We are really thumping each other when the bell rings.
The ref has to step between us because we don’t have the mind to do it ourselves.
Walking to my side of the ring, I come out of the battle fog I enter when I fight.
Dale is smiling ear to ear as he pushes me down into my seat.
Reaching up, I lace my fingers into the cage wall to help my lungs pull in more oxygen.
Panting, I say, “That was fun.”
“Fuck me, if it didn’t look like it in the end…” Dale grumbles. “You gonna let him hit you that much the whole time?”
“I don’t think so, but at the end I kind of went into one of those rages.”
“Fucking animal, think dammit!” Dale yells at me.
Nodding my head, I take a drink of water before spitting it out into a bucket. There’s a good tinge of red in the spit. Blood. Yep, tonight’s going to be fun.
There’s a small cut on my cheek that Dale has the cutman look at before putting goop on it to help stop the bleeding.
I don’t get much of a rest though as I am told to stand and to get back to it.
The second we get close enough to each other, I start to see red. My eyes get a hazy feeling as the crowd’s sound fades a bit.
There is a roar out there, but I’m not sure if it’s me or the crowd.
My fists go flying as I try to push him back up against the cage. I pull back only far enough for solid leg kicks before punching again.
It’s not one-sided though. I’m forced to back up from his heavy onslaught of punches and elbows.
My nose gets busted up at some point. I can feel the blood flowing pretty freely from my nostrils when I have to once again sprawl out of a take down attempt.
Pushing him away, I notice there’s blood splattered all over his back. Yeah, that’s probably mine.
We’re near the end of the round and we’re both a bit wobbly, trying to keep a tight clench against the wall. We’re working only enough to please the ref.
I know I’m waiting for the bell so I can get a lung full of uninterrupted air.
“Argh!” I bellow out as we are pulled away from each other.
It’s been a hard round, but nothing like the end of the first of the first round. We’re busted up though, and I dribble blood down my chest as I sit down.
“Fuck me running, Alex. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!? Just fucking finish his damn ass!”
Nodding my head, I intend to do just that. This is a championship bout, we’ve got five rounds to figure this shit out before a judge tells us who wins.
I want him down in the next one.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Christy
Sitting in the stands with Chase and Avery, watching the fight, has been a surreal experience.
I’ve seen plenty of fights before this, both in person and on TV, but I’ve never personally known one of the contenders in the cage.
I’ve never been emotionally invested like this before.
That’s my guy up there in the cage looking every inch like a blood thirsty beast. That’s my guy the crowd is cheering and going crazy for.
And I barely recognize him.
With sweat dripping down his body, blood on his fists, and a snarl on his mouth, he fights like an enraged animal.
Somewhere he’s shed the impeccable self-control I’ve come to know.
The crowd stands up, roaring and going fucking crazy as the punches started flying, and my heart jumps into my throat as the blood starts flowing. I can’t decide if I want to cheer or scream. Honestly, a part of me wants to jump in the cage and help fuck up Rocko.
The bell rings, signaling the end of the round, and the crowd settles down. To my right, on the other side of Avery, I can hear Chase chuckling.
I shoot him a look and he just grins at me then his eyes look pointedly down. I follow his line of sight and look down. My fists are clenched so tight my knuckles are turning white.
I flex my fingers and let out a breath, trying to calm myself down.
Avery gives me a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “It’s been a couple of years but I remember how hard it was to watch Chase in the cage.”
“Did you want to jump in the cage and fight too?” I ask.
She shakes her head, her eyes laughing at me. “No…”
I slump back in my seat, feeling incredibly silly.
Avery leans close and whispers quietly to me. “I didn’t want to jump in the cage to fight, I wanted to jump his bones.”
I laugh and shake my head at her.
She grins mischievously and shoots Chase a sly look.
He frowns at us both.