Chapter Six

Luc

T he rest of the day passes in a pretty uneventful way. The bets are getting crazy, and we are all wondering just how many unsanctioned fights are going to happen within the crowd. We don't usually have to worry about it, but the Pit has been making sure to keep them at a minimum. Everyone just saved it for the fights.

Now that the fights at the Pit aren't happening weekly, there's bound to be more, I just hope that we can keep them contained enough that they don't bring more attention our way.

"I think it might be a good idea to get some more of our guys in the crowd and get Tomlinson too as well," I say as we gather around Trick's truck at the end of the day, "from the looks of it the event is going to be massive and with tensions already running high I just think it might be safer."

"Good idea. We don't want someone getting seriously hurt and then questions being asked." Jensen replies, and then adds, "Well, people are going to get seriously hurt, but the fighters know what to say if they have to go to the hospital, and we've never had anyone look into it. The spectators don't."

"Exactly," I reply, "and we all want to keep the Pit open if we can. If this test run goes wrong, then we're going to have to close it indefinitely."

"You're right," Riot agrees, "I don't think it would be a good idea if no one had an outlet. It's bad enough already, and it's only been a couple of months."

"I'll let the guys at Tomlinson know. I'm fairly certain that they'll agree. None of us want this to get fucked over." Cash says as he starts typing.

My phone goes off, and I pull it out, my body becoming tense as I read the message. "Trick, can you drop me home? I've been summoned."

The guys all tense, they hate that I go back there and they know how much I hate it, I avoid being there at all costs. Unfortunately, I'm still a minor, and my father has threatened to call the cops on me before when I refused to go home. I don't want to cause any trouble for any of the other guys and their parents, and I don't want to risk not being welcome in their houses anymore.

Other than school, they're my only places to escape.

"Sure," Trick replies eventually, although he does so somewhat reluctantly.

"Are you going to be okay?" Rafe asks, watching me closely and not even trying to hide the worry in his eyes.

I smile. I've got used to faking it now, "Yeah, I'll be fine. I think he's heading out of town and just wants to make sure I'm home for mom."

I'm lying through my teeth right now, and I hate lying to them, but they don't need to know about my shit. They've got too much going on. I can handle this.

"Do you want us to come back for a bit?" Cash asks me.

Usually, I'd accept because he won't do anything while they're around, and then by the time they've all gone home, I can avoid him completely, at least for a few days, but the way the message was worded says that taking anyone back with me now isn't going to end well. He's likely to lose his shit in front of them, and I'm ashamed of the way he talks to me.

The guys know how bad it is, and they know some of the things that he's said to me, but it's been a long time since I've told them what he's saying. They've asked, but they've respected it when I've said that I don't want to talk about it.

"Nah, it's okay, but thanks, guys," I reply, keeping my posture relaxed and my smile calm.

I don't know if I fool anyone, but they don't push it any further; just as I start to get in Trick's truck, though, Jensen calls after me.

"If you need us, don't forget to call. We'll be there as soon as possible, and you know how quickly we can get somewhere if we need to," he says.

I swallow thickly, hoping that he doesn't notice the effect that his words have on me, and then reply with a smile, "I will, don't worry."

I don't wait for another reply as I get in the truck, and Trick says a couple of words before he gets in, and everyone separates into the other vehicles.

We're quiet as we head to the mausoleum, that is until we pull up to my house.

"Promise that you'll message if you need backup," Trick orders.

"I promise," I reply.

I mean it, or I never would have promised it. If I need help, I will message him, and I know that they'll be here within minutes; I just hope that I get the chance to message.

"Good," Trick replies. He then adds, "I'll check in later."

"Okay," I say as I open the door and start to get out.

"If you need to come back, I don't give a shit what he says; you come back to mine. Mom will cover for you. You know that."

I nod, "Got it, thanks, man. I'll see you tomorrow at school. One more day, and then we get to go to the Pit."

Trick glances at me, "Do you want in? I could probably add another fight if you wanted to?"

I would love to but I don't need it like Jensen does, and I'm quite happy beating the shit out of a punching bag if I need to, "I'm good, man, thanks though."

"No problem. Let me know if you change your mind."

I nod and slam the door, watching as he drives off, before I turn to face the house that has never been a home.

I'm hoping that I can get inside and up to my room before he calls for me, but I have no idea if I'll get away with it. I quickly walk up the steps and through the front door, ignoring everything as I take the stairs two at a time in a bid to get to my room as quickly as possible.

I don't get called for, and no one bursts through the door for a few hours, but I don't dare to relax. I know it's coming. Sure enough, a few hours later, he smashes through the door.

Angry, red-faced, and spewing poison as he usually does, I tune it out and really look at him. He's pathetic, but then I've always thought that about those who pray on people they think are weaker than themselves. No more; I'm not going to let him use me as a punching bag anymore; I'm not going to let him take his anger out on me.

I don't know why I've let him do it to me for so long. At first, it was because I was little, and I couldn't fight back. I remember trying when I was only five or six, and he beat me so severely he knocked me out. Of course, he couldn't take me to the local hospital. Our town is tiny, and everyone would know that I was there, which would lead to many questions that my father wouldn't have wanted to answer. Not only that, but I was literally covered in bruises, and there was no logical explanation for how that happened.

It looked like I'd been beaten.

So, instead of taking me to the hospital where he should have taken me, he told everyone that I was sick and it was infectious. He made everyone stay away until the bruises had faded. Those couple of weeks were the worst. I would've healed quicker, but he kept getting angry and adding to them. I wasn't quite so good at hiding when something was wrong back then. The guys put up a bit of resistance when they questioned why I was so quiet, but quickly dropped it when I reassured them that I was fine but Ever, she wouldn't drop it for ages; in the end, she somehow knew that I wasn't okay but that I wasn't going to tell her either so she just hugged me and said, ‘it's okay Luci, whatever is going on we'll fix it.'

I knew that she couldn't, but it made me feel so much better. Of course, it wasn't long after that she saw exactly how my father treated me; she disappeared before she could do anything about it, though.

Memories of Ever always bring a smile to my face; she is my happy place and, quite often, the person I think of when my father starts on his tirades. She'd be so fucking mad if she knew that I was still letting it happen. She'd raise hell and somehow make me smile while doing it.

My Ever, my Dragonfly.