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“Ryan, I want you to…” I turned to find the chair empty. Maybe she had gotten smart and decided to run. That would solve so many of my problems. She should go home and tell Sergio to fuck himself for setting her up. But Dex caught my eye and pointed to the entrance of the cage. There she was, standing at the opening with a look of determination that took me by surprise.

“Do you think she’s crazy? Like certifiably? Because that chick is way too calm for someone walking in to get their ass beat.”

I didn’t have an answer for Dex. I watched as Ryan gave Torque a cocky smile before stripping off the oversized sweatshirt she had been wearing, and my eyes widened in surprise.

“Holy fuck. She’s jacked,” I whispered to no one in particular, but I saw Dex nodding his head in agreement. The woman was built like an athlete, something I had managed to miss since both times I had seen her, most of her body had been covered. Standing there at the entrance, she looked like a fighter.

Ryan glanced over to me and blew a kiss before walking toward Torque at the center of the cage. I couldn’t hear what they were saying to each other, but it was evident that they were talking shit. The ref gave them the ring rules—there were essentially none. The only things not allowed were eye gouges and nut shots. Otherwise, it was all fair game. Torque and Ryan bumped fists, signally the start of the fight, and my fingers gripped the edge of the cage so tight that my knuckles were white. It felt like my heart would burst out of my chest. I didn’t give a fuck what the rules were. If I thought I needed to go in there for her, I would.

Everything be damned.

The two began circling each other, waiting for the other to give an opening. I was so absorbed in seeing if I needed to intervene that it didn’t even dawn on me how that move alone meant she knew what she was doing in the ring.

Ryan faked a punch before moving to Torque’s inside and landing two quick jabs to his jaw before dancing back out of his reach. The crowd lost their shit. Torque shook his head and gave Ryan a bloody smile before attempting to land some punches of his own. Every time he threw something, she managed to block or turn out of reach. Frustrated, Torque rushed her.

“Fuck, if he gets her on her back, it’s over.”

I moved to get into the cage, but Dex put a hand on my shoulder and nodded for me to keep watching. Ryan sprawled and stopped the takedown. Torque wasn’t expecting that from this tiny girl, and she didn’t waste the opportunity to land a knee to his face before moving back out. Neither Dex nor I could keep our eyes off the two in the cage. No one in the crowd could; the fight wasn’t expected to go like this.

“Fuck, Dex. I was all wrong about this chick.”

My brother let out a grunt in agreement. “I’d fucking say so.”

Torque caught Ryan with a right hook she couldn’t completely block. My blood ran cold when I saw it connect. She looked up and smiled, licking the blood off. I couldn’t recall the last time I had been as turned on as I was while I watched her pink tongue poke out and swipe across that pouty lip—a bloodthirsty look in her eyes. The crowd roared, and money was being exchanged now that this fight was turning out to be interesting.

Torque landed a leg kick that forced Ryan to change her stance, making it evident that he’d injured her. He followed up with a kick to her other leg, but Ryan blocked it with a knee and rushed forward. The move looked reckless and caused me to cry out.

“Babe, what the fuck are you doing?”

“Oh, it’s babe now?” Dex asked.

I didn’t bother answering his verbal jab, flipping him off while watching the scramble that broke out. But faster than my eyes could track, Ryan somehow ended up latched onto Torque’s back. Her legs were wrapped around his waist while her arms were around his throat. I heard Dex take a sharp inhale.

“What the fuck is it, Dex?” I asked, not willing to take my eyes off her and risk missing anything.

“She’s got him in a goddamned standing rear-naked choke. Holy fuck, Gunner. Your girl is the real deal. That shit doesn’t happen by chance. That’s fucking high-level grappling she’s doing.”

My chest filled with pride over this woman I barely knew—this violent goddess. How did I ever think she was a princess playing cartel member? Dex continued with his cage-side commentary.

“The cocky fucker isn’t going to tap.” He huffed a laugh. “He thinks he can outlast her strength, but she’s got that bitch in deep. She’s going to put him to sleep.”

On cue, Torque dropped unconscious.

I didn’t know how I got there, but I was inside the cage in the next instant, lifting Ryan into my arms and carrying her out.

“Look at me, babe.” I demanded.

Ryan’s eyes found mine, her pupils blown from the adrenaline coursing through her. Blood still coated her split lip. My tongue ran across it without thinking the action through, lapping up the blood. A moan slipped from her mouth, causing my cock to get even harder than it already was. I wanted to know what other noises I could pull from her. Needing distance between us, I sat her down on the chair I had used when wrapping her hands—when she let me believe she was about to be pulverized in that cage, knowing full well she could fucking fight.

“You lied to me, Ryan,” I growled out. “You didn’t tell me you could fight.” I grabbed her chin and made sure she was paying attention to what I had to say. “All actions have consequences, babe.”

She gave a sly smile at my comments. “I didn’t lie, Gunner. I just let you continue with your misogynistic bullshit.”

My face dropped a bit at her response. I hadn’t meant to come across that way. But if I was being truthful, the feeling of Ryan not being cut out for this life had stemmed from her being a woman.

“Hmm. I’ll work on that. It’s obvious you’re more than capable. And that I need to get to know my new partner better,” I mumbled, kneeling between her thighs and pulling out the tequila.

She started to argue until my words registered in her head. She gave me a strange look, like a man had never admitted being wrong to her before.