Bare Knuckled

Chapter Four- First Bruises

“What happened?” Zane asked upon making his way into the gymnasium portion of the arena, finding Candace sitting upon one of the benches with her face set deep within her hands. Her blonde hair, now straightened, had covered her face-making it impossible for him to learn what had caused such sadness in such a beautiful spirit. Because of this, he took the place beside her on the bench, trying to offer her ease. However, she seemed terrified for him to see her, a detail that he recognized from when his mother would attempt to do the same when he was on the cusp of his adolescence. “...You can tell me…” He tried to reassure her before watching her get up and attempt to slip away from his care. But his grip was too quick, and he forced her to remain in place, enough for her to then look at him in surprise and reveal her face to him. His mouth came open upon seeing her porcelain complexion tainted by a deep purple bruise set upon her cheek-just missing her eye. “Did those guys come back-” He asked, his tone becoming excitable as he could feel anger boil within him from the fact that anybody could hurt her. To him, she was the embodiment of perfection and purity, and for anybody to wish to disrupt that by taking out their anger on her had left him to be anything but understanding. 

“I didn’t know anybody would be here…” She confessed, as he tried to scan the rest of her visible body to see if any other part of her had become harmed-but it seemed as if her cheek had been the only point of impact. This didn’t stop him, however, from continuing to seek out any further pain upon her-even if it had been emotional. 

“It’s okay…” He tried to reassure her, going to move his hand to her skin before retracting upon recalling the harsh words of his employer and her husband. It seemed that it had been a proper call as he then heard the familiar steps of that very man enter the area they both stood present within. When seeing his wife, he quickly took her into his arms and attempted to soothe her, while Zane noted how her body grew incredibly stiff around him. “I have an ice pack in my office...I’ll meet you in there…” He spoke to her with his back turned to Zane as she left them alone in the room to discuss whatever it was that Butch came to speak of with his hopeful up and comer. With his attention now fully upon Zane, it seemed that all worry for his wife had dissipated upon speaking of business. Almost as if it had all been for show. 

“I am sure you are wondering when you will finally take the ring…” Butch spoke before handing Zane a flyer that he would be pasting upon the official news bulletin following this conversation. Zane saw how his name had been in bold letters upon the announcement followed by that of another rookie he had never heard of in his time around the arena. “This will be an easy fight, especially if you fight like you did that night.” He advised him. “Take all the time you need to practice...you only have two days…” He warned him while casting a look that spoke as more of a threat than that of a mentor or confidant. However, Zane was too nervous in feeling that perhaps he wasn’t ready, as he had only been training for a week, and now he would step upon the canvas with such little experience. But the way Butch seemed to believe in him had caused him to feel as though he could accomplish it; but the thoughts of Candace also remained solid upon his mind. The excitement that roused within him as he could vividly picture her forbidden touch caused a war between his morals. 

For the next forty eight hours, Zane had trained relentlessly, not allowing any outside influence to distract him-well, most of them at least. Whenever he would bring himself to the workout equipment set before him, he would constantly think of those men that hurt Candance and how he would like to finish the job he had already placed on him. Along with that, he then thought of the pain she had endured the last time he had seen her. The fear in her eyes and the way he could have consoled her if they weren’t interrupted had been a foremost thought set in his brain; as if he had a choice in the matter. This mixed with the anger he felt towards his step father had allowed him to channel his anger into the equipment, delivering an impressive beating in preparation for a fight that was approaching too quickly. 

The night of his first official fight had made its way into his present atmosphere as Zane positioned himself in the locker room, reading over the rules of the fight. Having still remained a novice, he wanted to be certain that he wasn’t responsible for any negative outcome of this fight-especially with it having been his first. He then made his way towards his locker to pull strength from a photograph of his mother when she had been in her beautiful prime, with his sister Mackenzie within her arms. Tracing his fingers upon her photo, he then shut his locker before turning to see his step father seeking him out while also taking in the atmosphere of the locker room itself. 

“Cute…” He commented while Zane clenched his hands at his side before finally turning to face him. 

“Did you bring Mackenzie?” He asked, wanting to bypass whatever attempt Paul was trying to make to him and cut to the chase. 

“Why would I bring her here to watch you fail? She looks up to you so highly.” He spoke with words that seemed as if they were coming from the heart-at some extent, but with a tone that exposed the piece of work he truly was. 

“Then what do you want?”

“Is that any way to talk to your father?” Zane had seen Paul as many things; a drunk, an abuser, a slob, a manipulator-but NEVER as a father.

Zane scoffed, just as Candace happened to make her way towards the locker room to tell Zane he would be expected on the mat in a few minutes, but became increasingly intrigued by the words spoken so close to her. 

“You aren’t my dad. My dad was a good man...one who knew how to be a dad.”

“Sure thing sport...keep telling yourself that.” Paul spoke while then making his way towards the exit, forcing Candace to quickly pull herself away from view. “Oh, I am curious about something though…” Once again, Zane’s fingers formed into a fist, this time clenching so hard that his knuckles had turned white. “You know your mother hated fighting...and I just thought that it was something you should think about…” Paul smiled to himself before leaving Zane to ponder what it was he meant by such hurtful words. The truth of the matter was that Paul was the lowest scum of the earth and constantly showed this to his step-son, a young man trying to supply for his sister when her father would rather spend it on cheap women and expensive booze. But it was the pull Zane needed to be able to channel all of his energy into this fight...a fight that would determine the rest of his future. 

“Are you ready?” Candace asked while making her way towards him, finding his knuckles to release their tension upon seeing her. However, not even a small smirk spread from his cheeks, instead, a look of determination set in his eyes as he looked at her. He nodded, following her to the hallway that he would reside in until his name was announced to each of the spectators. As he waited, he was unaware of Candace’s gaze upon him, pitying him for what he was forced to endure by a man that should have been a protector and origin of grand self esteem for him-but she also saw how it seemed to change Zane into being in the mindset of a fighter, a mindset that would allow him to win.