Perfect Illusion (Perfect 1)

Guess who sent the link to me,” Kayden tells me lightly, and I roll my eyes. I love Brent but he is such a superspreader of gossip. I usually don’t mind it when he’s blabbering about other people’s business but I feel uneasy when the news involves me. I don’t care if that makes me a hypocrite.

“Word travels fast, huh?” I say, placing my hands on my hips. “It wasn’t a fight. Just a very heated argument that resulted in her on the brink of tears.”

“That’s harsh.”

“That was necessary,” I correct him. “And she’s still seeing the bastard even after I found out about it. Shows me just how sorry she is for what she did.”

“At least with whatever happened, someone gets to be happy. You clearly aren’t,” Kayden notes distinctly.

“Do I detect some judgment there?” I wrinkle my nose at him. “Because if I recall, it is you who is also benefiting from this deal. How about let’s keep both our noses where they belong. I don’t judge you for fighting in the underground and you don’t judge me for wanting to watch my ex burn.”

“Fine,” Kayden mutters tightly.

“All right,” I say in finality, easing into a stance. He does the same. “Less talk, more work.”

Kayden launches himself at me.

His fists fly toward my face and I block his first few hits fairly. When his guard is open, I send a jab his way but he slips it quickly, immediately weaving to the left. He sends another fist toward me but before it can reach me, I jump back and whip my leg to throw a roundhouse kick. He winces when it makes contact but isn’t the least bit unhinged.

Kayden retaliates by shooting toward my lower body, hooking one arm underneath my leg and forcing me off balance, sending me crashing to the ground. Then he rolls on top of me, using his weight to cage me in, but I’m lighter and faster, and I know how to use that to my advantage.

Before he can force a submission, I pull his arm behind his back and catch his leg with mine, sending his shoulder painfully to the ground.

The sudden jerking movement causes Kayden to falter for a split second. Which is all I need to trap his arm and get my legs wrapped around his neck in a triangle armbar. Next thing I know, Kayden is tapping the mat furiously as I start to pull on his arm.

“Ah!” He grunts in pain as he feels his tendons start to strain. “All right, all right. Get off of me.”

“Come on. You can do better than that,” I purr, climbing off the mat and reaching a hand out to him. Kayden appears shell-shocked, looking at me with astonishment.

He barely shakes off the previous sparring session before declaring, “Again.”

And we’re both on the move. Kayden strikes first but I duck quickly under him and send an uppercut at his jaw. He shakes my blow off and when I go in for a left hook, he pulls his arm up to block the hit. I plow forward, driving Kayden on the defensive with a flurry of blows; he staggers backward trying his best to fend off my attacks.

Kayden tries for a kick and I intercept it, going in for a takedown, but he manages to regain his balance by digging in his back foot. My muscles strain against his weight, trying to get him on the ground, but he maneuvers himself in a way that hooks his arm over mine and sweeps me to the floor. I immediately try for another armbar but this time Kayden is ready. With a heave, he hauls himself up, muscles straining as lifts my lower body off the mat. My legs are still wrapped around him but he slowly leans his full weight into me, putting pressure on my neck. I struggle against him restlessly, trying to wrestle free from his grasp, but all my attempts are rendered futile, no match against his ferocious size.

Kayden releases his hold on me. I roll away from him and rest my arms on my knees, gasping for breath.

“Not bad,” I wheeze. “But you only won that because you used your weight against me. If you were fighting against any other guy, they might be able to get out of that fairly quickly.”

A confused look. “I thought you told me to do better.”

“If that’s you doing better than we’re both doomed and I might as well find someone better to take Jax down,” I say.

He narrows his eyes. “That’s not fair.”

“I didn’t say I was going to be fair,” I reply fiercely. “You want me to coddle you or push you to win? Because I can’t do both.”

A muscle ticks in his jaw. He forms into his fighting stance, fire lighting up in his eyes.

“Again,” Kayden rasps. “I can do this all night, Lucky.”

There’s something about the way that he won’t back down despite me putting him down like that that I find endearing.

Most fighters would lose their cool or get defensive and yell obscenities at me. So I respect that Kayden can take whatever I dish out to him.

“I’d like to see you try, Killer.” I hold my fists up. A crooked smile graces my lips.

He barrels toward me with a roar. I block his advance.