Chapter 10 #2
“Goddamn it!” she yelled, slapping a palm down in frustration. “Again!” she jumped to her feet, rotating her arm a few times before taking a fighting stance, her hands up guarding her face.
I chuckled softly, standing tall. Did I mention that on top of being uber competitive, she was always a sore fucking loser? “Are you sure you want to go again?” This would make attempt number three, and with each one she grew more and more annoyed that she couldn’t win.
Illayana glared. “Put your fucking hands up.”
She didn’t even give me the chance to do so. She ran at me, swinging a right hook that, if it had connected, would have hurt like a bitch. But I locked my hand around her forearm, guided her fist around me as I spun into her and hit her with a reverse elbow to the side of the head.
“Motherfucker,” she hissed, stumbling back. She shook her head out, like she was trying to clear a daze before her eyes snapped to me, full of rage.
“Ha!” Lukyan laughed, stuffing his face full of popcorn as he watched from the sidelines. He’d wandered down from the house sometime after round two, an excited look on his face, like he was a kid in a candy store. A few of our men sat beside him, whispering amongst themselves and taking bets.
We both ignored Lukyan’s taunts, Illayana advancing again.
She struck out with a series of impressive combos, and I had to work hard to block each of her strikes.
She put me completely on the defensive. She tracked me around the ring, attacking me from every angle.
She faked right and lashed out with a high kick from the left.
I brought my arm up and blocked, the contact jarring.
I threw a right hook and she ducked, following through with a savage uppercut.
I reared back, narrowly avoiding her fist and spun on the balls of my feet, delivering a kick to her chest (which she just managed to block using her forearms).
She brought them up in an X formation across her body, so they took the brunt of the attack, grunting at the hit.
We continued to trade blows, attacking each other ruthlessly. When she realised she couldn’t get past my guard, she growled and switched tactics.
You see, the thing about my sister was she was a creature of habit. She had moves that she liked to use all the time. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that. But when you’re fighting someone who knows those moves, it puts you at a disadvantage.
She liked to do a lot of twists and turns, tapping into her gymnastics training and utilising her long legs.
So, when she leapt into the air, trying to wrap her legs around my head to slam me to the ground, I was prepared.
I coiled one arm around her leg, gripped the front of her shirt and hurled her into the ropes to my left.
She didn’t have time to stop her body’s momentum, and she flung back towards me fast. I stuck my arm out and closelined her.
The breath whooshed out of her and she cried out, her back hitting the ground hard.
I straddled her chest and with a quick jab, punched her straight in the face. I pulled my punch a little, making sure not to hit her with my full strength, but hard enough to make it hurt…a lot.
Her lip split, blood running down her chin, and she groaned in pain.
I got to my feet, staring down at her. “You’re done.”
“No,” she groaned again, rolling to her side. “One more.”
I shook my head. She was so fucking stubborn sometimes.
She pulled herself up, wiping the blood off her face with the back of her hand. She looked out into the small crowd gathered outside of the ring, her gaze locking on Lukyan.
He was leaning back in his chair, feet propped up and hand stuffed in the bucket of popcorn in his lap. There was an arrogant, cheeky smile on his face, like he was enjoying watching Illayana get her ass kicked.
The little shit probably was.
“Get up here,” she snapped, glaring daggers at him.
“Nuh-uh. No way. I don’t got a death wish,” he said, shaking his head.
I walked over to the ropes and held them open. “Let’s go,” I grunted, flicking my head.
When Illayana couldn’t beat me one on one, she always called Lukyan in to help her. They had more of a chance of winning if they fought together—not that they had yet. But who knows, maybe today was that day.
Lukyan’s eyes widened. “What? Why? I haven’t done anything!”
“Get your ass in here, Lukyan. I won’t ask you again.”
He groaned, taking one last handful of popcorn and stuffing it into his mouth before handing it off to one of the men. He got to his feet, licking the butter and salt from his fingers as he walked to the ring and jumped up, climbing under the ropes.
“This is bullshit. I never said I wanted to spar.”
He was right. It was a little unfair. But this was probably the last time I’d get to spar with either of them for a while. Maybe I was getting nostalgic in my old age.
Illayana and Lukyan went to one corner of the ring, and I went to another, tightening the cloths over my hands. They spoke in hushed voices, trying to come up with some sort of strategy.
Illayana grasped the air like it was somebody’s neck, shaking it violently before she started ramming her knee upwards over and over.
Lukyan shook his head. He pointed at her, then himself, smashing his fist into his open palm.
It was Illayana’s turn to shake her head.
The voices got louder as they started to argue with each other.
I rolled my eyes. They were more likely to get into a fight with each other rather than me at this point.
Eventually they came to an agreement about how they wanted to handle the fight. They both moved, taking up their positions.
I joined them in the centre of the ring, adrenaline surging through my body. I shook out both my arms before bringing my hands up, taking a fighting stance.
I waited them out, letting them make the first move. I knew it wouldn’t take long. Both Illayana and Lukyan were impatient. They could never stand in one spot for too long without moving.
Sure enough, seemingly at the same time, they launched towards me like a rocket blasting off into space. Lukyan went for my legs, tackling me while Illayana jumped at my chest, all of us crashing to the ground in one big heap.
The move caught me by surprise. It was one they’d never used before.
They clambered over me, Lukyan trying to lock me in a knee bar and Illayana going for an arm bar.
I thrashed, bucking my body.
“Hold him still,” Illayana snapped, her legs wrapping around my arm. She was a heartbeat away from locking the hold in place.
I couldn’t allow that.
“I’m trying ,” Lukyan bit back with a growl. His teeth were clenched, veins popping in the side of his neck as he tried with all his power to keep me from moving my legs.
I heaved with every bit of strength I possessed, and Illayana lost her grip. I capitalised on the opportunity. I ripped my arm out of her grasp and flung it back, smashing the back of my fist into her face.
She cried out, hands flying to cradle her busted nose.
Upper body now free, I sat up, gripped Lukyan by his hair and yanked his head back painfully. I punched him in the jaw. His hold on my legs loosened enough for me to kick free and I jumped to my feet.
Lukyan rolled and scrambled to a stand. His hand flew to the back of his head. “You ripped out some of my hair!” he yelled in outrage.
“I’ve told you for years to cut it. It’s a disadvantage,” I smirked, letting the strands in between my fingers fall to the ground.
Lukyan growled and charged me. He lashed out with a kick and I blocked it, clasping his leg tightly. I stepped into his space, hooked my leg around his and shoved him, making him lose balance and smash to the ground.
Pain shot up my back from a powerful blow and I flew forward. Years of training made me react without conscious thought, my body curving into a somersault, rolling along the floor and springing to a stand. I spun.
Illayana rushed me with a flying knee strike, hitting me in the chest. I flew back into the ropes, having just enough sense to coil my arms around the ropes to stop myself from propelling back to her.
My gaze snapped to her, and I narrowed my eyes, rubbing the ache spreading across my chest from her attack. A dark look crossed my face.
“Oh fuck,” Lukyan whispered, his voice shaking with fear. He squatted and hit the ground twice with his hand, tapping out.
Illayana had the good sense to look a little uneasy, but she didn’t back down. She squared her shoulders and raised her fists.
“On your feet,” I barked at Lukyan as I strode towards them. He wasn’t getting out of this that easy.
The second he stood I went on the offensive, attacking them both at the same time.
I gave everything I had. I was done playing nice, taking it easy on them.
I lashed out with both hands, throwing punch after punch, alternating between the two of them with each strike.
Lukyan was too slow to block, and my punch connected with his face.
I ducked under a swing from Illayana and rammed my fist into her stomach, making her wheeze and hunch over.
I whirled, hitting Lukyan with a spinning back fist that knocked him on his ass.
Illayana was still bent at the waist, and I aimed a kick to her face.
She quickly brought her arms up to block, but the force of the blow made her stumble back.
I ran at her, faked left, stepped right and spun so I was behind her instead of in front.
I wrapped my arms around her neck and squeezed, lifting her off her feet.
Lukyan came barrelling from the side and struck high with a kick. I moved Illayana into the path of the blow and he hit her on the side of the head. Illayana groaned in pain and I dropped her.
“Shit, sorry,” Lukyan winced.
I attacked him with a combo I could do in my sleep. Right hook, left jab, right uppercut, front kick. He blocked the first two but didn’t quite have the speed to stop the last two. He flew backwards, landing in a heap next to Illayana.
They both scrambled to their feet and came charging back.
At the same time, they lashed out with a high kick—Lukyan on the right, Illayana on the left.
Attacking simultaneously was a smart idea.
But I was pissed and wasn’t about to be made a fool of.
I braced, brought up both arms and blocked, pain shooting down each arm.
They were powerful strikes, ones I’d commend them on later.
I coiled my left arm around Illayana’s leg, pulled her towards me and headbutted her.
As she fell, I struck Lukyan with a side kick to his chest. He blocked, gripped my foot, and twisted.
I rolled with the twist, using it to swing a roundhouse kick into Lukyan’s face just before my back hit the floor. I jumped back to my feet.
Lukyan recovered fast, his adrenaline soaring.
He tried to tackle me, but I planted my feet to the ground, refusing to go down.
He jabbed into my ribs and kidneys with short, quick punches that hurt like a damn bitch.
I smashed the back of my fists down onto his back and he cried out, letting me go.
I grabbed him by the back of his shirt and hurled him into Illayana just as she stood back up. They both tumbled to the ground.
Neither one of them got back up to go again.
I wiped the sweat from my brow, my chest rising and falling with deep breaths. I looked at my siblings groaning on the floor. Maybe I should feel bad for how hard I went on them, but I didn’t. I wasn’t the type of big brother who let their siblings win. I was a firm believer in making them earn it.
Today wasn’t the day they beat me, but each time we fought they were getting closer and closer. And that made me smile.