Page 116 of Guitars and Cages

“No, you ain’t. If you don’t want to go to the hospital, let’s go to my place so I can see how bad it is.”

“I gotta go pay Catfish first,” I told him, taking deep breaths. The pain was easing. I knew nothing was hurt too badly, just some deep bruising; still, the hand on my back was welcome. It was helping me focus on the fact that we needed to leave. I sat up and took a slow, deep breath.

“Put the helmet on, we gotta go,” I told him as I breathed out. I remembered my promise and focused on it; I’d get him home safe tonight. One stop left. I drove to River’s End and parked, getting off the bike stiffly and holding my side a little.

“Let me see,” Conner said, pulling the helmet off and tugging at my shirt until I let him have his way. We both looked at the bruises that were already forming, particularly the nasty bruise where King Kong kicked me. “Damn, we need to get ice on that. Can you make this quick?”

“I’ll try, but it’s gonna depend on his mood. I’m at least gonna have to have a drink with him. I want you to sit at the closest open booth to the door and have a drink or something while you wait for me.”

He eyed me with a mixture of concern and confusion. “Okay.”

“I’ll try to hurry up.”

He nodded and let go of my shirt.

“Hey, Conner, thanks,” I said.

He frowned at me, even more confused. “For what?”

“Just...thanks,” I said, and then turned before he could ask more questions as I led him into the place.

There was a seat right by the door, so I motioned for him to sit there before I crossed the room to see Catfish. He let me stand beside his booth for longer than normal while he talked and deliberately ignored me. I knew it was deliberate ’cause he would glance up every now and again and smirk, and then go back to his conversation. I understood what he was doing; he was showing me who had all the power, all the control. I tried not to sway, but it was hard, especially with how stuffy, smoky, and hot it was in that room. Just when I was pretty sure I was gonna end up on the floor, he waved off the guy he was talking to and told me to sit down. I did, and slid his money to him beneath the table.

“Well, I see you survived Dante. He’s a beast, isn’t he?”

“Yes, sir. I’ve never seen him around before.”

“Oh, I only send him out to fight on very special occasions.”

I pressed my hand to my side as a wave of pain knifed through me. “You sent him there to beat the hell outta me?”

“I sent him there so maybe you’d finally see that you’d be better off working for me than taking your chances in the cage.”

“I don’t plan to take my chances in the cage again. I quit; I’m not fighting anymore. I’m tired of it.”

“You still owe me, whether you fight or not.”

“I know, but once I’m done paying you, I won’t be back here again, ever.”

“And how long do you think that will last, Asher? How long before you need more than what you can make at that new job of yours? You say you won’t come back, but you know deep down that you will, that you belong here with me. I hope you won’t make me wait too long before you see reason. The price will keep getting steeper if you piss me off.”

“I don’t plan to piss you off, I know better than that.”

“I’m still not sure you do. I don’t think you’ve learned yet.”

“I have, sir, I swear,” I told him, feeling cold. I glanced over at Conner, sitting in the booth by the door. He was watching me.

“If you’d learned, Asher, you’d have come to me yesterday asking for the cash instead of a fight. If you’d learned, you’d have dropped this nonsense about the day job and the band and come to me ready to work. You haven’t learned, Asher, but you will. Get your ass upstairs. When I’m through with you tonight you’ll see how wrong you were to refuse me.”

“I... I can’t, sir,” I said, steeling myself for his anger.

He leaned in, his mustache twitching. “What did you say to me?”

“I... I said that I can’t, not tonight, sir. I need to...”

His voice was low, a hiss that still conveyed his authority. “What you need to do is get upstairs right now, Asher, before I forget I like you and do something you might regret. Don’t think I didn’t notice that you did not come in here alone. Your friend will be fine sitting in the booth where you left him, but I can’t guarantee he will remain fine if you refuse to do as you’re told.”

I jerked as if he’d struck me, and immediately stood and went upstairs. I could hear him following, and just hoped he wasn’t gonna cuff me or blindfold me tonight.