The Brick Yard (7 page)

“Hey,” Dray answered. Lucky assumed Dray was already tuned into the fight because he could hear the roar of the crowd in the background.

“I can’t do this,” Lucky said in a rush. “I can’t get up there. My head’s all screwed up.”

“Look up and to your left,” Dray ordered.

Lucky didn’t know what the hell Dray was talking about but he did as instructed. There, in the front row of the balcony stood a tattooed god in a baseball hat. His eyes met Dray’s.

“You can do this. Just breathe and don’t let that fucker get too close to you.”

“Come down,” Lucky urged.

“No. You don’t need me. You have Brick. Remember why you’re doing this and fuckin’ do it,” Dray said before ending the call.

Lucky watched as Dray shoved the cell back into his pocket. “I can do this,” he whispered as he turned to face Brick. “I can do this.”

“You’d better fucking do it! That hotel room is costing me almost a hundred bucks.” Brick gave Lucky a shove.

Lucky climbed the steps and entered the cage. He faced his opponent, Johnny “The Hammer” Gains, as the referee set out the rules of the fight.
I can do this.
He glanced up at Dray once more and his need to fight slid into place.

* * * *

Arms resting on the railing in front of him, Dray let out a sigh of relief when the first round ended. So far, the match was a draw, but it was easy to see Lucky was finally getting warmed up while The Hammer was starting to wear out. He pulled out his phone and called Lucky.

“Not the time,” Brick snapped into the phone.

“Tell Lucky to concentrate his blows on the left ribcage. The Hammer’s protecting that area, so there’s already damage.” Dray stared down at Lucky as Brick reiterated Dray’s instructions.

Lucky tilted his head back and looked straight at Dray before nodding. Dray put his phone away and took a moment to study the fans. The incident with the blonde before the fight still had the crowd in an uproar.
Shit!

“Break the Ice Man!” one fan cried.

“The Ice Man is a cold bastard!” another screamed.

Dray watched as Lucky surged to his feet and turned in a circle to take in the catcalls. Right before Dray’s eyes, he saw the resolve to win in the clench of Lucky’s jaw. “Oh shit.” Dray had a feeling The Hammer was going down.

Lucky climbed back into the cage, snarling at several people in the crowd who dared to shout insults at him.

The bell rang and Lucky met The Hammer in the center of the cage. The two men danced around each other, landing punches here and there, but nothing that would win either of them the match. Dray could tell the catcalls were starting to get to Lucky when Lucky got sloppy, throwing power punches that missed their targets. “Fuck!”

The bell rang again, signaling the end of the second round. With only one left, Lucky had to pull his head out of his ass and focus on the fight instead of listening to the assholes in the arena.

The urge to call Lucky again was strong, but Dray held back. Instead, he tried to concentrate on the byplay between Lucky and Brick as a small cut on Lucky’s forehead was attended to. Brick turned his head and started to cough. Lucky grabbed the sweat-soaked towel he’d used to wipe down and handed it to Brick before motioning for Dray to come down.

“Shit!” Dray excused himself as he made his way through the crowd, all the while keeping an eye on Brick. The coughing continued but Dray could tell Brick still had enough breath to argue with Lucky. Brick shook his head and pointed to the cage.

By the time Dray made it to Brick’s side, Lucky was already making his way into the cage. “I got him,” Dray yelled loud enough for Lucky to hear.

Lucky nodded once before turning back to The Hammer.

Dray squatted beside Brick, who’d already replaced Lucky on the stool. “You need a doctor?”

Brick shook his head and wiped the blood from his mouth. “I need that boy to win,” he gasped.

Dray kept his hand on Brick’s shoulder as he stood. “Make it quick!” he yelled over the noise of the crowd.

In a surprise move, Lucky held his arms straight out, allowing The Hammer to land a series of punches to his jaw and stomach. The Hammer danced back, chuckling and shaking his head. Lucky stared at his opponent, watching him like a snake preparing to strike.

Dray’s grip on Brick’s shoulder tightened. “Do it,” he said under his breath.

Striking fast and hard, Lucky drew his right arm back before throwing everything he had into a single punch to The Hammer’s ribcage.

Although it shouldn’t have been possible, Dray could have sworn he heard the sound of bones breaking as Lucky’s fist connected.

The Hammer’s eyes went wide as his legs gave out under him and he went down on his knees, hard. His mouth opened and closed several times as pain contorted his already ugly face.

The referee bent over to speak to The Hammer before motioning for the fighter’s crew. Within moments, the fight was called and Lucky declared the victor. Lucky didn’t waste time, he climbed out of the cage. “How is he?”

“I’m fine, goddammit!” Brick got to his feet and reached up to run a hand over Lucky’s sweaty hair. “Took you long enough, but you pulled it out. Good job.”

Dray glanced at Brick, knowing from experience that the old man had just paid Lucky the only compliment he’d get regarding the match. “Let’s get out of here,” Dray said, motioning to the rowdy fans. They didn’t appear to be pleased by the outcome, especially because The Hammer was still in the cage receiving medical attention.

Dray led the way with Brick behind him and Lucky bringing up the rear. He kept his head down, praying no one would recognize him while remaining vigilant of the crowd. One thing was certain, Lucky’s new moniker was sealed. From that moment on, Lucky would be known as the Ice Man.

“Where’re you parked?” Dray asked Lucky when they reached the parking lot. It was a chilly evening and they’d left the building without going back to the locker room to retrieve Lucky’s clothes.

Lucky stripped off his gloves before holding out his hand. “You have my keys?” he asked Brick.

Brick dug into his pocket before handing them over, along with Lucky’s phone. The fact that Brick didn’t complain about leaving the bag of equipment in the locker room said a lot. It seemed Dray wasn’t the only one who had a bad feeling about the crowd.

“My truck’s over there,” Dray said, pointing to another lot. “Give me a minute, and I’ll follow you.” He jogged toward his truck, grateful the situation had been too chaotic to feel uncomfortable around two people he’d thought of daily but hadn’t seen in years.

* * * *

Dray turned the television off when he heard a knock. He dropped the remote onto the king-size bed and moved to answer the door. Lucky, fresh from a shower, stood smiling at him. “Hey,” Dray greeted, stepping back to let Lucky inside.

“Brick’s asleep, so I thought I’d run downstairs to the bar for a drink. Wanna join me?” Lucky asked.

“Sure, just let me grab my wallet.” Dray waited for Lucky to prop open the door with his shoulder before walking away to grab his money and room card. Lucky had offered to let Dray stay in their room, but no way in hell could he trust himself to share a queen-size bed with Lucky. He’d thanked Lucky but had politely refused the offer. “All set.”

Lucky led the way into the hall and waited for Dray to join him before heading toward the elevator. “So what made you decide to make the trip?”

Dray wasn’t sure he could answer the question because truth be told, he wasn’t sure he knew. He decided to go with Brick’s illness as his excuse. “Just wanted to watch Brick in action once more before things got too bad.”

Lucky pushed the button before glancing at Dray. “Brick’s had better nights. Sorry you had to see what you did.”

“Don’t be sorry. Despite everything, I saw the same fire in Brick’s eyes as I did back when I was fighting.” The elevator doors opened, and Dray entered. He felt oddly nervous when Lucky joined him in the enclosed space. “Good punch there at the end though, but I saw it coming. If The Hammer hadn’t been so fucking sure of himself, he’d have seen it, too.”

“Getting Brick out of there was the only thing I cared about,” Lucky replied.

The doors opened and they stepped out into the lobby. Other than a few people standing in line to check in, there didn’t seem to be any action. “Looks dead,” Dray said.

“Thank God.” Lucky took off toward the small bar. “I’ve had enough of people and their big fucking mouths for one day.”

Dray followed, trying in vain to keep his gaze off Lucky’s ass.
Damn.
He felt his cock begin to harden and quickly averted his eyes, concentrating instead on the dark head of drying mahogany-colored hair in front of him.

Lucky walked to the back of the bar and slid into a booth. “This okay?”

“Yeah.” Dray sat across from Lucky. He rested his hands on the table, trying like a motherfucker to figure out what to say next. Gone was the ease of their shared telephone conversations. He searched for something to say.
Oh. Fuck yeah.
“I brought my gun and ink, so if you want that tat while I’m here…”

Lucky looked like he was about to say something but turned his attention to the server who had stepped up beside him. “Shot of tequila and a Corona, both with lime,” he ordered.

Dray nodded. “Same for me.”

“Right up,” the female server said with a smile. She lingered for just a moment, and Dray got the distinct impression she knew who Lucky was but was too shy to say so. She eventually turned and walked off without another word.

“I think she likes you,” Dray commented. He didn’t blame the woman. Despite the bruise on his jaw and small bandaged cut, Lucky was damn hot. His eyes were the color of expensive cognac and rimmed with the longest red lashes Dray had ever seen.

Lucky glanced toward the bar before shrugging. “Didn’t notice.” He spun his cardboard coaster several times before stilling it. “Brick’s not going to last long, is he?”

Dray exhaled a long ragged breath. “No, I don’t think so. Although, my uncle got a lot worse before he finally passed.” He fisted his hands, knowing what would come. “Brick’ll need oxygen before long. Then we’ll probably need to call in hospice.”

“I’ll take care of him,” Lucky declared.

“And I’ll help you, but he’ll need someone to come in and help him manage the pain.” Dray didn’t add that hospice would also be there to help Lucky deal with the end. Nor did he mention how horrible the end would be, because he knew from experience that in order for Brick to handle the pain, he’d have to be so heavily drugged he probably wouldn’t be able to do anything but sleep. Lucky would spend days, possibly weeks, watching as Brick wasted away.

The waitress returned and set the drinks on the table. “Would you like to pay now or run a tab?”

Lucky upended the shot glass and downed the tequila before setting it empty on her tray. “A tab is fine.” He gestured to the glass. “And four more of those.”

With a surprised expression, she nodded. “Okay.”

Once they were alone again, Lucky took a swig of his beer. “How do we know when to do that?”

Dray drank his shot without use of the lime or salt before answering. “Do you know if he’s still seeing a doctor?”

Lucky shook his head. “I don’t know anything really. It’s a wonder I got what little I did out of him.”

Dray waited for their server to set down the shots and leave before saying anything. “We can call them anytime, but I think it would be a good idea to get him back to the doctor first. He’ll need to fill out an advanced healthcare directive while he’s still able.”

“What’s that?” Lucky asked.

“Legal piece of paper that’ll see that his wishes are carried out once he’s unable to make decisions for himself.” Dray reached for another shot and drank it before continuing. “It won’t be pleasant, but since he’s refused treatment, it’s necessary.”

“I don’t think Brick’ll like a stranger in his house all the time.” Lucky’s eyes were red, whether from the tequila or the subject matter, Dray didn’t know.

“Hospice will work with us. If we only want them to come for a few hours at a time, that’s what they’ll do. It all depends on us and how much we’re able to do for him once it gets bad.”

“I’d do anything,” Lucky was quick to say.

Dray finally gave into his desire and reached across the table to squeeze Lucky’s hand. He stared at their hands when Lucky turned his over and threaded their fingers together. He’d never really noticed the difference in their skin color, but his own light brown skin appeared even darker against Lucky’s creamy-white. He opened his mouth to point it out, but the waitress caught his attention. She was cleaning the table across from them, but her attention appeared to be on their clasped hands.
Shit.

Dray tensed. If his earlier suspicion was right, the woman knew who Lucky was.
Not good.
He thought fast. “I know Brick’s been like a father to you, and I’ll help you deal with the cancer any way I can.”

Dray gave Lucky’s hand one last squeeze before withdrawing his touch. Lucky’s expression changed, and it was obvious Dray had hurt his feelings. He wanted to tell Lucky the truth, that holding hands would inevitably lead to gossip. Worse, he’d enjoyed Lucky’s warmth too much and could easily imagine Lucky’s hand on his cock.
No.
He wouldn’t let it happen.
No fucking way would he be Lucky’s Vince.
He hadn’t lied to Lucky. As long as he was needed to help care for Brick, he’d be at Lucky’s side, but he wouldn’t stick around. Lucky deserved his dream, and Dray would do everything he could to protect it.

“I know you will,” Lucky mumbled.

Upending the last shot glass, Dray welcomed the burn of the alcohol. He’d hurt Lucky by pulling away, that much was more than obvious.
So be it. I’ll be the asshole.

Chapter Four

“You want to go by the gym or should I take you home?” Lucky asked, as they neared their neighborhood. The drive from Indianapolis with Brick beside him and Dray following in his pickup, had been pure torture. He still didn’t understand what had happened the previous night in the bar. When Dray had held his hand, Lucky had felt the heat between them, but it had been more than that. For possibly the first time in his life, he hadn’t felt alone, and the goddamn little boy inside him had wanted to pump his fist in the air. Unfortunately, the moment of fullness hadn’t lasted and all too soon, Dray had withdrawn.