Free Slammed: Stepbrother MMA Fighter by Kara Parker

Terrance.
     
    “Well, Chelsea, it’s not you saying anything is it?” Colleen asked. “You’re just repeating what he said and, honestly, illegal fighting pits? In Snowbird, Idaho? I don’t think so. Terrance has warned me about Blue’s lying, so enough of this silliness. Honestly, I thought you girls would be happy for me, but instead you’re acting like teenagers again. I love Terrance and he loves me and if you can’t support that, I think you should leave. You can stay at the house for the rest of your trip.”
     
    “Mom, please listen to us,” Jamie pleaded.
     
    But it was too late. Colleen had already turned around and headed up the stairs. “I’m going to take a shower,” she called down. “If your attitude hasn’t changed by then, I don’t want to see you. I’m so disappointed in you girls. I had told Terrance so many wonderful stories about you.”
     
    They all watched as she walked up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom closing the door firmly behind you.
     
    “At least tell me that little display was worth something. You’ll fight?” Terrance asked Blue in a quiet voice.
     
    “No!” Blue shouted. “I’m never doing one of this fights again. I’m going to college on the GI bill and I’m never going to see you again. I’m never going back inside that ring.”
     
    “Please, Blue?” Terrance said. “The GI bill? College? You were never the smart kid; you were the tough kid. You were the kid who pushed back,” Terrance pushed hard against Blue’s chest, but Blue froze and refused to hit back.
     
    “Leave him alone!” Chelsea said. She took a step towards Blue, but he threw his arm out and kept her back and out of Terrance’s reach.
     
    “You’ve got a girl fighting your battles now?” Terrance now. “She’s not even a tough-looking girl. Although I do look forward to calling her my daughter.”
     
    “You’re disgusting,” Chelsea spit.
     
    “Your mother seems to like me well enough. And as for you,” he said turning to Blue. “You think you can just walk away from this? Do you think I’m asking you to go back into the ring for my own monetary gain? I’m thinking about you. They know you’re back in town and they want you to fight, Blue, and you know how they get when someone refuses them.”
     
    “Who’s them?” Chelsea asked.
     
    “So you didn’t tell her everything.” He turned to Chelsea and continued. “The fights have, what you might call, sponsors. They host the event, gather up like-minded men to attend, and bet and they take a cut of ticket sales and the pot. These are not nice men. They are bad and violent. They are criminals and drug dealers and people with almost no moral conviction and Blue is pissing them off. If you skip this fight they’re gonna come for you, Blue. You really think you can survive that? These men have a lot invested in these fights. You can’t just walk away.”
     
    “Bring it on. I’ve been to war, I’ve been to the desert, and I’ve killed men and I’ve watched them die in front of me. You think a bunch of convicts from Idaho are going to scare me?”
     
    “Oh, I think they will,” Terrance hissed. “You still have a few days to change your mind. Be smart for once in your life, Blue.” Terrance turned and walked away from them; he headed up the stairs as Jamie, Chelsea, and Blue watched him go.
     
    “Is there any chance anyone recorded that on their phone?” Jamie asked.
     
    “No, because that would have been the smart thing to do and we are not smart,” Chelsea said shaking her head. “She didn’t believe us.”
     
    “We knew she wouldn’t,” Jamie said.
     
    “Yeah, but it still hurts.”
     
    “I’ll go get our stuff and pack the car,” Jamie said, leaving Blue and Chelsea alone.
     
    “Thanks for trying,” Chelsea said. “It really means a lot to me. I know it wasn’t easy.”
     
    “It felt pretty good, actually,” Blue said with a smile. “It was good having you there