Page 72 of Uppercut Princess

Uppercut Princess? I like the sound of that.

As soon as he lets my hand go, I drop it to my side and vow I really will just set my hand on fire this time to get his vile germs off me.

Johnny snickers into my ear. “Uppercut Princess,” he breathes.

I don’t mind the sound of that at all. I could even get used to Princess as long as Uppercut was in front of it.

“You don’t need to know her background to agree to the arrangements.”

Fonz pushes back into the plush leather couch. “Her against one of my fighters.” She flicks a hand toward me. “She represents you. Mine representing me. Whichever one wins will mean the winner for one of us. When that happens, the loser agrees to back off the fighting circuit. Am I understanding correctly?”

Big Daddy K nods once. His eyes dance. It’s clear he’s getting a thrill out of this. It makes a skitter of fear race up my spine and settle in the back of my neck like a bad seed.

“Why would you agree to this?” she asks, gaze narrowing on him cautiously. “Why her? You could choose any one of your male fighters. Big, brute strength.”

“Family business,” he says, lips thinning. It’s obvious he’s over this conversation and just wants an answer out of her, not the third degree.

Since I’m also curious about this question, I’d love to hear the answer. Other than the fact that it affords me the opportunity to prove myself to him, I’m not sure what’s in it for him. As far as I can tell, there’s nothing in it for him.

“Either accept or don’t, Roza. The way I see it, this is how we figure out where the line is drawn.”

“I drew the line years ago. You stepped over it,” Roza snaps. She flicks her long braids over her shoulders.

“Here’s a way to decide once and for all without widespread bloodshed,” he says, ignoring her remark.

Roza is shaking. Not out of fear, but out of anger. I can tell she doesn’t like him at all, and not just because he’s the leader of a rival gang and a contending business owner. It’s because he looks down on her like she doesn’t mean a damn thing to him.

Her guards keep checking on her. The one I kneed in the gut smirks at me like he can’t wait to see me get my ass kicked.

I’ve got news for him. I don’t intend to be the one who gets my ass kicked. I need to prove to Big Daddy K that I’m worthy to stand next to his son. I’m worthy of his trust. Winning this business exploit for him is how I’m going to do it. I don’t care how much I have to train or how many tough blows I have to take, I’ll come out the victor.

If I lose this fight, I lose everything.

“You,” Roza says, nodding at me. “Why do you want to fight?”

As Magnum instructed, I wait until Big Daddy K tells me it’s okay to answer. When he nods, I gaze over the black coffee table at her, a woman who must’ve risen over these men she surrounds herself with. A woman who commands their respect. By the way they look at her, I know if one of us started something, they’d stand in front of her in a heartbeat.

“Respect,” I tell her. “Not just for this fight, any fight.”

I stare at her, gaze narrowing. I’m hoping she sees something inside me that’s inside her. From her point of view, I can understand why she won’t agree right away. Anyone has to admit it looks like Big Daddy K is throwing the fight.

“I’m good,” I tell her. “Skilled. Practiced. I don’t care who you put me up against, the fight will be a good one.”

“Just ask your guard,” Johnny says, nodding toward the piece of shit who’s probably still nursing a stomachache.

Roza turns her head to glance at the guard to her right. He nods, and it dawns on me then that his little show of overt affection might not have been an accident at all. She would’ve wanted to test me. To see if I was just a decoy Big Daddy K was sending in.

“If he touches me again, he’ll get worse,” I say, driving the point home.

Roza stands, and Big Daddy K follows. She extends her hand and Big Daddy K shakes it. “I accept your terms,” Roza says. “The fight will take place next Saturday. Neutral grounds. The back parking lot of the abandoned mall should be sufficient.”

Big Daddy K agrees. “We’ll expect to hear your choice in fighter tomorrow.”

“No need,” Roza says. “The girl will fight Evan.”

And like that, Evan steps forward. I hadn’t been looking around at anything other than what was in front of my face, but I don’t know how I missed this guy. He’s a little smaller than Brawler, but that doesn’t mean a thing. He’s tall with long arms that reach past his hips. His reach is going to be a bitch to handle. He’s also muscular, but the kind of muscles that come with functional training instead of lifting. In other words, the guy’s a beast, and I would’ve gladly fought anyone else in the room but him, including Magnum.

I nod at him, and he nods back at me. A show of mutual respect that I like, but it doesn’t last. He licks his lips, then presses them together in a mock kiss in my direction.

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