Punch and kick.
Each kick echoed off the bag, and I heard a couple of guys commenting that I was trying to kick the bag off the hinges. In truth? I was trying to. I liked how the leather slapped a stinging blow against the leg.
Three guys jumped in and tried to tackle the monster before I took my turn. I had played the game before, and I didn’t go too far, but had a good time doing it.
“Hey bud, how’s it going?” Chase asked as I stepped in the ring. He looked down at my legs and frowned.
Looking down, I could see how red the skin was, and it looked like I had been kicking for a while. But I didn’t feel the burn in my muscles so I just shrugged.
I lunged quickly at Chase and he sprawled backwards as I tried a quick takedown. It was useless but I got a chance to wrap my arms around his legs and flop him over to his side. That was my intention actually. If I couldn’t overpower him I was going to submit the fucker.
Chase knew I was not just playing around when I landed a solid kick to his thigh after he accidentally boxed my ear. I still hadn’t spoken or felt any pain, I just wanted the numbness in my body to end.
Backing up, Chase raised his hand and asked, “We still playing?”
I shrugged. I wanted to so say: No, just knock my ass out, I don’t want to be awake anymore. She’s gone.
I opened my mouth to say something, but a lump was there so I just shook my head.
“This personal between me and you?”
“No.”
“Okay, let’s do it. No punches or disabling kicks, ya fucking little demon.”
I nodded my head and tucked in. I circled around him as I felt the eyes of the gym circle around us.
I dived in this time and grappled at his chest and felt him push me back towards the wall of the cage. His fucking strength was almost unbelievable. But I wasn’t a little bitch anymore like when I first started. So when he got me about a three feet from the wall, I took a few quick steps back and tried to use his momentum. That’s all he needed, though. He connected a knee to my thigh, and I pulled away, with a hitch in my step for a moment.
I lashed out a soft but solid kick to his calf and watched him flinch. I think he expected me to fully kick him. I rushed forward and drove my shoulder into his stomach. He woofed out air as I surprised him and I pushed us towards the floor. Getting myself a half mount, I started working for an arm bar. I was slowly working his arm towards that. But again, the big fuck was competing in the heavyweight division and he had the brute strength to prove it.
I was shoved hard off of him with his free arm while his torso bucked up. I only had a moment before he was trying to take me back for a choke. When I felt his arm around my neck, he flexed hard and I knew I had to tap.
But I couldn’t.
I began to thrash around, trying to break the hold but only felt him hold on tighter.
I think a few tears may have slipped out of my eyes before everything went black.
“Fuck.” I croaked out as I slowly sat myself up. I could see all around the cage the guys were suspiciously ignoring me, and Reaper was sitting over by the cage wall.
“So, the blondey dumped you?”
Nodding, I didn’t trust myself as I sat up and scooted myself to the cage wall, not too far from him.
Chase reached over and patted my shoulder. “They come and go, brother. Just don’t kick my fucking thigh like that again. I’m gonna fucking bruise from that, and I got a fucking date tonight.”
He laughed and stood up. Reaching down, he grabbed my hand and yanked me to my feet.
“I’ll talk to the committee and get them to set you up with a fight at the next event. Should be an undercard fight, ‘bout three months from now.”
Nodding my head, I said a quick thanks, and headed for the locker room, then home.
I thought about the fight with Mandy, and I couldn’t really come to grips with what had happened and what was said. Again, I curled up on my bed. That time, however, I let the tears come out on their own.
Chapter Eighteen
Mandy