Page 93 of Pulse
Chapter 28
Ren
I was back in the game.
My head was on straight. I was on top of my focus. I had this.
I was in the cage, my fifth fight of the season and I was up against a tough fighter by the name of Claw. I’d gotten over the silly names ages ago, but hers always made me laugh. We stood eye to eye, her five eight to mine, her blonde hair to my almost black. Light and dark. Short way of putting it, she was my match in height, weight and skill. She wasn’t glad I was back and I wasn’t pleased she was still here.
I caught Ash’s eye through the cage as I toed my line and he smiled, nodding once. My lips curved into a grin and I turned to face Claw. She scowled at me before raising her fists in a show of strength.
I wondered how she’d try and take me down this time. What would I do? That was the crux of it. What would I do and then do the absolute opposite.
As the bout began, she started circling, darting forward every now and then, testing my reflexes. On the fourth lunge, she kept going and slammed into me. I stumbled back a step and we grappled, both of us trying to secure a hold, but not being able to get it.
Crying out in frustration, Claw backed off and we faced each other again. This time, I was on the offensive and threw a punch over her guard. I clipped her on the jaw and she stumbled to the side. While she was disoriented, I slammed my knee into her stomach. She hunched over, but used the momentum to shove me backward.
“Reign!” A familiar, slimy voice from the sidelines filtered through my focus and I shook my head to clear it. “I remember how your cunt feels.”
My gaze snapped to the edge of the cage and caught on a satisfied looking Hammer and I froze. I wasn’t in the ring anymore. I was in Beat, face down on the mat, a heavy weight pushing me down…an unwanted finger pressing into me.
Stars exploded in my vision and my head snapped to the side, the world violently spinning out of control. I hit the mat, my head cracking against the hard leather, screams and yelling echoing from someplace far off. I couldn’t stop it, I couldn’t react, my control was just…gone.
I was out.
I was vaguely aware of being carried, my limbs being jostled around uselessly by the movement.
Is this what all those women felt when I knocked them out?
I’d never been KO’d before and to put it bluntly… Fuck, it sucked.
“Ren? C’mon Ren, wake up.”
Hands cupped my face and fingers pried open my eyelids and I squinted at the sudden burst of light.
I was lying down someplace.
“Give her a minute.” A voice I didn’t recognize. “Her pupils are responsive; she’ll come round in a few minutes. Give her some room to breathe.”
Typical Ash, I found myself thinking.Just let me sleep a while longer.
It was inevitable when I started to surface, my vision starting to come back, with black spots fading into blinding light. Blinking hard, I groaned, trying to clear my head.
“Ash,” I rasped, lifting my hand to grasp my head.
“Ren, thank fuck,” Ash said, relief flooding his voice.
I squinted up at him as he came back into focus. “Fuck, my head hurts.”
He started to laugh in relief and pressed a cold pack against my temple. Swatting him away, I tried to sit up but a man I didn’t recognize pressed his hands onto my shoulders.
“Stay down for a while longer,” he said. “You might be disoriented for a while yet.”
