The work has been done and I'm proud to announce the publication of Broken Wolf, part two of my series about Trident Pack, a group of wolf shifters with an unusual dynamic. They are an international fix-it team - a bit like a paranormal Mission Impossible and James Bond combined, who work together using their special skills to help wherever they are hired.
Broken Wolf is available on pre-order for delivery February 1st.
Here's a little about Broken Wolf and the first two chapters. Enjoy.
Marco is a gay wolf shifter fighter with a secret which he has struggled with since a tragic car accident when he was a child. Pursuing his dark internet career as an illegal bare-fisted fighter he becomes involved with a gorgeous wolf shifter paramedic who is much more than he seems. Will Elan and Marco find true love after Elan reveals all? Can the wolf shifters of Trident Pack survive the undead entities who seek to exploit and enslave them?
Warning: This book is a HEA romance about paranormal male wolf shifters. It includes fated mates, graphic gay sex: male-male sexual acts, anal intercourse, oral sex, foul language and violence. The plot may cause your heart to pound with excitement and your hands to tremble.
Chapter One
Memories
The noises of excited spectators echoed down the corridor. They came to the fight for many reasons. The fighter knew why many craved this entertainment. Male spectators felt emboldened when they watched two men fight in a brutal bloody fashion. They loved the thrill of gambling on the outcome, reveled in the violence and the thrill of blood spilled. The fighter listened as he sat silently in the smoky room. A street fight was brutal, and the rules of fair fighting were rarely used, therefore it was dangerous and illegal. The promoters had devised ways of organizing these clandestine events on the dark net and bringing a well-heeled audience to watch the fight before the police got wind of what was going on.
Marco the Hammer sat on a hard wooden seat with his right elbow on the table. His trainer began to carefully wrap that important hand; there would be no gloves, just this bandage to stop the knuckles separating when heavier blows were struck. The trainer was talking quietly but the fighter was miles away. His mind was elsewhere, in another place in another time.
~~~
Marco woke up. He gasped, and cried out. No-one came. Everything hurts, even breathing. Where am I? Dad? Where’s dad? Moving even a little hurts, why can’t someone hear me? My right hand is burning, the car! I was in the car with dad, where’s dad? I wish my hand would stop burning. He tried to sit up and lay back after excruciating pain pounded his body. After resting a little Marco found he could move his left arm, so he felt around with his left hand and discovered that his chest was bandaged which must be why he couldn’t sit up and it hurt to breathe. Marco wheezed and licked his dry lips. Oh for a drink of water… The hospital ward was dark, a dim yellow light shone in the middle of the room. He could hear machines bleeping, voices echoed quiet laughter somewhere. Where am I? Where’s Dad?
Marco lifted his right arm it was heavily bandaged. He remembered what happened. It was raining, the truck was on the wrong side of the road. Flames sprang up all around him… My hand is gone! Marco screamed, this time two nurses came running.
“He’s awake.” The blonde nurse picked up Marco’s left wrist and began taking his pulse. The other nurse bent over the bed. He could smell her perfume, felt a soft touch on his forehead.
“Dad! Daad! Help me dad...” he coughed, his chest heaving painfully after the effort to scream.
“Marco, do you know where you are?”
“No, where’s my hand gone, I can’t move my fingers.”
“You are in hospital, but don’t worry you are safe now. You were in a car accident, your car caught fire. Do you remember?”
“Fire? Yes I remember a fire. Was my hand burnt off?”
“Your right hand was badly damaged. But you are going into theatre in the morning. You are a lucky boy, Marco. The surgeons are going to give you a new hand.”
“I don’t want a new hand; I want my old one back.” He moaned, his eyes wide with terror.
“I am going to give you something to help you sleep now Marco. Don’t worry we will look after you.” The nurse injected a liquid into the drip bag that fed steadily into Marco’s upper arm.
“Dad and I were going to the movies, it’s my birthday, I’m twelve now. Where’s Dad?” I can’t keep my eyes open, I feel tired.
“He’s gone to sleep again, thank goodness. He’s a tough wee soul, he’s had enough pain killers to knock out a much bigger kid.”
“I’m glad I don’t have to tell him about his father, at least his mother’s meant to be coming. The Doctor said she’s given consent from out of state for the prosthetic hand surgery to go ahead. Doctor Jacobs says he has to operate tomorrow or it’s never going to happen, isn’t science wonderful? Little Marco was so lucky to be near the Bell Tower Research Centre when the accident happened. It will be a world first, a hand transplant on a child so young. It’s so sad for the boy, but in reality the accident couldn’t have happened in a better place. ”
What will be a world first? I have a mother? Dad said she was dead, what’s happening? Where’s my Dad? I think I am dreaming, I must be dreaming, it’s just a bad dream, I’ll wake up soon.
When Marco did wake up there was a Doctor in a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck. He smiled kindly as he leaned over the boy.
“Hello Marco, you have been asleep for a long time, how are you feeling?”
“Everything hurts, where’s my Dad?”
“Marco it is my sad duty to tell you that your father died in the car accident. Your mother is coming to see you, but she has been delayed. I’m sure she wanted to tell you about everything herself.”
“Dad’s really dead?” They are lying; Dad would never leave me alone.
“I’m afraid so, Marco, he died at the scene of the accident. I can get someone from the welfare to help; but - do you have any other close relatives like uncles or aunts? Grandparents perhaps?”
“No, me and Dad moved around a lot, Dad is a truck driver.”
“Who looks after you when your father is driving the truck?”
“No-one, I always used to go with him.”
“Oh? You don’t go to school?”
“No, not for a long time. I can read and write though, dad teaches me.”
“Marco, can we talk about your right hand for a moment?”
“Alright, what about it?”
“ Now you will get to see your new hand as I am going to put on a fresh bandage. We had to operate on you quickly, to replace your old hand which was too badly damaged for us to repair. So instead of no hand, you now have a special hand that you can train your brain to operate. Our hospital does research, we specialize in prosthetic limbs, like hands, feet and legs, those kinds of things.”
“When did I get my new hand?” The doctor smiled, as he started to undo Marco’s bandage.
“I performed the operation about a month ago Marco, maybe a little longer. We had to keep you asleep for most of that time. You needed absolute rest for your nerve endings to grow into place and connect to your new hand. I am nearly finished unwrapping your hand, it’s looking good so far. Wow that looks great, do you want to see?” Marco was pale and turned his face away,
“No! I want my own hand back. I don’t want a hook.”
“It’s not a hook Marco, it is real hand, a thumb and four fingers. We can even cover it with something that looks like real skin one day soon, after your wound heals fully.”
Marco lifted his right hand with difficulty. “It’s a robot hand. I can’t move it. It looks too big.”
“This hand is permanent, it has been connected to your real nerves by special connections. You have healed remarkably well Marco. I’m very pleased at your progress. Your new hand is made of titanium one of the lightest metals known to man and it is incredibly tough. The reason your hand is so big now is because, as you grow, your hand will end up the right size when you are a man. You will have this hand for the rest of your life.” Marco studied the shiny metal robot hand and hated it.
“It sucks.”
“Give it a try Marco. Your mom is coming tomorrow or the next day. She has been delayed, unfortunately. I am sure she would have got here sooner if she could.”
“I don’t have a mother! Why don’t you listen? Dad told me mom died when I was a baby.”
“Alright, we can talk about you having a mother some other time. Tell you what, Marco, if you try moving your hand I will arrange for you to see where your father is at rest. I think you need to say goodbye to him.”
“Is he really dead?”
“I’m afraid so. I’m telling the truth, I swear it.” Marco frowned, concentrating.
“I can move my thumb a little.”
“That’s fantastic Marco, what about your other fingers? … Not too bad, yes! Not as good as your thumb but at least they all move a little. With practice you will soon be picking things up, maybe even throwing a baseball.”
“I hate baseball.”
“Why’s that?”
“I’m too small, too small for baseball, football, just too small for everything. Will I grow bigger one day?”
“You will grow Marco; some boys are just slow growers when they are young. The good news is that you are going to make a full recovery and, with lots of training, you will be able to do anything you like with your life.”
“Can I see my Dad tomorrow?”
“Sure, I will arrange someone from welfare to take you.”
The next day Marco met the lady from the welfare. She brought him some clothes. She’s old; I bet she will drive like an old lady as well, slow like an old woman, Dad used to say.
It was raining; Marco looked out the window on the way to the cemetery. The old lady spoke from time to time but Marco didn’t answer as he was lost in thought. He wanted to cry but his tears refused to come, he simply felt empty. They stood under an umbrella, the raindrops dripping down the plastic sides onto the grass. There was a wooden cross with a brass plaque. The plaque read
William Brannon
40 years
Loved father of Marco
It’s just a bit of wood, I bet dad’s not inside the hole. I bet he escaped the crash and he’s in the woods somewhere waiting until he heals himself. They just want to experiment on me - then turn me into a cyborg. First my hands then they’ll give me robot legs. When I get strong I’ll run away and find you Dad.
Doris put her hand gently on Marco’s shoulder.
“Look the rain has stopped and the sun’s out. Why don’t you stay with your father for a while? You can talk to him you know, it’s alright. I’ll wait in the car, take your time.”
Marco watched Doris walk back to the car. He waited until she was out of sight then he hit the wooden cross as hard as he could with his new metal fist.
“I’ll find you Dad; I’ll find you even if I have to search the whole world.” Marco punched and hit the wooden cross until it was smashed, the plaque twisted almost beyond repair. Marco ran back to Doris’s old battered Chevy. He opened the door, breathless. “I want to go back to the hospital now.”
“Of course, but - your knees are dirty and your wound is bleeding, what happened?”
“I fell over.” Marco looked out the window and something inside him growled. It was a silent growl but definitely a growl. That’s my bravery, I wonder if I should tell the doctor that I can make a fist now?”
Six weeks passed and Marco made excellent progress, his physiotherapist Sally kept telling him his progress was superb, fantastic even. What Marco never told her was that his new hand was as easy to use as his real hand. He made a game of pretending his hand was improving very slowly and he would tentatively grip objects and even write with a pencil although the letters were wonky. In private he could throw the practice ball and catch it every time, he could do anything with his new hand. But when Sally tested him he made sure that he dropped the balls and often forgot to tell his fingers to open.
Marco was hanging out tossing a basketball through the hoop when six doctors in white coats walked into the gymnasium. He noticed some of them were much older than Marco’s regular doctor, Doctor Sam. I bet they are here to check me out for new robot legs.
“Hello Marco, I’ve been hearing wonderful news about you from Sally. You are catching the ball nearly every time now. Would you like to show these other doctors how good you are at catching?” Dr Sam walked quickly over to Marco.
“Sure, where’s Sally?”
“She’s busy, I’ll throw the ball,” Doctor Sam picked up the basketball, backed up a few steps then dribbled the ball to his patient. Marco held up his hands, the right closed in a fist and the ball bounced off.
“Sorry Doctor Sam, but my brain didn’t connect, shall I try again?”
“No, it’s alright.” Doctor Sam took Marco’s arm and prodded around the wrist area where the skin had grown over the special connecting fixture. I’ll move my fingers a little bit so Doctor Sam doesn’t feel like a failure.
“Is your brain connecting now Marco? Your fingers seem to be moving well.”
“Yes, I told my hand I was very cross at it and to work properly and it did.” Marco smiled.
“Good work Sam,” said one of the other doctors, his hair was snow white and he had thick black rimmed glasses. The little finger on that doctor’s left hand was missing. When he felt around Marco’s wound he was rough and his examination hurt. There was a lot of prodding and pushing by the other doctors as they studied what Doctor Sam had done to connect Marco’s nervous system to the metal hand. The young boy stayed brave. I’ll show them my lone wolf bravery - like dad taught me. He was my Alpha wolf dad, he said.
At the end of the examination session Marco didn’t notice Doctor Sam pick up a baseball. As the group of Doctors began to walk away after the examination deep in animated conversation Doctor Sam spun around and threw the baseball at Marco. Then the entire group turned, laughed and smiled, several patted Doctor Sam on the back. Marco looked up; he had caught the ball above his head with his new hand.
“That was a lucky catch Doctor Sam, I usually miss those.”
“I know, maybe you should tell your new hand off more often Marco.”
The next day Sally resumed Marco’s hand co-ordination exercises in the rehabilitation gymnasium. Sally seems grumpy this morning. I’ll try harder and make her happy again. I’ll catch five in a row, even the hard ones.
“Marco, can you tell me why sometimes you drop the ball and sometimes you don’t?”
“Sometimes I get a bad connection, Sally. I don’t think I’m ready for any new legs yet.”
“What do you mean, new legs? Your legs are perfectly healthy, you are nearly ready to be discharged.”
“You mean leave the hospital?”
“Yes, can we be really honest with each other Marco?”
“Alright Sally.”
“See up there on the wall, over there and then over there, those are cameras, they film everything you do. I’ve watched you run around bouncing the ball off the walls, shooting baskets, and you never miss. So why do you miss the ball with me? And why do you think the doctors want to cut your legs off?”
“Why else would the doctors keep me here away from Dad?”
Sally laughed and hugged him. “You silly boy, the doctors want to help you get better. Your hand was horribly burned in the accident and could not be saved. There’s nothing wrong with your legs and – you know what? Your new hand looks cool.”
“Really? Do you think so?”
“Yes, it’s a wonderful hand and you are a wonderful boy. Now let’s not play any more games shall we? As soon as you pass all the tests you can go home.”
“I don’t have a home, just a trailer.”
“Do you remember Doris from the welfare?”
“Yes, she’s nice, but she’s very old.”
“Well actually she isn’t that old. She wants to look after you, would you like that?”
“I suppose so. I don’t want to live on my own. Why didn’t my mother ever come to see me?”
“She has been delayed, it’s a little complicated. Doris knows all about it, why don’t you ask her?”
“Doris hasn’t visited me for days.”
“I’m sure she has a good reason. Now let’s do some catching and this time I want you to really show me your best - ok?”
“Alright, I can throw quite hard now, I’ve been practicing.”
The night before he was to be discharged Marco slipped from his bed. He had checked, there were no cameras in his ward. He slunk out the emergency door while the night nurse watched her favorite program on television. Tonight his inner wolf wanted to run outside. It never spoke to him but he knew what his wolf wanted, freedom. Marco ran around in the hospital grounds sprinting in and out of a copse of huge old oak trees which were sprouting new spring leaves. Everything smelt fresh and new, of freshly mowed grass and hyacinths, lilac and roses.
A rabbit broke ground just two yards in front of him. Immediately he chased the rabbit, pounced on it and tore it’s throat out with his fangs. The blood tasted delicious and then he realised what he had done. In horror Marco dropped the rabbit onto the grass. He ran to the hospital door to get out of the garden but before he could open the door in the glass he saw a wolf, a young grey wolf shying away from the door with anxious golden eyes. Not an imaginary wolf but a real one. He spun around but there was no wolf beside him, and where was he? O my God, I’m the wolf. What do I do now? I want to be Marco again; I don’t want to be a wolf anymore. He instinctively squeezed his eyes together and wished with all his heart.
When Marco opened his eyes he was in human form again, the reflection in the glass door was reflecting the boy he recognised as himself. Just to make sure he touched his face, he waggled his feet and then he inspected his hands. Incredible! His metal hand was gone, it looked just like his old hand had grown back. He re-examined his right hand but it was still a lot bigger than his other hand. When he hit the brick wall his fist didn’t make the same sound as his left hand.
It didn’t hurt either. The skin magically grew back over my robot hand when I changed back from a wolf. It’s amazing! Uh - No it’s awful. The realization transfixed him with horror. Sally will call the Doctors back, they will definitely want to cut my hand open if they see this. I don’t know what to do next. If they cut me open will they find my wolf? I wish Dad was here.
Chapter Two
A New Home
Doris opened the passenger door of her old white Chevy sedan for Marco. Sally waved to him from the parking lot as Doris started the car. Marco waved back with his left hand as he kept his right hand tucked in his jacket pocket.
I’ve done it; no-one noticed my robot hand is covered with skin. Telling Sally I wanted to wear a glove over it for a while worked. No way they will cut off my legs now.
“Well young man, are you ready for your new life?” Doris smiled. Marco was warming to Doris, she seemed so reliable and she wanted to help him start over. He was even coming to terms with his father’s death. I shouldn’t have smashed the cross, sorry Dad; I know you are gone and I will miss you forever.
“Yes Doris I’m ready.” He gave her a happy smile and was even happier when she put some miles between them and the hospital. After an hour driving, Doris stopped outside a roadside burger restaurant.
“You can have anything you like dear boy, I think you really must be sick of the hospital food.”
“Really? Anything at all?” Marco opened the door and ran to the entrance. The young lady behind the counter smiled.
“How can I help you?”
“I’ll have a cheeseburger, fries and a large Coke. Um - can I have two cheeseburgers?”
“Of course you can.” The lady entered Marco’s order into her machine.
“I'm paying.” Doris took out her credit card “I’ll have a coffee, black, no sugar thank you.”
Doris sipped her coffee watching her young charge wolf down both cheeseburgers before eating his fries. He sucked on the straw of his coke until it gurgled and spluttered. Marco didn’t smile until he finished with a big sigh of satisfaction.
“There, I can tell you have been looking forward to a special treat.” Doris smiled and put down her coffee cup. After a short silence she spoke again. “Marco, you probably have been wondering why your mother never came to see you?”
“I didn’t even know I had a mother, so not really.”
“Actually you do have a mother and the real reason she couldn’t come to see you is because she is in prison.”
“What did she do?”
“She was involved in selling drugs, and she couldn’t get permission from the jail authorities to visit you. She didn’t want you to know she’s in prison but I think it’s your right to know the truth now. The Doctors didn’t want you to be upset; they thought it might affect your healing process. How do you feel now I have told you the truth?”
“Could I have just one more Cheeseburger, please Doris?” That was the last time Doris mentioned Marco’s mother.
~~~
When he was eighteen Marco attended Doris’s funeral as her son. She was a practical woman, not disposed to give out hugs unless they were deserved. She had few friends and her funeral was simple with not more than two dozen mourners. Marco did the right thing, shook hands, gave hugs and received them; arranged coffee and refreshments back at Doris’s house. He had matured a lot living with Doris. Her pragmatic approach to money and life in general had helped an angry, scared twelve year old turn into a pretty well-adjusted teenager.
Finally, about 9 pm, he found himself alone looking through her few private possessions. He remembered how she handled his being bullied when he was in his first year of junior high.
Of course his large hand was a problem to explain and Doris covered all the issues for her orphan waif by telling the teachers his over-sized hand was natural and was caused by a growth hormone problem. No one ever suspected that beneath the skin Marco had a powerful prosthetic hand made of high tech titanium components. The large size of his hand was exaggerated because of his slight stature. He grew like any boy, but he was athletic and wiry and his strange looking adult right hand marked him out for special treatment from bullies.
Josh Saunders was bigger than Marco and he knew it. He constantly taunted the younger boy about his oversized hand. Marco had to endure being called a freak, monkey hand, sausage fingers, names that hurt him in front of his fellow students. When he came home with a black eye and a split lip Doris did not panic, she wiped away the blood and put a cold compress on his eye. After he had told her what had happened she gave him a simple piece of advice.
“Marco, does your lip hurt and your eye hurt?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Imagine if every time Josh hit you and hurt you, you gave him a black eye and a split lip. How long do you think he would want to keep hitting you?”
“You want me to hit him back? He’s a lot bigger than me.”
“But his eyes are the same size and so are his lips and his nose for that matter. Marco, sometimes in life there is a time for talking and a time for action. Next time you come home with a split lip or a black eye, make sure the boy who bullied you has one too.”
Marco didn’t have long to wait before he heeded Doris’s advice. Two days later after school Josh was standing on the sidewalk with his friends Wayne and Ray.
“Hello sausage hand, running home to mommy?” Josh grinned, he was a vile shit and he knew he made Marco’s blood boil. But he was big, six inches taller and 30 pounds heavier than Marco. So Marco did his usual thing and crossed over to the other side of the street, Josh did likewise. The bully took hold of Marco’s school bag and wrenched it from his grasp.
“That’s mine! Give it back.” Marco yelled.
“Shut up you deformed freak.” Josh opened the bag and spun around laughing as his action flung Marco’s school things and homework out onto the wet ground. He shoved Marco in the chest so hard he fell onto his back in the mud. When Marco tried to get up Josh pushed him down and sat on his chest. Marco could hardly breathe and Josh was just getting started. He gazed down at Marco and grinned, he had the power and he knew it.
“You are nothing but a mommy’s boy - but we all know your mommy isn’t your real mommy. She’s just a dried up old spinster lady who wanted a kid so bad she adopted a freak.”
That’s when Marco had a life changing moment - all his pent up anger and frustration exploded. He clenched his freak hand into a fist, swung it around in an arc and hit Josh straight in the temple. To Marco’s amazement Josh’s eyes rolled backwards into his head and he fell onto the sidewalk hitting his head hard on the cement. He didn’t even groan or cry out. Josh the bully just lay there his eyes rolled back into his head. It was scary seeing the whites of his eyes and his big body just lying there.
“You’ve killed Josh!” screamed Ray. Marco pushed the limp body of his enemy off him, and quietly began to pick up his scattered things and stuff them back into his bag. Wayne and Ray began to move to attack him together when Marco realized, I have the power now, I’m in charge, I’m gonna use my power. He stood up straight and threatened them with his great fist.
“You’ll get the same punishment if you jerks touch me.” Ray and Wayne grew wings on their feet and ran away to their mommies. Josh started to moan and tried to get up. Marco ran home to tell Doris how successful her strategy was. Unfortunately his adopted mom’s advice wasn’t quite as successful as she hoped. Marco was suspended from school for three weeks and Josh was suspended for two. That was his first fight and he loved it.
~~~
“Marco! listen up man,” demanded Reggie Dixon. Marco’s fight trainer brought him back from the past. “Where you been, huh? You’ve been miles away.”
“I’m sorry Reggie, I was thinking about something that happened a long time ago when I was a kid. Hit me again I’m all ears this time.” Reggie rubbed the grey stubble on his chin.
“Right, this is a real money fight tonight Marco. There's a bookie out there and he’s made Marco the Hammer the hot favorite. But, a big but, I’m sure there’s some skullduggery going on somewhere. Shit man, you are undefeated in fifteen fights but you’re paying two dollars twenty to win. Those odds are way over the top. Slamming Sam ain’t that bad. He’s 18 and 1 and he’s fought some tough guys, harder and higher ranked fighters than you’ve fought. If anything he should be the favorite.” Marco frowned and flexed his hands inside the bandages.
“Speaking of Sam, why isn’t he here yet? There isn’t anyone next door. I would have heard something if they had arrived.” There was a knock on the door.
“Come in, it ain’t locked,” said Reggie.
A tall angular man in his sixties with a smooth forehead, tight eyelids and hair implants walked in. His beautiful double breasted suit was out of place in the cinder block warehouse. His eyes were the palest blue and cold as a dead fish. I wonder if he is wearing coloured contact lenses? This guy is a walking advertisement for cosmetic surgery. Marco ignored the visitor; he stood and started shadow boxing to loosen up. Reggie did the talking for him, that’s what Reggie was for.
“Sorry to intrude gentlemen, my name’s Wade Cousins. I represent the fight promoter. Unfortunately your opponent met with a training accident this morning. We have been rushing to find a replacement all day.”
“Fuck, my fighter ain’t getting in the ring with just anyone.” Reggie spat into a spittoon bowl beside the table. “What weight division is he, how many fights he had?”
“Reggie my man, can I call you Reggie? We know this is bad news but while there was hope your opponent could be ready for this fight, we didn’t want to trouble you.”
Old tight skin just oozes charm, looks like he has done this kinda dealing before. Marco felt his wolf snarl, wolf didn’t like Cousins either.
“What the fuck’s wrong with the dude?” Reggie was getting stroppy, he stood up. “We came up here on short notice to fight Slamming Sam, we got expenses you know. Marco is trying to make a living here.”
“Of course Reggie, of course. That’s why we have moved heaven and earth to get Marco the Hammer a new opponent.” Cousins replied smoothly.
“Who’s this guy and what’s his weight division?” Reggie snapped, “This is bullshit you know, so fuckin unprofessional.”
“He’s a super middleweight but he hasn’t had a fight for a while. Your guy should take him - easy.”
“What’s his name? How many fights he had?” Reggie picked up a training pad in his right hand and smashed his left fist into it.
“He’s fighting out of Detroit now, just so happens that Mr Jackson knew he was available and talked him into the fight. You should be grateful our promoter didn’t cancel the fight.”
“Sounds like a setup to me. There’s thousands of fans that would have to be informed it wasn’t happening. There’s too much cash at stake to can this fight.” Reggie looked over at Marco. Marco shrugged his shoulders and kept on shadow boxing.
“Reggie my man, we expect two thousand punters tonight. There’s a lot of money being bet on your boy out there and on the internet as well. Your man has to fight; some of the punters are well connected. This could affect your fighter’s chances of being offered the more lucrative money fights if he backs out now.”
“Are you threatening my fighter, Cousins?” Reggie balled both fists. The old fighter looked like he was about to come out swinging.
“No, no, of course not.” Cousins backpedaled. “Let’s keep calm here Reggie, I'm a facilitator, not a fighter, I do deals.”
“I’ll fight him, just double my fight fee.” Cousins and Reggie looked at Marco who continued shadow boxing.
“Now that’s more like it, your fighter’s got a good attitude.” Cousins smiled smugly but his tight face muscles turned the smile into a grimace. “How about another thousand bucks? So you will get three big ones for tonight’s fight?”
“Make it four thousand, double his fee, like Marco wants,” said Reggie.
“This isn’t Las Vegas, Reggie my man. Let’s split the difference - say fifteen hundred extra and I’ll pay you three and a half big ones now.” Reggie looked at Marco, the fighter nodded.
“Pay me in full. Cash, no checks.” Reggie put his hand out and beckoned with it.
Cousins pulled out a thick wad of greenbacks from his jacket. He counted off three thousand five hundred in one hundred dollar bills. The wad he put back into his jacket didn’t seem to shrink much. Reggie counted the money and put it in his own wallet. Cousins smiled the skull smile again and left without a word leaving the door to the training room wide open.
“Fucken asshole! Did you see that pile of hundreds? I should have said five thousand.” Reggie angrily slipped his hands into the practice pads. “C’mon Marco at least we been paid. Ok, now concentrate, jab, straight right, double jab, left hook, triple the jab. Yeah that’s it, pretend it’s Cousins’ face you’re fuckin' up.”
Both men concentrated on the warm up as footsteps echoed down the corridor and a door nearby was opened and shut quickly. Reggie stopped. “Hell, you hear that Marco? They were just waiting outside a little ways, we have been suckered. As soon as you are warmed up I'm gonna take a look at your opponent.” Reggie slammed their own door shut.
Marco the Hammer didn’t answer; he could smell something, a smell that he hadn’t smelled for years. Someone who just walked past his training room door seconds ago was a shifter.
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