This underground fight is between men…not dogs.
As Glory came to that realization, she made eye contact with her team. Fi, who was closest, widened her blue eyes and gave a tiny shrug, as if to say, “We’ll have to wait it out and see what happens…”
Leaving now would arouse suspicion. They were stuck watching the fight between Scott and the lumbering, shirtless Petrov, who was as bulky and hirsute as his moniker implied.
“The Wolf or the Bear…which shall prevail?” Bryant asked.
“Wolf, Wolf!” the crowd cried.
“In your corners, gents,” Bryant said to the fighters. “And remember this: the only rule o’ the fight is that…”
He held a hand to his ear, gesturing at the audience to reply.
“There are no rules,” the crowd shouted.
Scott shook his head in anticipation. Petrov cracked his beefy knuckles, his smile a checkerboard of stained and missing teeth.
“On your marks…get ready…fight!”
Despite Glory’s frustration that Sir Barkley’s rescue would not occur this eve, she found herself absorbed by the action in the cage. Petrov swung first, Scott ducking the blow easily. Petrov looked to be the stronger of the two, but he was slower…in all respects. Glory could tell Scott was toying with the Bulgarian, luring him to expend energy. Petrov swung and swung. Finally, he landed a punch, but the blow glanced off Scott’s shoulder, the latter looking unfazed. The Bulgarian, however, was breathing heavily, his furry chest heaving and dripping with sweat.
Bouncing on his feet, Scott taunted, “Ain’t tired, are you?”
Petrov growled and swung again. The force of his movement took him off-balance, and he staggered forward. Scott pounced.
Glory thought the Wolf was effective, albeit flashy, in his movements. He issued a series of punches to Petrov’s gut, causing the other to grunt in pain. Next, he aimed for Petrov’s face; his knuckles met the other man’s nose in a sickening crack. Petrov doubled over, his blood spurting and splattering the floorboards, and the crowd went wild, stomping their approval.
Grimacing, Glory checked Wei’s reaction. He looked unimpressed.
Feeding off the frenzy, Scott pranced around the cage, punching his fists in the air. He was celebrating too soon, however, for Petrov rushed him, pinning him to the bars. Using his weight to trap Scott, the Bear proceeded to pummel his opponent with his outsized fists. Glory winced and the audience grew quiet as the bashing continued.
Suddenly, Scott roared, and with some hidden well of strength, shoved off Petrov. Petrov stumbled, and Scott ran full tilt into him. Tackling the Bulgarian to the ground, Scott leapt astride and hammered his foe in the face. Again and again, he planted his fists, turning Petrov’s face into a pulpy mess. The Bulgarian’s efforts to stop the onslaught grew weaker and weaker until he stopped moving altogether, his head turning limply to one side.
Finally, Scott rose. Blood dripping from his fists, he turned a ferocious gaze upon the crowd like a predator eyeing his next prey.
“Who’s next?” he growled. “Who wants to challenge the Wolf?”
The audience went mad.
“Wolf! Wolf!” They chanted his name, showering the cage with coins and banknotes.
Scott ripped off his shirt, tipped back his head, and howled. As he stalked around the cage, whipping up the adulation of spectators, Glory noticed a jagged scar next to his left shoulder blade…and a distinctive marking on his arm. As he raised his fists, vines of black ink seemed to twist along his right forearm. She couldn’t make out the tattoo clearly, but it looked like blooms adorned the creeping lines.
The crowd grew wilder—a cue that the Angels could make their exit. No one would take notice while Scott was giving a show. She looked over at Wei to give him a signal…and drew her brows together at the empty seat.
Where has he gone?
She looked over at Fi, who’d risen but stood frozen, her gaze transfixed on the cage. Glory yanked her own eyes in that direction as Bryant announced, “Gents, we ’ave a challenger!”
Zounds. Her heart toppled into her ribs. What is Wei doing?
For her shifu was standing in the cage, facing Scott.
“You want to take me on?” Scott taunted.
“Yes.”
Skin prickling, Glory had never heard Wei’s voice sound so cold. To a stranger, he might seem calm and collected, but she knew him and knew that he was anything but. His hands were clenched at his sides, his broad shoulders taut. His total focus on Scott was nothing short of menacing.
