“You know the rules. Be smart and use his height and weight against him. Get his head on the ground.”
I nodded along with his advice, and together we walked out of the locker room. I didn’t bother putting a robe on like some of the other pussies did because I didn’t need music and a showy entrance to scare people. One look at me would do that. Maybe not this time, with me being brand-new to the underground, but they would after tonight.
The guard led us up a flight of stairs, then down a narrow pathway between the crowd, and the screaming roars filled my ears, making my heart pump harder. I smirked at the people I passed, and when they held out their hands like they wanted me to high-five them, I punched their palms instead, earning laughter and some boos. I bounced on my feet, my fists cutting through the air as I pounded it in front of me, warming my muscles for the fight to come.
The black cage was sparkly under the bright lights, and Greenwich was already in his corner, talking to an older guy with dark gray hair and a curled upper lip that seemed like it had taken too many punches.
Jules leaned in closer to me before I made it to the cage, his voice barely audible over the screams. “That’s Greenwich’s father. He’s as bad as his son, but we’ll deal with him later. Greenwich Junior first.”
I nodded to let him know I understood, and the guard led us up steps to the cage door, which he opened for me before stepping to the side. I didn’t acknowledge him as I bent to step through the short doorway. The moment I got inside, Greenwich turned toward me, baring his teeth like a rabid dog. That’s all he was to me anyway, and like any out-of-control animal, I would put him down.
I smirked at him as I walked toward my corner and Jules followed me. There was a stool and I sat down on it, while Jules kneeled in front of me. It was a shame he couldn’t suck my cock here for everyone to watch. He patted my knee.
“Don’t drag this out. Don’t toy with him. Take him down, my sweet little killer.”
I leaned in closer so only he could hear me. “I’m going to take him out, and then I’m going to take you out, Master, but in different ways.”
He laughed and kissed me, and the crowd’s screams grew louder, though I didn’t miss the boos, either. Whether it was from people who didn’t like me, or homophobes, I didn’t know or care. Fuck them.
Jules winked and stood, and when I got to my feet, he shoved a mouth guard between my lips and winked at me. With a smirk, he grabbed the wooden stool, taking it out of the cage. Greenwich’s father did the same with his equipment, and all that was left in the hexagon was me, the dead man walking, and the referee, who stood in the center in a white shirt and black shorts. The ref wouldn’t be useful for much, seeing as there was only one rule, but I supposed he was there to start and finish the fight.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another night of nonstop violence for you blood fiends. How do you like our new fight cage?” The voice boomed over the speakers, causing louder cries from the crowd. The people closer to the front, sitting in chairs, stamped their feet and clapped their hands. “And we’ve got a hell of a show tonight for you! To start off, we’ve got Greenwich, well known to you as Mr. Handsome.”
I snorted and smirked at Greenwich, who put on a show. He flexed, flaunting his muscles, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes as the girls screamed the loudest. If only they knew what type of man he was.
“And fighting Greenwich is a newbie who we’ll call Pretty Boy for now. Just look at that face.”
I grunted in irritation and stepped into the light, then crossed my arms over my slim chest and stared out at the people gathered in the front rows, barely giving them a twitch of my mouth. They didn’t deserve it. If anything, they should be worshiping me already, bowing on their knees and kissing the ground at my feet.
“Pretty Boy, but a sourpuss, isn’t he?” the man said over the loudspeaker.
More boos sounded, and I flipped the bird toward the crowd, twirling my middle finger. The shouts around the arena got louder, but I kept my face passive. By the time the fight was over, they would be terrified of me.
I caught sight of Jules from the corner of my eye as he stood near the outside of the cage laughing, and my heart leaped. Fuck yeah, I was making him proud, too. Good. I wasn’t going to be called Pretty Boy by the time I was done.
“Let’s get this fight started. You know the rules, boys. There’s only one.” The man dragged out the silence over the sound system, his deep breathing filling the speakers. “Avoid the family jewels. Other than that, anything goes. Have fun. To my blood fiends, make sure you get those bets in and line your pockets with cash winnings. And while you’re at it—”
I ignored the announcer and focused on the man in front of me. Greenwich was tall and wide, but I could already tell a weak spot—he favored his right side, leaning most of his weight on it, which told me he’d clearly hurt his left at some point. His summer tan looked brighter under the lights, and his nipples were peaked, from either the cool air that blasted the arena or because he enjoyed fighting a little too much, which made sense considering he loved taking things he wasn’t allowed to have.
The referee waved us in closer, and I shifted toward the center at the same time as Greenwich. Outside of the cage a man circled us with a video camera, and that made me nervous, but I decided not to worry about it. The ref between us glared and crinkles folded the skin around his eyes. “Listen up, fuckers. Don’t make this any tougher than it needs to be. Don’t go for the gonads, got it? If you do, I’ll knee yours myself.”
I snorted, and the ref spun his glare on me. I popped out the mouth guard enough to say, “Clear as day, man,” then shoved it back in.
Greenwich nodded, and with a final huff, the ref held up his hand in the air. Silence descended on the room, and I didn’t like it. My skin prickled. I wanted to hear my music again.
“Gentlemen, are you ready?” The ref’s voice caused a wave of irritation to slide its way through me, but we both nodded. His hand sliced through the air, the word “fight” shouted loud and clear. My music began again as the crowd screamed our names, and from the corner of my eye, I noticed me and Greenwich on a large flat-screen TV big enough for everyone in the arena to see. For an underground fight, Uhlig didn’t go halfway with things. It was almost as pretty as the real deal—although, no one in the MMA championships could land a killing blow, not like I was about to do with Greenwich.
We both raised our gloved fists and began to circle each other. I watched him carefully, waiting for him to take the first move. Greenwich was the type of guy who liked to take control, similar to Jules, but unlike my Master, Greenwich didn’t have the persistence. I didn’t need to know him to figure out the impatience—he gave himself away with how his foot stepped out then retreated, as though wanting to make the first move but deciding not to. It wouldn’t take long before he lashed out, and I would take advantage of it.
I smirked at him as much as I could and winked, teasing, and that’s all it took to break the wall he’d built to defend himself. He shot forward, leading with his fist, and I ducked, avoiding the punch and landing one of my own into his gut. He grunted but took the hit well and spun to clobber me on the jaw. I stumbled backward, and the cheers of the crowd threw me off for a moment, so when he came to grab me around the waist and dump me on the floor, I wasn’t ready for it.
I huffed out in pain as he landed on top of me, his elbow getting me on the chest. Agony exploded and my ribs immediately began throbbing, a reminder they weren’t fully healed from the last attack I’d endured. His blue-gloved fist landed on my temple and my head bounced against the floor of the cage, which had more give than usual but was still not pleasant.
Jules’s frantic yells met my ears and were loud enough among the crowd that I thought he was close by, probably somewhere behind me. “Get up, Killer. Get the fuck up. Use techniques you learned. Use his weight against him.”
Greenwich jabbed an elbow into my face, but this time it got my nose and the taste of blood exploded on my tongue. He laughed, like this was the easiest thing in the world for him, and anger pounded through me, making my heart thump harder and adrenaline pump faster.
“That’s an order from your Master. Get up, Killer.”
