Two Weeks Ago.
They had been getting closer and closer. She was watched nearly nightly, and even overheard mentioning his name in public or with friends. He wasn't happy, not a bit.
"I'm bored Con," He said. "You know I don't like being bored."
Connor was busily preparing for the next match, "I don't have the time for this." He growled into the mirror he sparred with. "Not now."
"You used to just go, fight or not. Remember?" He said. "This is important," Connor said.
"For what? More date money' You are going soft."
"Shut.Up." Connor shattered the glass of the mirror, watching the shards crash down around his boots. "Don't talk about her."
"Remember how you met her" I set that up!" He said.
Connor remembered, how could he forget. The big man, with the knife, he'd been a patsy, set up to take a fall, but Connor had to actually take him down, as he didn't want to stop. The man was intent on hurting her, and that is how he met...Laura. She wasn't overly tall, but neither was he. Curves in the right places, Auburn hair, beautiful eyes. The first few visits were as friends, then a night of watching a movie, there was a kiss, followed by another. She was celebrating a victory, in a way, he was too.
"Hey, Sucker. Your time is up, there's a guy out there waiting to beat your ass, I hope that he knocks sense into you," he said with a cruel laugh. Connor shook his head and nodded to the other man with them the ready, and started moving lightly on his feet, bouncing and ducking imaginary blows.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, The Main Event! He's been making a name for himself, now he's come out to challenge the reigning champion. He's weighed in at One hundred eighty-two pounds, Spider O"Neil!" The crowd erupted, he had been making a name for himself. "The Reigning Champion, weighing in at Two hundred, thirty pounds....Mike "The Hammer" Hammerstein!" Again there was another explosion of applause. Connor sat in his corner on the small stool, waiting, then the Ref called them in, he kissed the cross around his neck. A listen to the rules he could repeat in his head, and back to the corner he went. There was a bell, and the World fell silent.
"Wake up!" he said with a slap to Con's face. "I can't believe you did that!" "Huh' What'd I do?" Connor was groggy, and his head was swimming, he knew he'd taken a few heavy punches, he could feel the burn, and the ache of the fight.
"You killed him, you sly Son of a Bitch!" He was too happy, so Connor knew he was telling the truth.
"I killed him?" Connor was not wanting to believe it.
"Third round, you put bone fragments into his brain! God I thought you'd gone soft, you had me fooled, and you know that's not easy."
"God," Connor sighed, "I'm sorry, Mike."
"Sorry for what? He knew the risks!" He scolded. "You were just better than he was. He didn't do you any favors with that right side."
While he spoke, the fight played out in Connor's head. The first punch to the right side of his head, followed with a bone jarring blow to the left side of his body. Someone screamed, and it was him. Another punch for distraction, then another blow to the body. Every hit made lights go off like flash bulbs behind his eyes, the pain was intense, and he could see him cheering him on as he took control of the fight. A right to his temple, left to the jaw. Stunned. Move around and rabbit punch his kidneys. The Bell. The second round was Mike's. The big man moved easily around the ring, even Connor had trouble keeping up with him. He could hear him screaming at him when the blows would come, but the world was dark, and blurry. The Bell. Third round, pain in the ribs like breathing battery acid. The fight had to end. Uppercut misjudged, and the sound of cartilage and bone breaking, and Mike's green eyes rolling back into his head, and again the world went dark.
"Laura," Connor said, as he sat up, and started for the showers.
"This isn't about her, it's time to celebrate!" he said.
"I am going to celebrate, without you."
He watched as Connor walked up the drive to Laura's house. He heard the dog, Buster as he yapped and yelped, recognizing Connor's scent. "You will need me, you know..." he warned into the night air. "You always do."
They had been getting closer and closer. She was watched nearly nightly, and even overheard mentioning his name in public or with friends. He wasn't happy, not a bit.
"I'm bored Con," He said. "You know I don't like being bored."
Connor was busily preparing for the next match, "I don't have the time for this." He growled into the mirror he sparred with. "Not now."
"You used to just go, fight or not. Remember?" He said. "This is important," Connor said.
"For what? More date money' You are going soft."
"Shut.Up." Connor shattered the glass of the mirror, watching the shards crash down around his boots. "Don't talk about her."
"Remember how you met her" I set that up!" He said.
Connor remembered, how could he forget. The big man, with the knife, he'd been a patsy, set up to take a fall, but Connor had to actually take him down, as he didn't want to stop. The man was intent on hurting her, and that is how he met...Laura. She wasn't overly tall, but neither was he. Curves in the right places, Auburn hair, beautiful eyes. The first few visits were as friends, then a night of watching a movie, there was a kiss, followed by another. She was celebrating a victory, in a way, he was too.
"Hey, Sucker. Your time is up, there's a guy out there waiting to beat your ass, I hope that he knocks sense into you," he said with a cruel laugh. Connor shook his head and nodded to the other man with them the ready, and started moving lightly on his feet, bouncing and ducking imaginary blows.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, The Main Event! He's been making a name for himself, now he's come out to challenge the reigning champion. He's weighed in at One hundred eighty-two pounds, Spider O"Neil!" The crowd erupted, he had been making a name for himself. "The Reigning Champion, weighing in at Two hundred, thirty pounds....Mike "The Hammer" Hammerstein!" Again there was another explosion of applause. Connor sat in his corner on the small stool, waiting, then the Ref called them in, he kissed the cross around his neck. A listen to the rules he could repeat in his head, and back to the corner he went. There was a bell, and the World fell silent.
"Wake up!" he said with a slap to Con's face. "I can't believe you did that!" "Huh' What'd I do?" Connor was groggy, and his head was swimming, he knew he'd taken a few heavy punches, he could feel the burn, and the ache of the fight.
"You killed him, you sly Son of a Bitch!" He was too happy, so Connor knew he was telling the truth.
"I killed him?" Connor was not wanting to believe it.
"Third round, you put bone fragments into his brain! God I thought you'd gone soft, you had me fooled, and you know that's not easy."
"God," Connor sighed, "I'm sorry, Mike."
"Sorry for what? He knew the risks!" He scolded. "You were just better than he was. He didn't do you any favors with that right side."
While he spoke, the fight played out in Connor's head. The first punch to the right side of his head, followed with a bone jarring blow to the left side of his body. Someone screamed, and it was him. Another punch for distraction, then another blow to the body. Every hit made lights go off like flash bulbs behind his eyes, the pain was intense, and he could see him cheering him on as he took control of the fight. A right to his temple, left to the jaw. Stunned. Move around and rabbit punch his kidneys. The Bell. The second round was Mike's. The big man moved easily around the ring, even Connor had trouble keeping up with him. He could hear him screaming at him when the blows would come, but the world was dark, and blurry. The Bell. Third round, pain in the ribs like breathing battery acid. The fight had to end. Uppercut misjudged, and the sound of cartilage and bone breaking, and Mike's green eyes rolling back into his head, and again the world went dark.
"Laura," Connor said, as he sat up, and started for the showers.
"This isn't about her, it's time to celebrate!" he said.
"I am going to celebrate, without you."
He watched as Connor walked up the drive to Laura's house. He heard the dog, Buster as he yapped and yelped, recognizing Connor's scent. "You will need me, you know..." he warned into the night air. "You always do."