25. Ari
Chapter 25
Ari
P ain seared up my side and spiked through my veins.
Misty’s punch landed straight on my left ribcage and sent me jolting back.
I dodged the next punch and kicked my foot out.
The top of my foot collided with her elbow and made her falter.
I shook out my head as I studied her. Misty was clearly going for the kill. Ever since our match started, she had come straight for me and barely given me a break—the offensive strategy. Something Frankie told me pointedly to avoid. It would only tire me out and make me vulnerable later. For now I needed to focus on defense and find the perfect opening to gain the upper hand.
But I didn’t know how much longer I could hold out.
Misty wiped sweat from her brow with the tape on her wrist and smirked. I managed to catch a few hits to her face, and blue and purple bloomed on her chin and left cheek. I even roundhouse kicked her thighs and chest; the “PERK’S GYM” sports bra she wore smeared with her blood from a cut from one of my toenails.
But I was much worse for wear. My legs and arms ached from her heavy punches. After the third, I realized her taped knuckles held a more painful secret: rings. And tons of them. They added an extra layer of stinging each time they connected. At least my face was still okay. After losing to Joanne, Frankie had drilled me on keeping my arms up to protect my face and head.
No more blows. No more KOs.
I was doing much better than my previous fight at least.
But better wasn’t enough.
I kept looking for a way to make her pay, but all I was doing was wearing myself out. If I grew too fatigued now, Misty would pummel me, and I’d let everyone down. Bones. Lotto. Frankie. I had to do this for them. For Smiley’s. For Dad. I could sleep the next two years away, as long as I made it out of this ring with the win.
I danced around one of her punches and elbowed down into her forearm. Misty cried out in pain but dodged my next hit. She rolled around and grabbed onto my bun, trying to force my head down to the mat. I grabbed her wrist and twisted as hard as I could, spinning out of the hold and grabbing onto the strap of her bra. I tugged her closer and without thinking, sent my head straight into hers.
My forehead rang with pain but at least I was free. Misty stumbled back, the strap of her bra hanging off her left shoulder. The crowd pulsed harder than my temples; clearly they were enjoying the show. I wondered what Lotto, Bones, and Frankie looked like but didn’t have a chance to check. Misty pounced, and I barely had time to dodge her uppercut. I grabbed her arm and twisted, but she was ready for me. She circled us around, pushing my front into the cage. My head bounced off the chains and swam with pain.
MISTY! MISTY! MISTY!
I gritted my teeth. Fuck the crowd. I wasn’t going to let them forget who the winner would be.
I ducked and threw my entire body back against hers. We both went tumbling to the mat. Misty tried to grab me. I kicked and pushed her away, but she was too strong. Her body slumped on top of mine and she straddled my waist. Her hands went around my neck and squeezed until I couldn’t breathe. I dug my nails into her wrists and flopped my body to escape, but it was no use. She only gripped harder. My head swam with dizziness; her eyes flashed with murder.
She was literally trying to kill me.
My brain screamed for oxygen. I kicked for freedom to no avail. Out of reflex, I shot my hands out and pressed my thumbs into her eyeballs as hard as I could. She jerked away enough so I could draw several gulps of breath. With all of my strength, I punched the side of her head, and Misty rolled off of me.
My vision swam. Two Mistys climbed to their feet and stretched out their necks.
And both of them were laughing at me.
Shit. I wasn’t going to win like this. I was barely more than a bruised sack of potatoes on a bloody, slick floor.
So I did the one thing Frankie trained me to do when the chips were down: play dead.
It was one of his last lessons before we’d stepped onto the yacht that had brought us to Heathens Hollow. This cage was about more than just bloody battles. It was about showmanship. Bets. Being on top. People like Misty Perk reveled in the crowd’s screams and the chants of their name. And the poor loser? Left bleeding out on the mat until the last KO hit. Because those kind of fuckers would give you one last kick when you were down.
And when Misty made that mistake, I would make her pay.
Her shrieking laugh was even louder than the screaming crowd.
“Really, Ari? For all that shit talking, that’s all you got?” She turned to the crowd and threw her hands up. “Pathetic!”
The crowd chanted her name. She laughed again.
“Let me teach her some manners!”
I lay perfectly still as she ran closer. One second, then two. Misty threw her foot back and went straight for my head. Just before it could make contact, I shifted toward her and grabbed her ankle with both of my hands. Her toe jammed into my cheek, but I ignored the pain and threw her down. Misty screamed when she hit the mat and tried to roll away, but I was right there next to her.
I grabbed her hair and got to my feet, dragging her to the side of the cage. Then I returned her earlier favor and slammed her cheek into the metal side. She tried to pull away, but I kicked her stomach and pulled her hair harder. Over and over, I slammed her face into the chains until the silver was coated in her red blood. I didn’t realize I was screaming until someone grabbed onto my arms and pulled me away. I flailed in the referee’s arms trying to get back to Misty. She lay in a heap on the mat, grabbing her bloody nose and struggling to stand.
She barely got to one knee before she fell over and tapped the mat three times.
The crowd went quiet for a split second before it surged like a tidal wave.
ARI! ARI! ARI!
The chants of my name pounded into my ears. The announcer yelled into the mic so loud I winced. “ And the winner is… ”
The referee held up my arm.
“ Ari !”
The crowd swam in front of me as I drank in my victory. My body hurt but the elation of victory masked any pain I felt. A smile broke out across my face as I searched for my good luck charms. There, standing between a few scantily clad women and men in sharp suits, were my three boys. Bones, Lotto, and Frankie cheered for me, looking more relieved than I had seen them in months.
I ripped my hand from the referee’s and nearly tumbled out of the cage with how fast I moved. I pushed through person after person, swearing at them to get the fuck out of my way. When I eventually reached Frankie, I practically threw myself into his arms and pressed my lips against his.
Our kiss was as violent and rough as my fight in the ring. I clung to him as we ravaged each other’s mouths. When I pulled away, I turned and grabbed onto Bones’ shirt, pulling him in for the next kiss. The crowd around me hollered at the scene, but I didn’t give a shit. I lost myself in the rough slips of Bones’ tongue and teeth. And when Bones pulled back with a grunt, I leaned into the last piece of my family, claiming Lotto’s lips in a quick, needy make-out.
I stepped away to breathe, but it wasn’t enough. My body was still flying. I needed something to keep me tethered here before I exploded.
“Give me my prize,” I breathed and motioned them all closer.
The three of them leaned into me and met in a four-way kiss. My body throbbed as tongues and lips swiped against each other. Bones groped at me; Lotto ran his hands over Frankie. Someone nipped at my lips and the side of my mouth. I moaned and pressed myself into them further, satisfaction filling every single part of me.
When I finally pulled away, I was breathing harder than I had during my fight with Misty.
Frankie ran his hand over my cheek. “You good?”
“Never better,” I sighed happily. “I fucking won .”
“And kicked her ass,” Lotto said.
Bones ran his eyes over the length of my banged-up body before nodding. “My turn.” His grin lit up his face. “Kiss for good luck?”
“Pucker up, big boy,” Lotto teased and leaned forward. “You’ll need all the luck you can get.”
“Oh, fuck off,” Bones said and lightly pushed him away. “You gave me plenty of luck last night.”
I leaned up to press a small kiss to Bones’ lips with a grin. “Knock ’em dead.”
“Before he knocks me.”
Bones glanced over his shoulder toward the betting table. Standing next to Otto was the man of the hour himself. River’s eyes pierced into us, his half-naked body oiled up and accenting his muscles. The previous time I saw him, he’d looked jovial. Now he looked downright mean . I shuddered at the hooded look, but Bones didn’t even bat an eye. He threw off his T-shirt and handed it to Lotto.
“Tell Troy to have a dry martini waiting for me at the bar.”
When Bones looked back at me, his lips grew into a smirk.
“It’s the least he can do when I kick River’s ass and make him a millionaire.”