Page 69 of Glorious Ruin
Silas stepped into Rico’s space and shoved him back,hard. It sent him stumbling into the ropes.
“You listen here,” he growled, his Southern drawl coming in thick. He grabbed Rico by the tactical vest he wore for his entrance and hauled him close. “You think you’re brave? You think because you’re a Martinez you get a pass to say whatever you want? You’re just a punk hiding behind a legacy you didn’t earn!”
“He’s going to kill him,” I whispered as a smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth.
“You can call me whatever you want!” Silas roared into the mic, his voice shaking. “A nepo baby or a fraud. Call me whatever helps you sleep at night, I don’t give a shit!” He yanked Rico closer until their noses touched. “But for your own well-being…keep my husband’s name out of your goddamn mouth.”
The word hit the room like a grenade.
Husband.
Evan choked, his hand flying to his mouth. “Did he just…?”
“Yeah,” I breathed, a single tear tracking down my cheek. “Yeah, he did.”
Chaos erupted. Silas dropped the mic, throwing a right hook that nearly took Rico’s head off.
“CUT THE FEED!” Presley screamed from the production desk behind us. “GO TO BLACK! NOW!”
The screen went dark, but the noise from the arena only got louder.
I moved toward the curtain. “I have to go out there.” “No!” Evan grabbed my arm, digging his fingers in. “If you go out there, you’ll make it ten times worse. Stay here!”
“He’s in an actual fight! I’m going!” I tried to shake Evan off.
“I’ll go. I’m neutral. I’ll get him!”
Evan sprinted through the curtain just as the brawl spilled into the aisle. I watched on the backup monitor as Silas and Rico crashed over the barricade, trading brutal blows. A sea of security guards tried to intervene. I could hear the screaming coming from the curtain moments before they crashed into Gorilla.
It was absolute mayhem. Six security guards were trying to peel Silas off Rico. Evan was stuck in the middle, desperately shoving Rico back against the concrete wall.
“GET OFF ME!” Silas roared. His shirt was ripped down the middle as his chest fought to drag in oxygen.
Finally, they managed to put ten feet between them. Rico had blood pouring from his nose and scratches against his skin. He looked at Evan, then at me standing by the monitors before spitting a mouthful of pink saliva on the floor and glaring at Silas.
“You think we don’t all know?” Rico wheezed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “You think the entire locker room didn’t piece everything together long before? You’re trading titles for fucking blowjobs. That’s the only way a hack like Kincaid stays on top.”
Silas went still for a split second, a jagged grin splitting his face.
“A hack?” Silas whispered, the word sharp enough to cut glass. He let out a dark, breathless laugh. “You think the man who’s been breaking backs and carrying this entire company for seven years needsmyhelp to stay on top?” He lunged forward, the sudden violence dragging three security guards with him. “HE’S THE CHAMPION BECAUSE HE COULD SNAP YOUR FUCKING NECK IN THREE MINUTES! YOU WANNA TEST IT?! SAY IT TO HIS FACE!”
Rico sneered, lunging against Evan’s chest. “He’s still a pathetic bitch playing captain save-a-whore for the biggest fuck-up in the building!”
Silas broke an arm free, pointing a bloody finger right between Rico’s eyes. “YEAH, WELL, YOU JUST GOT YOUR ASS HANDED TO YOU BY THIS FUCK-UP ON LIVE TV!”
He lunged again, ready to tear Rico’s throat out. I stepped in, wrapped my arms around Silas’s waist from behind, and hoisted his feet off the floor.
“Let me go!” Silas shouted, thrashing in my grip. “I’m gonna kill him! I’m going to fucking kill him!”
“I know!” I roared, tightening my grip. It took every ounce of my strength to haul him back and keep him away from Rico’s face. “Iknow, baby. Enough! It’senough.”
I dragged him down the hall, away from the carnage and venom. Evan, thankfully, stepped in front of Rico, shielding our exit. The medical room sat to our left, and I kicked the door open, throwing Silas inside. It slammed behind us, allowing me to drop my enraged spouse and lock it.
“Si?” I whispered, the shock finally hitting me. “You called me your husband on live fucking TV?”
Silas paced the small room, wiping his mouth, smearing Rico’s blood across his cheekbone.
“Yeah.” Silas spun to face me, panting. “Yeah, I did, because that’s what you are. And I’m not going to pretend like you’re just some guy I carpool with. He called you a whore, Cal! I can handle them coming for me. I can handle the legacy talk, but nobody,nobody,gets to say you didn’t earn your title. Not while I’m breathing.”
