Roses POV
I did my same morning routine.
Wake up.
Eat.
Train.
Everyday I have done it.
My hand has gotten so much better. These two weeks I didn't use my hand that much.
But now that it's healed I am planning to go to the street fighting tonight.
I jumped the rope meanwhile the boys were fighting with each other.
I chuckled at them since Ace has lost all the fights.
"Come on, I gave you advantage this time." Stephen helped Ace stand up.
"No you didn't!" He said all sweaty and out of breath.
I heard the door open and Amanda, Sara and Lorenzo come in.
"Hey guys! We decided to join your training for the first time." Amanda said walking towards the ring.
"Have you ever fought before?" I chuckled. I know Sara has, but I know Amanda doesn't even know how to throw a punch.
She is very fit to be honest, but we have never brought her to any fight or any dangerous thing involved.
Sara obviously has. She always attends the street fighting where her cousin Santos works. Lorenzo told me she is very good at weapons.
If you are wondering...Lorenzo and Sara are kind of a thing right now.
It's not official yet.
But still, they are kind of together.
"I haven't, but you can teach me." She gave us a small smile.
"This will take a while for you to learn." Ace laughed.
"Shut up, I bet she will be better than you." Stephen said coming down the ring towards me.
I handed him the rope and he started jumping.
"Okay I can teach you the basics and later Lorenzo and the boys can teach you some tricks." I said. I grabbed some bandages and started putting them in her hands. I tried to layer them so she won't get hurt.
-
First, Amanda started doing some cardio and jumped the rope for a few minutes. I showed her the basics of how to punch and in which correct way to fold her fingers and hand.
Actually she became really good at it.
Lorenzo walked towards me, "Rose can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure," we walked out of the training room and went to the kitchen.
"Hey, I know Connors passing was two months ago and I wanted to ask if there was going to be a memorial for him?" I never thought that question was going to be asked.
It never crossed my mind once.
Making a memorial will be hard, but attending to it will be worse.
I know it's the right thing to do.
"Yes, we can plan it next week." I gave him a small smile.
"Oh and Rose!" Before I could go downstairs Lorenzo stopped me for a second.
"Have you heard anything about Jason?"
"No I haven't."
"I may call him so he can come tomorrow if that's okay with you." He said.
"Sure, that's a good idea."
After two months, seeing Jason again makes me nervous.
The last time I saw him was when I was told Connor died.
I started to shake in his embrace afraid of what he was about to tell me.
"Rose..." He whispered, "I am so sorry."
"It's not true.." my voice cracked at the end of my sentence, "He can't be..."
Hopeless.
Devastated.
I can't explain how I feel.
The world turned into a blur, and so did all the sounds. The taste. The smell.
Everything was just gone.
I paused trying to hold back the strange feelings rumbling inside me but I couldn't. Tears traced down my cheek, and just like that, I cried nonstop.
So many tears burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down my face. My chin trembled as if I was a small child.
I breathed heavier than I ever had before. I was gasping for air that simply wasn't there.
I lost him.
He is gone.
As much as I tried to hold it in, the pain came out like an uproar from my throat in the form of a silent scream.
I haven't felt that much pain before.
Losing the only family I have left, brakes me.
I feel like I am drowning and there is no hope of being saved. The blackness of my memories start to spread through my mind, clouding my thoughts and taking me back to places I never wanted to revisit.
All the pain I used to feel when my parents died, came back to me but even worse.
"Everything will be okay." Jason whispered, holding me in his strong arms.
I could feel myself shaking in his embrace.
After training we all decide to eat lunch together.
"Guys, what if tonight we go to a street fight?" Ace asked.
"Sure." I said looking towards him, "for the first time Amanda can go and know what it's like."
I could see how excited she looked.
"I don't think it's a good idea." Lorenzo says, "all the time we go something goes wrong."
"But this time nothing bad will happen." Sara said, they were both hugging each other, I knew if Sara said Yes Lorenzo will definitely go.
"But no one will fight tonight."
Fuck
I was planning on fighting someone since I haven't been there for a few weeks but I guess tonight won't happen.
"Okay." Everyone said in unison.
-
There were a lot of people as always.
Girls with small skirts and a lot of men.
Most of the people here knew who I was. I didn't know how, but they knew.
"Wow it's really crowded." Amanda said to me, coming a little bit closer to Stephen. Sara was next to Lorenzo and he had his arm around her.
He was making sure no one touched her.
I was with Ace, Stephen and Amanda. I made sure Amanda was between us so no one could harm her.
Men in this place are real perverts and can grab her immediately.
That's the reason the first time I came to a street fighting, Jason never left my side.
Not even once.
"I am going for a drink." I said to Stephen.
"Okay but if you need anything call me." He said. Ace and Stephen were on both sides of Amanda. She was in the middle.
I walked towards the bar ready to take a few shots and some whiskey.
"Rose! So much time since I last saw you." Marcus said.
"It was only two weeks." I chuckled, sitting down in front of the bar looking at him.
Marcus is really attractive but much older than me, he became a really good friend of mine when I started coming. He works as a bartender and has kept me company since the first day that I came.
"What happened?" He asked.
Marcus has gorgeous hazel eyes and curly hair.
"I sprained my wrist."
"I told you a thousand times not to hit that hard." He chuckled, He purred two small shots in front of me.
"I know I know." I grabbed the small glass and drank the two shots easily.
"Rough day?"
"Rough months." I chuckled.
"Want the usual?" He asked for the bottle of whiskey and a small glass with ice.
"Please."
I looked behind me watching two men fight against each other.
"Do you know who the owner is?" I asked Marcus.
"Damon Ray, East Side leader." I looked at him shocked.
"Really?"
"Yes, he is usually upstairs working."
"I never thought he owned this place. I have never seen him down here."
"Well he does, he knows about you fighting here."
"That's a good thing?"
"Of course, you always get him a lot of money," he said, pouring me more whiskey "People bet and he always wins."
"So every time I win a fight he wins money."
"Yes and you make me win a lot." A deep rough voice said from behind.
I looked at his brown eyes, he is really tall and has blonde hair.
"I haven't seen you in months." I said.
"How have you been?" He walked towards me and sat down.
"Okay, everything is normal."
"I am sorry about Connor." He said.
"It's fine." I grabbed my drink and took a sip.
"That's the reason you are always here right?" I looked at him weirdly.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"The only way to forget is to do something you like." Damon looked towards the ring where the two men kept fighting.
"I know it's not the right thing but at least it helps." I sighed.
"When are you making yourself official?"
I was thinking of making myself the leader in a month.
Or after the memorial.
"Maybe later this month." I said.
"If you need anything remember you can count on us." said Damon, "your brother helped a lot of people and I know they will support you becoming the new leader."
"Connor was such a wonderful man and he will always be remembered." A small smile formed in his lips.
"Take care of yourself King. You never know when things go down the hill." He said grabbing my drink and taking a huge swallow.
"See you tomorrow?" He asked.
"As always."
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