Page 115 of Falcon

She breaks the kiss when there are three knocks on my door in rapid succession.

“That’s Joe,” I tell her. “That means it’s time.”

She releases a heavy breath. “Okay. I’ll go back up to my seat now so I can see you come in.” She kisses me once more. “Be careful, okay?”

“Always am.”

She steps away from me and heads back toward the door.

“I’ll find you afterward,” she says. “We’ll celebrate together.”

“Calling my win already?”

“Of course I am. You are Falcon Masen, after all.” And with a smile, she slips out of the room.

I shake my head, then try to shift back into fight mode. Swinging my arms, stretching, and loosening my body as best I can, ignoring the faint pulse growing in my skull.

“All right, Falcon,” I say out loud, pumping myself up. “Let’s fucking do this.”

Faith

For this fight, Frank led me to a seating area on the floor, rather than up into the stadium seating like at the venue in Dallas, and honestly, I’m grateful. The last thing I want to deal with is Jennifer, if she’s even here. Which I’m sure she is.

The energy in the room shifts with every fight leading into the main event, until I am literally shaking with nerves.

I can’t stop bouncing my legs or messing with my hair. I check the time. I check my phone. I do anything I can to pass the time until the lights finally dim, indicating it’s about to begin.

The crowd begins to roar, and we all rise to our feet.

Jesse Dominique enters the arena first to the tune of some hard rock song I am not familiar with. He’s flanked on each side by his entourage and he has a black robe on. He’s popular here. This is his home crowd.

And he’s eating it up.

He’s stopping along the way and touching the hands of those reaching out for him. I didn’t notice it at the weigh-in last night, but he seems to be a bit taller than Marco, and his arms are longer. He’ll have a better reach. I take a breath and shake out the anxiety creeping up my arms.

“He’s going to be all right.”

I look up to see who is talking to me, when I see Courtney slip into the seat beside me.

“How can you be so sure?” I ask her.

“I’ve known Falc a long time. Since he first stepped onto the scene. No matter what happens, no matter what life or his career throws into his path, in the end, he’s always okay.” She pats my leg. “Just remember to breathe.”

I give her a small smile and nod. “I will do my best.”

“And here.” She reaches into her purse and pulls out a small bottle of Jack Daniels. “To take the edge off.” She cracks it open and downs about half of it before passing it to me.

I shake my head. “I’m not much of a drinker. Usually just wine.”

She screws the top back on and puts the bottle back in her purse. “If you change your mind, it’s there.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Before I even have time to really prepare, the lights dim again before the familiar shade of blue is cast all across the arena and his entry song blares through the sound system.

The crowd isn’t nearly as on his side this time as they were in Dallas. The boos drown out the cheers here, and my stomach twists up at the overwhelming sound.

Courtney leans over to talk in my ear. “Can’t be the favorite everywhere. Don’t worry. He loves the adversity.”

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