Deck peered over at me before turning back to lock his eyes on Chi-chi. “You think I care what happens to me now?”
Jesus Christ. Deck might not care, but I sure as hell did. “Deck, stop!”
“Stay back, Cori!” Deck yelled. “This is between me and Chi-chi.”
Chi-chi seemed to have mostly recovered. He and Deck circled each other.
“Deck!” I tried one last time, but he ignored me, baring his teeth at Chi-chi. He wasn’t in his right mind.
I threw up my hands. Fucking men and their egos. This stupid neighborhood where the only true currency was violence.
Deck struck first, landing a right hook to Chi-chi’s jaw that had the other man spitting blood.
Chi-chi responded with a swift kick to Deck’s shins. I caught my breath as Deck fell. When he shot back up again, his arm was bleeding. Looking at the ground, I saw that he’d landed on the same piece of brown glass I’d pulled out of my foot and tossed out the door a few hours ago.
Chi-chi yanked on Deck’s shorts. Deck fell again, his feet taken out from under him as Chi-chi pulled the shorts off his legs, tossing them aside.
“Look at you,muchacho,” Chi-Chi taunted him. “Lying there in your underwear.” Chi-chi kicked Deck hard in the ribs. Deck groaned as he curled up, clutching his abdomen.
My mom stood behind me, watching, but had yet to say anything. A white-hot rage burned in my stomach.
The tension left Aaron’s shoulders as Chi-chi repeatedly kicked Deck in the stomach.
Chi-chi laughed. “I thought we were supposed to be fighting? Why’d you order me out here just to lie down?” He leaned down to punch Deck square in the jaw.
That was when Deck’s eyes met mine.
Oh, Chi-chi. You should be better at this game by now. Considering I played it with you twenty minutes ago.
Aaron had the audacity to check the time on his phone. Idiot.
Chi-chi landed one more blow on Deck’s rib cage before leaning down next to his ear. “I like your girl, Deck. She’s a real fucking wildcat. You may be a little bitch, but you have good taste in pussy.”
Quick as a flash, Deck grabbed Chi-chi’s ankle.
“What the fu—”
Chi-chi only had a moment to protest before Deck leaned over and sank his teeth into the bony flesh above Chi-chi’s heel. Deck held on, chomping down like a rabid dog before Chi-chi fell backward, screaming. Finally, Deck released him, spitting—oh fuck, was that skin? Did he actually just spit out a chunk of Chi-chi’s ankle?—onto the ground, his mouth covered in blood.
Chi-chi pulled his leg to his chest. From the doorway, I could see the gaping wound. It was gruesome, and I barely stopped myself from vomiting on the spot.
“Holy shit,” Aaron whispered.
This time, it was Deck’s turn to kick Chi-chi in the ribs. Deck wasn’t in great shape—bruises marred most of his thighs and torso, not to mention the cut on his arm—but he still had the strength to kick Chi-chi hard enough to make the other man grunt.
“It’s over, Chi-chi,” Deck whooshed out, punctuating each word with another kick. “This is all that’s left.” He held his arms out at his sides, squeezing his eyes closed and staring at the sky before dropping to his knees. “This is the only thing I can do.” Reaching his arm back, he brought a powerful fist down on Chi-chi’s face. Then did it again. And again.
I heard the sickening crunch of bone and the sound of flesh being pummeled. Blood poured out of Chi-chi’s nose.
Chi-chi fell back onto the ground.
Deck pulled his arm back.
“No! Stop!” I screamed, and he paused.
Aaron pushed past me. “That’s enough, man. Chi-chi’s out.”
Deck’s irises were pink with rage. He picked up the bat and brought it down hard across Aaron’s outstretched wrist. The blond man collapsed to the ground, clutching his obviously broken limb. “I told you what would happen if you came down here!” Deck shouted at him.
