Page 12 of Splintered Desire

“Do you have a bathroom?” I ask the clerk as he rings up my stuff.

He reaches under the counter and pulls out a key attached to one of those coil bracelets, dropping it on the counter.

“Behind the building,” he grumbles, jerking his head in what I assume is the direction of the restroom.

I pay and make my way out, rummaging through my bag for the cold can of energy I desperately need right now.

Waking up so early is going to be a fucking pain in my ass, and I can’t afford to drag for a fight. I’ll have to find a coffee shop en route for next time, since I can’t risk making it at the house.

The back of the building is a lot more worn than the front. Graffiti covers a lot of the back wall, and the garbage is damn near overflowing. Flies buzz, and the smell is enough to make my already nervous stomach turn.

I don’t have high hopes for the bathroom, but I’m pleasantly surprised to find it mostly clean, at least for public bathroom standards.

I’ve been in a lot worse. I make quick work of downing half my drink before putting it up on the counter and hauling my duffel bag up after it. Getting ready is almost second nature at this point, something I could do with my eyes closed.

Contacts, uniform, hairbrush, extensions, mask, hoodie, and sweats with the Pit’s logo that signify I’m a fighter.

Everything else, like my hand wraps and mouth guard, I put on right before the fight. And I’ll put my mask on right before I get there. I tried to put it on once at the other gas station, and I’m pretty sure they called the cops. No, something about a bone mask just draws too much attention.

Getting ready used to take me forever. Ozy had to look up so many videos for us to find a way for me to do my hair to keep it out of my face. In the end, we settled on Double Dutch braids. Later Reed bought me some orange extensions to throw in to match my fighting name, after Ozy was gone.

And don’t even get me started on the damn contacts. Reed pretty much had to hold me down to get them in and out of my eyes in the beginning.

But that feels like a lifetime ago now.

Five minutes later, I’m ready. I pull my sweatpants and hoodie on, flipping up my hood to hide my now bright orange hair before walking back to the front of the store to return the key. The clerk gives me a strange look but doesn’t say anything, and I don’t wait around to give him the chance.

Walking down the street, I pull out my phone to check the time. I have hours before I’m supposed to be there for tonight’s fight, but I wasn’t lying when I told Kolson I use Saturdays to study, just not about where I do it. Thankfully, Reed is always there early to let me in.

The walk feels like it takes no time at all, even with the slight chill in the air. I make quick work of tying on my mask when the building finally comes into view. The trees that surround the building looked a lot more menacing when I visited the other night, but they don’t look so bad now. The clouds roll overhead, and the wind blows, making the branches shake and leaves fall to the ground.

It looks like it’s going to rain soon. Thankfully, I’ll be here for a while now.

Reed meets me at the back door the same way he always does, with a huge smile on his face. I was worried he might not be here after the move and everything, but I should have known better. Reed is nothing if not reliable.

“There’s the foxy lady,” he says with a laugh as I pass him. I level him with a glare, but that only makes him smile wider. “I was worried you’d quit on me.”

Guy is crazy, but I won’t lie. He’s grown on me these last few years.

“Oh, lighten up. Tonight’s the first fight in the new building, and they picked you to fight! That’s a big deal. You busted your ass to get here. You really should learn to enjoy it.” He bumps his shoulder to mine playfully as he passes me, heading down the hall, and I have no choice but to follow, unsure of where I’m going.

A smile tugs at my lips, and with his back to me and my mask in place, I let it as I feel the weight of his words.

I did work my ass off to get here. I’ve also gotten my ass beat while doing it.

It lasts all of two seconds before I remember who it is that picked me, and just like that, all the pride I feel drains away.

What a fucking nightmare this is going to be.

Reed shows me to the new changing rooms before he disappears, leaving me to study. He’ll be back, though, in a few hours to talk and hit on me, just like always. Until then, I pull out my books and lose myself to the lessons, numbers, and assignments.

At six, Reed is back to show me to the gym, where I can warm up. He talks damn near a mile a minute about anything and everything, pointing out rooms and things as we go. I don’t really pay it any attention, too lost in my thoughts, but the sound of his rambling is comforting, normal in a place that’s foreign. Reed might be a little more talkative than I like, but he’s nice enough for a huge, hulking bouncer. He’s not at all what I would have guessed when I first met him. Much more flirtatious, too, though I’ve seen him throw grown men out without breaking a sweat.

“I can’t wait to see you wow the bosses,” Reed says, turning to face me as he pushes the door to the gym open with his ass. “Word has it they have a new little pet that will be here with them,” he whispers, wiggling his brows at me like he’s letting me know a great secret.

If only he knew just how aware I already was of that.

I bite my tongue to stop myself from telling him just how much I don’t plan to be their ‘plaything.’