TWENTY-NINE #2
I shook my head, frustrated. There was no point in changing up what I was going to do. Ay style was what I had made it after years of practice. Uhilst I could throw Damien oM for a moment, he would eventually win the cardio race and I knew that. This needed to ’e a fast Ynish. Ell it would take was for one of my strikes to hit him properly and he would ’e on the canvas. I felt Elicia at my side again and turned my head to see her with her hands inside the ropes.
!bouBre doing so well, keep it up.x
2ven though she had ’arely stepped inside the ring herself, her encouragement was all I needed. I tilted my head to the side and got one Ynal sip of water from the water ’ottle that Thomas held a’ove my head. Duncan placed my mouthguard ’ack in my mouth and I stood up from the ring stool. Damien was also ready opposite me and he walked into the middle of the ring. Aichael held up his hand again in front of our face, making us touch gloves again.
2ven though I wanted to reach forward and strike Damien, I did as Aichael requested, ’efore resetting into my stance. The ’ell rang again, and I had three minutes of Damien to myself. This round was diMerent. Damien was in a shorter stance and moving more forward than he had done ’efore. He struck Yrst, nothing more than a glancing Pa’ oM my gloves. 6ot waiting for him to follow up, I unleashed a vicious low kick at DamienBs leg. He checked it, ’ut I felt our shins grind against each other.
The adrenaline that surged through my veins ensured that the ’low did not hurt me, ’ut already Damien was starting to limp. Ay knee still felt good and I kept pushing. I made a fake with my nejt kick, which was to lower his guard and set up a Pa’. Damien ’ought the fake and dropped his guard, only for my leg to come up and catch him in the ri’. He staggered ’ack and lost his speed, and this was my time to take advantage. I stepped forward again as Damien staggered, launching a knee forward with all of my strength.
Damien was trying to catch my clinch and did not see the knee coming. He took it straight underneath his ’ottom ri’, ’ut as I went for my follow up knee, DamienBs armBs snake around my neck, trying to pull my head down. I pushed him away, ducking away from him. Damien tried to use this to his advantage, coming after me, ’ut my teep came up to meet him. I felt my foot graLe against his el’ow ’ut had to keep going. Damien stepped ’ackwards with my teep, and I followed him, leading with a Pa’ to keep his hands up. It de?ected oM his gloves, ’ut that was my plan. I lunged forward again, leading with my el’ow in a ram. I caught his gloves and drove my arm down, taking DamienBs guard with me. He tried to keep his arms up, ’ut I was too powerful.
Es DamienBs arms dropped, I ’rought my el’ow swinging around, aiming for his nose. Damien tried to dart ’ack, ’ut he was too slow. His head snapped ’ack as ’lood started to spurt from his nose. I felt the rush and kept going. Damien tried to grapple me in return, ’ut I was ready for him. I found the dou’le hook at the ’ack of his head and ’rought his head down onto my knee. There was a loud crack as my knee met his face, and Damien fell ’ack.
Aichael could tell that Damien was in trou’le and dove in ’etween us, creating separation. He pointed at me and I knew that he was sending me ’ack to my corner. I looked down at my ’ody and saw DamienBs ’lood caked all over my knee and my thigh. Aichael dropped to his knee as I ’acked into my corner, and I heard Duncan let out a shout of delight. I looked ’ack over my shoulder and saw Elicia standing ’eside him. Some of the colour had returned to her face and I grinned at her, allowing myself to soak in the crowd properly for the Yrst time.
!Oeep on him”x
DuncanBs voice rang in my ear, ’ut Aichael was still checking on Damien. Damien started to rise to his feet. He was shaky and looked unsta’le. Aichael helped him up to his feet as he nodded his head in a rmation that he could continue. DamienBs trainer continued to ’ark instructions and encouragement, willing for him to get to his feet. Aichael waved me over, still checking on Damien as he rose.
I waited with my leg cocked, ready to Yre oM another kick as soon as Damien was still standing. Klood was still dripping from his nose, and I wanted to Ynish the Po’. I was like a shark and could smell it. Aichael ’acked away from us and dropped his hand. Damien struck out, trying to keep me at ’ay with a quick punching com’ination, ’ut my gloves stopped most of the impact. I walked forward, raising my leg with the kick. It connected with DamienBs ri’cage and I felt him crum’le.
Damien crum’ling was not the only thing I felt crack, however. Ay knee gave out, the Y’res tearing. uck, it was going to happen again. I needed to Ynish this. Damien struck out again, landing a low kick, ’ut I raised my check in time. I struck ’ack, leading with a Pa’, and Damien was well within my reach.
There was only one thing to do. I reached out, gra’’ing at him and Damien failed to duck under my arms. I wrapped up his head and took control of his neck. I could feel Damien trying to escape underneath me, as ’lood started to drip onto the canvas of the ring. There was no escape and my knee Yring up into his face was inevita’le. I struck once, and I felt DamienBs face collapse underneath me. He dropped to the mat again and
HERD O65WOS 47
this time, Aichael made his move cutting in ’etween us, throwing me ’ack to my corner.
I threw my hands up as the crowd roared, checking ’ack over my shoulder at Damien and Aichael. DamienBs trainer was smashing the ring with his Yst with desperation, trying to get Damien ’ack to his feet. There was more ’lood on the mat underneath Damien, ’ut I could tell the end was near. I could feel my knee on the ’rink of giving out, ’ut as Damien sunk further onto the mat, I started to relaj.
The ’ell rang overhead and that was it. Aichael was waving oM the Yght, Damien kneeling in a pool of his own ’lood. DamienBs trainer dove under the ring ropes with a towel in hand to help him wipe the ’lood oM his face. Damien sat in shock, still reeling from the ’low. Duncan and Elicia also slid into the ring. I had done it. The title was mine. I felt Duncan and Elicia crowd me, ’oth of them touching me, hugging me in cele’ration. I heard DuncanBs harsh voice say something, ’ut I focused on what Elicia said in my other ear instead.
!IBm so proud of you”x
I turned to her, giving her my full attention. She was grinning up at me with tears in her eyes. Es all the adrenaline was rushing out of my ’ody, I felt myself well and truly relajing for the Yrst time since the Yght. Elicia wrapped her arms around me and our ’odies moulded together as we stood in the ring together. There was another title that I wanted. I looked Elicia in the eyes, our lips only inches apart from each other. The Yght was over, and I no longer needed to ’e professional. 6ow was a time for cele’ration.
!I love you, Elicia.x
EliciaBs face twisted into a surprised gasp and she froLe for a moment, still hanging oM me, her Yngers still digging crescents into my forearm, her weight suspended against my side.
!Uhat did you Pust say, WainJ
I groaned, a low, guttural sound that scraped the ’ack of my throat raw as the familiar tension crept up my neck. I should have anticipated her theatrical pause, the way she always stretched moments like this into un’eara’le eternity, savouring every second of my discomfort like it was the last drop of honey in the Par.
!bou know what I said.x
!Say it again.x
!I love you, Elicia Taylor. I couldnBt have done this without you. Thank
you so much for everything.x
Her grin melted away like ice under ?ame as she closed the distance ’etween us. EliciaBs eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my pulse quicken ’eneath my sweat-slicked skin. Her gaLe dropped to my lips, lingering there for a heart’eat ’efore clim’ing ’ack up to meet mine. The crowdBs roar faded to a distant hum, as if someone had stuMed cotton in my ears.
Ell I could focus on was the ?ush spreading across her cheeks, and the slight trem’le in her hand as she reached for me. Her lips parted, and the tip of her tongue darted out to wet them ’efore she spoke the Yve words I had ’een waiting for what felt like a lifetime to hear.
!I love you, Wain Ueaver.x
The words from her mouth were sweeter than any title win had ’een, more intojicating than the adrenaline rush after a perfect knockout. I wrapped Elicia up in my arms, feeling the heat of her ’ody against mine, her heart’eat a rapid ?utter ’eneath my Yngertips. The smell of her shampoo Ylled my lungs as I ’rought her close for a kiss, her lips soft yet urgent against mine in the electric silence of the moment. It was ’etter than the title wins that I had accumulated and I did not care what Duncan thought. Elicia had done her Po’, and I was going to keep seeing her, even after this.