31. Santiago
SANTIAGO
Silence surrounded us; there was no cheering crowd or enthusiastic fans—just stillness.
My heartbeat became the sole sound I could hear as I stepped into the cage, observed by dozens of faceless men.
They stood still, their identities safely hidden behind masks, eagerly waiting for the show they’d paid for to start.
It felt wrong, it felt dirty, and yet, as my eyes locked in on my opponent, a fighter I’d once admired, I didn’t give a shit.
They could all go up in fucking flames because I came here to fight.
To win.
To take the chance I’d never gotten before and make the most of it.
On the other end of the cage was Cas. Around my height and weight, he seemed set on the fight, as told by the way he stared at me, death in his eyes.
He probably assumed I was just another rookie he’d beat without breaking a sweat, another body to kick to the curb.
But that was my advantage tonight. Just like Ariyan said, I was a nobody, meaning Cas or the others here had no idea what to expect.
On the other hand, I knew how Cas fought, as I’d studied his old matches for the past two weeks, analyzing his weaknesses and strengths.
He was known for his high kicks, which was bad for me because as a boxer, kicks were my disadvantage.
Especially if I followed my rules and refused to use kicks.
That was why I needed to keep this fight at mid-range and not allow him to push me away.
The closer I stayed to him, the better my chances of winning were, as all I really needed was one good strike to take him down.
My heart still beat fast, out of excitement, not fear, and I took a deep breath before glancing at the men watching us.
It truly was creepy, like a scene from a horror movie.
But only caring for one man, my eyes jumped between the different masks as I tried spotting the fox among the wolves, when I finally did.
There he was, standing tall with his head held high and his eyes set on me.
Mi Zorrito.
My initial thoughts about him were wrong, as a fox suited Ariyan a lot more than just a spoiled house cat.
Yeah, this motherfucker was a wild one, outsmarting those stronger than him with the cleverness of his mind.
Still, having his pretty face hidden behind some dumb mask was a shame, and I couldn’t wait to win so I could rip it off him.
The sound of a single bell ring cut through the air, signaling that the fight had started.
I immediately focused back on Cas. We walked around each other, waiting for the first move, when he finally made it and charged at me.
In seconds, I went into defense, shielding myself from his jabs and hits.
He was strong, I’d give him that, but a quick glance at his footwork gave away an old injury he’d suffered to his leg.
It slowed him down, which made him much more aggressive in his attacks.
He tried a high kick to my head, and I blocked it with my arm.
Sharp pain shot through me, but I ignored it; the same went for his jab that hit my jaw next.
But the pain was what made me feel alive, filling me with the rush to win and the thirst for blood.
After throwing some kicks to my thigh in an attempt to bring me down to the canvas, he changed his tactics and went for a straight uppercut.
I deflected it, then used the hole in his defense to throw some quick jabs.
Focusing on that, Cas ignored my footwork and missed the fact that I’d just changed angles, which allowed me to throw a short punch to his body, hitting him in the liver.
His lips parted, and spit flew from his mouth before he bit down on his mouthguard and tried to bounce back with a punch.
He hit me in the side of the face, and it hurt, but it was worth it because now his guard was open.
Ariyan would be pissed I finished this fight so soon, but I didn’t give a fuck. I saw a chance, and I took it.
Immediately after he struck me, I followed his attack with a powerful counterpunch right to the side of his head.
Imagine getting hit in the head by a 40 mph punch, with no gloves to soften the blow.
Cas collapsed backward, his body hitting the canvas like a sack of potatoes, his limbs going all stiff as he passed out.
This fight, which had lasted less than five minutes, was not nearly enough to satisfy the beast inside me, but reminding myself of why I was here—to show scum like Cas I was better—I instead turned around to face the crowd, only one man in my mind.
And once I spotted him, I reached down and brushed my sweaty fingers over the name El Embriagado, embroidered in gold silk on the red satin boxing shorts he’d bought me.
Yeah… that was what was inside the bag.
I’m made out of the poison you love getting drunk on, he’d said, and he was damn right because now, with the adrenaline of the win still rushing through my veins, all I wanted was to have his body pressed to mine, to sink my teeth in his flesh, and to fuck him, just like he’d promised me.
* * *
Ariyan was very clear about the rules.
After a fight ended, I was to go straight to the back room, where I’d be treated for my wounds—if I had any—and stay there until he came to meet me.
He’d made it clear that under no circumstances was I to step outside and wander around this place alone, adding that he’d left me water here to drink in case I got thirsty and that there was a washroom if I had to piss. The asshole really took me for a dog.
Considering that bitch enjoyed hitting me without a proper reason on a regular basis, I wasn’t about to go outside and give him an actual excuse to punch me.
I mean, if sparring with Gabe earned me a knuckle-duster to the face, I didn’t dare to imagine what else he’d do to me.
And besides, wanting to get my prize for winning, I wasn’t about to piss him off.
Or maybe I should? I bet our sex would be so much hotter if he were angry—
The door opened and closed, and I looked up to see Ariyan had walked in, still wearing that fox mask.
He strode straight to the examination bed I was sitting on, looking like some sexy model in his neat suit.
Stopping in front of me, he took off the mask, leaving it on the bed, before he hooked his thumb under my chin and forced it up.
“You got stitches,” he said, examining the cut under my brow.
“It’s nothing.” I smirked.
He pursed his lips, seeming unhappy.
“It will look bad if you show up at the hotel like this.”
“Who gives a shit.”
“I do. Injuries like that might leave a scar.”
“Again. Who gives a shit—”
His eyes shot to mine, rage steaming behind his golden irises, before he looked down at my hands and began checking my bandaged knuckles. While he did, I was left staring at his scar, feeling like shit over being such an idiot.
“I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean anything by it,” I said, trying to make things better when he dropped my hands.
“Nothing to apologize for.”
He then cupped my jaw again and began studying my face, as if I were his bike or something and he was looking for dents in the shield.
“How did I do?”
“You were fine.”
He let go of my jaw, took his mask from the bed, and was about to move when I reached forward and grabbed his hips, keeping him put.
“Just fine?” I pouted.
His eyes dipped to my hand clutching his body and then up. The message was clear, and I quickly removed it.
“Sorry about that.” I chuckled, raising my hands up in mock surrender.
“The fight was too short.” He turned around and started walking toward the door. “It was over before it even began.”
I jumped off the bed and followed him.
“I saw a chance and took it.”
“The crowd was upset. You could have at least roughed him up a bit more after he was down.”
“The crowd can fuck off,” I snarled, because over my dead body would I do that.
He turned to glare at me over his shoulder, his brows creasing.
“Watch your mouth.”
“How scary.”
His eyes narrowed before he turned to face the door and grabbed the handle. But instead of letting him leave, I placed my hand against the door and forced it closed.
“What are you doing—”
“Don’t you remember our agreement?” I teased, my body pressing him against the door. “If I win, I get to fuck you.” Placing my other hand on his waist, I slowly dragged it down. “In case you missed it—” I leaned close, my lips ghosting over his pale neck. “—I won.”
“That’s right.” He turned his face to the side, our eyes meeting and our lips nearly touching. “You did.”
My heart leaped in my chest, my whole temperature rising as I got lost in his intense stare. Hungry, I licked my bottom lip, ready to dive in and take a bite when—
“Fuck,” I gasped, out of breath, after the asshole kicked me in the nuts, just about making them reach my fucking throat.
With my balls feeling as if they were sucked right back inside me, and on the verge of crying in pain, I cupped my groin, tears in my eyes.
“W-why t-the b-balls?”
Taking a deep breath, Ariyan looked down at me wheezing in pain, his jaw set tight.
“What do you take me for?”
Confused, I looked up, my vision blurry from the tears. “B-but you agreed I could fuck you—”
He bent to be at eye level with me.
“And what if I did? You thought I’d get naked in this lousy room and spread my legs for you to take me raw like some bitch in heat?” He tilted his head, eyes studying me as he waited for my answer.
Still in pain and worried I’d just lost one of my balls, I quickly shook my head.
“N-no.”
“No, what?”
I took a deep breath. “I-I don’t think you’re a bitch in heat.”
“So why treat me as such?”
Breathing through my nose, I squeezed my eyes shut, a few tears sliding down my cheeks.
Fuck, it hurt.
“I-I’m sorry.”
“Say it louder.”
“I’m sorry!” I basically screamed when he huffed a laugh.
I opened my eyes to see him smiling at me. Only it was his wicked smile, the one that gave me nightmares.
“I know you are. But since you’re so keen on acting like you’re in heat, should we castrate you?”
My eyes widened, and I quickly shook my head. “No—”
“Good.” He straightened up, smoothing a hand over his suit. “So don’t you ever dare pounce on me like you just did, or I will cut your balls off and feed them to you.”
Without waiting, he opened the door, and I was prepared to watch him walk away when he stopped.
“What are you doing waiting over there?” He tsked. “Come. We’re going.”
“Going?” My brows furrowed as I slowly straightened up. “Going where?”
He rolled his eyes.
“For God’s sake, do you need everything spelled out for you?” He clicked his tongue again. “We’re going to my apartment. To have sex.”
My jaw was just about to drop. “W-we are?”
He couldn’t have seemed more annoyed even if he tried, as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“I’m already regretting this.”
Not giving a shit about anything, I fisted my hands. “Fuck yeah,” I squealed, pumped as fuck, as he put his mask back on.
“Do you have to be this shameless?” he grunted when I stuck close to him.
“I’m a dog, remember?”
I couldn’t see his face, but from the way he stopped walking to glare at me, I bet the money I’d earned tonight that I’d just hit a nerve. Well, sweetheart, I'm about to hit a lot more than just nerves tonight.