Page 14 of Uppercut Princess

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Page 14 of Uppercut Princess

“You already told me if people get called out, they have to fight,” I tell him, spilling out everything I’m supposed to know.

A low chuckle spills from his mouth, and for the first time since I’ve laid eyes on Brawler, his eyes are practically dancing. “It’s a lot more than that, Princess.”

“Stop calling me that,” I snap. I hate that we’re talking about fighting and I’m being called Princess in the same damn sentence.

“I like it,” he says, shrugging. “I like it even more because you don’t.” I bite my lip at the look of fiery excitement in his eyes. He immediately drops his gaze to my mouth before continuing. “The fights are how the Heights Crew makes money. People can call people out, but you have to pay to fight. Sometimes with money. Sometimes with other things. It’s the betting that they make the big bucks on though. It’s made the Crew one of the wealthiest and most dangerous around.” He swallows. “If you’d stuck around, you would’ve figured this all out on your own. I’m giving you a crash course because you’re on the card tonight.”

“I’m what?” My eyes round. Excitement and uncertainty clash inside me.

“Unless you’re out,” he says. He looks around my empty apartment. My stomach tightens. It might be me, but I think he sees more than he should. He’s perceptive. He’s never just looking at the surface. If Brawler’s looking at you, he’s going deep.

“I can’t be out,” I tell him. “I live here now, and I don’t want to fucking move again.” The irony that I’m arguing to stay in this shithole is not lost on me. I’m probably the only one in this world who would pick this life over the other one waiting for me if I choose to go back to it.

I won’t until I get this shit done.

“Then you don’t have a choice. And when I say you don’t, I mean it. If you don’t at least show up and put up a fight, consider yourself enemy number one, Princess. We don’t play games here. You might have heard of bullying at your other schools. Maybe even witnessed it.” A dark smile stretches his face momentarily. “Ours is more like a hazing. If you survive, you can stay, and I do meansurvive. There’s no PTA or administration who’s going to save you. The teachers don’t care. They’re scared, and if they’re not scared, it’s because they’re in the Crew too. There’s only two ways out of this shit you find yourself in. Fight in the fight. Or fight for your life. Both are going to suck, but at least if you show up to the fight, you have a chance of survival.”

Goosebumps spread over my body. I pass my palms over my skin, trying to calm the chills, wondering how many students at the school have been run off because of what the Heights Crew has going on here. If you think about it, it’s the perfect setup. They own the people here. The fights keep everyone in line and makes sure only the strongest survive. It gives guys like Rocket the perfect opportunity to pick the best people to join the Heights Crew ranks. Not to mention the money they make out of it all.

“So, who’s this Cherry?” I ask.

Brawler drops into my recliner and ignores the evil eye I give him. “Now that would be cheating.”

“You don’t think she’s going to know everything about me?”

“No one knows anything about you. You just showed up.” He eyes me like he’s trying to look deep under my skin again. It’s unnerving.

I move to the bar separating the small kitchen from the living room and lean against it. “That happens, doesn’t it? People just move places. That’s not unheard of.”

“It doesn’t happen in the Heights. You think people want to just move here? The people who live here are stuck, and there’s more than one way to be stuck.”

He looks away. I’m burning with curiosity about all his secrets. I can’t help myself. I thought I would hate everyone here. I thought everyone who had anything to do with the Heights Crew would be outright terrible. Like I could look at them and just know their dirtiest secrets. If Brawler has dirty secrets, they’re hidden underneath his fine exterior and conflicted gaze. “Fine. I don’t get information on Cherry. How does Nevaeh feel about this? She wanted the fight, right?”

“You’re still on her shit list. You better be careful with that one. Oscar’s been at the top of her list for a while. That asshole hasn’t done you any favors.”

That’s an understatement. He basically sicced every female at the school on me on day one. Then, he used me as bait to get back at someone else. I’m beginning to think that Brawler’s assessment of Oscar only being out for himself is all too true.

“So, you said I have to pay to fight, right? I—”

Brawler waves me away. “Only the person who wants the fight has to pay up.” He stands from the armchair. “Have you ever fought before?”

He steps closer, his looming presence hovering over me.

I shrug, a smile plays over my lips. “You think I’m going to tell you?”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“If I don’t get to know anything about Cherry, why would I tell you something about me? Something you could take back to her?”

He purses his lips. “Why would you think I’d do that?”

It’s hard to concentrate when he’s around. I’ve almost forgotten we’re even having a conversation. He just has this aura about him that makes me want to take him in. Inspect him without using words. “Just being cautious,” I say finally.

He gives me a short nod. His intrusive blue eyes make me want to fidget under his inspection. But if I do that, he’ll know I have something to hide.

“You know, you never really answered the question about why you’re helping me. This isn’t the only time. You practically walked me to school this morning. You warned me about Nevaeh. Now this. What’s the deal, Brawler?”

He steps back on his heels like I’ve shoved him with my words. “I don’t know,” he says. Pure honesty flickers in his gaze before he covers it up, placing on a controlled mask I can tell he’s perfected. “You remind me of someone, I guess. Someone who never belonged here. Who put on a facade, but…” He trails off. “That’s all.”


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