He shoves me off him and comes back with a fury. I protect my head, but pain radiates down my arms, my ribs, with every punch. He gets me against the cage, and I just have to fucking wait it out.
My muscles cramp. My body is on the verge of revolting.
And then, he gets me in the side of the head. I don’t know how it happened. My arm dropped for a split second? My shoulder spasmed?
Either way, I see fucking stars. I stumble away, pushing to put space between us and take a few deep breaths, and that’s when I see her.
It’s like my attention is unable to see anything else. It’s her.
I didn’t think she would come… I didn’t tell her about the fight. How the fuck could I tell her?Hey, I’m a little more in debt than that twenty grand I used to pay off pube face. Actually, it’s more like fifty because I was supposed to let him kick my ass. Because I’m an idiot and agreed to throw a fight.
And now I’m throwing another one.
Butfuck, she’s right next to the other Webber brother. That bastard brought her here on purpose.
“Had enough?” the monster behind me rasps.
I focus my narrowing vision on him. I probably have two more hits left in me before I’m toast. I’m not sure how I’m still on my feet.
Pure stubbornness, probably.
And then I glance over and see the utter horror on Scarlett’s face.
Anger surges through me, blotting out my pain. I’ve done a good job so far keeping this fight on even footing, when all I wanted was for it to be a massacre.Hismassacre.
But now, I see red.
I don’t remember what happens next. I move forward, my steps suddenly light. It’s like everything that happened prior to this moment evaporates, leaving me fresh. And pissed.
I go on the attack, striking faster than I ever have before.
And in a matter of seconds, he’s out cold.
…I wasnotsupposed to do that.
[ 28 ]
SCARLETT
“What the hellare you doing here?” Tyler’s gaze dances all around, worry etched in the line between his eyebrows.
I flutter my eyelashes at him,confusion, worry and anger hitting me all at once. I jerk my attention to the hand on my arm, the pressure of my handler’s grip tightening to the brink of pain.
“Fight’s over,” I stress. “Let go of me.”
I’m shaking, my legs like Jell-O, even with Tyler standing beside me. He doesn’t stand a chance against whomever this man is.
“So much for collateral,” he hisses under his breath. “He blew the fucking fight.”
Cross won the fight. How the hell did he blow it?
Someone grabs the man’s attention over the buzzing crowd, a much different vibe from the last fight I found myself at, and he curses.
My lip is raw from my nervous chewing, and I can’t stop staring in the direction that Cross exited through, right before Nicholas was carried out, still unconscious.
Did he know he was fighting Nick again?
Is that why he didn’t tell me anything?
