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. . .
Romeo
I was ready.
I had my boys beside me.
My coach and my trainer were with me.
And my girl was in the audience.
I thought I’d be pissed that she was there, but I wasn’t at all.
She was stubborn and full of fire, and that was one of the things that I loved about her.
I was glad that Leo hadn’t been behind what happened, but it didn’t change the way I felt about getting into the ring. Leo had pushed for this fight, and he’d dragged my name and Demi’s name and the people that I loved through the mud.
I’d kept my head down.
I’d done the work.
I may not have had control of how tough Leo Burns was, but I was not going down without a fight.
I knew that I had the heart to go further than everyone thought. Leo had claimed I’d go down in round one.
The Las Vegas books had given me three rounds max.
Other fighters and sportscasters had agreed with that.
But I planned to stay standing for longer than that.
I’d trained to go longer than that.
“You ready, brother?” Lincoln asked as we waited inside the tunnel to be introduced.
I’d never experienced anything close to the magnitude of this fight. I glanced out to see a packed arena, and I nodded. “I’m ready.”
I’d wondered for months what this would be like. If Leo had been right and one punch would do me in. But standing here, taking it all in—I was going to try like hell to take the punches he threw at me.
“Damn straight. You’ve got this. We’re here. Everyone is rooting for you, brother,” River said as he bumped me with his shoulder.
“Ride or die. Brothers till the end. Loyalty always. Forever my friend.” Kingston clapped me on the shoulder.
I nodded, and Joey shook his head and laughed. “Your dad is watching you right now, and he’s probably shitting himself that you got yourself into this mess, but if anyone can handle it, it’s you.”
The announcer took to the mic. Most of what he said was a blur, but the crowd roared, and a big spotlight shone down on me.
“Let’s hear it for Magnolia Falls’ Golden Boy, Romeo Kniiiiiiiggghhhttt.” He really stretched out my last name, and I started walking forward with all the guys surrounding me, almost like a shield.
We made our way toward the ring, and I heard Kingston laughing his ass off from behind me. It was overwhelming, the crowd, the cheers, the support. I climbed into the ring and glanced over, catching Demi in my peripheral vision.
Like a bee to honey, in a sea of people, my gaze always found hers.
Just a moment in time that said all I needed to know.
She was right there in my corner.
All that I needed.
