Banging Reaper (Pounding Hearts 1)

This is my favorite part right now. The bell is about to ring any second and I get to do my job. I get to do what I am paid a very hefty sum to do. I get to punch someone, and not only is it legal but I am fully encouraged to hurt him as much as possible.

God, I fucking love my job.

“Fight!” Harry yells to us as his hand comes down to signal it’s time for the festivities to begin.

This is when the boys get separated from the men.

I have watched every taped fight Ethan has ever had. He loves to charge in headlong with fists flying. More than likely he does it to throw a fighter off his game and put him on the defense. I've done that myself a time or two. I will stand up against a guy who loves to bang it out or I will grapple a guy down to the mat when he is supposed to be one of the best. I like this style of fighting the most. Ethan has hard hands and has won most of his fights from quick knockouts or submissions. He hasn't had a fight last past the first round.

Ethan punches straight at me with what has to be in his mind knockout punches. He’s swinging for the fences here.

I dodge, take one on the arm and then just wrap myself around him. I use my weight as a counterbalance and pull him down fast with him getting partially on top of me.

It's usually not the best place for someone to be but I don't mind. My ground game, in my opinion, is far superior to his and I prove as much by throwing a couple of quick jabs to his face then I grab for his neck.

I'm not able to clench in tight enough before he pulls back and stands up. I’m much more exposed this way, lying like a turtle on my back. He kicks at the sides of my legs but doesn’t go for my head. That's a no-no, a big way to end the fight early with a disqualification.

After a little time passes where neither of us lands anything promising, Ethan takes a large quick step back and motions for me to get up.

The crowd howls with what sounds like bloodlust.

He paces just a bit, waiting for me to make up my mind. I jump up quickly and take a large step back. Slowly I work myself around the cage from him.

We’re nearing a minute on the clock.

I lunge in fast at him swinging with my left fist as I try to land a good punch on his chin. The punch grazes the side of his shoulder and hits him around the head and arm as he blocks himself.

I throw a right at the side of his body and hear an oomph that leads into another body shot.

I know this fight isn't going to be a fast one so I use the clock to my advantage. I like to make sure I can at least win the round by blows landed so I throw as many punches that I can. Wrapping myself again around Ethan, I pull him over onto his back. With my body on top of his, I try to punch my way around and through his arms. By the sudden redness of his right eye, I can see the last one has landed. He also has a look on his face I have come to recognize from experience. It's awareness, a sudden dawning on him that this isn't going to be an easy win.

I lift up quickly and try to drop my weight on his stomach as I throw a hard punch. It’s not doing much but it can’t be easy to breathe either. Two hundred and sixty-five is a hard weight to just shove off.

The rest of the round goes by in a flash as I try to punish him as much as possible. If I’m not punching him I’m making him work hard to keep me from pushing him to tap out.

At the end of the round I hear the bell loud and clear and pull myself off of Ethan.

Harry pulls me up and right then Ethan throws a kick to my crotch.

It barely misses my cup protected groin as I dodge quickly back. It’s a very low blow, and after the bell to boot. My inner beast roars inside of his cage and I lunge towards the dirty fighting ass.

But Harry the ref isn't a lightweight by any means. I may be a heavyweight fighter but he restrains me and pushes me away from Ethan.

I walk back to my corner with a slight hitch in my gait then lean up against the steel cage around us. Dale walks quickly from the gate that opens up to let the coaches in. He turns me around to face the middle of the ring and sits me down on the bench.

“You alright, Chase?” Dale asks as he rubs up against my eyebrows and cheeks with a strip of metal with a handle on it. It’s ice cold and helps keep my eyes from swelling from where Ethan’s punches landed.

Looking out across the ring I see Harry walking over to Ethan’s side. He gives him a sharp warning then deducts one point from the score card. Harry is a true professional though. We may know each other and be on good terms but he is doing his job right now. He turns to me and comes over, warning me as well for late hits.

“I'm going to end it right now Dale,” I say as I look across from him. I stare past Ethan, my eyes connecting with the hot raven-haired hottie sitting on his side. The one he’s been parading around here. I give just the smallest grin as she looks back at me and I wink towards her.

“Fuck the game plan, Dale. That was fucking bullshit to try and nut shot me. He won't get past the first minute of this round.”

Round two is pretty much the same for us except for one difference, I’m the one who takes off across the ring at the start. I throw as many punches and kicks as fast as I can at Ethan.

Now it’s my turn to take him out of his comfort zone.

I wrap myself around him and throw him to the floor, using my shoulder to drive him as hard as I can through the mat. I know better than to fight with my emotions though and soon feel him wrapping himself along my back, attempting to get my arm between his legs.