Page 43 of Ignite
Faye stared at me openmouthed as I grabbed my coin purse and zipped it into my right-handpocket.
“What are you going to do?” she asked after amoment.
“Stop him from fighting Viper ofcourse.”
“What if we’re toolate?”
I couldn’t say it, but we both knew. I would likely see everything Liam was trying to protect me from.Carnage.
Deep down, I knew he didn’t expect to come out the other side, but if I was there, maybe he would realize he had something to fight for and give Viper exactly what he deserved. Maybe my presence at his darkest moment would make him realize I would never abandon him, that neither of us had to be aloneanymore.
I opened the front door, but Faye was still frozen to thespot.
“Are you coming or not?” I asked. “We don’t have muchtime.”
Faye snapped to attention and grabbed her purse, hurrying out the door with me on her heels. We clattered down the stairs and piled into her car. When she peeled out onto the street, the tires squealing, I knew I was right to place my faith inher.
As we powered toward The Underground, I knew it was time to face my true self and do what I should’ve done from thebeginning.
Stand up andfight.
19
Liam
The Underground wasalive with electricity andbloodlust.
I’d done all I could to prepare. I’d trained, I’d sparred, I’d studied Viper’s movements. He was the same height as me and around the same weight, though it seemed he had a shorter reach. It could come in handy when I was striking. I would be able to get closer while his fists were still out ofrange.
It wasn’t much of an advantage, especially when there was no such thing as rules here. Not in the traditional sense at least. Like the movieFight Club, the first rule of The Underground was you don’t talk about TheUnderground.
Wrapping my hands and securing the Velcro closure around my wrists, I flexed my fingers, testing theresistance.
I noticed Rebel hovering in my peripheral vision, but I ignored him, stretching out my muscles. I couldn’t allow his last minute begging for me to reconsider fighting take my mind out of thegame.
I couldn’t think about her, either. Ali. No matter what we said or did the other night, it was over between us. I’d made sure of that. There was no goingback.
I had to make myself numb to everything, even my cock…and especially myheart.
“Blade!” I glanced up at the sound of my name and saw one of the referees gesturing for me. “You’reup.”
Slamming my locker shut, I padded out of the change room, straight past Rebel and Goblin, and entered the warehouse. Hands slapped me on the back, strangers and familiar faces offering me well-wishes, as I made my way to ground zero. It felt a lot like my last march, the end of an era, the unpredictability of what was about to happen almost blindsidingme.
Stepping into the light, I flinched as the cage door closed behind me with a bang, rattling the chainlink.
Viper smirked from his side of the line as he paced back and forth, his expression full of loathing. He was itching to get started, his bare feet pawing the ground like a starvingpredator.
“Ready to eat shit, Blade?” he asked, looking for abite.
I remained silent, not buying what he wasselling.
Focusing on him and the fight ahead, I ignored the announcer and the catcalls from the crowd. This was it. Death was staring me in the face, and it was up to me to survive, no oneelse.
Then the boutbegan.
Raising our fists, we circled one another, oblivious to the chaos outside the cage. We both knew the score, and nothing else mattered but fucking each otherup.
This ended rightnow.
