"Done," Hawk said, handing cane the letter and crossing his arms.
"Now, Hawk, be rational about this," Cane started. Hawk stared at him with weirdly calm eyes considering that for the past 36 hours he had destroyed everyone and everything he came into contact with, except for Cecelia, and his eyes had been a darker green than anyone had ever seen them. Now he was just...calm.
"I am being rational about it," Hawk cut in. "Perfectly rational. You like lists, Cane, how about pros and cons, huh? Pros of purposely losing the fight, I get Hazel back. Con, I lose a couple million dollars and national recognition. There isn't even a fucking choice."
Cane stared at Hawk for a few seconds before cursing violently and starting to pace.
"I know, all right? Obviously, the right thing to do is to lose the fight, I just...fuck," Cane sat down and ran a hand violently through his hair.
"I'm calling the motherfucker," Hawk said, typing the numbers listen on the letter into his phone, trying not to break it in the process.
After two rings, a pleasant British voice answered.
"Hello, Mr. Davila, pleasure to finally talk to you," it said.
"I'll lose, just give me Hazel," Hawk growled.
"Now, do you think I'm stupid? I'll give you back your adorable little girlfriend after the fight, but no sooner."
Hawk's eyes widened incredulously.
"Fuck, no, that's not for two and a half days!" he roared.
"Very good math, Hawkins, looks like the stereotype about jocks doesn't extend to fighters," the British ass cooed.
"Listen you little shit-"
"Such hostility!" the man said in a jovial tone.
"I'll sign a contract, whatever I have to do to get Hazel back now," Hawk said, his voice strained due to the effort he was exerting to keep it calm.
"I apologize, Mr. Davila, but I simply cannot let you have her until after you lose this fight," the man said, sounding not at all sorry.
Hawk put his phone on mute and turned to Cane.
"Can we trace this call?" he asked.
Cane nodded and started walking into a room connected to the office they had been talking in.
He sat down at a computer and started furiously typing. Hawk turned his phone off mute.
"Just let me talk to her," he said in a low voice.
"Ahh, that I can do," the man said.
A few seconds passed in silence before the man spoke again.
"All right, Hawkins, you're on speaker," he said.
"Hazel?" Hawk tested.
He heard a muffled sound and his jaw turned into granite, knowing she was gagged.
"Baby, I'll get you back, all right? I'm going to lose this fight, and then you'll be back, and everything will go back to normal. You can start planning our wedding for like six years from now, and we can start working on those kids you don't want, and the guy holding the phone right now will be dead."
Hawk heard chuckling from the man and wanted to throw something.
"How cute it is that you're making threats when I'm the one with your girlfriend bound and gagged. She is beautiful, isn't she?"
Hawk narrowed his eyes.
"How cute that you think I'm making threats," he responded in a barely controlled voice.
There was a long pause then Hawk heard a muffled scream. Even through the cloth, he could tell there was some serious pain behind that scream.
"Stop!" he shouted. "I'm sorry, okay? Whatever you're doing, just stop, please. Stop."
The screams cut off and Hawk closed his eyes.
"Just fucking stop," he whispered in a hoarse voice.
"Hawk," Cane whispered. Hawk lifted his head and Cane's eyes widened at the raw pain in them, but otherwise made no response. "I got the trace," he mouthed.
Hawk nodded.
"I-" but he broke off when there was a beep, signaling the man having hung up.
Hawk stared at his phone for a few seconds before throwing it at the wall with a loud roar.
He dropped into a crouch and held his face in both hands, scrubbing violently, trying to keep out the sounds of Hazel's screams.
Remi Christen walked into his coach's hotel room and looked around warily. The dude was a damned good coach, but he had always given Remi the creeps.
"Maury!" he shouted.
There was no response.
He walked into the living room and, right as he was about to call his name again, Maury walked in, looking rather frazzled.
"Remi, what are you doing here?" he asked, attempting to smooth down his hair with one hand.
"You didn't show up to practice, I got worried," Remi stated, his eyes narrowing. Maury had four long scratches going down the side of his face that wasn't scarred, and the skin on his knuckles was torn and bleeding.
"Oh, no reason to be worried, my boy, I'm just feeling a little under the weather," Maury stated with a cheerful smile, folding his hands behind his back. Remi jutted his chin in Maury's direction, his face still suspicious.
"What happened to your face?"
Maury's hand went up to touch the scratched and his eyes widened momentarily before he composed himself.
"Oh, I was trying to feed this homeless cat I found, and I must have gotten to close for it's liking," Maury said, waving his hand.
"You tried to feed a homeless cat?" Remi asked incredulously, thinking that Maury was opposed to pound adoption and thought that the animals should all just be put down.
"Yes," Maury said.
"I don't buy it," Remi said straight up, crossing his big arms over his chest, "what's really going on?"
"Noth-"
There was a crash and a muffled screaming and Remi watched as Maury slowly closed his eyes and cursed.
Remi shot past Maury, ignoring the man's protests, and into the bedroom and came face to face with a beautiful girl struggling to cut the cloth ties on her wrists using the sharp edge of a wooden chair she had just broken. Her head snapped up and her eyes grew wide as she stumbled back. Remi took in her bruised face and gagged mouth and immediately held up his hands in a non threatening way.
"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you all right?" he said softly.
Her eyes narrowed in disbelief.
Maury came in and took her in.
"Fucking wildcat," Maury spat, attempting to storm forward. Remi held out a hand, blocking Maury's advances, without taking his eyes off of the girl.
"What's your name?" he asked softly.
Her eyes turned coldly mocking and narrowed.
Two muffled syllables came out and though he couldn't understand it, Remi would have bet money that she said "really?"
"Oh, right, shit," he said, pushing Maury back into a dresser. Maury stumbled and slid to the floor, watching everything play out with wide eyes. Remi came forward and carefully removed the tape keeping in the cloth. The girl flinched once, but other than that showed no pain. He pulled out the gag and she drew in a deep breath before exhaling loudly.
"Hands, please," she said in a slightly raspy voice. He quickly untied her hands and she rolled both wrists, cracking them, before extending a hand.
"Hazel Somers," she said with a small smile.
Remi took her hand and shook it once.
"Remi Christen," he said, taking her hand and shaking it once.
"Can I borrow your phone?" she asked.
"Yeah, sure, let me just-"
There was a loud bang from the front, and Remi and Hazel both rushed into the living room to find a very big very pissed off Hawkins Davila looking around the room with dark green eyes.
"Hawk," Remi heard Hazel.
Hawkins eyes slid through Remi, but stuck on Hazel.
"Fucking A, baby," he growled, coming forward and folding her into his big body. She wrapped her arms around his waist and tucked her face into his chest, and he buried his face in her hair and closed his eyes, his arms becoming steel bands around her back.
After a few seconds, Hawk came back to himself and brought Hazel behind him, giving Remi a once over.
"Did you fucking know about this?" Hawkins asked.
Remi quickly connected the dots with Maury and Hazel being Hawk's girl and shook his head.
"Fuck, no, man. I don't play that way. When we fight in a few days, if you lose, it will be because I'm a better fighter, not because my coach is holding your girlfriend hostage. I mean, shit, that's messed up," Remi said, his eyes sliding to Maury, who suddenly looked very scared.
"Agreed," Hawk said in a low voice.
"Hawk?" Hazel said softly.
"Yeah, baby?" Hawk said , tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and leaning down a little.
"I know that you're gunna fuck him up, but can I have the first punch?" she asked.
Remi blinked and Hawk smiled.
"Of course, Hazel."
She grinned and leaned up on her toes to give him a small kiss. Which he quickly turned into a mini makeout session. Which she ended when Remi shifted uncomfortably on his feet.
Hazel went over to where Maury was and gave him a saccharine sweet smile.
"You have five seconds to stand up, you sick asshole."
Remi again blinked in shock and glanced at Hawk, who simply shrugged.
"She's violent, it's why I'm marrying her."
"False," Hazel said, not taking her eyes off of Maury, who was slowly standing up, "you're marrying me for my cooking skills."
"False," Hawk shot back, "you can't cook worth shit."
"This is true," Hazel muttered, getting in the stance Hawk taught her.
"Oh when's the wedding?" Remi asked.
Hazel shot out with her right fist and Maury actually stumbled back a few steps and grabbed his nose.
"You broke my fucking nose!"
"I don't know, probably like five, six years," Hawk shrugged.
"You're totally invited," Hazel said with a grin.
Hawk pulled her back into him and she wrapped her arms around his abs and smiled up at him.
"Totally," Hawk muttered, leaning down and brushing a kiss against her forehead.
"Even if I win?" Remi asked.
Hawk and Hazel exchanged a glance and simultaneously burst out laughing.