leaning down next to her. While she spoke to him, I could see her looking back at me. Whatever she was saying didn’t matter though. I knew what I had to do.
Chapter 8 - Lanea
I watched as Fabian stretched himself out in the center of the pit. Henry stood calmly across from him. He turned his head and looked at me.
“ What do you think?” I asked Octavio. “Do you think he’s got what it takes?”
“ Fabian’s been on a winning streak, Ms. Zara. I’ve never heard of this other guy before. He doesn’t look like a fighter.”
“ He doesn’t. But he does look like he can handle himself.”
I turned to Francis, who was patiently waiting for me to respond.
“What do you think, Francis?” I asked. “What kind of odds are you giving?”
“ Everybody’s been betting on Fabian,” he replied. “This guy… This new kid. What’s his name?”
“ Henry.”
“ Henry. Okay. He looks a little young to be in the ring. Fabian doesn’t look like he could be beat right now. I don’t know… Five-to-one odds on Henry.”
“ Five-to-one?”
“ Yeah, that’s right.”
I looked back down into the pit and considered my options. There comes a time in every woman ’s life when she has to make a decision like this. I had a great time with Fabian these past two days. But sometimes the fun in a relationship isn’t enough to keep it going. Sometimes you just have to move on.
“ Two-thousand on Henry,” I said to Francis.
“ Really?” he asked me. “You want to bet on the dark horse? Are you sure you know what you’re—”
Francis stopped himself before he contin ued. He must have noticed that my attention had wandered. Fabian continued to stretch himself out in the ring. Henry stood there calmly like he had been this entire time. I thought about it for only a second. I knew what I was doing.
“ Do it,” I said.
“ As you wish, Ms. Zara.”
Francis nodded then made his way back into the throngs of people. He took all of their money and wrote down all of their bets. The crowd was eager with anticipation. I could feel their anxiety growing as we neared the fight. I wasn ’t anxious though. I had a feeling about Henry. I’ve had men like Fabian come here and impress the crowds but Henry didn’t look like he had any business in this part of town. The way he stood there was so composed and so calm.
I leaned back in my chair and watc hed as the two men in the ring finally acknowledged one another. They nodded and raised their fists up. Fabian moved much more swiftly than Henry. He was light on his feet. He was dancing around. He threw a punch and Henry was unable to react. His head snapped back and he responded with a punch of his own but Fabian had already moved out of the way. It happened again and again. Fabian began moving around the ring with the swiftness of the wind. Henry was unable to respond in kind.
A cut opened up over Henry ’s eyebrow. The blood streamed down the side of his face. While Fabian bounced around on his toes, Henry plodded around with his fists up. Fabian was too fast and too quick for him. The crowd cheered at the punishment that Henry was taking. He remained standing though. That’s all that mattered.
“ He’s not looking too good in there, Ms. Zara,” Octavio pointed out to me.
“ Shut up. I can see that for myself.”
I was beginning to grow more frustrated as the fight continued. The only thing Henry had demo nstrated at this point was his ability to take a punch. For whatever reason, he stopped throwing his own punches. With the fight seemingly in hand, Fabian began to circle around the ring and enjoy the adulation of the crowd. The cheered him on as he held his fists in the air and screamed back at them. Henry remained defiant at the adversity in front of him. I looked over at Maxwell and he turned to me. I could see the stress on his face, his throat shifting as he gulped.
Come on, Henry. Don ’t let me down now.
A line of blood streamed down the side of
Chapter 8 - Lanea
I watched as Fabian stretched himself out in the center of the pit. Henry stood calmly across from him. He turned his head and looked at me.
“ What do you think?” I asked Octavio. “Do you think he’s got what it takes?”
“ Fabian’s been on a winning streak, Ms. Zara. I’ve never heard of this other guy before. He doesn’t look like a fighter.”
“ He doesn’t. But he does look like he can handle himself.”
I turned to Francis, who was patiently waiting for me to respond.
“What do you think, Francis?” I asked. “What kind of odds are you giving?”
“ Everybody’s been betting on Fabian,” he replied. “This guy… This new kid. What’s his name?”
“ Henry.”
“ Henry. Okay. He looks a little young to be in the ring. Fabian doesn’t look like he could be beat right now. I don’t know… Five-to-one odds on Henry.”
“ Five-to-one?”
“ Yeah, that’s right.”
I looked back down into the pit and considered my options. There comes a time in every woman ’s life when she has to make a decision like this. I had a great time with Fabian these past two days. But sometimes the fun in a relationship isn’t enough to keep it going. Sometimes you just have to move on.
“ Two-thousand on Henry,” I said to Francis.
“ Really?” he asked me. “You want to bet on the dark horse? Are you sure you know what you’re—”
Francis stopped himself before he contin ued. He must have noticed that my attention had wandered. Fabian continued to stretch himself out in the ring. Henry stood there calmly like he had been this entire time. I thought about it for only a second. I knew what I was doing.
“ Do it,” I said.
“ As you wish, Ms. Zara.”
Francis nodded then made his way back into the throngs of people. He took all of their money and wrote down all of their bets. The crowd was eager with anticipation. I could feel their anxiety growing as we neared the fight. I wasn ’t anxious though. I had a feeling about Henry. I’ve had men like Fabian come here and impress the crowds but Henry didn’t look like he had any business in this part of town. The way he stood there was so composed and so calm.
I leaned back in my chair and watc hed as the two men in the ring finally acknowledged one another. They nodded and raised their fists up. Fabian moved much more swiftly than Henry. He was light on his feet. He was dancing around. He threw a punch and Henry was unable to react. His head snapped back and he responded with a punch of his own but Fabian had already moved out of the way. It happened again and again. Fabian began moving around the ring with the swiftness of the wind. Henry was unable to respond in kind.
A cut opened up over Henry ’s eyebrow. The blood streamed down the side of his face. While Fabian bounced around on his toes, Henry plodded around with his fists up. Fabian was too fast and too quick for him. The crowd cheered at the punishment that Henry was taking. He remained standing though. That’s all that mattered.
“ He’s not looking too good in there, Ms. Zara,” Octavio pointed out to me.
“ Shut up. I can see that for myself.”
I was beginning to grow more frustrated as the fight continued. The only thing Henry had demo nstrated at this point was his ability to take a punch. For whatever reason, he stopped throwing his own punches. With the fight seemingly in hand, Fabian began to circle around the ring and enjoy the adulation of the crowd. The cheered him on as he held his fists in the air and screamed back at them. Henry remained defiant at the adversity in front of him. I looked over at Maxwell and he turned to me. I could see the stress on his face, his throat shifting as he gulped.
Come on, Henry. Don ’t let me down now.
A line of blood streamed down the side of
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