a few feet away circling each other trying to see if the other would strike first. My heart was pounding, but I told myself to settle down. I need my calm, clear head and I don't need to be outta breath before I even goddamn move. The adrenaline will build in due time.
The crowd was screaming so many different things none of it sounded like words anymore. Still my eyes stayed glued to the muscular and very tattooed man in front of me with violence dancing behind his eyes. It's a chilling glance.
Finally Andrei got sick of waiting and swung at me. I stepped back but he's quick. He went in for a second jab and hit my side. I responded with a faster return jab and hit him just the same. We both stepped back.
Now Andrei was jumping up and down jacking himself up, grinning like a madman. He wasted no time coming in for a few more hits. We exchanged a few blows and circled each other again. It went that way for however long until Andrei turned up the heat.
He lunged at me and we both went tumbling to the ground.
I don't like fighting on the ground. I'm a heavy hitter, which means I like to be standing on two feet so I can swing better and hit harder. Still I gotta take what I can get, so Andrei and I rolled and started elbowing each other in the ribs, the legs, and the side of the head. Both of us blocking and hitting back and forth.
I heard Russian shouts and they sounded vicious. I got into a position where I could fit my arm around Andrei's neck, so I slipped it around him and started for a choke hold.
Andrei stretched his body out trying to get out of the hold. He used his elbow to try and deter me by hurting my less protected sides. I had a good hold on him though, and I saw him choking for air. Then he head butt me.
I wasn't anticipating it, but then suddenly I felt this splitting pain against my mouth and instantly I knew he just re split my lip from the fight I had with Enzo. I felt the warm gush of blood and could taste the metallic in my mouth.
It was a hard enough hit to make me release my hold on his neck just enough that he could slip out of it. We both jumped back onto two legs. I spit blood at the crowd's feet. They started stomping and cheering. First draw of blood.
I came in hot swinging on Andrei to get him disoriented so I could hopefully knock him out, but he's a damn good fighter, and we just kept returning the blows to one another in a continuous and exhausting loop.
I was starting to get out of breath. You never wanna get tired in a fight either. I withdrew as best I could, to give myself one second of air, and loosen my tiring limbs. Andrei barely gave me the space or the seconds to do it before he was on me again.
Andrei kicked my leg with the side of his foot and the blow stung across my flesh, but my footing was strong so I didn't stumble. Maybe his arms are tired too, so he's using legs to give himself the break I just tired for. I didn't let that happen. I came in swinging again.
Blow for blow I hit Andrei's cheek bone, his eye brow, his eye brow again, and his side. The eye was starting to look plump. Soon it will swell. My knuckles were on fire from all the hard hits against bone.
His knuckles were as red as mine. He hit my forehead, my stomach, and kicked me good on my side enough to make me stumble. Fuck.