both cars and people on the thoroughfare — were just beginning to concentrate. With each step, I felt a sick, hollow feeling in my stomach, my mind racing to think of a compelling argument to make Benny see reason. By the time we knocked on the large green door I had seen so many times before, I had come up as short as my bank roll.
It wasn’t a surprise to see the enormous doorman — black, frightening, and as wide as he was tall — but I was stunned to see Benny standing beside him.
“Benny,” I breathed.
“My, my…you’re not Lucky Thirteen anymore, now, are ya? Mick didn’t tell me what a looker you’ve grown into. I’ve been waiting for you, Cookie. I hear you have a payment for me.”
I nodded and Benny gestured to my friends. I lifted my chin to feign confidence. “They’re with me.”
“I’m afraid your companions will have to wait outside,” the doorman said in an abnormally deep bass tone.
Travis immediately took me by the arm. “She’s not going in there alone. I’m coming with her.”
Benny eyed Travis and I swallowed. When Benny looked up to his doorman and the corners of his mouth turned up, I relaxed a bit.
“Fair enough,” Benny said. “Mick will be glad to know you have such a good friend with you.”
I followed him inside, turning to see the worried look on America’s face. Travis kept a firm grip on my arm, purposefully standing between me and the doorman. We followed Benny into an elevator, traveled up four floors in silence, and then the doors opened.
A large mahogany desk sat in the middle of a vast room. Benny hobbled to his plush chair and sat down, gesturing for us to take the two empty seats facing his desk. When I sat down, the leather felt cold beneath me, and I wondered how many people had sat in that same chair, moments from their death. I reached over to grab Travis’ hand, and he gave me a reassuring squeeze.
“Mick owes me twenty-five thousand. I trust you have the full amount,” Benny said, scribbling something on a notepad.
“Actually,” I paused, clearing my throat, “I’m five-k short, Benny. But I have all day tomorrow to get that. And five thousand is no problem, right? You know I’m good for it.”
“Abigail,” Benny said, frowning, “You disappoint me. You know my rules better than that.”
“P…Please, Benny. I’m asking you to take the nineteen-nine and I’ll have the rest for you tomorrow.”
Benny’s beady eyes darted from me to Travis and then back again. It was then that I noticed two men take a step forward from the shadowed corners of the room. Travis’ grip on my hand grew tighter, and I held my breath.
“You know I don’t take anything but the full-amount. The fact that you’re trying to hand me less tells me something. You know what it tells me? That you’re not sure if you can get the full amount.”
The men from the corners took another step forward.
“I can get your money, Benny,” I giggled nervously. “I won eighty-nine hundred in six hours.”
“So are you saying you’ll bring me eighty-nine hundred in six more hours?” Benny smiled his devilish grin.
“The deadline isn’t until midnight tomorrow,” Travis said, glancing behind us and then watching the approaching shadow men.
“W…What are you doing, Benny?” I asked, my posture rigid.
“Mick called me tonight. He said you’re taking care of his debt.”
“I’m doing him a favor. I don’t owe you any money.” I said sternly, my survival instincts kicking in.
Benny leaned both of his fat, stubby elbows onto his desk. “I’m considering teaching Mick a lesson, and I’m curious just how lucky you are, kiddo.”
Travis shot up out of his chair, pulling me with him. He jerked me behind him, backing up toward the door.
“Josiah is outside the door, young man. Where exactly do you think you’re going to escape to?”
I was wrong. When I was thinking about persuading Benny to see reason, I should have anticipated Mick’s will to survive, and Benny’s penchant for retribution.
“Travis,” I warned, watching Benny’s henchmen approach us.
Travis pushed me behind him a few feet and stood tall. “I hope you know, Benny, that when I take out your men, I mean no disrespect. But I’m in love with this girl, and I can’t let you hurt her.”
Benny burst into a loud cackle. “I gotta hand it to you, son. You’ve got the biggest balls of anyone that’s come through those doors. I’ll prepare you for what you’re about to get. The rather large fella to your right is David, and if he can’t take you out with his fists, he’s going to use that knife in his holster. The man to your left is Dane, and he’s my best fighter. He’s got a fight tomorrow, as a matter-of-fact, and he’s never lost. Mind you don’t hurt your hands, Dane. I’ve got a lot of money riding on you.”
Dane smiled at Travis with wild, amused eyes. “Yes, sir.”
“Benny, stop! I can get you the money!” I cried.
“Oh no…this is going get interesting very fast,” Benny chuckled, settling back into his seat.
David rushed Travis and my hands flew up to my mouth. The man was strong, but clumsy and slow. Before David could swing or reach for his knife, Travis incapacitated him, shoving David’s face straight down into his knee. When Travis threw a punch, he wasted no time, throwing every bit of strength he had into the man’s face. Two punches and an elbow later, David was lying on the floor in a bloody heap.
Benny’s head fell back, laughing hysterically and pounding his desk with the delight of a child watching Saturday morning cartoons. “Well, go on, Dane. He didn’t scare you, did he?”
Dane approached Travis more carefully, with the focus and precision of a professional fighter. His fist flew at Travis’ face with incredible speed, but Travis dodged, ramming his shoulder into Dane at full force. They fell against Benny’s desk, and then Dane grabbed Travis with both arms, hurling him to the ground. They scuffled on the floor for a moment, and then Dane gained ground, positioning himself to get in a few punches on Travis while he was trapped beneath him on the floor. I covered my face, unable to watch.
I heard a cry of pain, and then I looked up to see Travis hovering over Dane, holding him by his shaggy hair, jabbing punch after punch into the side of his head. Dane’s face rammed into the front of Benny’s desk with each blow, and then he scrambled to his feet, disorientated and bleeding.
Travis watched him for a moment, and then attacked again, grunting with every strike, once again using the full force of his strength. Dane dodged once and landed his knuckles to Travis’ jaw.
Travis smiled and held up his finger. “That’s your one.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. Travis had let Benny’s thug hit him. He was enjoying himself. I had never seen Travis fight without constraint; it was a bit frightening to see him unleash everything he had on these trained killers and have the upper hand. Until that moment, I hadn’t realized just what Travis was capable of.
With Benny’s disturbing laughter in the background, Travis finished Dane off, landing his elbow in the center of Dane’s face, knocking him out before he hit the ground. I followed his body as it bounced once on Benny’s imported rug.
“Amazing young man! Simply amazing!” Benny said, clapping with delight.
Travis pulled me behind him as Josiah filled the doorway with his massive frame.
“Should I take care of this, sir?”
“No! No, no…,” Benny said, still giddy with the impromptu performance. “What is your name?”
Travis was still breathing hard. “Travis Maddox,” he said, wiping Dane and David’s blood off of his hands and onto his jeans.
“Travis Maddox, I believe you can help your little girlfriend out.”
“How’s that?” Travis puffed.
“Dane was supposed to fight tomorrow night. I had a lot of cash riding on him, and it doesn’t look like Dane will be fit to win a fight anytime soon. I suggest you take his place, make my bankroll for me, and I’ll forgive the remaining fifty-one hundred of Mick’s debt.”
Travis turned to me. “Pigeon?”
“Are you all right?” I asked, wiping the blood from his face. I bit my lip, feeling my face crumple with a combination of fear and relief.
Travis smiled. “It’s not my blood, Baby. Don’t cry.”
Benny stood. “I’m a busy man, Son. Pass or play?”
