Odessa

chapter 12 - i've had a thing for it recently

A/N - this is as long ass chapter it has a bunch of important info + Leon's POV from the 505 chapter and the fight. Enjoy ;)

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It's Aisha. The girl that told me about the bartending job. She works here?

As she walks around the ring, she freezes as she sees me, before glancing at Mr Dante, and then back at me. She looks at me with a fearful expression, before continuing to make her way around the ring.

Once the crowd is cheering and the classical music stops, everything is silent for a moment, before all the lights go out. I look around panicked. Is this supposed to happen. I feel Mr Dante grab my hand, "Don't worry, Dear. It's all part of the show." He whispers.

The room suddenly fills with a emerald green light, shining down onto the ring, like it's the sun shining down on the earth. I see 2 figures climb into the ring, before Aisha steps out. The room lights up a bit more, and I see her walking towards the bar, looking back at me with a worried expression. I want to go after her. I want to ask her why she didn't tell me she worked here, but I figured leaving before the fight even begun would look suspicious.

A bell rings, and the music picks up again. This time, it's fast, dramatic. The orchestra plays 'The Untold', and the men get into their positions. Each standing in their corner, they make their way towards each other.

I notice Nick looking at Leon's feet, while Leon looks straight ahead, starring Nick down like just before. I scoot to the edge of my seat. Nick takes the first hit, but Leon dodges it, "You gotta do better than that man, come on", he eggs him on, mockingly. I can barely hear him over the music, but sitting so close, I could just make it out.

Leon reaches for Nick, giving him a playful slap, causing the crowd to cheer. Nick takes the opportunity of the crowd's applause, jabbing Leon right in the gut. This causes the crowd to cheer once again, and I hear Mr Dante chuckle slightly to himself from beside me. Nick is using all his skills, Leon looks like he's just messing around, yet he's still winning.

After a few more hits back and forth, another bell goes off, signalling half time of the fight. I thought that boxing usually goes in rounds, but they had been fighting for 15 minutes straight, and from what I gathered from the people sitting behind me were saying, you win if you knock the other person out or one of them forfeits.

I excuse myself from Mr Dante, and walk towards the bar where I see Aisha sitting.

"I swear, I forgot to breathe half the time watching that fight." I say casually, standing beside her at the bar, before ordering my drink. Whiskey. I've had a thing for it recently.

She doesn't say anything, just stares at me blankly while I sip my drink, before grabbing my arm and pulling me to one of the private rooms. "We need to talk." She says, closing the velvet curtains behind her as we step into a small room with a couch and a few red shaded lamps.

"Aisha, why didn't you tell me you worked here?" I ask her, confused as I sit on the couch, while she paces the room.

"Layla! Do you have any idea what this place is?" She asks in a shout-whisper, stepping towards me.

I shake my head, "I read some things but-"

"This is the fucking Mafia, Layla. The Serpent's Creed. They'll eat you alive in here, especially him."

Leon's POV (starting from 'the 505' chapter events)

My father had requested me to join him at the 505 tonight. He usually reaches out every year before the fight. Trying to convince me to join back. He always picks the worst times. I can feel myself slipping back into my old habits. Drugs, women, killing. But this time, it was different. I usually opened these episodes with open arms, but I didn't want to this time. And I knew that that was only going to make it worse.