Page 16 of Hold 'Em Tight

He's pissed, and Colt has tears in his eyes. I sigh.

I didn't want to hurt them anymore. No matter what I do, I'm always a fucking disappointment.

“Please, Teo, just come home. Things will get better. Don't do this.” Donny's voice trembles, and I shake my head again.

“Let me go. Take care of our girl. Make her a family. I was never meant to stay.”

He scoffs and shoves my fingers away, then runs his hand through his messy blond hair.

“That's a copout and you fucking know it! What about us?” Donny screams against the cage. “We are still your family, Teo! What about Nando, Brenna, and your mom? Do they mean nothing to you? And what about Rylee? She's already lost one man that she loves. Are you going to make her heartbreak even worse?”

I turn back and put my fists up once more, ignoring Donny and Colton, who are screaming at me to listen to them.

It's too late. My mind is made up. I could have taken the easy way, gone back to my hometown and bought something on the corner, but I've always been a fighter.

My opponent looks over my shoulder at my friend's and he groans. “Just knock me out and go home, kid. It's not worth it. Looks like you have people who love you,” he mumbles just for me to hear.

“Okay, I'm over this fucking shit! You aren't the only fights on tonight's roster,” Angelo calls. “The first person to knock the other unconscious gets double pay. Someone just fucking end it!” he roars, and the crowd starts to cheer again.

My opponent looks at me and shrugs. “Sorry, I have kids to feed.” Before I can even raise my hands up to block, he knocks me in the temple, hard.

I know I'm going down. My eyes close and my body slams into the mat.

“Fucking finally,” Angelo cheers, and I can hear the chains rattling, unlocking the cage.

“Let me get my idiot cousin out of here and we can settle up in my office,” he tells the guy.

Someone touches my shoulder, rolling me onto my back, but my head aches and the darkness is seeping in.

“No, Teo. Fuck! Wake up. He's not opening his eyes. Someone call an ambulance!” I can hear the panic in Donny's voice, but no matter how hard I try, my mouth won't open.

I fight to reassure him, but I'm too weak. I think a nap sounds good right about now…

“Respirations sound good,but I'm still going to give him some air,” someone shouts. Something is put over my mouth, and a rush of air fills my nose. “Kid's lucky. Looks like he had a fight with a meat grinder though.”

A man laughs, and I peek my eyes open, groaning. It's so bright. My head's killing me.

I lift my hand and rip the mask from my face. “What happened?” I croak.

“Hey, no, cut that shit out. You need the oxygen,” the man replies, sighing. He takes the mask and replaces it with a nasal cannula.

Still annoying, but at least now I can speak. I open my eyes wider and grunt.

“Can ya dim the fucking lights?” I slur, and he leans over, flipping a switch. Only a dim glow remains, and I sigh.

I glance around and frown when I see I'm all alone. I could have sworn Donny and Colt were at the fight. But maybe I imagined them there.

The paramedic catches on to my unasked question.

“Your friends are following the rig. You can meet up with them in triage.”

I nod, then wince. “Ya got my phone?”

He leans over, checking on my IV, then nods.

“It's bagged with your other belongings.”

“Please.” I gasp, my chest feeling tighter.