Page 83 of Pulse
Grabbing Ren around the waist, I pulled her in and smacked a kiss right on her lips. The moment she sighed against me, I plunged my tongue into her mouth and claimed her in front of everyone. She was mine and no fuckin’ man would forget it.
She pulled away and laughed, her lips brushing against mine. “Caveman.”
“You’re mine Spitfire.”
“I love you,” she murmured, running the flats of her palms over my chest and I groaned. “Now, get in there and do your thing Maverick.”
She began to back away, but I reached for her again, yanking her close. “I love you.”
“In the cage Fuller,” the bouncer at the gate barked and I let Ren go.
“See you in a few,” she said. “I’ll be in the stands.” She pointed to the bleachers on her left that were reserved for fighters and their plus ones. “Right there.”
I backed into the cage, my gazed fixed on hers. “Wait for me.”
She nodded once and I turned, slamming all my focus onto the fight ahead.
The cage door slammed closed behind me and I felt the heat radiate on my skin from the lighting rig above. When the crowd realized who Maverick was, they roared my name and stomped their feet on the stands, creating a din that fed straight into my bloodstream. They expected a show.
I had no idea who my opponent was, not until I stepped into the cage and set eyes on him. I didn’t like knowing in these early rounds. The spontaneity of fighting an unknown on the fly drove my adrenalin levels through the roof. Made for a better show.
He was small, well built but still under my weightclass whichwould mean he’d be fast on his feet. He’d have to work twice as hard for his blows to make a dent in me, but if he was smart, he could beat me through exhaustion. This would either be the quickest fight in the history of The Underground or the longest.
The referee stood between us as we sized each other up, and raised his hand.
“You know the rules,” he said. “Fight till one of you can’t go on or taps out. Keep it classy gentlemen.”
I snorted and assumed the position, ready for whatever this dude was going to throw at me. I had to rely on my training and instincts and not lean on my anger. My emotions had to sit this one out.
As I expected, the other fighter danced around me like a fuckin’ fairy, darting in and trying to land a punch, but I deflected them all with ease. He didn’t seem very experienced, at least not with MMA. He was a boxer maybe? Seemed like it from the way he pranced about.
The only thing he was making me was pissed. The next time he approached, I ducked low and rammed my shoulder into his guts and he grunted in surprise. In one fluid movement, I hurled him over my shoulder. Fuckin’ kids.
He landed on the flat of his back and the air whooshed from his lungs. The crowd screamed from someplace far away, but I couldn’t hear any of it. My mind was totally fixed on the fight and nothing else.
I lunged, punching down towards his stomach with all my force, but at the last second the slimy bastard rolled to the side and the crowd let out a collective gasp.
My fist connected with the floor with a crack, the force of the blow jarring through my bones. I pulled back instantly and didn’t flinch as I saw the fresh blood from my knuckles smeared on the mat. If it wasn’t for Ren’s expert hand wrapping, I would’ve broken all four knuckles. Fuckin’ Spitfire. I was going to get her off however she wanted later on for that.
With a roar, I lunged after him, clipping a punch off his right cheek. Not a direct hit, but enough to daze him for a moment. I shoved the little fucker up against the chain-link and landed a punch on his jaw, not hard enough to break it, but hard enough that he’d be feeling it for weeks. His head snapped to the side and blood oozed between his lips as his teeth cut up the inside of his cheek. While he was stunned, I rammed a knee into his balls and shoved him to the mat. He landed hard, grunting as he landed on his shoulder at an awkward angle.
Was that all the fuck he had in him? Fuckin’ hell. Two seconds and he was already pissing his pants.
I towered over the guy as his gaze met mine and it was full of fear. He was in way over his head and he knew it. He slammed his palm down on the mat over and over and the referee stepped in, shoving me backwards.
Tapped out. Smart move, kid. Smart move.
Without waiting for the referee to call it, I turned my back on the scene and strode for the exit. The cage door opened as I approached and I stepped out, the sweat and blood that stuck to my skin cooling as cold air pulsed around me from the air con overhead. As the glare from the bright lights of the ring faded from my vision, the first person I saw was my Spitfire. Just like she’d promised.
“Your hand,” she exclaimed, pulling at my arm.
“It’ll be okay,” I said scanning the crowd, feeling like that whole bout had been way too easy. “I’ll ice it.”
“He didn’t last long,” she said, glancing around me into the cage.
“He was just a kid,” I said with a grunt. “The real fights don’t start until they get lost.”
Ren frowned at me, but pulled at my arm again. “Let’s get you some ice, big man.”
I grunted, rolling my head and cracking my neck.
“Should I have called you Ice Man instead?” she asked with a laugh, referencing the place she’d gotten my nickname from. Top Gun.
“No. Maverick was way cooler.” I threw my arm over her shoulder as we walked out of the arena. “He got the girl.”
