Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
My blood ran cold. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that plenty of other legit gyms are trying to recruit him. I got in touch with a few who said they already offered River a contract, and he told them he’d think about it.”
“Already?” Ari sucked in breath through her teeth. “It’s been, like, two days since the Circuit news broke.”
“Which means we’re two days behind in forming a team.”
I rubbed at the side of my head with a glove, that same anger of earlier rising through my veins. The past few weeks, it felt like other people had been making decisions for me. For us. It was infuriating. First, nature had decided to fuck us over and take out half our gym. Then Troy had us on a short leash and pulled whenever he fucking felt like it. Now that we actually had some footing after our win at Heathens Hollow, we were being dicked around again by rich douchebags wanting to make it big in Vegas.
“I agreed with Ari that River can try out,” I said. “If he’s serious about joining, he’ll show up.”
“I wonder how you convinced him, angel.” Lotto reached out and ran his fingers over the hickies I’d left on her collarbones. “Maybe I should have disagreed for a little convincing myself.”
Her cheeks flushed. “You don’t need convincing, but maybe I can offer a special little thank you.”
“Not going to include the star of your team in those thanks?” Bones grinned and bent down between the ropes. “Maybe after—”
“Stop thinking with your dicks and start thinking with your heads,” I snapped and pushed Bones back.
“Easy for you to say when you already got your rocks off. Nice marks on your arms, Frankie.” Both Lotto’s tone and smirk were full of teasing. “All while I was out discussing business.”
“And ordering our food, I hope.” Ari fiddled with her ponytail. “All that convincing worked up an appetite.”
“It’s on its way.” Lotto glanced at me, the teasing masked by something more serious. “If we’re serious about the Circuit, we need to hold tryouts as soon as possible. The Circuit’s already been flooded with team applications from up and down the West Coast. We gotta get in before the application period closes.”
“Well, are we serious about the Circuit?” Bones turned to me and leaned back against the ropes.
I grimaced. “I’m not a fan.”
“Are you ever?” Ari asked.
I shot her a look. “—of being paraded around like some kind of show instead of being legitimate contenders.” Lotto and Bones looked like they wanted to say something, but I shook my head. “That’s what we’ll be though. I saw how the previous Circuit worked. Nobody gave a shit about the best of the best. They only wanted a fun show. Sponsors put their money behind the people who could make them go viral. It’s why the Circuit died in the first place. Everyone wanted a little flash of social media fame and not actual fucking fighters.”
“The police inspections didn’t help much.” Lotto shrugged.
“That’s all everything is lately.” Ari sighed and plopped down on the steps leading into the ring. “We had to play the same game for Heathens Hollow. So we already know how it works.”
“True, but sponsors are a different story. Lose a sponsor, lose your place. You have to keep them happy, and some sponsors need their dick sucked even more than Troy Godwin. It won’t be easy.”
“What do we have to do?” Bones asked.
“Make a video showcasing our best and send it to the organizers. If the West Coast Circuit likes us, they’ll give us a callback. Then we go in person, show off our shit, and get picked by a sponsor.”
“It sounds more like we’re parading ourselves around like prized pigs at the county fair.” I grunted and threw the gloves down to my feet.
“Better prized pigs than being slaughtered for bacon.” Ari grabbed Lotto’s coffee and took a long sip. “What do we do about Troy?”
“He doesn’t have to know we tried out for the Circuit.” Bones pushed off the ropes and set his gloved hands on his hips. “Just don’t tell him.”
“That fucker knows everything.” I sighed and rubbed my forehead. “We can’t keep it a secret for long.”
“Then make the Circuit Plan A and Troy Plan B. If the Circuit doesn’t work out—which honestly might happen with the way my luck works—then we call up Troy to talk about headlining at Heathens Hollow.”
I let out a breath. Either way, Smiley’s was fully reliant on someone else to stay afloat. I didn’t like the idea of putting all of our eggs into one basket. But when Troy found out about the Circuit, we wouldn’t have Plan B for very long at all. It was all or nothing. Our futures rode on the shoulders of Heathens Hollow’s two best—if River even still wanted to join us.