Page 26 of Undefeated

“Yeah. Yeah, I think so,” I responded.

“You sure? You’re friend alright?” he asked as he opened the grill.

“I don’t know. I have a feeling something happened,” I responded.

“Like?” he asked.

“I don’t know. But I know this. If she so much as has a fingerprint on her, I’m going to go beat the brakes off of this dirt bag. Where’s my fucking hoodie?” I asked.

“It’s on the lounge,” Ripp said, pointing to the lounge chair.

“Brother, if he touched a hair on her head, you’ll have to beat me to him. I’ll beat his ass for you. Until he’s a pile of bones. No one beats a woman that I know about. Not and gets away with it. So, I got this, Dekk. I got it. Just because that’s how we do it here in Texas,” he laughed.

“I’m serious,” I said.

“So am I,” he responded as he made a fist and held it out in front of him.

He nodded toward his hand.

“C’mon, do it,” he said.

I gritted my teeth and made a fist.

He nodded his head again, “I got this.”

I bumped his fist with mine.

And I knew.

KACE. We make decisions that have an effect on our lives, and at times we regret the decisions we have made in the past. I try to live my life without regret. There have been plenty of times that I wish my life were different, but I never regret the path I have taken that got me to where I stand.

I looked in the rearview mirror. My face was covered in blood, my lips split open, my tooth was missing, and my hair matted with blood.

I smiled.

I pulled my car in the driveway, checked the address, backed up and parked in the street in front of the house. I looked at the text message again. 724 All Hallows. We’re in the back on the deck. Gate is unlocked. I sat in my car, looking like a murder victim that had survived, and was happier than I have ever been in my life. My only regret was that I didn’t hit Josh in the head with that skillet ten years ago.

I opened the car door and took a deep breath. Just as well get this over with. I stepped out and started up the driveway toward the gate in the fence. I reached for the handle and took another deep breath, exhaled, and pulled the gate open.

I stood at the opened gate and stared.

“Hey babe. So what’s going on?” Shane asked from on top of the deck as he started walking my direction.

As he got closer to me, his eyes opened wide. His face filled with surprise. His lips began to quiver. He stood in front of me and slowly reached out to move my hair from my cheeks. He lowered his face down toward mine and looked into my eyes.

“What the fuck happened to you?” he said in a calm but stern tone.

I stood and stared at the deck, incapable of speaking.

Holy Mary mother of Christ himself.

“Ripp, get over here, I think she’s in shock. She’s had the shit beat out of her,” he said over his shoulder.

“Holy fuck. I’ll call an ambulance,” the shirtless man said.

I shook my head.

“No,” I blurted.