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My coach was pissed, but I did what was needed. We had agreed to make this a clean fight tonight. They wanted to play dirty then this was on them, not me. It was also the same night I swore that if Emma was to ever attend another fight of mine, she would do so with two people guarding her. Her scream gave away exactly what she meant to me. I knew she didn’t mean to do that, but that’s exactly what happened. She painted a target on both our backs that night. A target that I spent years protecting her from. The fighter that had tried to kill me, I found out two years later, was one that her father had bet on. The fighter was told to do everything to make sure that I didn’t come out of that fight as the winner or unbroken. Hell, I’m sure he would have been fine if I died that day. Robert Delcoure was determined to get rid of me and make sure his daughter would never see me again.
He didn't recognize me earlier during introductions which just tells me how conceited he really is. If he only knew what was brewing for him after this spectacle. Payback is about to be a bitch.
Roughly forty minutes go by before both fighters return to the room. I finish rewrapping my hands for about the hundredth time as they enter. Each looks as beat up as the other with several bruises and lacerations covering their bodies. Already I know Adien won based on his swagger and the taunting he gives to Jax and the other fighters.
As I said, an ego on him.
“Parker. Zander. You’re next.” April demands, turning to wait in the hall.
I give a good look to my opponent across the room and give him a nod as I stand to walk out of the room, grabbing my gloves and sliding them in place as I walk. No reason to trash talk like Aiden was. We will say everything we need to say in the ring with our movements. Together we quietly follow April back to the main area where the cage is set up.
Over and over in my head, I remind myself to focus on my opponent, not on Emma watching me. This isn’t going to be like that first fight she attended. She won’t be able to yell and grab my attention in any way. Not if she wants to keep herself safe from her father, which I hope to god is true. I also plan to not give her a reason to scream for me.
“You both are familiar with the rules?” April shouts over the music playing as we're about to exit the curtained-off area.
Both Zander and I nod with a grunt of agreement.
“Good. Give ‘em the fight to remember.” She then turns to walk away from both of us. As she does, the announcer begins the speeches leading up to our exits. Looking over at Zander I give a good once over now that we’re about to begin. He’s smaller than me and skinnier, which may play in his favor for movement. I’ll have to watch his footwork and see how he moves before I really let the fight take off.
“Welcome to the cage, Zander!” the announcer shouts, and his entrance music begins. I’ll have to give him some credit; he picked Frontline by Pillar. Good choice.
He gives me a quick wicked smile and then steps out of the black curtain pumping the crowd up and bouncing on his toes as he heads down the path to the cage.
Good, let him use his energy.
The music cuts out when he gets to the cage, and the announcer begins my entrance. Patiently I wait for my music to cue up. When Burn by Papa Roach starts, I walk forward slowly but steadily, reserving my energy for the fight. I learned this type of approach tends to freak some fighters out. Looking up at Zander I can see that it’s also unnerving him. Clearly, he doesn’t like the calm and collected look.
I see Rome waiting on my side of the cage ready with a towel, water, and basic medical supplies. Let’s hope he isn’t going to need to use those tonight. It would suck to need to be patched up on the opening night.
Zander and I enter the cage from our respective sides before we are closed in with just the ref. He gives us a quick rundown of the rules once again. No weapons, everything goes; submission or knockout are accepted for the first round.
The clock starts the countdown, and the match starts when the ref blows his whistle. My heart slows to where I can barely hear it beating in my own ears as I focus on Zander. He’s still bouncing back and forth staying agile, but I can see the jerkiness in his movements. He may have some quickness, but his movements won’t flow the way they should through his transitions which will give me the openings I need.
For the first few seconds, we circle one another, sizing the other up. Zander is the first to strike with a low swing kick to try to sweep my feet out from under me. Dodging back I avoid the blow and circle around to get behind him and kick the back of his knee knocking him to the ground.
Game on.
EIGHT
EMMA
The second I hear Burn by Papa Roach start playing my heart drops. I know the announcer said that Trevor, or well, Parker is up next, so I expect it, and my hands are clasped tightly in my lap. It doesn’t become real until the music starts. It’s the same song he used when he fought back in high school. Well one of them. It was always secretly my second favorite of his. I much preferred when he played One Track Mind by Papa Roach.
Watching him walk down to the cage makes me hold my breath. He looks so calm and in control; it is almost scary to me. I’ve never seen that hardened look in his eyes before. It must be something he learned after he skipped town. I’m not entirely all that surprised, to be honest. Trevor always was one for doing what he needed to survive.
When the match starts, I catch my father moving to sit on the edge of his seat. This must be a fight he was told to watch. I’m just hoping he didn’t bet any money and that he isn’t against Trevor because I have a feeling Trevor will do everything possible to win. It’s just the type of guy he is.
Blow for blow, the two of them go back and forth. I watch as Trevor takes a good hit to the side of the face in the first round and starts to bleed from his eyebrow. Giving as good as he got, he hits Zander in the nose, and I’m positive it breaks with all the blood that pools out. The bell rings, signifying the end of the first round, as both go to get water and clean up. I’m quick to let out a breath before the next match begins. Trevor was already voted the winner for the first, but I know there are still four more to go. Anything can happen in that time.
In no time the bell rings again for the second match to start. This time Zander wastes no time and charges Trevor. He dodges, knocking Zander off center and straight into the side of the cage. Trevor grabs him around the waist and flips him backward, slamming his body into the mat beneath them. Zander quickly bucks him off and rolls away, getting back to his feet fast. Trevor stays low to the ground with one knee against the mat and one hand waiting to see what Zander will do next.
His opponent bolts across the cage, charging him. Trevor anticipates the move and barrel rolls out of the way getting back to his feet. Trevor doesn’t wait again and walks to Zander hitting him with a couple of double punches to the ribs and face making him keep his guard up to defend himself. They continue this for the rest of the round before the bell rings calling the round a draw.
The third round starts in the same fashion. But I can see how tired Zander is getting already. He’s using too much force and wasting energy as he keeps charging at Trevor. That’s gonna bite him in the ass fast. He probably won’t make it five rounds if he keeps this pace. Maybe that’s what Trevor is counting on, who knows?
I get lost watching them fight. This is the first time I’ve seen Trevor shirtless in ten years, and it’s glorious. He’s bigger and has more muscles than he did back in high school. He also has a ton more tattoos. His arms are covered in them. If it wasn’t for the bright lights shining down on the cage, I wouldn’t have even noticed them with how dark his skin got. Clearly, he spends a ton of time outside and working out. The whole fight I’ve gone between actually watching them fight and just checking Trevor out. The way his abdominal muscles move as he fights makes me squeeze my legs together when I feel a slight throbbing build. I’ve always been attracted to Trevor. Just looking at him gets me hot and bothered, but now there’s something about the hardness, the darkness surrounding him, that gets me even more. I love watching him fight; he’s focused and in his element. He loves it and thrives on it. It’s hard to tell from my box seat, but I know his eyes have a calculated look as he thinks through the next several moves.
My attention snaps back to the fight when I see Zander start to grapple with Trevor on the ground. To most, it would look like Trevor’s losing, but I’ve seen him do this before. He’s in complete control and lets Zander expend the last of his energy before reversing their hold and pinning him in a headlock. Right as I think it, Trevor does precisely what I expected. He flips Zander over and spins around to pin his back to Trevor’s chest, wrapping his thick arm around Zanders's neck and keeping him in place with his leg wrapped around his middle, helping to pin his hips to the ground.
