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“This fight will conclude when the first competitor either taps out or a knockout occurs,” the announcer explained as both men took their positions. Merrick gave one last look back at us and had the audacity to wink at me before knocking fists with Tin Man. I rolled my eyes and huffed out a breath of annoyance, hoping the heat that bloomed in my cheeks wasn’t noticeable. Both men readied for the bell to signal the start of the match, their fists raised and swaying on the balls of their feet.
“Make some noise,” the announcer declared, stirring the crowd into a frenzy. A referee hurriedly climbed into the ring as though it was an afterthought, and the bell chime vibrated through the room, loud enough to echo over the chorus of chants from the crowd.
Merrick surged forward, his fist connecting with Tin Man’s face. The blow echoed through the momentary silence; the crowd so entranced with the move they took a break from their frantic screams. Blood gushed from his mouth, spraying across the mat and down his bottom lip.
He seemed to sway but stayed on his feet, his hand moving automatically to shield his face from Merrick’s following attack. He worked his ribs instead and Tommy grunted through the pain—apparently the only part of him that was tin were his teeth.
Merrick backed away, allowing him the opportunity to compose himself. I huffed out a breath of exasperation as Merrick allowed him to get close, dodging his few attacks but allowing to get a shot or two in on him. He was playing with the poor guy, or more likely he was earning his fee for his participation and putting on a show. Nothing drove away business to a maybe-legal-fight ring like a fighter that knocked their opponents out in two seconds.
I might not have liked these fights if there was a chance Merrick could be beaten. But knowing his level of skill allowed me to relax and enjoy the show, reveling in the poetry in motion of his cut muscles and nimble movements. Not only did he have strength on his side, but he was also able to maneuver around his opponents with ease, leaving them scrambling to fend off his attacks.
The bell chimed signaling the end of the round, and I sat up in my seat allowing for Kellan to go help Merrick out. Excitement coursed through me at the sight of Merrick striding back to his corner, pretty much unscathed. I knew he would never bother with fighting professionally, his passion had always been cars, but I didn’t mind watching him, especially not when sweat beaded down his chiseled abs, making him gleam in the spotlights.
Drops of blood had sprayed across his neck and shoulders, making the scene look even hotter. I chewed on my bottom lip, my thoughts moving into a firmly more than friends zone.
Kellan handed Merrick a bottle of water, which he greedily downed and murmured something in his ear. As soon as he drew away, they turned to face me, catching me completely off guard before I was able to mask the lust fogging my expression. Merrick’s eyes darkened, ravenously roving over me, and Kellan grinned, something like relief washing over his face as he took me in.
Kellan murmured something else just as the bell chimed, signaling the start of the next round.
Merrick launched into action, a scowl curling on my lips as Kellan moved in front of me, blocking off my view for a moment. He chuckled and settled back in next to me. I could feel the weight of his stare on me but I didn’t care—I was entranced by Merrick dominating the fight.
Merrick dodged a blow from Tin Man, his own fist striking the weaker fighter in the jaw. My lips parted at the smack of flesh, and blood sprayed again, coating Merrick’s glove and face.
Tin Man stumbled back from the force of the impact, his body following the momentum and sending him crashing to the mats. A groan slipped from his lips as he attempted to get up, but Merrick was already on top of him, pinning him to the ground, his fists slamming into his face. Before he could land another blow, Tin Man reached out and frantically tapped on the mat, his other arm lifting to cover his face against any incoming blows. The chime of the bell rang out over the cheering crowd, signaling the end of the match.
“Our undefeated winner, Maniac Merrick,” the announcer called as a medical team rushed into the ring to check on Tin Man. A wicked grin spread across my face at the energy thrumming through the warehouse and the man who dominated his opponent spectacularly, just like I knew he would.
Merrick stood as the announcer called his name, his eyes finding me immediately as though I was the only person in the room. The crowd roared behind me, chanting his name, but it sounded distant, my mind tuning it out as Merrick took up my entire focus. His lips curled into a smug smile as the referee raised his arm.
But it was as though he hadn’t noticed either, his arm flopping back to his side as the referee dropped it, his attention zoned in on me.
“This place is about to be a madhouse. Let’s just meet him back at the car,” Kellan said, leaning close to be heard over the music now thumping even louder than before, mixed with the cheers of the spectators.
I blinked in confusion, my mind taking a moment to register his words. “But aren’t we going to stay for the victory party?”
“Trust me, we don’t want to get mixed up with some of these people more than we have to,” he said, my body shuddering in response to his breath caressing down my neck. I did my best to suppress it, but I could tell from his light chuckle that he noticed. “Besides, we have something else planned.”
And with that I followed him out of the warehouse and back to Merrick’s car, my mind racing with what else they could possibly have in store.
Merrickslidintotheback seat right beside me, his chest still bare and glistening with the beads of water that clung to his skin. I was almost disappointed that he’d showered the drops of blood that had coated him. I must be some sort of twisted bitch because that turned me on more than I could even imagine. I was enthralled by the fight, the violence, the adrenaline, and fervor of the crowd, and the release as Merrick pummeled his opponent. But at the same time, I wanted to drag him out of there, take him behind that black curtain, and show him how I really felt—let him use those hands to bring me pleasure rather than delivering his adversary pain.
I let him wrap his arm around me and leaned against his chest, ignoring how my chest melted at the hum of contentment that rumbled through him. Silence pressed in on me, not uncomfortable, yet it was as though something lingered between us, something we were all holding back. Kellan maneuvered through the nearly abandoned roads and back into town and pulled Merrick’s Chevy into the parking lot of the firehouse.
“So what is this second surprise you two have up your sleeves?” I asked, pulling back from Merrick as I opened the car door. I briefly glanced at his still bare chest, my throat bobbing as my attention lingered a few seconds longer than necessary.
Catching myself, I jerked my head away, attempting to hide the heat that blazed in my cheeks as I shuffled out of the car. I hurried toward the door but Kellan was in front of me before I could get to it, blocking off my path.
“Nope, nice try, but you have to close your eyes.” Kellan smirked, his large form blocking off the metal doorframe. And as if there was any way to get past him, Merrick joined him, his wide chest taking up any inch I’d still seen of it.
“Fine,” I huffed out on a breath of annoyance and squeezed my eyes closed.
The hinges of the steel door squeaked as they opened it, a rush of air washing over my face. Two hands gripped either arm and led me forward. I could tell by their touch that Kellan grasped one and Merrick the other. They led me through the now familiar pathway and safely down the stairs into our usual hangout in the basement. My lips curved into a small smile at how dramatic they were being. We were doing what we did most weeks, which was fine by me since it was always the highlight of my long, tiring day.
“Okay, open your eyes,” Kellan murmured, their hands dropping away at almost the same time.
I gasped as my eyes fluttered open, taking in the transformed space. Red rose petals were strewn across the floor, leading to a large open space they’d cleared of all the furniture. Candles flickered around the open space, lining it as some sort of stage. Thankfully they looked to be fake though, since they must’ve been lit for hours now …I mean, it would be pretty ironic if we managed to burn the firehouse down.
“You both did all this …?” I trailed off, swallowing down the lump that had formed in my throat.
