14. Cane

He sneered as he stared out at the half-empty warehouse in front of him. It looked like they'd just come out of a fucking apocalypse with the way people huddled away from each other in small groups, leaving empty seats between them as if that would help them.

The private booths though, those were full.

Full of the people he truly didn't want to see on an evening like this. People who weren't regulars. People who hadn't come to have fun and make a few deals and a couple of thousand slates.

No.

They were there to watch him fall. To strip the carcass of his failing business like the vultures they were. He saw money exchange hands before the fight even started. He saw looks thrown his way as the bickering kept tensions high.

There was a chance this would end horribly for him. He knew that. But they were all out of options to catch whoever was fucking up Cane's life in action.

Through the mire he could feel another set of eyes. A feeling that was both familiar and different enough that it stood out from the rest. He scanned the crowds for the owner of the prickle on the back of his neck.

"You're tense," Hart said as he approached, keeping an infuriating few inches between their bodies. For appearances.

Cane wanted him bent over something. Naked and bruised and screaming. He wanted it to be the only thing he saw, the only thing he thought of. He hadn't had enough time to gorge himself on Hart the way he wanted to. The way he'd always planned to once he finally had Hart back under his hands.

The desperate, rushed tryst they'd had in Cane's office had barely been enough to take the edge off. It was barely a taste. A small release from the pressure valve before Hart's brain started getting all professional and throwing out ideas.

Despite it being Cane's business and life on the line, he found it hard to concentrate when Hart was naked and spent next to him. He was like a drug. Definitely a weakness. And Cane had to step back and deal with real life before he allowed this thing to take him under.

So they'd parted to put the plan in motion, and now he was here. Working. Scheming, instead of burying himself in Hart and letting everything else fade away.

"Wanna do something about that, sweetheart?" he said through clenched teeth, allowing himself a moment of enjoyment at Hart's visible shiver.

Thank fuck,he thought at the sight of it. Hart had looked entirely too unmoved by what had happened yesterday, and it made Cane want to do something crazy.

The little crack in Hart's mask kept him in check.

He was done with pretending between them.

"Not in front of me."

Cane whipped around to find Ash standing there with his hands in his pockets. His infuriating grin stretched around a lollipop as he looked between the two of them. Hart took a pointed step to the side, away from Cane. Cane fought down the feral urge to piss a circle around him to mark his territory.

"Ash." Hart fussed unnecessarily with the cuff of his fancy shirt.

"Hart," Ash said, matching Hart's tone. He plucked the lollipop from his mouth to wave it in the air. "Candy Cane."

"I hope someone stabs you," Cane said casually.

Ash barked out a laugh. "Would be fun. But Morgan would kill me, so let's hope not. Also, it's admirable that you can joke about your misery already. Shows true resilience."

Cane geared up to level him, taking a step forward with his jaw clenched and his fists tight next to his hips.

Hart stepped between them neatly and held his gaze. It was a warning and a plea all at once. "Do you know who Ash is going up against?"

Cane snorted, looking Hart up and down. "Obviously."

"Is it Stabby McKnifewielder?" Ash asked.

Hart rubbed his temples with his fingers, throwing a glare over his shoulder.

"Ash, please," he said. "Things are barely being held together; can you behave for just one night?"

"Boring." Ash sighed. "But fine. What's our plan here?"

"Fix?" Hart asked.

"Outside in the car, keeping an eye on the entrance in case anyone tries to slink away before we can get to them," Ash replied. "He'll join us inside once everyone is in."

"Ares is keeping an eye on the few…let's call them ‘emergency exits,'" Cane said.

"There are secret exits?" Ash asked. "This place just got so much cooler! Where are they?"

"Told you you don't know shit about this place," Cane said.

"So rude to me."

"Antagonizing him when he agreed to help you isn't necessary," Hart said in his best lecture voice.

Cane rolled his eyes. "It's how we talk."

"That's true," Ash chirped, completely nonchalant.

"He's putting himself in danger for you," Hart said, voice tighter than before. "You could at least show some gratitude."

"This was your idea, remember?" Cane reminded him. "And he isn't the only one putting himself in the line of fire, so don't martyr him just yet."

"Speaking of, I was joking before, but who am I actually fighting?" Ash asked.

"Me," Cane said.

Both brothers stared at him with identical looks of confusion and shock.

"I'm sorry, repeat that?" Hart said.

"No one was going to volunteer to fight and only one thing was going to draw the crowds and that asshole who thinks he can fuck with me out into the open." Cane pulled a cigarette out to light up.

"That's not what we agreed," Hart said once he had recovered enough to speak. "That's…that's…"

"Pretty smart," Ash finished for him, grinning widely. "You do have a brain in there. I was worried it had been replaced by tattoos and metal."

"Yours is about to be," Cane said, blowing out a ring of smoke and cracking his knuckles.

"Bring it, Candy Cane," Ash said, a fire in his eyes that he only got when the stakes were really high.

Cane felt an answering surge of adrenaline. He hadn't stepped inside the ring like this in a long time. He'd made his way up fighting. He'd made it through prison fighting. People knew by that point that he shouldn't be fucked with. He'd gained respect through blood and sinew, so much so that by the time he got out, he could just sit back and pay others to do it and make a decent chunk of slates too.

But he had missed it.

And right now he was so tense and pent up he could split about twenty skulls and not be completely satisfied. The people around him needed to be reminded just who he was.

Cane wasn't expecting Hart to grab his wrist and pull him. He refused to move, simply raising an eyebrow at Hart's flushed face.

"I need to talk to you. Right now!" Hart demanded, tugging.

"There's nothing to discuss."

"I think you'll find there is," Hart snapped.

"It'll be okay, Hart," Ash said, reaching out and placing a hand on Hart's shoulder. Cane wanted to break it. "I've always wanted to go toe to toe with Hurricane. I can hold my own."

"No, you won't," Hart told him, spinning his head back around to Cane. "And you won't either."

Cane raised a brow. "What are you implying?"

"Throw it. Or stage it. Something."

"No," Cane said simply, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Cane!"

"He's right, Hart. You can't stage a fight like this. People can tell. They want blood," Ash said.

"There must be rules against this!"

Cane took a long drag of his cigarette. "I make the rules here, sweetheart."

"Don't call me that," he snapped.

Cane smirked at the slight quiver in his voice. He threw a look at Ash. "Go get ready. I'll deal with your brother."

"That didn't sound ominous at all," Ash said, frowning and looking between them.

"It's only your face I want to rearrange. I quite like his," Cane said in a bored tone.

Hart gaped next to him, and Ash chuckled, frown wiped away, clearly not understanding the magnitude of what Cane had just admitted.

"Well, don't fall in love while I'm gone. Be back in a sec!" Ash said cheerfully, disappearing into the darkness and strobe lighting.

Hart was left with his face bright red and his mouth hanging open.

Cane smirked, shutting it for him with a knuckle that lingered under his jaw. "Problem?"

Hart drew himself upright, jerking his face away and opening his mouth again to berate him. Cane stuck the still burning cigarette into his mouth instead.

Hart closed his lips on it instinctively, then seemed to remember himself and let it drop to the floor in a shower of sparks.

"CANE!" he yelled, utterly apoplectic at that point.

Cane thought he was beautiful.

He dragged Hart along to his office and closed the door behind them by pushing Hart against it and pressing his mouth to his. It wasn't a kiss, just a reminder as he whispered, "I'd love to do this with you tonight, sweetheart, but we don't have a lot of time."

"This is insane, Cane," Hart said, smacking his shoulders weakly. "You can't be serious."

"There was no other option, Hart."

"There are always options."

Cane pulled back from him and smiled slightly. "Your optimism is cute."

He left Hart against the door and reached over his head to pull his tank off with one hand, throwing it onto his desk chair.

"You just want to punch things," Hart accused.

Cane smirked. "A little. Your brother makes a good target."

He grabbed the tape from his drawer and began to wrap his hands. Hart crossed the distance and snatched it from him, taking over silently.

Cane let him stew for a moment, leaning back against his desk with his hands held out. "I need to gain my respect back. This is the only way to do it."

"Who cares about respect?"

"Respect is more valuable than currency in my world, Hart. It's the main thing this asshole is trying to strip me of. Not slates or business."

Hart didn't look up at him, but his brow furrowed at the words as he continued to wrap him. "You think that's the motivation behind the curse?"

"It's my best guess."

Hart hummed, mulling over the information, his soft hands still working.

"If the person is here, and I think they are, they'll want a bit of a show. They'll let the fight go on for a while before moving," Cane said.

"You think they're here?"

Cane thought of the sensation on the back of his neck. Eyes appearing in his mind. "Just a hunch."

Hart sent him a look from under his lashes. "Are you a cursebreaker now?"

"No. Just a crime boss with a price on his head and a lot of practice. I know when something feels off. Like I said, they want to see me fall. Hard. In front of all those vultures out there. It wouldn't do to cut the show short."

Hart sighed, tucking the wrapping crudely on one hand. Cane didn't correct him. "It fits with the curse's MO so far. Slow. Building. Draw out the pain."

Cane nodded. "So catch the fucker before I knock your brother out."

Hart sent him a withering glare. "Give me your other hand."

Cane smirked and complied, letting Hart wrap his left hand. His movements were rougher than they needed to be, like he was using the moment to take out some of his anxiety on Cane.

Cane let him, absorbing the emotional turmoil like he was made for it. He didn't know why that was. He didn't know why he was wired inside for Hart like this. He didn't really need the answer at the end of the day.

He just wanted Hart close.

Hart's touch on his skin felt good. Like always, it both settled him and woke a different kind of storm. A hunger to just get this over with so he could put all of his focus on Hart.

His hand was wrapped too soon for his liking.

They exited the room just as Ash came back, wrapped as well and ready to go.

"Where's Ares?" Cane said, looking over the warehouse.

He hadn't actually seen him since opening that night. He was supposed to be keeping an eye on the back doors like he'd told Hart and Ash, which meant he had to pass through the main floor eventually. Cane hadn't spotted him once.

"I dunno. I think I saw him around, talking on the phone," Ash said. "Wanna delay things?"

Cane sensed the restlessness in the air. The eyes on him.

They wouldn't wait forever.

"No. Let's go."

They walked down the stairs and he saw Raph scramble over to the bell ringing it to get everyone's attention. Cane had allowed the twins to come back to work simply because he didn't really have many other options at this point, and they'd begged to help.

There wasn't an announcer or anything. Cane wasn't big on spectacle and showboating. He provided entertainment raw and bloody, that was it.

They reached the entrance to the ring and Cane grabbed Hart's arm, bringing him close to whisper in his ear. "Watch yourself."

"I can take care of myself," Hart said.

Cane believed it. He knew it. But it didn't mean shit when all Cane's instincts wanted him close all the time. Hart was his. He protected what was his. A cage was about to separate them. A person who wanted him cursed and ruined might be in that crowd. Enemies who just wanted him dead and gone were also in that crowd.

"I'll watch your back instead," Hart said.

"He's gonna need it," Ash said, hopping in place inside the ring like a deranged little rabbit. Hart glared at him, pointing a finger right at his face.

"Behave," he said.

Ash shrugged. "I'll give it a thought," he said, obnoxious as ever, before getting serious. "But I'm with Candy Cane on this one. You be careful."

"I'll be fine," Hart said, stepping back when the metal construction descended from the air, closing Ash and Cane inside the cage and keeping everyone else out of it.

Cane gave Hart one last look before turning to Ash. There was a referee standing between them, looking scared shitless at the prospect of being trapped with the two of them. Cane didn't blame him.

He turned to look at Ash, the bloodthirsty fucker, and quirked an eyebrow at him. "Rules?"

"Ew." Ash made a disgusted face and Cane actually grinned.

It wasn't a friendly smile. Not even one forced out of politeness. It was purely predatory. Because the cursebreaker had just given him free rein to go wild on him. And Cane would make good use of the opportunity to blow off some steam.

"Get lost," he barked at the referee, and the man, to his credit, did nothing to fight it. He scampered out of the cage lightning fast.

The crowd knew what that meant, and they went rabid with bloodlust. No rules. No safety nets. No excuses. The winner would be whoever was left standing when they were done.

Cane circled the cage, following Ash's maniacal laughter around the floor.

He knew what the cursebreaker could do. He wasn't delusional. But he felt like he'd welcome some pain and distraction.

"I'm growing old here, handsome," Ash taunted, and Cane felt the last shred of self-control snap.

He descended on the cursebreaker like a beast possessed. The first blow to his chin sent Ash's head flying back, blood from his busted lip spraying the floor.

The crowd roared. It made it sound like things were back to normal. Like his warehouse was full and his business was thriving.

Like everything hadn't almost completely fallen to shit.

He dodged a blow to the temple from Ash but earned himself a knee to the gut before he could block it, doubling over and spitting out blood. The familiar sharp pain hit him when he tried to stand upright, and he pushed against it.

He embraced it like a part of him that had been missing for a long time.

He pushed himself upright, shaking away another attempt at his head, barreling forward to deliver a series of short jabs right into Ash's abdomen, savoring every grunt of pain.

He hoped Hart was getting what he needed. Hoped something would come out of it. But until then, Cane found himself enjoying his role. It felt good to be reminded of the core of himself.

He elbowed Ash in the nose.

Received a harsh kick across his lower back.

Returned with a swipe that sent Ash crashing to the floor like a felled tree.

Cane jumped on him, straddled him, and slammed both fists into his head.

Ash gave as good as he got. He somehow found leverage and flipped them over, wrapping his arm around Cane's neck and locking it with the other.

Cane saw red.

The crowd was louder than ever, shouts ringing in his ears as he tried to free himself. They went wild when he slammed his elbow back and smashed Ash in the ribs, hard enough to cut his breath short.

Enough to make him stumble, and then Cane was free again.

Both of them jumped back up to their feet, ready to go at each other again. Ash looked just as feral as Cane felt. Just as hungry to win.

Cane saw the opening.

Ash dropped his guard on the left and Cane took a booted foot and drove the heel directly into the spot where Hart had said Ash's cursemark was located.

Ash's swollen eye widened as he fell to his knees, clutching the abused area.

Cane stepped forward to deliver the final blow, lifting his other leg to land a heavy kick on Ash's temple while his guard was completely down. He could feel the buzz of victory bubbling in his blood. Could hear the baying in his ears.

"Slatehollow Police Department! Nobody move!"

Confusion and panic swept through the warehouse like a wave as bodies in familiar black and red uniforms swarmed the exits in full riot gear, weapons already drawn.

Cane felt true fear overtake him for the first time as he watched the crowds disperse, a sense of finality making a pit in his chest as cuffs and armed weapons glinted in the air. This wasn't a house call. They had something to have come this hard.

He'd been outplayed completely.

He watched numbly as the pieces fell down around his ears. One by one. Like his blood dripping to the floor.

It was over.

"CANE!" Ash hissed over the cacophony, stumbling back to his feet next to him and wiping blood from his brow. "Where's Hart?"

The name sparked some life into Cane, and he scanned the mass of bodies for a familiar head.

The overhead lights came on with a quiet boom, flooding the area, but Cane still couldn't see. He walked to the cage bars just as they began to rise.

A huge officer broke through the crowd with two others flanking him, dragging a man by the arms between them. They marched straight for Cane.

Cane recognized the hair, and the clothes. He saw that even though he was being escorted, he hadn't been cuffed, which was the most glaring detail of all.

"Ares?" Cane whispered, already guessing, somehow knowing, hating the way it affected him still. The betrayal. The sting of it.

It was stupid really.

What had he been hoping for exactly? That it would skip him somehow? That Ares's loyalty to him would bypass the curse?

Ares glanced at him and then looked away, the same shamed, blank look on his face as the others.

"Phillip Rutter," the officer said from behind his blacked-out riot helmet. All that could be seen was his sneering mouth. "You're under arrest. Please come in peacefully."

Cane clenched his jaw at the use of his government name and ignored him. "Ares."

Ares cringed and said hoarsely, "Cane…I didn't—"

"Mr. Redding is also in custody. You're not permitted to exchange information," the officer cut him off.

"Like hell I can't," Cane said, jumping down from the ring and storming toward them. "Move out of the fucking way."

"Cane, don't—" Ash called after him, but he couldn't hear anything over the roar in his ears.

A sharp pain in the side of his leg sent Cane stumbling, an officer holding a baton appearing at the side of him. Another flanked his other side and hit the other leg, making him collapse to his knees. He growled and swore as he was physically restrained by his arms.

"You were warned," the officer in front of him said.

"What the fuck did you do?!" Cane yelled at Ares.

He tried to shake off the hold the men had on him, but they gripped tighter despite their hands slipping in his sweat and blood.

"Mister Redding alerted us to an illegal fight being conducted here," the first officer said. "As you are very much aware, illegal fighting and gambling is against Slatehollow law."

"You have no proof!" Cane spat. "My shit is aboveboard."

"We have testimony from your right-hand man, and you have a history of illegal activity," the officer said. "More than enough for this warrant and your arrest. We can discuss the rest in a cell. Let's go."

Cane struggled as he was hauled to his feet, scanning the chaos for Hart again as he was dragged away.

He spotted Fix's hulking figure bent down over someone and his heart stopped, only to see him helping up the waifish blond callboy who frequented his place. He must have been trampled in the crowd, his trick probably leaving him for dust.

The blond stared up at Fix with big, sparkling eyes, clutching at Fix's arms for support, and Cane wanted to trample both of them to the ground.

Where the fuck was Hart? Why wasn't Fix with him instead?

"Ash!" Cane yelled over the crowd, but the roar of it all drowned his voice out.

The hands on him tightened, dragging him out before he could spot Hart and make sure he was safe.