“Bro? Are you okay?”
I opened my eyes, turned, unlocked the door of the toilet stall, and stepped outside. Ryder, Alec, Kane, and Damien were standing in the public bathroom of the fancy club we were in. Each of my brothers were frowning at me. I met each of their gazes and forced a smile that I knew they could see through without having to try. I couldn’t look at Kane for too long because I was worried I’d break down and cry. His new job required him to be physical with people, and if he didn’t do what he was told, he was severely punished.
On his first job, he couldn’t go through what was asked of him, and he was lashed until he passed out. His face ... his face had been marred, along with the rest of his body. In total, he had been whipped with a wire over twenty times, but even though his wounds had been stitched and were now healing, they were still such an angry shade of red. I wondered if they’d ever lighten in colour ... For my brother’s sake, I hoped they would. He was never a people person, but I knew everyone staring at him like he was something out of a horror film hurt him.
“Dominic?”
I closed my eyes once more, and in my mind, I laughed. I hated my name. I hated it so much that I only ever answered to anyone when they call me Nico, which I preferred, but my brothers were different. They knew I hated my name because of our father. He never said it, though; he always spat it as if it was something sour in his mouth. When he said it, it was with heartfelt hate behind it, but when my brothers said it, it was with love and acceptance. They were the only ones allow to call me Dominic, though ... No one else would ever be special enough to call me that.
No one.
“I’m okay,” I answered Ryder, opening my eyes to find his staring at me. “I’m just really fucking nervous.”
“About the fight?” Alec quizzed. “I’ve researched this joker, and he won’t go toe to toe with you. You’re gonna clown him easily.”
My shoulders slumped. “I’m not a real fighter, though ... I just lost it when Trent hit Dame. What if I fight this guy, and he beats the shit out of me? I don’t care about getting hurt. I care about what Marco will do if I don’t perform like he expects me to.”
“Listen,” Kane said, getting my attention. “When you’re fighting this guy, it’s just the two of you. Forget about everything and everyone, and focus on him. Watch his movements, learn his style, and then counter his moves. I’ve been practicing with you since we all landed these bullshit jobs, and I know how good you are. Believe in yourself because we believe in you.”
I knew they believed in me, and I tried to turn that into positive energy, but it was hard.
“Let’s just get out there,” I said, flexing my hands, feeling how comfortably tight my hand wraps were. “I want to get this shit over and done with.”
When we exited the bathroom, my brothers flanked me as we entered the club. Music was blaring, and the dance floor was cleared, the occupants of the club were over at the platform that Marco said would be my base of operations for the next few years. I already knew that Marco had me booked to fight in different countries, but I tried not to think about that. I did what Kane said—I focused on this fight and blocked everything else out.
A bellowing voice announced my entrance to the club, and I was met with booing and obnoxious laughter. I was expecting that. I was a lanky kid, and the guy I was fighting was twenty-five ... the same age as my eldest brother. If I were part of the crowd, I would probably laugh, too. They didn’t know that the dude I was fighting was doing so for money, while I was fighting for my brother’s life.
When I reached the platform, I saw my opponent up on the surface with his hands on his hips as he shook his head from left to right. I could see on his face he couldn’t believe he was fighting me. He thought I was going to be an easy win. I’d have to show him and everyone else just how wrong he was.
“You’ve got this,” Damien said when I turned to him.
He was scared for me, I saw it in his eyes, and I knew he saw my fear in mine, too. I hugged him and my other brothers. I didn’t linger with them; instead, I jumped up, gripped the platform, then hoisted myself upwards until I was on my feet and standing across from the man whose name I didn’t bother to learn. I decided that I didn’t want to know the names of the people I fought. That way, it was easier for me to tune out that they were real people.