River
I jostle my leg impatiently while I wait my turn to enter the cage.
The line is long, and there’s no rhyme or reason to the type of person waiting here.
Some of them are wearing biker jackets, while others are in more casual clothing.
There’s at least one Chaos brother there, as well as one of the Hellboys.
Eta Epsilon, technically, but if I don’t even call my own frat by the Greek letters, I’m not going to start for Fenrir’s.
The clock is ticking, each day bringing me one step closer to having to return home for the holidays.
I would stay on campus, but my dad had made it clear that if I skipped out on Christmas break, he’d stop paying for my tuition at Dyschord. My grades are decent, but I’m not exactly scholarship material.
I might still have considered it and enrolled in New Bristol University instead, but there’s one major problem with NBU.
Pandora isn’t there.
Despite the stunt she’d pulled in the sauna—and the fact that she’s the reason I’m in such deep shit—I can’t help but orbit her like a planet around the sun. I’ll burn if I get too close, but if I stay too far away, I’ll be frozen and empty.
I could leave her to Blaze and Asch, who are equally as obsessed with her as she is with them, but the idea of it makes something twist in my stomach.
Is this what it’s like to be in love?
That’s a thought I dismiss almost immediately.
I’m not in love with Pandora Pavone. How could I be, after everything she’s responsible for?
The loss of my finger, the subsequent beatdown from my father, and the impending repeat of that experience, all deter me from having any sort of deep feelings for her.
Except that’s a lie, isn’t it?
I don’t want to think about it.
My dad is pissed.
He’s going to show his displeasure in the simplest form he can think of.
With his fists.
I need to stop thinking.
I grab my phone, sending a text to Pandora.
River
I’m at the fights tonight. Want to tag along and watch me get my ass beat?
Because I’m not sure I can win in the state of mind I’m in.
It’s ironic, that I want to escape thoughts of getting one beatdown by heading out to risk another. But at least in the cage, I can fight back.
Pandora
I’m pretty sure you’ll win! Probably. Maybe.
Should I bring a first aid kit?
I snort. Maybe she should.
If my opponent is Reaper, there’s a chance I’ll lose. But with how jittery and worked up I am, I’ll probably win at least a match or two before I falter. With Pandora there, though, my pride will be on the line.
That should help me focus.
I hope.
River
Thanks for sounding so convincing. Meet me here?
Pandora
Okay. Should I bring a friend or two?
River
Depends on which friends you plan to bring.
I don’t have a boxing match this upcoming weekend, so it’s not like there’s anyone I need to avoid.
Pandora
I was thinking of bringing my brothers…
who do you think? Asch and Blaze, duh.
River
Should see if you can get Asch in the ring, too. Tell him to dress for it.
He’d been more than capable when we’d taken out the guards at the hotel. I’d bet on him against a lot of the opponents I’ve gone up against there.
Pandora
Do you think Blaze will let him?
I snort.
River
Good point. Maybe you should ask Blaze for permission before you ask Asch.
Envy slithers through me when I think of the bond between Blaze and Asch. It had been rocky for a little while after the shit Pandora had pulled, but it’s like now that they have Pandora to connect them even more closely, things have changed for the better for them.
I want to be a part of that, a fourth wheel that matches seamlessly instead of feeling like I’m on the outside.
I guess I should spend time with the two of them away from Pandora, too.
Somebody jostles me, and I grunt in annoyance.
“Watch it,” the woman says. She’s almost as tall as I am, and her black hair is cropped close to her head. Judging by her muscles, and the wraps around her fists, she’s here to fight.
I glare at her. “You’re the one who bumped into me.”
“You were in the way.” She flips me off before she continues toward the registration table.
I wonder what tricks she’s got up her sleeve that she thinks she could keep up with any of the men here. They all weigh considerably more than she does, and there are reasons boxing is divided by weight class.
Of course, dirty tricks are welcome here, so the divide is less than it might be in that setting.
That will be a fight worth watching, I think.
I watch the first fight that’s up for the evening, studying the moves the taller guy uses. It’s possible I’ll face him later, and it never hurts to have a preview of what I might be up against.
I’ve also learned some valuable tricks here that have leveled the playing field.
The announcer calls my name, and I get up, weaving my way through the crowd to get to the cage. I step into it, facing an opponent who’s got at least ten pounds on me. That isn’t enough to sway the outcome of the fight too much, so it’ll come down to skill as much as luck.
I flash him a feral grin, already anticipating my fist connecting with flesh.
Before the beginning of the match is even announced, I dash forward. The guy is caught off guard by my punch, but he doesn’t complain about cheating.
This isn’t a clean match, after all.
Because of his weight, I know I can’t tank any of his blows. I’m forced to be quick on my feet and dodge all of his attacks. That gives me the opportunity to trip him, and once he’s on the ground, I get on his back and start punching his sides.
He tries to buck me off, but I keep him pinned for those five long seconds until I’m announced the victor.
I grin and get off him, raising my fists and basking in the cheers.
“River! River!”
I glance over my shoulder, and I spot Pandora cheering for me. Blaze and Asch are both with her, hollering too.
I grin, the exhilaration from the fight making the adrenaline surge. I could go for another fight, or I could go for a fuck; it wouldn’t even matter which. But with Pandora there to watch, I want to show off a little more.
I stay in the cage as the guy leaves, and another one steps in. This one is within my weight class, and I’m pretty sure I can dispatch him in short order. Better to get this over with fast, for all that I’d love to show off.
This guy had to have been paying attention during the previous round, because he launches himself at me without waiting for the start of the match. I raise my arms to deflect his blow, and then it’s a flurry of back and forths.
He’s holding back though, and I know why.
If he wins, there are more matches to follow.
Neither of us can afford to expend all our energy here.
“Kick his ass, River!” Pandora shouts.
How can I do anything else when she’s watching me?
I’d come here willing to take a beating if it got me out of my head, but now that Pandora’s here to cheer me on, I don’t want to lose.
That doesn’t mean I don’t take any blows, though; I end up getting clipped in the shoulder, harder than expected, and I hiss in a breath even as I sidestep his next blow. I take a swing in turn, and this one connects solidly with his gut.
I hear him suck in a breath, and I follow the blow up with a kick that knocks him down to the mat beneath us.
Five seconds is a long time to expect an opponent like this to stay down of his own volition. When he tries to stand up, I’m there to wrestle him back down to the floor, determined to keep him there so I can win this match too.
He must not have been expecting the switch in techniques, and his hesitation ends up costing him the match.
The announcer calls my name again, and I pump my fist triumphantly in the air to calls of my name in the background.
I’m brimming with anticipation when the next person steps into the ring, and I’m startled to see that it’s the woman from earlier.
“Place your bets! Can newcomer Bobbi take down our current champion River?” the announcer calls out.
Bobbi grins at me and widens her stance. “Don’t think I’m going to go easy on you just because you’re a man.”
I snort. “Don’t think I’m going to go easy on you because you’re new,” I retort.
The fact that she’s a woman has nothing to do with anything. If she’s here, and she’s willing to step into this cage, she’s willing to take a few hits.
I get into a defensive position anyway, curious to see if she’ll be more aggressive or if she’ll hold back. She’s probably been watching, which means she has a good idea of the fighting style I use.
I’ll have to vary it up to make sure I’m not too predictable.
I’ve seen a lot of different fighting styles in this cage. Boxing, judo, MMA, Krav Maga. Everybody picks what works for them.
I expect Bobbi to use a combination of those, one where she uses my weight to her advantage.
That’s why I’m surprised when she grapples my arm and manages to lift me enough to slam me back down to the ground.
I wheeze in pain, but I have enough strength to roll out of the way before she manages a leg drop directly onto my throat.
I’m definitely taking her seriously now.
I hop back up to my feet, but I’m not going on the defensive. I jab at her, and she dodges effortlessly.
Like me, she knows not to take punches from people in a higher weight class.
After a flurry of punches, I manage to land one blow on her. I want to celebrate, but I realize a second too late that it was a ploy.
She was letting me tire myself out—and get close to her.
Bobbi wraps her arms around my torso. The next thing I know, I’m staring up at the ceiling, right before I’m slammed onto my back.
I cry out in pain. Bobbi gets on top of me and drives her knee into my neck while holding my wrists.
“Better give up before you get hurt,” Bobbi says with a wide grin.
I just got my ass kicked.
I don’t intend to give up, but before I can recover, the announcer is calling the match in her favor.
Fuck.
I groan, letting my head drop back against the mat. “You’re good,” I tell her when she releases me. “I want a rematch when I’m fresh.”
“Oh, does this not usually happen to you?” Bobbi asks with a small laugh. She glances past me. “I think you’ve got somebody who wants to kiss it all better.”
“I do,” I confirm. “She’ll probably have a hard-on for you now, though.”
When she gets up, Bobbi surprises me by offering a hand out to me to help me up.
I take it, nodding to her as I get back to my feet. “Thanks.” I grin at her as I work to catch my breath. “See you next week?”
Bobbi shrugs. “If you think you’ve recovered by then.”
“Only my pride was hurt,” I say. “Guess I know how it feels to be beaten by the newbie now.” I wave at her then jog off to the side of the cage, letting myself out and heading over to where Pandora, Blaze, and Asch are waiting.
“You just got your ass handed to you,” Asch comments helpfully.
I roll my eyes at him. “Yeah. I did. Your point?” I grab Pandora, pulling her in for a kiss.
She obliges, but after barely a second she turns her head to stare at Bobbi. “Who was she? Maybe I should join the fights, so she can bench-press me.”
Blaze immediately shakes his head. “No way. If anyone’s manhandling you, it’s us.”
Asch laughs, clasping me on the shoulder. “You did good with the other fights, at least. Let me guess. You told her you were tired? That you need to avenge your honor?”
I huff out a laugh of my own. “Yeah. Next week. You trying to tell me you wouldn’t want a rematch against someone who dropped you like that?”
“No one’s dropping me like that,” Asch retorts.
“Prove it,” I tell him. “You go get in the ring.”
Asch shakes his head. “Not my thing.”
“You mean Blaze told you that you couldn’t?” I taunt him.
“River! That’s so rude!” Pandora exclaims. She runs her hand along Asch’s bicep. “I know you could totally handle that hot muscled woman, Asch, if Blaze let you.”
“What’s this ‘if Blaze let me’ bullshit?” Asch complains.
“You can’t honestly tell me that you wouldn’t only do it if he told you to,” I say.
Maybe I’m harping on him because my pride is wounded, but I do wonder what Blaze had to say to him about joining in on the fights.
I quirk a brow at him. “Well?” I ask Blaze.
“Nobody is doing any more street fights!” Blaze declares. He pulls Pandora against his chest. “The rest of us don’t need these macho penis measuring contests—”
Pandora bursts out laughing. “Oh, come on. You love fighting, Blaze.” She winks at me. “But River does need his injuries kissed better. And his pride. By pride, I mean penis.”
I could keep poking at Asch, but the idea of Pandora kissing my pride better sounds more appealing than having to wait for Asch to register and get to his fight.
“Let’s get out of here,” I say. “You can ride back with me, Pandora.”
“I came here to watch some fights,” Asch says. “Not to kiss River’s dick. You want to stay, Blaze?”
“Nope.” Blaze claps me on the shoulder. “Good job. Y’know, except for the part where you got suplexed by—”
“Don’t you dare say ‘a woman,’” Pandora interrupts.
“By a newbie,” Blaze finishes, although from his demeanor I think he was definitely going to say ‘a woman’ before Pandora’s admonishment.
I wrap my arm around Pandora’s waist. “C’mon,” I tell her. “We have better things to do than watching some sweaty guys go at it. Even if we both know you’re into that.”
“Let’s go to my dorm tonight,” Pandora says, pressing another kiss to my jaw. “I’ll blow you in front of Echo, as long as you can keep quiet enough that Samatha won’t notice.”
“I’m sure Echo will love the show,” I say.
I lead Pandora out of the warehouse, barely bothering with goodbyes to Blaze and Asch. I open the passenger side door of the car for Pandora with a smirk, letting her in.
I can’t be too mad about the loss, if it gets Pandora all hot and bothered like this.