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  She’d turned my world even more upside down than it already was and sometimes I still didn’t know which way was up.

  I didn’t like her speaking for me, even though I knew she was just trying to do the right thing, and I sure as fuck didn’t like anyone messing with her.

  It was just another thing I had to get a grip on.

  Just because I said I loved her didn’t mean that things were wrapped up in a nice little package, right?

  Didn’t people say ‘I love you’ and then it was happily ever after?

  Who fuckin’ knew. Maybe now was when the hard part began.

  The Underground was always pumping on the first night of a new Championship.

  Bookies were drawing up new odds, punters were clogged around the bars, women paraded around with their tits hanging out looking to score with a cashed up fighter… The whole place was alive with the promise of fresh meat. The early rounds were the easiest. They cut the boys from the men and were an absolute blood bath.

  The crowd fuckin’ loved it.

  I sat in the back change room and stared at my hands. I didn’t know where Ren had disappeared to, but I was kinda glad for the peace and quiet. My first fight in over a year…fuck, my first fight since I almost killed a guy in the cage and pathetically I was worried. The Underground had saved me once, but I wasn’t so sure it could make a repeat performance.

  I’d never tell Ren, but the first time I heard about this place was when I was on the inside. What better place to find out about illegal fighting than from prison? The fucks that thought they ran the place tried to pull me into line straight up. Day fuckin’ one they tried to threaten me with an iron bar. The crooks that thought they ruled the roost, paying off guards and smuggling in smokes and mobile phones like currency, they didn’t expect that my currency was my fists. They never tried shit with me again, but it gained more interest from people on the outside.

  To them I was a crook, behind bars for assault and primed for life in the cage. An ex-UFC fighter with a grudge and the anger to match.

  I remembered the first night I’d come here. It was a few days after getting out of the slammer and some dude, that I now knew was one of the bookies, hooked me up and brought me in. I saw one bout and I signed up without hesitation. Raw, bloody and brutal. It was what I wanted. Fuck that. It was what I needed.

  Then I went back to Beat and laid eyes on Ren Miller and things didn’t seem so simple anymore.

  “Ash Fuller.” A loud, obnoxious Irish accent broke through my thoughts and I scowled, glancing up to find Hamish, aka The Goblin, standing in front of me.

  “Hamish,” I said curtly. “I see they still haven’t revoked your visa and sent you back to your pot of gold.”

  He laughed, not pissed in the slightest. He was used to the Irish jokes by now, but he always seemed more easygoing than most Aussies so they just rolled off his back.

  “Maverick?” he asked, sitting beside me. “What kind of name is that?”

  “A fuckin’ awesome one,” I retorted.

  “I ain’t gunna ask you what went down, though I’m itchin’ to ask…”

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “If there’s a side,” he went on in his thick brogue, “I wanna be on the side of good, not evil.”

  “This ain’t a fuckin’ superhero movie,” I drawled.

  He was reigning champ in these parts, but I suspected with me and Hammer back in the mix, things mightn’t be so smooth sailing for him for a third win in a row.

  “You’ve got one hell of an enemy there, my friend,” he said clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Right now, it’s you and Reign together. No one else is on your side.”

  “And you want to be on the winning one.”

  “Is that so bad?”

  “It is when you decide I’m gunna lose.”

  “I don’t think you’ve got much to worry about.”

  I narrowed my eyes. At least one of us had faith in my ability. “And what’s in it for me?”

  “I can help you with your girl, for sure.” Hamish glanced across the room at the other fighters who were preparing for the first round.

  I stiffened and went to stand, but he clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Down boy,” he said with a chuckle. “No’ like that. You can’t watch her all the time. All I’m offering is to keep an eye on her. Make sure the dogs don’t snap while you’re in the cage, like. I’ve got your back if you’ve got mine.”

  Fuck, he was right. There was no way I could watch over Ren all the time, especially when I was in the cage. Hamish was offering and like it or not, there was a grain of respect and even trust between us.

  “I know where you’re comin’ from,” Hamish said. “I know something bad went down between you and Hammer. Everyone knows, mate, they just don’t know what it was. Rumor has it that you came out on top.”

  “If I came out on top, then why is he still walking around?” I asked sullenly.

  “Ahh, be careful who you say that to. Money’s riding on you already Fuller; and you know how these here dicks are with money.”

  I glanced at the other fighters, but they were too engrossed in warming up to listen to us. There were quite a few new faces, kids with anger issues most likely. Dudes who’d fight guys like me who were well above their weight class. They’d be snapped like twigs and the crowd would lap it up.

  “He tried to take out my kneecaps with an iron bar,” Hamish declared out of nowhere.

  “The fuck?” I exclaimed. Hammer either had some fuckin’ nerve or he was that fuckin’ dumb.

  “There was no way he was even gettin’ close to the Championship last round,” he explained. “No’ unless he took out a few of his competitors. Crowbar disappeared with a mysterious injury a few days before they tried it on me. Nasty piece of business.” He shook his head.

  “How’d you get out of that one?” I know what I would’ve done and it wasn’t anything pretty.

  “A lot of luck, a lot of threats and a little violence,” he said with a wink. “Let’s just say, I’m on your side whether you want me or no’. We’ve both got beef and I know my strengths.”

  I wanted to say, ‘which was a sign of a good fighter’, but I kept my mouth closed. I always knew Hamish was one of the better ones, not necessarily good, but better than some of the low life fuckers that paraded their fists round these parts.

  “Can I trust you?” I asked straight out. “Can Ren trust you? Because if anything happens to her, I’m out for blood.”

  “There are better ways to die and I don’t fancy myself meeting my maker by way of your fist, Fuller.”

  I raised my hand and Hamish grinned, grasping it with his own.

  “Don’t make me regret this Hamish,” I said, tightening my grip.

  “Don’t plan on it.” He stood, letting my hand go and wandered off to prepare for his own fight.

  “What was that about?”

  I glanced over my shoulder at the sound of Ren’s voice and smiled. “He wants to play nice.”

  “You trust him?” she asked as she came to stand in front of me, all half naked and beautiful in her shorts and crop.

  “Not in so many words, but it’s nice to have an ally.” She picked up my hand wraps and gestured for my hand. “He’s gotta prove himself first.”

  Standing, I held out my right hand and she began strapping me in, weaving the binding through my fingers.

  “Ren,” I said, shifting from foot to foot, getting jittery.

  “Yeah?”

  “I can tell you shit, right?”

  “Of course,” she replied, edging closer as she bound my wrist up tight.

  I took a deep breath. “I’m worried.”

  “About…?” she prodded.

  “Getting back in there.”

  Her brown eyes met mine and she smiled. “You know what they say about ducks and water and riding bikes and all that.”

  “You never forget?”

  “You never forget.”

  She dropped
my hand and gestured for my left and began strapping that one too. I flexed my fingers on my right and let out a small sigh. She was good at strapping.

  “You’ve got this,” she said, fixing her attention on my hand. “You know your shit Maverick.”

  I grunted. “You don’t mind me using the name?” It was her nickname for me, her way of showing affection. It hadn’t occurred to me she might be bothered about it.

  Spitfire shook her head and fastened the end of the wrap. “No. I’m bummed I have to share it with everyone else, but I’ll get over it.”

  I raised my right hand and combed my fingers through her ponytail before wrapping it around my hand and tugging her head back.

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s cool,” she breathed, her cheeks flushing.

  I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers, my blood igniting as her tongue darted out and licked against mine.

  “Maverick!” We pulled apart as a booming voice tore through the change rooms. “Five minute call.”

  Ren sighed as I let her hair run through my fingers.

  “Give ‘em hell,” she said and a grin started to spread across my face.

  “You’ve got it.”

  Without a second thought, I strode out into the main room, dragging Ren behind me, her hand wedged in mine. People around us began to notice and started cheering and clapping as I carved a path to the entrance of the cage. I scanned faces as I went, looking for threats, familiarity, I didn’t know which. The promise of a fight had me amped up and Ren had me hot in more ways than one.

  It’d be a blood bath tonight and I hoped to fucking hell it’d stay in the cage.

  Hammer hadn’t made an appearance since the other night and I was edgy. Maybe this was what he wanted. Maybe he was using fuckin’ mind games to get to me. Maybe it was all in my head. Suddenly I was glad that Hamish was around to keep an eye out for trouble.

  He’d have my back and I’d have his. I needed someone to trust and I wanted it to be Hamish, but it was still too early to give that unconditionally.

  Grabbing Ren around the waist, I pulled her in and smacked a kiss right on her lips. The moment she sighed against me, I plunged my tongue into her mouth and claimed her in front of everyone. She was mine and no fuckin’ man would forget it.

  She pulled away and laughed, her lips brushing against mine. “Caveman.”

  “You’re mine Spitfire.”

  “I love you,” she murmured, running the flats of her palms over my chest and I groaned. “Now, get in there and do your thing Maverick.”

  She began to back away, but I reached for her again, yanking her close. “I love you.”

  “In the cage Fuller,” the bouncer at the gate barked and I let Ren go.

  “See you in a few,” she said. “I’ll be in the stands.” She pointed to the bleachers on her left that were reserved for fighters and their plus ones. “Right there.”

  I backed into the cage, my gazed fixed on hers. “Wait for me.”

  She nodded once and I turned, slamming all my focus onto the fight ahead.

  The cage door slammed closed behind me and I felt the heat radiate on my skin from the lighting rig above. When the crowd realized who Maverick was, they roared my name and stomped their feet on the stands, creating a din that fed straight into my bloodstream. They expected a show.

  I had no idea who my opponent was, not until I stepped into the cage and set eyes on him. I didn’t like knowing in these early rounds. The spontaneity of fighting an unknown on the fly drove my adrenalin levels through the roof. Made for a better show.

  He was small, well built but still under my weight class which would mean he’d be fast on his feet. He’d have to work twice as hard for his blows to make a dent in me, but if he was smart, he could beat me through exhaustion. This would either be the quickest fight in the history of The Underground or the longest.

  The referee stood between us as we sized each other up, and raised his hand.

  “You know the rules,” he said. “Fight till one of you can’t go on or taps out. Keep it classy gentlemen.”

  I snorted and assumed the position, ready for whatever this dude was going to throw at me. I had to rely on my training and instincts and not lean on my anger. My emotions had to sit this one out.

  As I expected, the other fighter danced around me like a fuckin’ fairy, darting in and trying to land a punch, but I deflected them all with ease. He didn’t seem very experienced, at least not with MMA. He was a boxer maybe? Seemed like it from the way he pranced about.

  The only thing he was making me was pissed. The next time he approached, I ducked low and rammed my shoulder into his guts and he grunted in surprise. In one fluid movement, I hurled him over my shoulder. Fuckin’ kids.

  He landed on the flat of his back and the air whooshed from his lungs. The crowd screamed from someplace far away, but I couldn’t hear any of it. My mind was totally fixed on the fight and nothing else.

  I lunged, punching down towards his stomach with all my force, but at the last second the slimy bastard rolled to the side and the crowd let out a collective gasp.

  My fist connected with the floor with a crack, the force of the blow jarring through my bones. I pulled back instantly and didn’t flinch as I saw the fresh blood from my knuckles smeared on the mat. If it wasn’t for Ren’s expert hand wrapping, I would’ve broken all four knuckles. Fuckin’ Spitfire. I was going to get her off however she wanted later on for that.

  With a roar, I lunged after him, clipping a punch off his right cheek. Not a direct hit, but enough to daze him for a moment. I shoved the little fucker up against the chain-link and landed a punch on his jaw, not hard enough to break it, but hard enough that he’d be feeling it for weeks. His head snapped to the side and blood oozed between his lips as his teeth cut up the inside of his cheek. While he was stunned, I rammed a knee into his balls and shoved him to the mat. He landed hard, grunting as he landed on his shoulder at an awkward angle.

  Was that all the fuck he had in him? Fuckin’ hell. Two seconds and he was already pissing his pants.

  I towered over the guy as his gaze met mine and it was full of fear. He was in way over his head and he knew it. He slammed his palm down on the mat over and over and the referee stepped in, shoving me backwards.

  Tapped out. Smart move, kid. Smart move.

  Without waiting for the referee to call it, I turned my back on the scene and strode for the exit. The cage door opened as I approached and I stepped out, the sweat and blood that stuck to my skin cooling as cold air pulsed around me from the air con overhead. As the glare from the bright lights of the ring faded from my vision, the first person I saw was my Spitfire. Just like she’d promised.

  “Your hand,” she exclaimed, pulling at my arm.

  “It’ll be okay,” I said scanning the crowd, feeling like that whole bout had been way too easy. “I’ll ice it.”

  “He didn’t last long,” she said, glancing around me into the cage.

  “He was just a kid,” I said with a grunt. “The real fights don’t start until they get lost.”

  Ren frowned at me, but pulled at my arm again. “Let’s get you some ice, big man.”

  I grunted, rolling my head and cracking my neck.

  “Should I have called you Ice Man instead?” she asked with a laugh, referencing the place she’d gotten my nickname from. Top Gun.

  “No. Maverick was way cooler.” I threw my arm over her shoulder as we walked out of the arena. “He got the girl.”

  Chapter 25

  Ren

  Truthfully, I’d been worried about Ash’s first fight.

  He’d been a mess of emotions the last time he’d fought in the cage and I was painfully aware that it might resurface once he was standing in the exact same spot where he’d almost killed a man. I knew enough about these things to realize it might be a trigger for him, that a year under house arrest with on and off medication and miss-managed therapy might’ve broken him more.

&n
bsp; There was no way of telling what would happen until he was back in the cage and facing his demons head on. He’d fought and won, come face-to-face with Hammer and was still hanging on. In stark contrast, I’d been the one to break.

  Ash had had his turn and tonight was mine. Word on the street was that since the pool had been thinned by the new womens AUFC league, that it wouldn’t be so easy. Rumor had it that I was going to be paired with Rogue. Hammer’s ex. As if I wasn’t under enough pressure. Like salt in an open wound, they had to shove me straight into the deep end with a fighter who hated my guts. Awesome.

  I was in the kitchen at Beat, enjoying a few moments of peace while Ash was showering and the Twins were still yet to show, when I heard a noise at the door. Glancing up from my bowl of cereal, I dropped my spoon when my gaze collided with someone I thought I’d never see again for as long as we both shall live.

  Monica Miller.

  She hadn’t been back to Beat since the day that Ash had walked in and things had blown up. The last time I’d seen my half-sister was when she was running from the place, tears streaming from her eyes. I didn’t want to feel sorry for her, especially after everything that’d happened between us, but I seemed to have a heart. I wanted to hurt her, I wanted to see how she liked being touched up by a rapist, but I didn’t see the point at stooping to their level. I don’t know how they did it, but I couldn’t live with myself.

  Bottom line was, Monica Miller wasn’t evil. All she was guilty of was loving a man who didn’t love her back.

  Crazy in love.

  “Where’s Ash?” she asked, her voice wavering.

  “In the shower,” I replied. “You better get out before he sees you.”

  We hadn’t spoken about her since the day she’d come clean and I didn’t know what he’d do if he saw her now. He had enough on his plate with The Underground and Hammer without having that shit brought up again.