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I take in a deep breath. “Ok.” But when I bring my elbow back, I still hesitate. “This isn’t working.”
“It’s because you’re not angry or scared. But if you were being attacked, you’d feel all of that. So, try to imagine something you hate or something that scares you and use that to hit me.”
I close my eyes, and the first image that comes to my mind is my father. My father threatening me. My father threatening my sister. My father cheating on my mom. My father wanting me to commit a heinous act against my husband.
When I bring my elbow back this time, I use everything within me. Antonio grunts at the impact and lets me go.
“Good.” He comes around to face me, rubbing his side. “You really hit me. That’s what you need to do in the future in case you’re ever in a situation like that.”
The man who smirked at me when I came in saunters over to us. He’s on the shorter side but just as muscular as the rest of the men in the gym. “Your woman got the better of you, Tony?” he asks in a gruff voice.
His question instantly makes more anger flare through me.
“Chris, I’m teaching her how to fight,” Antonio says in a weary voice.
Chris eyes me over, making me cross my arms to cover my chest. “She’s a tiny little thing. You can teach her how to fight all you want, but she’d never stand a chance against any man.”
“She’s my wife,” Antonio growls. “You don’t get to talk to her like that.”
Chris has the decency to look a little intimidated by Antonio, but he continues to press on. “Oh, yeah? Maybe she needs a real man teaching her how to fight. One who isn’t afraid to be rough with her.”
The anger that flashes through Antonio’s eyes makes me shiver. There it is. That anger he probably channeled when he killed Franco’s man. I’ve never seen that anger in my husband before. Is that what he’d look like if he found out I was supposed to kill him?
Antonio lunges at Chris and shoves him back, making Chris falls to the ground. I watch in horror as Antonio gets on top of Chris and starts pounding into his face. Punch after punch after punch.
Chris’ face slowly turns to a pulp the more Antonio goes at him. All I can do is watch in horror and fascination.
Two men run over and pull Antonio off Chris. Antonio doesn’t bother fighting them. He goes willingly. “That’s what you get for talking about my wife.” Chris groans in pain.
Antonio comes over to me. “Are you all right?”
“I’m not the one who was just beaten to a pulp,” I say, still partly in shock. “Is that how you fight in the ring?” Antonio has mentioned in the past he would fight in fighting rings to earn money.
“Pretty much. It’s brutal. But I earn good money doing it. Until I can take over my family business, that’s how I make money.”
One of the guys hovering over Chris tells Antonio he should probably leave. Antonio doesn’t object.
“I’ve never seen that side of you,” I tell him.
“Do you want to?”
I turn to him. “What do you mean?”
“I have a fight scheduled for tonight. You could come watch me. If you wanted to.”
Did I want to? There’s still a lot I don’t know about Antonio, and I’m starting to learn I want to see all of it.
“Ok,” I tell him.
* * *
That’show I end up at the fight club later that evening. The place is crowded and slightly smelly, like beer and sweat. The women are wearing practically nothing, making me feel overdressed in my simple summer dress. I feel like a child compared to the people here.
Antonio walks through the crowd like he owns the place. People part for him like it’s the red sea.
“You’re famous here,” I say.
He squeezes my hand. “I am. I’ve been fighting here for the past five years. I’ve made a good name for myself. Here.” He leads me to a booth near the back of the club. “Settle in here. I have to get ready for the fight. No one will bother you. Trust me.” He kisses me, letting it linger, before pulling away and heading off toward a door near the bar area.
