The screams take over the arena. “REMY . . . REMY . . . REMY . . .”
I take a hit: a blow straight to my ribs.
I ease back, shake my head.
He comes in with a hook that knocks me off-balance.
I hit the ground.
The counting begins. “Stay down,” Oz says.
But I can’t stay down, I’m leaping to my feet. I’m fighting this guy. I’m beating this guy.
Dizzy.
I should’ve stayed down.
I take another hit, then three. This guy comes at me like a bulldozer, from all directions. My brain is already swimming in my skull.
We get a break.
I take my stool.
“Dude, you’re getting creamed out there,” Oz says.
“Really? That you’re awake for? Got something for my jaw?”
“Think not. Maybe.” He checks his materials and slaps something on. “There.”
This time, I block better. I’m braced for his force and catch a few hits, then start swinging. I open up my side when I hook, and he takes it.
I fall splat on the floor, winded.
The girls out in the arena scream his name. They quiet down when I stand. Sweat dripping down my forehead along with blood and a whole shit-ton of frustration.
Tate leans to me. “Your hook’s off.” Then he jabs and hooks and knocks me to the ground.
The announcer’s voice cuts through the speakers as the ringmaster raises his arm. “Ladies and gentlemen. Once again . . . Riptide! Riiiiiptiiiiiide! UNDEFEATED FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS. The most unstoppable beast this ring has ever seen. RIPTIDE!”
The crowd’s sudden, wild roar pulses in my eardrums. I plant my glove on the ground and come to my feet. The crowd quiets. Riptide lowers his arm, his grin fading.
Neither of us looks away from the other as we climb the ropes to get off the ring.
We head down the walkway, side by side, silent.
Oz is wide awake now—and he’s pissed. “Why the fuck are you giving my fighter pointers? You want him to beat you?” he demands.
Tate shoots me a look when he speaks. “I want him to try.”
“You can fucking count on it!” Oz replies.
Tate stops by his door and turns to face me, waiting for me to say something.
I don’t.
I just look him directly in the eye while our teams try to shuffle us into our rooms.
“You have something to say to me?” Tate asks.
“Not yet,” I say.
His team piles up on him to usher him inside. It takes Oz a lot more effort to move me.
“You’re the only fighter I’ve ever met who’s not intimidated by the current champion, Maverick, I swear . . .” He shakes his head in consternation as he pulls off my gloves.
I look at my fists, curl my fingers in slowly, then squeeze and release them.
It’s my first time in the ring with Tate, but it’s not going to be my last.
♥ ♥ ♥
I’M BACK IN my hotel room an hour later, my body in a tub of ice. I’ve got an ice pack on my temple. Oz sewed up my cut and just dropped dead on my couch. I’m bouncing a tennis ball against the wall of the bathroom, catching and throwing it back. I used it to lay my back on and release any knots, but I just like the rhythmic sound of it now. Helps me think as I replay what Tate said.
I’m getting madder and madder, throwing the ball faster and harder.
Something to say to him?
I might have something to say to the asshole.
Hell, I have a lot to say.
I would prefer my fists did the talking, but those will have to wait for another day.
Catching the ball, I toss it into my duffel, then swing to my feet.
“Oz,” I call into the room, tightening a towel around my hips as I storm out of the bathroom. “Oz.” I nudge his prostrate form. “Where’s he staying?”
“Huh?”
“Motherfucking Riptide. Where’s he staying?”
He grumbles a hotel, and I shove my legs into my jeans, slip on a T-shirt, and head over there.
♥ ♥ ♥
THERE’S A CROWD outside the Tates’ hotel. I shoulder my way past and through the revolving doors just as Tate and his wife step off the elevators. Gritting my teeth, I stalk across the hotel lobby. “Why are you giving me pointers?”
His brows lift. “Because you need them.”
I laugh mockingly. “I don’t need your help. Fight me. Privately, you and me.”
“I don’t fight puppies.”
He narrows his eyes when I stay in place and cut him a dark, unflinching look.
“Armor’s gym tomorrow. Five a.m. Be there,” he says.
He takes his wife by the elbow and leads her across the lobby when the elevator opens and feet shuffle out.
“Mavewick!” I hear.
My eyes fall down to a familiar little grin and there’s Racer, looking up at me. He’s dressed in tiny shorts and a Batman T-shirt and someone is holding his hand. A female hand with neatly trimmed, soft-pink nails. My chest feels tight, and I lift my gaze.
Reese.
And it dawns on me.
She is with them.
I look at her and search her face to see if she knows who I am.
She knows.
I fought with Tate tonight and he can’t not know. Everybody knows by now.
I can see wariness and concern in her eyes, concern for what, I don’t know.
It’s not concern about me. Can’t be.
She glances past my shoulder at Tate and his wife, and I realize, it’s concern about them knowing she knows me.
Loss.
You can’t lose shit you don’t have.
But in my mind I had some sort of . . . attachment to looking for her every day. I feel like I just lost a fight I didn’t even know I fought.
And I lost it to Tate.
“Mavewick!” I hear again, and I feel a tap on my thigh.
I look down again. “Hey, little buddy.” I fist-bump him before I can catch myself. I look at Reese, and she’s amused and surprised seeing that. I edge my hand back. A tight black top covers her upper body, and dark-wash jeans cover her legs. It’s hard to breathe right.
There’s something about this girl. What the fuck is it about this girl? I can smell her, a sweet flower scent, and feel her. She’s under my skin. I’m boiling in jealousy that she’s with Tate. Jealous she’s living with him, holding the hand of his kid. Rooting for him.
I take a hit: a blow straight to my ribs.
I ease back, shake my head.
He comes in with a hook that knocks me off-balance.
I hit the ground.
The counting begins. “Stay down,” Oz says.
But I can’t stay down, I’m leaping to my feet. I’m fighting this guy. I’m beating this guy.
Dizzy.
I should’ve stayed down.
I take another hit, then three. This guy comes at me like a bulldozer, from all directions. My brain is already swimming in my skull.
We get a break.
I take my stool.
“Dude, you’re getting creamed out there,” Oz says.
“Really? That you’re awake for? Got something for my jaw?”
“Think not. Maybe.” He checks his materials and slaps something on. “There.”
This time, I block better. I’m braced for his force and catch a few hits, then start swinging. I open up my side when I hook, and he takes it.
I fall splat on the floor, winded.
The girls out in the arena scream his name. They quiet down when I stand. Sweat dripping down my forehead along with blood and a whole shit-ton of frustration.
Tate leans to me. “Your hook’s off.” Then he jabs and hooks and knocks me to the ground.
The announcer’s voice cuts through the speakers as the ringmaster raises his arm. “Ladies and gentlemen. Once again . . . Riptide! Riiiiiptiiiiiide! UNDEFEATED FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS. The most unstoppable beast this ring has ever seen. RIPTIDE!”
The crowd’s sudden, wild roar pulses in my eardrums. I plant my glove on the ground and come to my feet. The crowd quiets. Riptide lowers his arm, his grin fading.
Neither of us looks away from the other as we climb the ropes to get off the ring.
We head down the walkway, side by side, silent.
Oz is wide awake now—and he’s pissed. “Why the fuck are you giving my fighter pointers? You want him to beat you?” he demands.
Tate shoots me a look when he speaks. “I want him to try.”
“You can fucking count on it!” Oz replies.
Tate stops by his door and turns to face me, waiting for me to say something.
I don’t.
I just look him directly in the eye while our teams try to shuffle us into our rooms.
“You have something to say to me?” Tate asks.
“Not yet,” I say.
His team piles up on him to usher him inside. It takes Oz a lot more effort to move me.
“You’re the only fighter I’ve ever met who’s not intimidated by the current champion, Maverick, I swear . . .” He shakes his head in consternation as he pulls off my gloves.
I look at my fists, curl my fingers in slowly, then squeeze and release them.
It’s my first time in the ring with Tate, but it’s not going to be my last.
♥ ♥ ♥
I’M BACK IN my hotel room an hour later, my body in a tub of ice. I’ve got an ice pack on my temple. Oz sewed up my cut and just dropped dead on my couch. I’m bouncing a tennis ball against the wall of the bathroom, catching and throwing it back. I used it to lay my back on and release any knots, but I just like the rhythmic sound of it now. Helps me think as I replay what Tate said.
I’m getting madder and madder, throwing the ball faster and harder.
Something to say to him?
I might have something to say to the asshole.
Hell, I have a lot to say.
I would prefer my fists did the talking, but those will have to wait for another day.
Catching the ball, I toss it into my duffel, then swing to my feet.
“Oz,” I call into the room, tightening a towel around my hips as I storm out of the bathroom. “Oz.” I nudge his prostrate form. “Where’s he staying?”
“Huh?”
“Motherfucking Riptide. Where’s he staying?”
He grumbles a hotel, and I shove my legs into my jeans, slip on a T-shirt, and head over there.
♥ ♥ ♥
THERE’S A CROWD outside the Tates’ hotel. I shoulder my way past and through the revolving doors just as Tate and his wife step off the elevators. Gritting my teeth, I stalk across the hotel lobby. “Why are you giving me pointers?”
His brows lift. “Because you need them.”
I laugh mockingly. “I don’t need your help. Fight me. Privately, you and me.”
“I don’t fight puppies.”
He narrows his eyes when I stay in place and cut him a dark, unflinching look.
“Armor’s gym tomorrow. Five a.m. Be there,” he says.
He takes his wife by the elbow and leads her across the lobby when the elevator opens and feet shuffle out.
“Mavewick!” I hear.
My eyes fall down to a familiar little grin and there’s Racer, looking up at me. He’s dressed in tiny shorts and a Batman T-shirt and someone is holding his hand. A female hand with neatly trimmed, soft-pink nails. My chest feels tight, and I lift my gaze.
Reese.
And it dawns on me.
She is with them.
I look at her and search her face to see if she knows who I am.
She knows.
I fought with Tate tonight and he can’t not know. Everybody knows by now.
I can see wariness and concern in her eyes, concern for what, I don’t know.
It’s not concern about me. Can’t be.
She glances past my shoulder at Tate and his wife, and I realize, it’s concern about them knowing she knows me.
Loss.
You can’t lose shit you don’t have.
But in my mind I had some sort of . . . attachment to looking for her every day. I feel like I just lost a fight I didn’t even know I fought.
And I lost it to Tate.
“Mavewick!” I hear again, and I feel a tap on my thigh.
I look down again. “Hey, little buddy.” I fist-bump him before I can catch myself. I look at Reese, and she’s amused and surprised seeing that. I edge my hand back. A tight black top covers her upper body, and dark-wash jeans cover her legs. It’s hard to breathe right.
There’s something about this girl. What the fuck is it about this girl? I can smell her, a sweet flower scent, and feel her. She’s under my skin. I’m boiling in jealousy that she’s with Tate. Jealous she’s living with him, holding the hand of his kid. Rooting for him.
