He keeps his title by never challenging anyone. There’s somethingevil in his eyes as he watches me in the third round. So far, we have been evenly matched. I’ve been playing it smart like my father and Charlie wanted, playing the long game with him to tire him out and take the easy win.
They nicknamed him “Cobra” for his vicious, fast strikes. I’ve seen them the last few rounds, but I haven’t felt them since I avoided all his swings, and he’s getting angry. My dad was right. I have a bad feeling, but it’s too late to back out.
I duck under his first combination. He’s slowing, so I just need to buy time. When he tries again, I duck under his guard and bring my fist up in a brutal uppercut. He stumbles backward before hitting the mat, but before the ref can even count to two, he’s back up and coming at me. I land a few more blows, but it’s like he’s determined not to go down.
All I can do is avoid his angry attacks pushing me into the ropes, and I start to wonder if I underestimated him. When the bell finally rings, he gets in my face and glares at me until he is dragged away.
I watch him from my corner as I listen to my dad and Charlie before the bell rings again. I stand, putting my mouth guard in. I test him, but it’s like his fury has taken over. I manage to stay out of the ropes, but this round is very much the same as before, and I’m getting annoyed.
I bite it back and keep up the low back and forth. Finally, he grows frustrated and comes at me. He drives me back into the ropes, and this time I’m unable to avoid his attack. His fist hits my guard, and my entire arm goes dead from the impact, refusing to work, and it drops. His glove slams into my shoulder, and I swear I feel something snap. My roar of pain is stifled by my mouth guard as I duck under his next swing, but when I whirl around from under him, I stumble. My arms aren’t working right. Something is wrong. I go to signal the ref when I hear the whistle of air.
I turn in time to see the glove coming for my face, and I have no time to react.
It slams into the side of my head, and the impact is so strong, it actually lifts me off my feet.
I see my mouth guard fly as I spin and hit the mat, but that is all I remember.
Everything seems far away and distorted.
Has time passed? My eyes slowly blink open. I can’t hear or feel much, which can’t be good.
“Kid, kid, kid!” The roars fill my ears as I stare up in a daze, the whole room spinning.
What happened? Did I speak? I don’t know, but my father’s blurry, concerned face is above me.
“Don’t close your eyes, okay? Stay with me. Help is on the way. Don’t you fucking leave me.”
“Not a chance,” I slur, or at least I think I do before everything goes black.
THIRTY
Ican barely breathe, fear like no other filling me after the call. We make it to the hospital in record time, and I sprint through the reception area, only to be stopped by the guards and dragged back to the desk. My hands shake as they hit the wood.
“Nikko,” I bark. “He was brought in from a boxing match. Where is he? Is he okay?”
“Sir, calm down?—”
“Don’t tell me to calm down! Where is he?” I roar.
The man’s face wrinkles, but he types something. “He’s being transferred to a room for treatment.”
“Mr. Xander?” I turn to see the hospital administrator. It pays in our line of work to be friendly with them. “Itisyou. I was just speaking to your father the other day, thanking him for your donation to the new wing?—”
I swipe my hand through the air. “Yes, amazing. I have a . . . friend here, someone very important. He was just brought in. I want him moved to the VIP wing. If anything happens to him, I will pull all my funding and make sure this hospital sinks. Do you understand me?”
His eyes widen and he nods, hurrying to the desk to get the information I need as I pace. I watch him make calls before he looks at me. “Your friend is being moved to the VIP level. Allow me to escort you?—”
I’m already striding to the elevator, ignoring them. Yuki and my guards stand behind me as I stab the button over and over and impatiently tap my foot as we slowly rise. My fear is so strong, I can taste it. I wasn’t watching, I couldn’t bring myself to, but the call from Charlie had my stomach rolling.
Nikko was hurt badly enough to be rushed to the emergency room.
It’s all I can think about as the doors start to open, and I walk out before they even pass the halfway mark. I spy Charlie and grab him. “What happened?”
“He took a hit. He’s being seen now. We just have to wait.”
I go to stalk to the room, but he tugs me back.
“I wouldn’t. Just wait, okay?”
