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He again knelt, putting himself eye-to-eye with Daniel. “Give me another kiss for luck?”
Daniel rolled his eyes, his cheeks pinking delightfully, but he offered a puckered mouth through one diamond of metal. Another chorus of ‘aw’s surrounded them, many then shouting for the match to start.
“I hear you,” the MC crooned. “Come on, Viking. Leave your man and get your ass over here.”
The crowd cackled and cat-called as Theo accepted his mouthguard from Walt and then bounced over. Aussie seemed to be breathing normally, but Theo knew he could change that fast. He had to get through at least one round, take a few hits, and deal a few blows before he could make a solid move.
Theo studied Aussie while the MC went over the rules, of which there were none except to listen to the referee, who only wanted to make sure nobody died and the fighters weren’t hurt critically enough to call an ambulance. Both Aussie and Theo side-eyed the MC, who blew kisses at both of them.
Aussie shoved the MC back. “Ring the god-damned bell.”
The MC hustled his butt out of the ring; the door slamming shut behind him.Ding!The bell rang, and Theo ducked the first right hook, hopping backward as a left jab collided with his stomach. He quickly put some distance between him and his glaring opponent.
For the next few minutes, Theo let Aussie burn off some energy, dodging blows while sneaking in a few hits. He took a little abuse, too. Another solid jab to his gut had him curling up, falling over but rolling free and to his feet. He side-stepped Aussie’s followup and pounded his elbow against Aussie’s shoulder blades, causing the big guy to stumble and crash into the cage. The rattle was loud among the cheers and jeers of the crowd.
He rubbed his elbow afterward. Aussie was solid muscle, but as predicted, was having a hard time breathing. Did he train by lifting weights without also doing cardio? Theo silently thanked Leo, Ari, Judah, and John for his well-rounded conditioning because Father hadn’t given him any aid yet. He liked knowing, though, that he only had to ask.
When Aussie spun around, his glare blazed with anger. He puffed out his chest, blew out a breath, and slid his feet like a bull readying itself for a try at the bullfighter waving his red cape. Theo cocked his head, studying the larger man. If that was the way the guy wanted to play…
He stood up, affecting nonchalance, put a hand on his hip, and with the other hand, made a “come on” gesture. Aussie’s eyes narrowed. He leaned forward, bent his knees, and then sprang at Theo.
Heck, yeah. Theo twisted and stuck a leg out just seconds before Aussie would have hit him. Aussie tripped spectacularly, his arms wind-milling like an animated character. He landed in a sprawl on his stomach on the mat, sliding and smashing into the cage, head-first. The resounding thud and clang loud in the near silence of the gamblers watching with rapt anticipation were followedby their cringes and dramatic ‘oo’s and ‘ow’s. Seconds ticked past as they waited for Aussie to move. Half-hearted cheers erupted when he pushed to his hands and knees just as the bell clanged the end of the round.
The trainers rushed in, carrying supplies, stools, and water. Theo hopped from foot to foot, hyped on the powerful feelings rushing through his veins, having bested this formidable opponent.
“Drink,” Walt ordered, and Daniel held up a squirt bottle. Theo opened and Daniel streamed water into his mouth. “You’re doing great keeping the big guy off his game.”
“He’s got zero stamina,” Jay mentioned from his place outside the cage. He rubbed his scruffy chin as he studied Aussie. “Are they expecting you to take this to three rounds, because I don’t know if he’ll make it? Dude looks ready to topple over.”
“Could be a ploy,” Walt whisper-hissed. “Don’t let down your guard.”
Theo nodded that he’d heard, not that he’d been planning on relaxing his vigilance. Any wild swing of Aussie’s arm that connected with Theo’s head would rock him for sure. The bigger problem was the crowd’s thirst for blood. Aussie had sustained a gash on his forehead when he connected with the cage at the end of the first round. His trainer had already swiped some kind of liquid coagulant on it and wiped the trickle of blood off his face.
“Thirty seconds,” the ref shouted. “Trainers out.”
Walt grabbed their supplies and headed out. Daniel lingered, gazing at him before slipping a hand around his neck and dragging him down into a kiss made awkward by the mouthguard, but still precious to Theo.
“Finish him,” Daniel growled, patting Theo’s chest, then hustling out of the gate.
Theo followed his mate’s progress, thus he wasn’t prepared for the bell to ring and for Aussie to be practically on top of him, arm cocked back to full draw. He jerked to the side, Aussie’s fist catching his ear before crashing into the cage. Aussie, using his momentum and heavier weight, pinned Theo to the cage.
Theo tried to protect himself. When that didn’t work, he threw punches at Aussie’s ear as the man sent a barrage of hits into his gut. Working his legs up between them, he finally got enough room to shove Aussie away and then went on the attack. Theo duck and wove around the hulk of a man, kicking, punching, jabbing, while turning Aussie in circles. His head snapped around as he tried to keep his eyes on where Theo was at all times. Theo bounced back a few feet, then took a running leap and drop-kicked Aussie right in the solar plexus. The giant tipped onto his back, landing with a resounding thud that had the crowd equally roaring and cringing. As he struggled to get up, Theo leapt on top of him. He slammed a fist into Aussie’s nose and heard the crack. Blood poured from his opponent’s nose.
Aussie got a good swipe at him, and with a quick upward thrust of hips and body, tossed Theo off. When he rolled over to get up, however, Theo jumped on his back, shoving him face-first into the mat and forcing a blow of air from his lungs. He got his arms around Aussie’s neck, putting the guy into a choke hold as he’d done the day before with Bruno. His opponent, however, ripped his arm away, and with a powerful tug, pulled Theo off. Theo had just enough forethought to roll away when he landed, because Aussie moved fast, attempting to pin him with his heavier weight.
Theo opted for a flying leap this time, landing hard on Aussie’s back. There was another faint crack and the big guy grunted. Theo suspected he’d cracked one of Aussie’s ribs with that move. Still, Aussie didn’t give up, especially when his trainer started yelling at him about being a “fucking wuss” and he better beat “the pansy-assed fag.”
Aussie must have taken those words to heart, even though he hadn’t breathed a word of slurs yet, because he gathered his arms and legs in and stood with Theo still clinging to his back. Theo jumped off, landing on his feet, bending his knees, and coming up with another drop kick aimed at Aussie’s back. As Theo fell sideways onto the mat, Aussie lurched forward, unfortunately—for Theo—catching himself on the cage with enough time to protect his face.
Theo wondered whether Walt’s comment about Aussie’s shortness of breath being a ploy was true.One way to find out…
“Time to dance, Aussie-man.” Theo crooked his fingers as if to say,“Come and get me.”
The twist of lips that formed into a smirk and then a sneer was almost enough to make Theo a believer.Come on, you big oaf, Theo projected, and almost like he could hear, Aussie fisted his hands, tilted his head side to side, and narrowed his gaze.
One step. Theo grinned around the mouthguard. Two steps. Theo bounced, remaining limber and alert. Three steps. So darn close…
“You’re going down, Viking.” With a flurry of jabs and uppercuts, Aussie went on the offensive.
