Choose to stay.
Here? I’ve got Tade in my corner, wearing the same expression he had the night I tried to jump off theThetaManor roof into the pool—a look that says,How fucking stupid is this idea?
“These are almost pros,” he mutters as he squirts water into my mouth.
“I need this win,” I say, letting the chill liquid roll over my tongue. “And I’m getting it.”
Across the cage, Lou Rockson stretches out a kick high enough to scrape the lights. He’s got a mean frown carved into his face, like he’s picturing how he’ll mount my skull on his wall.
“Come on, pretty boy!” Lou yells. “You scared?”
I get up and wander to the middle of the ring, the referee eyeing both of us carefully.
“Not only am Inotscared, but I’m also willing to make a side wager, prick.”
He bites his mouthguard and narrows his eyes at me. “What kind of wager?”
“If you win this round…you can have my watch.”
“Who the fuck?—”
“It’s worth 100k.”
His eyes flicker. “And if you win?”
“I’ll take your girl in the front row for the night.” I nod toward the busty brunette leaning forward on the bench.
Lou glances at her, jaw flexing. “No way?—”
“She’s worth more than the watch?” I feign surprise, and the red creeping up his neck tells me I’ve got him on tilt.
The ref waves us in. First round’s brutal. Lou’s got the reach, the weight, and the speed to sweep me straight to the ground. His fists crash into my ribs like sledgehammers until something in my sidepops. Arms locked in guard, I make it to the bell with every inhale tasting like iron.
Struggling to my corner, I try to take a breath, but the pain surges through my side. Tade rushes into the cage, squirts the water bottle into my waiting mouth, then tapes up my chest enough so I can survive.
“Too obvious,” he says.
“Really?” I ask with a shrug. “Thought I sold it.”
Second round, I sweeten the pot. “Forget the girl. My custom Maserati.”
Lou grins through his mouthguard. “For what?”
“One favor from the Sicconi family. You’re their youngest, right? Go by Rockson just for show?”
His eyebrows flicker, which tells me I’m right. “How the hell you know that?”
“I make it my business.”
“Sure. I’ll ask the old man for a favor foryou…”
“Aiden Cardell.”
Some level of recognition crosses his face. “Oh. So not only pretty, butloaded, too.”
“You understand me. We good for it?”
“Yeah, bitch. I don’t think you’re going to be so good-looking when I’m done this round.”