“That was Teddy Wittman?!” he says as he leans forward and slaps the desk. “Shit, I didn’t even recognize him! I was in his corner when he fought Joe Collins.”
“He told me.”
His eyes narrow as he sizes me up. “Are you any good?”
“I just knocked your champ around like he was a third-grade bully.”
“You did,” he says as he leans back in his chair. “How would you like a shot at the title?”
I swear my heart stops in my chest.
“We have a little situation,” Mr. Kelly says. “Thiago’s opponent was partying a little too hard last night and got a DUI.”
I can’t even talk.
“When they arrested him, his fingerprints matched those from an unsolved armed robbery four years ago.”
“He’s not here?”
“He’s currently behind bars.”
“I’ll do it.”
He laughs. “I haven’t offered you anything yet.”
“Then offer.”
He takes a deep breath and sighs. “I called Vincent Ranger earlier. He’s on his way over here.”
Oh shit. Vincent Ranger is a top-five contender.
“He hasn’t gone through a training camp like I have,” I say, trying desperately to sell myself.
“That’s true. But he’s a known name. People will pay to see him fight.”
“Release the security footage and they’ll pay.”
“What?”
“There’s got to be footage of me kicking Thiago’s ass in the hallway. Put it online and announce that we’ll be continuing the fight in the cage.”
He grins as he looks at me. “And you think you can beat him?”
“I know I can. I’m fighting for my girl. Her future is in my hands and I’ll do anything for Hope.”
He’s thinking about it.
“I’ll kick that smirk off his arrogant fucking face.”
His grin widens. That’s exactly what he wanted to hear.
“What did you say your name was again?”
“Nate Cross.”
He reaches across the table and offers his hand.
“All right. You’re in.”
Chapter Ten
Hope
Nathan steps into the lit-up steel cage and my heart is pounding so hard that I think it might explode.
He’s got a look of pure concentration on his face as he shuffles around the octagon. His stern expression only cracks when he spots me—sitting ten rows back on the floor—and only then, it’s for a second.
The crowd is booing him, which I find strange since they don’t even know him. I guess they’re all fans of the current champion, Thiago Velasquez. I hate that they’re booing him and I want to scream at each one of them individually. I guess I’m a little protective of my man like he’s protective of me.
The lights go off and the crowd cheers as Thiago’s music starts playing. I get a bad feeling in my gut when I see him running through the crowd on the way up to the octagon.
Nathan is glaring at him. He can hold his own against anyone—he already proved that outside in the hallway earlier—but I’m still nervous. I don’t want him to get hurt and Thiago looks terrifying.
The referee checks him and the crowd erupts as he runs into the steel cage. I’m so nervous. I can’t think straight. Nathan is in there with a killer.
I just want to close my eyes, cover my ears, and have Scott come and get me when it’s over.
Everything happens so fast. The calling of their names, the tapping of the gloves, and then the bell is ringing.
I’m not ready for this…
The two men charge at each other and the fists start flying. They continue right where they left off outside, but this time, Thiago is ready for him.
He blocks Nathan’s first three punches and then hits him hard in the stomach and quickly follows it up with a kick to the leg.
My stomach is churning as my eyes are glued on the fight.
“Yes!” I shout when Nathan throws two punches and lands one. He hits Thiago hard, but the champ is tough and they keep going.
They move in blurs, each landing hard shots and staggering each other. The crowd is loving the fight and they cheer and scream with every punch and kick landed.
Thiago starts to get the best of Nathan and pins him against the cage as he lands punch after devastating punch.
“No,” I whisper as I watch him. I’m urging him on. Begging the universe to let my man win.
But he doesn’t need the universe to win. He only needs me.
He catches sight of me through the chain-linked fence and then starts to stand back up. Thiago lands four hard punches to his chin, but Nathan looks unstoppable as he pushes him off.
He looks possessed. He’s a man on fire.
Thiago rolls his big shoulders and comes rushing in, but Nathan is ready. He fires a hard right hook that lands with a crunch that I can hear from my seat in the tenth row.
It’s over.
Thiago’s body stiffens and his eyes roll in the back of his head as his swinging arms fall to his sides.
The whole place is deathly quiet as Thiago falls backward and lands hard on the mat. His arms fly up over his head and his legs go straight.
I don’t know much about fighting but even I can tell that he’s out cold.
The referee immediately leaps down between him and Nathan who’s lunging on him to deliver more.
“It’s over!” the referee shouts as he waves his hand in the air.
All of the tension in my body releases and I start screaming in happiness and gratitude as Nathan leaps into the air with his fists raised.
The crowd cheers for him now and it’s deafening. I can’t even hear my own screams as they pay homage to their new champion.
He paces around the octagon like the badass alpha he is and only stops when he sees me. He points at me and all I can do is drink in the moment, hoping I remember this amazing feeling forever.
Suddenly, he climbs up the cage and leaps over it just like he did a few days ago at the gym. He jumps down from the ledge out of my view. Everyone is standing up and I can’t see a thing.
“Hope!” I hear him shout as he pushes his way through the crowd. He’s climbing over chairs and pushing past people as they slap him on the back and take quick selfies with him.
He’s not focused on anything but finding me.
His jacked body pushes through the couple in front of me and he breathes in relief when he spots me.
“Hope,” he says as he looks at me with pure love in his eyes. “I did this for you. This belt is for you. For our future together.”
I’m about to answer, but he just grabs me and throws me over his shoulder.
“Nathan!” I scream as I put a hand on his muscular back. “What are you doing?!?”
He’s like a caveman as he carries me back to the octagon and brings me inside it. The lights are so bright and I start to panic as he puts me back on my feet. This time there’s over twenty-five thousand people watching me and cheering.
“I love you, Hope,” he says as he cups my cheeks and looks into my eyes. “Do you love me?”
It’s so hard to speak with so many people looking at me, but I manage to for him. “I do. I love you so much, Nathan.”