The weight of it all

The gym smelled like sweat, blood, and regret. Jax Mercer stood in front of the heavy bag, fists wrapped, muscles coiled. His ribs ached from The Butcher's brutal hits, and his knuckles were split from overuse, but none of it mattered. He needed to keep moving.

His pulse pounded. His mind raced. He swung.Thud.The bag barely moved, but the force rattled through his body. The pain was sharp, but pain meant nothing.

He hit it again.Harder.Thud.The pain in his fists dulled in comparison to the thoughts racing through his head. Romano owned him. He had no control. No options. He was fighting Leon Vargas in a matter of days, and the more he thought about it, the more it felt like a slow death sentence.

He gritted his teeth and threw another punch.Another.Another."Jax, enough." Mason's voice barely registered.

Jax kept swinging. If he stopped, the thoughts would catch up to him. Thud. Thud. Thud. Mason grabbed his shoulder. "I said enough."

Jax whirled around, breath ragged, sweat dripping down his back. His entire body was on edge. His vision tunneled, his chest heaving.

Mason took a step back but didn't flinch. "Jesus, man."Jax exhaled sharply, rolling his aching shoulder. "Vargas won't take it easy on me."

Mason scoffed. "And what? Do you think destroying yourself before the fight is gonna help?"Jax ripped off the wraps from his hands. His fingers were raw beneath the layers of dried blood. He barely even felt it.

Mason shook his head. "You're not training, Jax. You're punishing yourself." Jax wiped the sweat from his face and turned toward the water bottle on the nearby bench. He didn't want to hear this.

Mason wasn't done. "You're fighting like a man who already knows he's gonna lose."Jax froze. His stomach twisted.

Mason had always been able to see through his bullshit, but he was wrong. Jax didn't think he was going to lose.

He thought he was going to die. He turned, eyes dark, voice low. "You think I'm scared?"Mason folded his arms. "I know you are."

Jax clenched his fists, feeling his nails dig into his palms. He hated this conversation."Then what the hell do you want me to do?" Jax growled.

Mason exhaled, his frustration shifting into something closer to desperation. "I want you to wake up, man. Romano didn't pick you because you're the best. He picked you because you're useful."

Jax's chest tightened. He looked away.

Mason kept going. "This isn't just another fight. You know that, right?"Jax didn't answer."Jax."Still, nothing.

Mason sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Damn it, man. You're scared, and for the first time in your life, you have a right to be."Before Jax could respond, the gym door creaked open. A slow, measured voice cut through the stale air.

"You're making a mistake, Mercer."

Jax turned. His muscles tensed instantly. His body knew the voice before his mind did. A man stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. His leather jacket was worn, his boots scuffed, his face sharper than Jax remembered.

"Eddie Kane".Mason stiffened beside him. "What the hell do you want?"

Eddie took a step forward, his boots scraping against the concrete. He looked thinner than before like life had hollowed him out from the inside. But his eyes? His eyes were dead. Jax crossed his arms. "If you're here to place a bet, you're wasting your time," Eddie smirked. "I don't gamble anymore."

Jax's fists tightened. "Then say what you came to say."Eddie studied him for a long moment, then exhaled. "You're walking into something you don't understand."

Jax narrowed his eyes. "Romano owns this fight. I already figured that part out."Eddie tilted his head. "It's bigger than that."Mason's voice was sharp. "What do you mean?"

Eddie hesitated, then let out a dry chuckle. "Romano's not just setting you up to lose. He's setting you up to fall."A slow, creeping unease settled in Jax's gut.

Eddie took another step forward. "Vargas isn't just a fighter, Mercer. He's a message."Jax's pulse kicked up. "A message for who?"

Eddie ran a hand over his jaw. "Every man who's stepped into the ring with Vargas? They didn't just lose. They lost everything. Their money. Their future. Some of them? Their lives."

Mason let out a sharp breath. "Jesus Christ."Jax forced his expression to stay neutral. "You saying Romano's gonna have me killed?"Eddie shrugged. "If you're lucky, it'll just be your career."

Jax clenched his jaw. Eddie looked at him, his smirk gone. "This isn't a fight, Mercer. It's a goddamn execution."

Silence stretched between them. Mason's hands balled into fists. "Why the hell are you telling us this?"Eddie hesitated. Then, for the first time, he looked vulnerable."Because I've been where you are," he said quietly. "And I didn't listen."

Jax felt something shift in his chest. Mason wasn't convinced. "Yeah? And what happened to you, Eddie?"Eddie let out a slow breath. "I won my fight."

Jax frowned. "Then why are you standing here warning me?"Eddie's smirk returned, but this time, it was bitter. "Because winning was the worst mistake I ever made."

A chill crawled up Jax's spine. Mason exhaled sharply. "This is insane."Jax kept his gaze locked on Eddie. "What happens if I lose?"

Eddie tilted his head. "What do you think?"Jax clenched his jaw. Romano would own him. Completely.

Eddie took a slow step backward. "I said my piece." He hesitated, then looked at Jax one last time."You've got one shot, Mercer. Make sure you're fighting for the right thing."Then he was gone.

The gym door swung shut behind him. Silence settled over the gym like a thick fog. Mason ran a hand down his face. "This is bad."Jax exhaled slowly. His heart was still pounding, but his mind was clearer now.

He wasn't just stepping into a fight. He was stepping into a trap. Mason turned to him, voice tight. "What now?"Jax flexed his aching fingers. Now?

Now he had to figure out how to beat Vincent Romano at his own game.