“It’ll be okay,” I promised, turning back to my brother. “Nikolai will get what he deserves.”
Parker’s jaw tensed and he looked away. “Yes, he will.”
Ripp huffed angrily. “Thankfully, the bastard hasn’t contacted anyone since the Peyton fiasco.”
“True,” I agreed.
That was when I came into the picture. It was a long story that involved a lot of death and destruction, but it was because of me that Peyton was alive. As payment, she’d turned my life around. Instead of letting me live in crack motel rooms, she’d given me a house and money. Her mother, Gabriella Reynolds Emerson, a former UFC champion, was now my MMA coach. I was given the world. Not only did Peyton and her family accept me and Parker as their own, but I was finally happy. All I wanted to do was enjoy the luxuries that I’d never been able to experience before.
I held up my hands. “Okay, that’s enough about Nikolai. However, thinking about that fucker does piss me off. I could use the anger to help me through my fight tonight.”
Ripp reached over and patted my thigh. “Stay focused, Wren. This night is important for you.”
For the first time, I was going to fight in public. What better way to get introduced into the fighting world than competing at the Labyrinth, the most popular club spot in Sin City. It was owned by one of Ripp’s closest friends, Kase Rushing, who I had met a few days ago. I also got to meet Ripp’s other Las Vegas friends, several of whom were UFC fighters and famous like himself. Ripp was the light heavyweight champion, and known throughout the country for his fierceness in the ring. I never thought my time would come for people to notice me, but it was here . . . and I was beyond ready. There were going to be people at the club betting on me to win, or at least, I hoped so. I wanted the world to know my name.
Sighing, I focused on the highway; we were almost to the club. “I know,” I replied, reaching into the back seat for my bag.
Everything I needed for my fight was in there, including a note of encouragement my coach had hidden inside one of my hand wraps. As much as I would’ve loved to have her by my side, I’d told her I wanted to do this alone. She was well-known in the MMA world, and I didn’t want my association with her to be the only reason I got accepted to fight in the UFC. Would it make things a whole hell of a lot easier? Of course, but this was something I wanted to earn by myself.
“This is my chance to earn a spot in the UFC on my own,” I said, looking over at Ripp. “Ihaveto know I’m good enough.”
A snort escaped his lips, and he shook his head. “Oh, you’re good enough. I have no doubt someone from the UFC will approach you tonight.”
Parker placed his hands on my shoulders, squeezing them gently. “I second that.”
I had no clue who I was fighting, but there was no choice but to win. “Thanks, guys.” I smiled at them both. “I’m ready.”
When we arrived at the club, the front parking lot was jam-packed. Ripp pulled around to the back, where there was an abundance of expensive cars that had to be worth over five million dollars. Ripp parked and I slowly got out, my mouth gaping at all the expensive machinery.
“Holy shit, Ripp,” I gushed, hooking my arm through my bag. “You weren’t kidding when you said the clientele here are loaded.”
Ripp grinned, but there was a split second where there was an uneasiness to it. It made me wonder if there was something he was keeping from me.
Ripp nodded toward the back entrance. “You’ll make a lot of money tonight if you win, Wren. This is the big time now.”
He started for the door and Parker walked with me, his eyes lit with pride when they met mine. “You’re going to be famous, Wren. I can feel it.” He draped his arm over my shoulder and squeezed. “You deserve this and so much more.”
Ripp opened the door, and I took a deep breath before walking inside. The second I stepped through, it was as if I was in a different world. I could hear the music booming from the nightclub part of the club, but that wasn’t where I was headed.
I saw the fighting area a few days ago when I met Kase and Ripp’s other friends, but the room was empty then. Now, it was filled to the brim with people, all of whom seemed to have a ton of money. The Labyrinth was a high-end club and it showed. The lanterns suspended from the ceiling were brass and trimmed in copper. The bar was a slab of dark oak, aged to perfection, and the bartenders were dressed in tuxedos. Every surface gleamed like it had just been polished to a sparkle. In the ring were two male fighters, neither of them I recognized. They were probably hoping to accomplish what I had: to get noticed by the right people.
“Wren!” someone shouted.
I turned around to see Kali Andrews weaving through the crowd toward me, looking gorgeous with her long blonde hair in waves down her back and dressed in a skintight green dress. She was one of Ripp’s friends who I met the other day, and also the female bantamweight champion. If I were ever going to compete in the UFC, she would be my rival. But I didn’t see her that way. I’ve only known her for a few days, but is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met. She sparred with me the other day to help me prepare for the fight tonight.
Kali flung her arms around my neck. “It’s about time you got here. We have to get you ready.” She let me go and grabbed my bag. “Let’s go.”
Ripp nodded and smiled. “I’ll see you when you come out.”
He and my brother disappeared through the crowd while Kali dragged me to a private room, where I changed into my fighting gear and braided my hair. I chose to wear all black to accompany my black hand wraps.
Once I was done, Kali grabbed my hands and whistled as she looked down my body. “You look hot, Wren. I’m not going to lie, I’m not looking forward to the day we get in the ring together.”
I winked at her. “Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you,” I said jokingly. “But if I’m being honest, I know you can kick my ass.”
She winked back at me. “The same can be said about you.” Taking my hand, she pulled me to the door. “All right, girl. It’s time. Are you ready to kick some ass?”
I could feel the adrenaline spiking through my veins. “Oh yes,” I said, enjoying the high. “Let’s do this.”
