Page 68 of After the Knockout
“Okay, maybe a little.” I smiled. “It’s a lot riding on this shit. We not in warehouses anymore.”
“Yeah, you’re in arenas.” She looked me in the eyes. “And you deserve to be here. You’re going to walk out there and do exactly what you been doing your whole life.”
“Fighting?”
“No. Winning.” She smiled, and for a second, I just glanced at her because she was saying all the right shit. “You gonna beat that man’s ass.” She smiled.
“Oh yeah?” A grin pulled at my mouth.
“Yeah.”
“You gonna let me hit it from the back tonight when I do?”
“KO.” Lyrius rolled her eyes at me, but the smile on her face told me she was going to.
“What? I need an incentive.”
“The 3.5 million waiting on you isn’t enough?”
“Nah, I already got millions. I ain’t never got to hang my girl over a Vegas balcony and fuck her with my championship belt on.”
“Boy, bye.” She laughed. “Guess we won’t know until you win.” Before she could say anything else, I pulled her into me and kissed her. Lyrius smiled against my mouth, her arms sliding around my neck as I deepened the kiss.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
A knock rattled the locker room door.
“Five minutes!” Jaylen yelled through it.
“You gotta get ready.” Lyrius laughed softly as we pulled apart.
“Unfortunately.” I stepped back and grabbed my entrance robe from the chair. The black and blue fabric dragged across the floor as I slipped it on.
“Tonight might get crazy.” I adjusted the sleeves of my robe. “The press gonna be everywhere.”
Lyrius nodded. “We’ll be okay.”
“No. I’m serious.” My eyes found hers. “Stay with security.”
“KO.”
“Dakoda, too. Don’t let him run off.” I wasn’t insulting her parenting, just trying to prepare her for the circus outside. “If the press starts pulling y’all around after the fight, Cherry’s gonna help y’all. I already had her prepare some answers and shit.” The second Cherry’s name left my mouth, Lyrius’s facial expression changed.
“What was that look?”
“What look?”
“That one.” I pointed at her face.
“It’s nothing.” She looked away.
“Lyrius.”
“I don’t wanna bother you with this before your fight.”
“Lyrius.” I gave a firm look. “We said no more secrets, right?”
“I know.”
