Chapter Twenty-Four
“You need to breathe before you pass out.”
“I’m breathing.”
“Uh, huh.”
“I am,” I pout.
Brooke sips her beer and looks out over the crowd. Joey got us seats in a box overlooking the ring. He knew I couldn’t be ringside. The last thing I need is to be up close and personal to him taking any hits. Just the thought of him getting hurt is already making me sweat.
He has done a lot to reassure me about the fight, even having dinner with his opponent and his wife, to show me that before they step in the ring, and after they step out, there are no hard feelings between the two men.
The fight is just a moment in time. It helped Perry’s wife confided she still finds it hard to see him fighting, but she loves him too much to walk away.
Joey had glanced at me right after she said that. I hadn’t thought he was listening, engrossed in his talk with Perry, but he’d given me a wink and a smirk before turning away, leaving Perry’s wife fanning herself and elbowing me.
It’s been a long, hard month. Did I say long? True to his word, Joey stood by his training routine and although we saw each other, it was always in company. So we couldn’t lose our heads.
We failed twice. Does oral count though?
I laugh to myself as that thought crosses my mind. Three months ago, I never could have dreamed I’d be standing here thinking these kinds of thoughts about my man. My boyfriend. It seems weird to say it like that. Joey is so much more than that to me. And I know he feels it too.
He shows me every day just how sweet he is.
Brooke is dumbfounded by how romantic Joey is. I had to convince her he wasn’t always so sweet by spilling some details on the things he does to my body. I trust Brooke enough to be honest about these things and can always count on her not to judge or make fun of me.
Without her, I’m not sure I ever would have let Joey in.
I’m glad she is here tonight. Someone will need to hold me up if Joey gets hurt. He’s going to win. But that means Perry will lose, and he’s a nice guy.
The venue is nothing like I expected it to be. It’s a nice arena, big enough to hold at least two thousand people, and it’s a sell-out crowd. Although the cage is stereotypical of what I was expecting, the whole thing looks safe and clean.
Inside this box, the sound is muted somewhat, but the music playing is loud. I’ve avoided watching the warm-up fights prior to the main event, choosing to stay at the table by the bar, chatting with a couple of other women in here. Brooke has stood by the window through most of it with a group of guys. She isn’t with them as much as she’s yelling at the fighters to kick ass.
As it draws closer to the main event, a few more people arrive. Amongst them is Jordan from BreakNeck. He spots Brooke and screeches her name, making her turn around in shock. She doesn’t hide her irritation when he runs over and picks her up, spinning her around.
I can’t help but laugh at the look on her face as she whacks his shoulder. His arrival has perked everyone up and lightened the mood too. Brooke must let him know I’m here because he turns around and grins at me.
Please don’t let him give me the same treatment he gave Brooke. Fortunately, he doesn’t, but he buys us both a drink and tells us we’re welcome to join his group, but I decline. The fewer people who see me freaking out, the better.
“I got all my money riding on your boy,” Jordan says. “I hope you haven’t been distracting him.”
“Says Mr. Restraint over here,” Brooke rolls her eyes.
“My purple valentyn isn’t a fighter.”
“I beg to differ,” Brooke says with a brow arch.
I haven’t met Alessa, Jordan’s girlfriend, but I’ve heard a lot about her. From what the others have told me, she comes across as aloof, angry and standoffish, but she’s a genuine and kind person. If she lets you into her sphere, that is.
Jordan laughs and pats Brooke’s shoulder. He glances around. The so called ‘box’ has a long wall of glass to see the floor below. It’s open so you can lean out if you want to.
“You get any trouble in here, come find me,” he tells us.
“We will do that.”
Jordan eyes us both, then kisses Brooke’s shoulder, winks at me, and heads back to his group.
“He’s sweet,” I say.
“He’s a nuisance,” Brooke comments back.
The music grows louder and Brooke squeals, grabbing my arm. Whether I want to follow her or not, she doesn’t leave me much choice. She heads straight for one opening in the glass wall. It’s already crowded but they part ways for us, which I’m surprised about but don’t question .
My hands sweat as I look out over the arena. The entire crowd is on their feet, cheering as an announcer steps into the ring. The atmosphere is electric and despite myself, I get swept up in the drama of it all.
Perry is announced first. I don’t recognize the music he comes out to, but I clutch my drink tight as he walks along the path that cuts through the crowds, heading for the cage. His stats are read out, an image of him projected on a huge wall behind the cage, looking like he’s about to rip someone’s head off. It’s the total opposite of the man I had dinner with a few nights ago.
My heart beats too fast, my legs shake as the music fades. The crowd gets quieter for a moment as the anticipation in the whole place grows.
The opening riff of ‘Kingslayer’ by Bring Me the Horizon plays. My stomach clenches as Joey appears from the door Perry just came through. Spotlights hit him and I have to grip Brooke’s arm.
“So. Hot.” She leans into me so I can hear her over the sound.
I don’t take my eyes off him. He’s focused on where he is going. Sam walks along beside him and a guy I recognize from the gym is behind him. He doesn’t have a big entourage like Perry did and doesn’t play up to the crowd, but it’s clear who the favorite is tonight.
My nerves kick in and I hold on to the barrier, leaning forward. I’m certain there is too much noise, too many people for him to find me amongst everyone here. He’s so intense, I doubt he’s even thinking about me. But he raises his head as he approaches the cage and, like a magnet, his eyes find mine.
The chorus of the song is playing now, and I can’t help but get swept up in it as the crowd chants Slayer, instead of Kingslayer. Joey pauses, his eyes locked on mine, and I see the question in that look.
‘Are you good?’
I nod and he holds the stare a short while longer, then turns to the cage. Truth is, I feel like I’m about to pee in my pants. Knowing he has taken the time to make sure I’m okay, moments before he is about to step into the ring for one of the most anticipated fights of the year, eases some of the tension inside me. Warmth spreading through my chest.
It takes an age to get through the introductions, the referee speaking to each fighter, then the trainers stepping outside of the cage. The noise inside the box is just as loud as it is out there. There is no dark edge to it. Everyone is here for a good time.
For a long time, I wondered what kind of person could enjoy this sport. I’d imagined them all to be bloodthirsty, angry men, intent on violence, but that isn’t what I see.
Still, I block them all out as I focus my full attention on Joey. He’s wearing tight black shorts that hug his thick thighs. There is a sheen over his skin and his hands are wrapped. He explained they didn’t wear gloves, and that scared me. He’s been doing this for a long time. I have to have faith he knows what he is doing.
A girl in a bikini top and a short pleated skirt enters the ring. There are only a few hoots and cheers from the crowds. I guess it’s all part of the spectacle.
When Joey and Perry step into the centre of the ring, my heart stops. I swear. All I hear is a swishing sound in my ears. It’s like I’ve gone underwater.
But it isn’t for the reasons I thought. I’m not scared. My mind is not swirling with bad memories. I want him to win. I can take or leave the violence, but a surge of excitement ripples through me and I grip the bar even tighter.
I’d expected to cringe away and not be able to look, but as the bell rings and the two men come together, I can’t take my eyes off him.
The two men are evenly matched and they trade blows with their fists and legs, sizing each other up for the first couple of rounds. I flinch and shudder every time Joey takes a hit, but he doesn’t seem to notice .
Even when Perry lands a vicious combination of stomach and chest punches, ending with a powerful right hook that knocks Joey’s head sideways, and he stumbles off balance.
“Oh God,” I groan, for the first time looking away, squeezing my eyes shut.
“He’s good,” Brooke assures me, reaching for my hand. “Look, he’s fine.”
She scowls when the man beside us shouts he is a pussy. I have to hold her back from giving him shit, and it breaks some of the tension. In the fourth round, Joey goes down and I gasp, leaning out of the balcony. The referee pauses the fight. Perry steps back but doesn’t turn away as he watches.
I can’t stand it. I turn and run for the door. Brooke is shouting after me, but it’s not what she thinks. I said I didn’t want to be ringside, but right now, all I can think about is getting closer to him. A man I was introduced to earlier as security for the box, is surprised when I run out. He tells me not to leave, but I beg him to take me down to Joey.
The crowd is screaming again, the noise almost deafening. Joey is back on his feet. The security man curses but tells me to follow him and stay close. He leads me down through the crowds, speaking to a few people along the way, other security men I guess, but I’m barely paying attention. It’s harder to see what is going on down here, but I don’t care.
When Sam sees me coming, he frowns as I hurry over to him.
“What the hell?” he asks me. “You’ll put him off,” he shakes his head.
I hadn’t thought of that. Will I?
“I need to know he’s okay.”
“Of course he is,” he says with annoyance. I’m too concerned to care or feel intimidated by his snapping at me. “Joey lives and breathes this stuff. ”
The round ends and Sam moves past me, not saying anything further. I stand at the side of the cage, second guessing what I’ve done, but I hear him. Over the noise and music, I hear him.
“Kitten.”
I rush up to the bars. He’s still sitting on the stool in the corner, his face soaked in water that someone just threw over him. Sam is applying Vaseline to a cut on his brow to stop the blood running into his eyes and his lip is swelling. I want to cry. He’s worried about me, like Sam said.
I’m here to support him. He needs to know that. I reach up and touch his fingers. He squeezes them through the bars. Determination takes over me and I stare straight into his eyes.
“You can do this.”
Joey’s eyes widen for a second, then a grin splits his face. “Anything for you, Kitten.”
Everyone exits the ring as the one-minute break ends. Sam huffs at me but folds his arms and makes no more comments about me being down here.
Joey winks at me, then walks to the center of the ring. He bumps fists with Perry and the crowd goes crazy. This is the final round. I’m not sure how the points system works or how many each fighter has.
Down here, this close, I hear the sounds of their fists making contact, the grunts from both men as they fight. They get tangled up in a grapple, each of them trying to fight their way out of it.
Perry grunts as Joey lays into his side, forcing him to let go and bounce back. Joey doesn’t stop his forward motion as he lunges after him. Perry is caught off balance and Joey pulls back and then swings his fist. It connects with Perry’s chin and his head snaps back.
He goes down like a sack of shit. I’ve never understood how well that phrase describes someone hitting the deck hard. Two of the trainers from his team rush toward Perry, as Joey steps back .
My breath stops as I watch. As much as I want Joey to win this, seeing Perry down like that scares the hell out of me. Then Perry’s leg moves and the relief on the people in the ring is obvious.
Sam yells and I turn to him, not quite understanding. Everyone is cheering and screaming, and I glance up as the words ‘Knock Out’ appear in huge letters on the screen above us.
He won? My brain is struggling hard to catch up. Then the screen flashes to a picture of Joey, the words winner flashing beside his face. Sam gives me an appraising look as he goes past me. He shakes his head.
“I’m gonna regret this,” he mutters. “Come on.”
“What?”
“Now, Megan.” He doesn’t touch me, but he guides me up the steps towards the ring.
Perry is sitting up getting some kind of treatment. Joey is bent over beside him, making sure he’s okay. The noise gets louder as he taps Perry’s shoulder and shakes his friend’s hand, showing him respect for the hard battled fight.
Then he turns and lifts his hands, a wide grin on his face. As he turns around, he spots me there. We stare at each other across the ring and as scared as I was, the elation I feel now outweighs it. Without further thought, I hurry across the space between us and Joey opens his arms, grabbing me and lifting me up.
He’s sweaty and bloody and I’m so worried he needs medical attention, but Joey doesn’t seem to care as he spins me, then lowers me to the ground and kisses me.
The crowd doesn’t matter, the people trying to get his attention don’t matter. His full focus is on me.
“You did it,” I say.
“For you.”
I shake my head. That isn’t right, he did this on his own. It had nothing to do with me .
“You’re my inspiration, Megan,” he says as a man in a suit with a microphone tries to get his attention. He waves him off. “Your strength, your determination, your heart.”
My throat closes up and my nose itches as tears threaten, but I’m not sad, I’m happy. I never thought I would stand in a boxing ring with a man who just knocked someone out, and not feel complete terror.
Joey kisses me again, then apologizes for getting blood and sweat on me, but who cares about that? Not when he is saying things to me, no man has ever said before.
“Shit, I gotta go do some stuff, but don’t go anywhere, okay?”
“I won’t.”
He grins and then turns away. The stuff he has to do is to be hailed the winner, be interviewed and then he hugs Perry. My heart swells at how humble and thoughtful he is. I can’t imagine a fight with Kelvin Marris ending this way. Luckily, he seems to have disappeared from public view.
I tilt my head to the balcony and see Brooke dancing and waving her hands. She blows me a kiss just as Jordan comes up behind her and puts an arm around her. He throws me a thumbs up and raises the glass of whatever he’s drinking in congratulations for the win.
After everything is done, Joey strides back over and pulls me to his side again. A wave of emotion pours through me, and I touch his chest, tilting my head up to look at him. I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this about anyone before.
Even before I realized there was a monster lurking beneath Michael’s skin, and what I thought was love morphed into fear, I never experienced anything like this.
Before I lose my nerve and standing in a ring with thousands of people watching me, I take a deep breath. His head drops as he watches me. His thumb moves and makes slow circles on the skin of my neck.
“I think I love you, Joey. ”
He smiles in response, and I stare up at him, letting everything I feel show on my face. I’m not afraid of admitting how I feel. It’s something I would have been terrified of doing six months ago. Even if I didn’t do it quite right. I don’t just think it. I am in love with him.
Joey touches my cheek. His eyes soften. Even covered in sweat, blood and bruises, he is perfect. He always makes me feel like I’m the only woman he sees and the one he will go to any lengths to protect.
“I know I love you, Megan.”