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"Yeah, I'm getting better." I tell her and shrug.
"Sure, if you say so." She scoffs, and I shoot her a wink before I take my shot glass, turn it over and place it on the bar. I pull out a fifty and slide it under the glass, making sure the bartender sees me. Her eyes light up when she sees the amount, and I gesture for her to keep the change. I had the drink I told my Chagin I'd come with him to have, and now it's time for me to get out of here. I have a match to get ready for and law books to re-read.
CHAPTER ONE
KAI
Present day- Twenty four years old
The pounding of my heart in my ears is the only sound I focus on.
Hawk is supposed to be the fighter who knocks me off my throne, according to the gate and the fans. I consider him to be one step above pathetic. Although he is well-trained and in shape, he is distracted and sloppy. His attempts to taunt me are often filled with profanity and lewd gestures. I think if I did not have to put on a show for the crowd, I would have knocked him out already. As it stands, folks have already started to complain about me supposedly cheating or choosing matches that I are below my skill level.
They want to see blood, so I'll give them blood.
There's no doubt Hawk is a skilled fighter, but he constantly leaves himself open for a takedown. Now that we're into our second round, It’s time for me to fucking end this. I bounce on the canvas, making sure to stay on my toes as I advance toward him.
He smirks and rushes me as well. We collide, my hand wraps are the only thing that allows me to get a good grip on his sweaty body. He's a bit bigger than me and his weight pushes me backwards exactly how I need him to. Using his momentum, I quickly get a hold of one of his arms and twist it behind his back. He cries out and his knee buckles, causing him to drop to the ground.
Hawk fights against me as if he still believes he has a chance, even though I already know it's over. I follow him to the ground and change my position so that I’m hovering over him. His meaty arms rise up as he attempts to hide, but it is too late for him. I lock him in position with my thighs, and throw blows at him while putting all my strength behind each punch. My knuckles crack as I swing with all my strength, pushing through each punch. His nose breaks. A river of blood pours down his face, rushing through his mouth and beard.
He tries to roll out but the second he juts his arm out I strike him against his brachial plexus which causes the arm to fall limp at his side, it'll only last a few seconds, but it's enough. I pound away at his face, and after one blow in particular I feel his body stiffen, the beginning stages of unconsciousness. He blinks furiously before his other hand shoots out, and he pats the mat in quick succession.
The referee runs over and lifts me off him.
Victory.
It's unsatisfactory to say the least. It wasn't even a real challenge.
Only then do I allow myself to hear what's going on in my surroundings. The crowd is wild, screaming and applauding. Hawk is on the floor and his trainers are looking over him. I watch from a distance and see them trying to get the blood pouring from his nose to stop.
He'll live.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, didn't I tell you that this fight would be electrifying!" Saul, the fight promoter, shouts through the microphone.
My hand is taken by the referee, and he holds it high above my head so that everyone who wasn't paying attention will know that I have yet again been crowned the champion. At thirty two and oh, anyone who is anyone should have known that a fighter like Hawk couldn't possibly beat me.
In a few moments, after the crowd has praised me and I have ensured my opponent can make his way out of the cage, Justice approaches my side and drapes a towel over my shoulders, "Don't think you could have given them another round, huh?"
I scoff and follow him out of the ring and back towards the locker room.
Once we're behind closed doors and I'm sure there's no one around that's going to start any rumors, I turn to my trainer and probably the only person I'd consider a real friend. "What do you mean, I couldn't give them one more round?"
"Kai, seriously, you made that fight seem like child's play. We're still going to have the same problems. No one wants to go up against Kai "Babyface" Yang. If no one thinks they have a chance at beating you, no fights. No fights mean no money. No money means I'm out of a job." He stares at me as if he's willing me to see the issue.
I understand the sportsmanship of it, but how in the fuck is it my problem if these fighters are all below me. "Tell them to train harder."
"How?" He laughs, his tone full of disbelief. "Seriously, you do realize that no one trains the way you do. Have you given any thought about going up in weight class?" Justice raises an eyebrow at me and I cringe.
Right now, I'm a lightweight, and he wants me to go up to middle weight. The problem is putting on mass has always been an issue for me. I'm all muscle and I eat only when I'm hungry. Forcing myself to overindulge just to gain weight isn't something I really want to do.
"Yeah, I'm not sold on it, but I'll keep thinking about it. If it'll give me a challenge, it may be the only way to go." I raise my hands up to him, and he nods as he helps me get my wraps off. There's a small cut over my left eye, but it had already stopped bleeding. All that was left for me to do now is shower, get my winnings and go home. No one would ever think I just spent the last hour in a fight that most would consider intense. Instead of focusing on my victory, all I can think about is how the fuck I got this cut over my eye. My hands slipped down for a brief second.
An error.
I don't make fucking mistakes. Justice may think this was an easy fight, and it should have been. That just means I shouldn't have been making mistakes. I'm going to have to find some time to get in some more training.
I refuse to allow that shit to happen again.
