“There are none.” Spencer squeezed my knee.
Before I could ask another question, a new gate lifted, presenting a new fighter to the ring. The announcer called out her name, but I didn’t hear it. All the sound drowned away, muffled like I’d fallen below the surface of some cold, dark ocean.
While I swam through the darkness in my mind, another fight had started. The Bull took the same stance and threw punches with the same fury. It was like the first match had just been a warmup.
Despite the way my stomach turned with each brutal strike, a part of me knew Leo was right. If they knew what they were signing up for, who was I to deny them their fun?
I’d done plenty of shit to hurt myself.
Helping my mom. Staying with those shitty guys.
Was this much different?
As my mind raced, The Bull took down her second opponent. A gloss of sweat was covering her skin now, making the dark makeup on her face drip down the flesh.
But despite the damage they were doing, each fighter wore a big smile under all the blood and dirt, down to the very last punch. Like breaking each other was just a fun game.
I tried to refocus on the third fight as the announcer declared it was the final match.
But as I watched someone closer to The Bull’s size walk out onto the sand, my gaze slicked from Spencer to Leo. “Have either of you ever competed?”
Spencer shook her head. “Nope. I’m not interested in losing any of my teeth. Half my charm is this smile.” Flashing it at me, Spencer threw in a wink that sent a ping of excitement to my stomach.
Turning back to Leo, I raised a brow.
“A couple times.” Leo confessed. Behind her honeyed eyes, there was a fear. Maybe that I’d judge her for playing along.
Scoffing, Spencer put her arm around my back. “Liar. It was more than a couple. Leona here was in quite a state when she left the military. Some of our people found her drunk at a bar, picking fights with douchebags. They brought her here.”
Leo stayed silent as Spencer continued. “That’s how Dom found her.”
I tilted my head at Leo. “I thought you said you knew Dom from school.”
“I did. Never said I pulled up to the shop with a resume though.”
As I leveled her with a skeptical look, Spencer slapped Leo on the back. “It’s kind of bullshit she doesn’t fight anymore. I always knew how to place my bets when she was in the ring.”
I furrowed my brow. “Were you that good?”
A small, quiet smile crept onto Leo’s chiseled face. “I beat The Bull in her first match.”
Glancing back at the pit, I watched The Bull hopping on the balls of her feet, dancing around her final opponent. Her muscles rippled with each movement, her abs tensed and toned. When I looked between the two of them, it made sense.
Their builds were similar, but I’d bet that Leo was more controlled, more strategic in her efforts than this young, feral fighter.
As brutal as this was, I wouldn’t have minded watching Leo kick some ass. Only because I knew she could win.
But the final fight wasn’t easy. Three rounds had taken their toll, and The Bull was working harder now. After a few moments of trying to be slow and considered, The Bull charged forward and grabbed her opponent’s neck. Pulling their head into her chest, Bull rained punches into her stomach.
The clap of each strike thundered up the concrete, and I couldn’t help but wince at the sound. Between every few punches acracksignalled a breaking bone.
Receding into myself, I felt Spencer pull me closer. Her firm grasp reminded me that she was here, taking care of me. I was safe.
Unable to look at the blood any longer, my eyes stayed glued to The Bull’s back. She was dripping sweat, muscles bulging from her own force. And before I knew it, her final opponent stumbled back in the sand and landed on the ground with a thud.
The crowd roared, but my heart sank as I took in the state of the other fighter.
How can anyone consent to that?
