Page 118 of Embriagado

His lips twitched, and he looked away.

“Wanna jerk me off again?”

He huffed. “I would rather have my fingers chopped off.”

Well, that just gave me an idea.

“You know what? I’m up for the five percent.”

He looked back at me, eyes narrowed. Clearly, he knew I was up to something.

“But in addition, I want to fuck you.”

“Excuse me?”

I got closer. “For every fight I win, I get to fuck you.”

“You’re a hopeless case,” he snarled when I snorted.

“I am, but I’m also a damn good boxer. So what do you say?” I held my hand between us when he glanced down at it, clear annoyance on his face. Then, after biting on his bottom lip, he finally took my hand and shook it.

“You repulse me.”

“You sure about that?” I asked, one brow raised.

He quickly dropped my hand and was already on his way out of the locker room when I called, “What’s in the bag?”

He stopped, glanced at the paper bag he’d left on the bench, and then at me.

“Find out for yourself.”

Without wasting another second, he left, and for the first time in this ongoing battle between us, I came out on top. And it felt pretty damn sweet.

31

SANTIAGO

Silence surrounded us; there was no cheering crowd or enthusiastic fans—just stillness. My heartbeat became the sole sound I could hear as I stepped into the cage, observed by dozens of faceless men. They stood still, their identities safely hidden behind masks, eagerly waiting for the show they’d paid for to start. It felt wrong, it felt dirty, and yet, as my eyes locked in on my opponent, a fighter I’d once admired, I didn’t give a shit. They could all go up in fucking flames because I came here to fight.

To win.

To take the chance I’d never gotten before and make the most of it.

On the other end of the cage was Cas. Around my height and weight, he seemed set on the fight, as told by the way he stared at me, death in his eyes. He probably assumed I was just another rookie he’d beat without breaking a sweat, another body to kick to the curb. But that was my advantage tonight. Just like Ariyan said, I was a nobody, meaning Cas or the others here had no idea what to expect. On the other hand, I knew how Cas fought, as I’d studied his old matches for the past two weeks, analyzing his weaknesses and strengths.

He was known for his high kicks, which was bad for me because as a boxer, kicks were my disadvantage. Especially if I followed my rules and refused to use kicks. That was why I needed to keep this fight at mid-range and not allow him to push me away. The closer I stayed to him, the better my chances of winning were, as all I really needed was one good strike to take him down.

My heart still beat fast, out of excitement, not fear, and I took a deep breath before glancing at the men watching us. It truly was creepy, like a scene from a horror movie. But only caring for one man, my eyes jumped between the different masks as I tried spotting the fox among the wolves, when I finally did.

There he was, standing tall with his head held high and his eyes set on me.

Mi Zorrito.

My initial thoughts about him were wrong, as a fox suited Ariyan a lot more than just a spoiled house cat. Yeah, this motherfucker was a wild one, outsmarting those stronger than him with the cleverness of his mind. Still, having his pretty face hidden behind some dumb mask was a shame, and I couldn’t wait to win so I could rip it off him.

The sound of a single bell ring cut through the air, signaling that the fight had started. I immediately focused back on Cas. We walked around each other, waiting for the first move, when he finally made it and charged at me. In seconds, I went into defense, shielding myself from his jabs and hits. He was strong, I’d give him that, but a quick glance at his footwork gave away an old injury he’d suffered to his leg. It slowed him down, which made him much more aggressive in his attacks. He tried a high kick to my head, and I blocked it with my arm.

Sharp pain shot through me, but I ignored it; the same went for his jab that hit my jaw next. But the pain was what made me feel alive, filling me with the rush to win and the thirst for blood. After throwing some kicks to my thigh in an attempt to bring me down to the canvas, he changed his tactics and went for a straight uppercut. I deflected it, then used the hole in his defense to throw some quick jabs. Focusing on that, Cas ignored my footwork and missed the fact that I’d just changed angles, which allowed me to throw a short punch to his body, hitting him in the liver. His lips parted, and spit flew from his mouth before he bit down on his mouthguard and tried to bounce back with a punch. He hit me in the side of the face, and it hurt, but it was worth it because now his guard was open. Ariyan would be pissed I finished this fight so soon, but I didn’t give a fuck. I saw a chance, and I took it.