Healing Hearts

27 || red, red

Mateo ⋆｡°✩

I raced to the location, heart pounding, and received a message from Elias letting me know he was already there, waiting.

The meeting place was beneath the club where i had once saw Emmalyn at.

I could vividly recall how she had insisted on me buying her a beer that night. At the time, it was baffling—who comes all the way to a club just to grab a beer and then leaves?

But now, in hindsight, it all made sense.

She must have needed it for her father, that miserable excuse of a man. Poor girl.

The fights happened in a secret room, a basement concealed beneath the club. It was a clever setup, hidden well enough that the loud music and crowd upstairs covered any noise from the underground fights.

Although, i suspected the room might also be soundproof.

I parked my bike outside and grabbed my bag, which contained nothing but a bottle of water and a first aid kit for emergencies.

As i approached the club's entrance, i spotted Elias leaning against the wall, his face illuminated by the glow of his phone screen.

Since i started fighting, Elias has been the only person i've confided in, mostly for safety reasons.

I figured if anything ever went wrong, at least one person would know the truth.

Elias and i had been close friends in the past, so i trusted him not to betray me. He had come to a few of my fights, mostly to ensure everything was going smoothly.

After all, he was my friend, and i doubt he would like to find me dead in some ditch.

I sighed and tapped his shoulder, pulling his attention away from his phone. He met my gaze, and we both understood the gravity of the situation.

Things were more dangerous now than ever before. After my failed attempt to leave, the older men were practically out for blood.

I had always been resented by some fighters, mostly because i was young, just a boy compared to the rest who were mostly over 25.

I was never the strongest or most muscular, but i had my technique—studying my opponents movements and reacting faster than they expected.

No one here, except my father and Noah, knew my true identity. In the ring, if the crowd was on my side, they called me 'Red'.

Every fighter had a nickname, each with a specific story behind it.

Elias gave me a silent nod and followed me as we skipped the line. The security guard immediately recognized us and let us in. The moment i stepped inside, the stench of sweat and alcohol hit me, but i ignored it, nodding at Ash, the bartender.

Ash waved back, acknowledging me with a familiar smile. He was one of the few who knew the truth about what lay beneath the club.

Ash had been my friend ever since i started fighting at this place, and though we rarely talked outside of matters related to the fights, we both knew we could rely on each other if needed.