Spent - Part 1 (Spent, a New Adult Romance, MMA Series) (3 page)

I jab my elbow into her side, “What Cameron means to say is, that’s a great idea. Thank you, Mike,” I give him another hug.
 

“No problem, Tash. I’m just glad you’re coming back to the fights. Been missin’ you a lot,” he opens the back door for us and gives us lanyards with passes on them.
 

“What was that for?” Cameron rubs her side as we walk through the door.
 

I roll my eyes at her. “We would’ve had to pay 100 bucks each to go through the front door if Mike hadn’t of done that for us.”

“Oh wow! People actually pay to see testosterone raging idiots beat this shit out of each other?” Cameron yammers on, a little too loudly. Some of the trainers turn their heads to stare at us as we walk by.
 

“Fighters and trainers have to eat too, you know. Not everybody can make a living off of reading books and crushing budding writers’ dreams.”

“That is certainly not ALL that I do. I also keep red pen companies in business,” Cameron smirks, “It’s a hard job to use up so much ink in one day, but someone’s got to do it.”

I cast her a sideways glance as we make our way through the trainers lounge and into the competitors’ prep area. I haven’t been to this arena as frequently as I have some of the ones in the Baltimore area. This one is huge and I feel myself growing a bit nervous being here. There are so many trainers everywhere to make the back area of the stage intimidating, but all of the incredibly buff bare chested men walking around only adds to the nervous tension. Cameron’s eyes are wandering everywhere, like a hawk seeking out it’s prey.
 

“See any prospects?” I nod my head towards the cluster of half naked men who are all clamoring around workout equipment.
 

“Can I have one of each?” Cameron licks her bottom lip.
 

“You’re kind of disgusting when you’re horny.”
 

“Anything fun in life requires you to get a little dirty first,” Cameron winks.
 

I snort. Cameron and I are nothing alike, and yet, I always have so much fun when I’m around her. Turning back to face the crowd of men, I try to determine which ones will win and which will lose. After going to so many of Derrick’s games earlier in our relationship, I’ve gotten pretty good at predicting the winners and losers. I’ve even been able to make a little money from a few side bets.
 

“I’ve found the love of my life,” Cameron speaks up, drawing my attention back to her.
 

“Oh really? So soon! Which one is the lucky man?”
 

“The one in the black pants, standing by those big round things with the pipes going through them.”
 

“The dumbbells?”

“Yeah, yeah, those things.”

I try to spot the man she’s talking about. There are several sets of dumbbells throughout the room, but only one has a man standing nearby that is wearing black pants.
 

A defined square jaw and lumber jack hands are the first things I notice about him. The second is his thick, copper-tinted brown hair. He’s the only guy with hair in the entire gym, and the way his copper highlights shine against the lights makes him stand out even more from the crowd. Well-defined muscles graft his entire body, but the definition in his arms says that he can probably throw some pretty powerful punches. He’s fairly lean for a heavyweight, but his height and physique says that he’s probably at the higher end of his weight class.

“Good choice, Ms. Greene!” I can’t take my eyes off of him. He looks so different from all of the other heavyweights in the room.
 

“Right?” Cameron flashes a grin, “He looks positively delicious,” Cameron licks her lips.
 

“He’s not a piece of meat, Cameron.”

“Hmm, that’s all I see on him. I bet he’s packing. Just look at the bulge on those pants of his, girl!”
 

I rub my hand across my forehead, “Maybe bringing you was a bad idea.”
 

“Probably, but you’re not one for making good life choices.”

“Wow, thanks. You’re just a bundle of horny negativity today, aren’t you?”
 

Cameron sighs, “That’s pretty much every day for me, girlfriend.”
 

I roll my eyes at her, hooking my arm through hers, “Come on, let’s go find seats before you embarrass yourself.”
 

After flashing our passes at a few security guards, Cameron and I manage to score two seats right by the ring. A few matches are scheduled before Derrick’s, so Cameron and I spend most of the time during the fights talking about the upcoming school semester, while also keeping an eye out for Cameron’s dreamy man in the black pants.
 

“And now, ladies and gentlemen, brace yourselves for Baptiste and Richards!” The announcer yells over the speaker. Cameron and I immediately drop our conversation and focus our attention to the ring.
 

“Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, this 21 year-old’s stamina makes him one to watch out for. At 6’3” and 223 pounds, this guy may be young, but he has made it to the top in record time. I give you, Derrick Baptiste!”

Derrick saunters into the cage, pumping his gloved fists as he tries to rile up the crowd. The room erupts with cheers and people chanting his name. A tinge of pride wells up within me as I see how much everyone seems to love him.
 

“Originally a local boy, this 25 year-old now calls Baltimore, Maryland home. At 6’5” and 247 pounds, this powerhouse knows how to knock a man out in the first round. I give you, Luke Richards!”

Copper hair and black shorts are the first things I notice as Luke Richards enters the arena.
 

Cameron’s head turns to face me, her mouth wide open, as she points towards Richards. I nod my head in response, just as shocked as she is. Of course Cameron’s dream man would be the one to fight Derrick today.
 

The bell dings, signaling the beginning of the first round. Derrick charges Richards immediately, trying to catch the larger man off guard. With a surprising level of agility for a man of Richards’ size, he dodges Derrick’s charge with ease. Derrick is thrown off just long enough for Richards to get a solid right that hooks squarely against Derrick’s jaw. The punch is powerful and comes close to knocking Derrick over, but Derrick is skilled enough to find his balance quickly. Blood pools along the left edge of Derrick’s mouth.
 

Derrick manages two rapid clips along Richards’ shoulders, but the larger man holds his stance firmly. Every muscle in my body begins to tighten, as I look on, my palms dampening. The fluidity of Richards’ movements and the level of agility he has for someone his size makes me nervous for Derrick. Derrick has to already be reading into the other man’s moves, surely he’ll find a weakness soon.
 

Richards manages to get a series of swift pelts across Derrick’s face, leaving a gory trail behind. My hands grip the sides of my seat until my knuckles turn white. It’s so hard to watch Derrick take knocks like this, but I can’t turn away.
 

Just before Richards can land another swing, Derrick throws up his forearms to protect his face. Richards manages to read Derrick’s move fast enough to slip his fist to the side, planting a hard one right against Derrick’s left eye.
 

The bell rings, signaling the end of the round. I breathe for the first time since the fight began. Both men walk over to their corners of the ring, their teams rubbing ice packs along their heaving bodies and wiping the red liquid away from their faces. Derrick’s eye is already beginning to swell shut. I want to run to him so badly and hold him in my arms, but I know that if I’m going to support him down this path, I need to toughen up.
 

When the bell rings for the next round, Derrick is immediately up on his feet, determination written across his marred and swollen face. I’ve seen this look before and I’ve seen how badly it usually ends for the other fighter. Reaching over, I grasp Cameron’s hand and squeeze it hard. Cameron squeezes back, fear etched across her face.
 

Luke Richards starts the fight with an impressive left throw, but Derrick manages to slip past just in time to avoid contact with the other man’s glove. Quickly, Derrick throws a right hook that lands directly on Richards’ square jaw. He follows the jab with a swift, but powerful, kick against Richards’ thigh. The larger man holds his own, but is clearly caught off guard. Derrick finishes it with a hasty bash to Richards’ diaphragm, forcing Richards’ massive body to begin heaving for air.
 

Derrick goes in for the attack, his face set with an expression that reads he’s about to mutilate his opponent. He charges Richards while the man is still heaving from the diaphragm blow, but as soon as he reaches him, Richards side steps. Before Derrick can react, Richards hooks one of his legs around the front of my boyfriend’s legs, immediately causing Derrick to trip up. The move drives the crowd to cheer as Derrick falls to the ground.
 

Richards’ hulking build is on top of Derrick’s in an instant, his gloves pounding into my boyfriend’s face. I want to close my eyes so badly, but I can’t stop watching. My heart leaps into my throat as I watch Derrick struggle to break free. Blood litters the ground around them with every strike Richards makes.
 

Finding an opening between blows, Derrick takes it and manages to scramble up on his feet before the bigger man can catch him. The swelling along his eye appears even more terrifying now that hot red fluid is dripping from his ear. Cameron squeezes my hand, temporarily providing me with comfort as we both watch on in horror.
 

The bell dings. Cameron and I both let out our breath in unison. The medic rushes over to Derrick’s side of the arena and inspects his injuries. I watch on, praying that he’s alright. When I see he and the medic nodding their heads in agreement that he’s okay, I let out a sigh of relief. The medic wouldn’t give him the OK to go back in if his eye was in any danger, giving me some comfort in knowing that the injury probably looks far worse than it actually is.
 

Derrick leaps up when the bell dings for the next round to begin. His white shorts are an off-pink color from sanguine fluid raining down along his chest and onto his pants. He looks horrible. His face is an inflamed and gory mess, but I can tell that he’s just getting started.
 

His fighting style has always been to have enough stamina to make it to the final round, when he mutilates his weary opponents who’ve gassed themselves too fast too soon in the fight. The only problem with this fight is that Luke Richards is a powerhouse of beautiful muscles with insane fists, that doesn’t seem to be tiring. Derrick’s only chance in beating this guy is to find a weak point, but so far it seemed there wasn’t any solid openings for Derrick to take. Luke Richards appeared to be invincible tonight.
 

Both men circle the arena, stalking one another before either throws a hit. I watch closely. This isn’t Derrick’s style for starting a round. Somethings changed. The lump in my throat grows larger as my stomach twists in knots. My palm is sweating against Cameron’s, but she’s too caught up in the fight to care.
 

Richards’ biceps curl tightly as he bends his arms, preparing to strike. His stance is perfectly balanced as he trots around the edges of the arena. My eyes are drawn to him, even though I know I should be watching Derrick. There is something about the way that Luke Richards’ fights that keeps drawing my attention away from the man that I love.
 

Making the first move, Richards’ throws a powerful right jab towards Derrick’s shoulder, but Derrick expects it and skirts around it. Richards’ chest is left exposed only for a second, but Derrick takes it. He rams his body into the larger man, pushing him up against the arena fencing right in front of Cameron and I.
 

Derrick pens Richards against the fence and throws a series of blows against the man’s beautiful face, leaving a bloody trail behind. Richards’ catches a moment between punches to thrust his forearm into Derrick’s face, sending it crashing into his nose. Blood gushes everywhere, making it impossible to tell whose is whose, as both men’s bodies now glisten with a red hue.
 

Hunching over slightly from the impact of Richards’ attack, it looks like Derrick is finished. My heart beats wildly against my chest. Derrick’s abs flex violently as he heaves for air. Suddenly, Derrick lands a quick blow on Richards, causing the larger man to hunch over in pain.
 

My eyes widen in astonishment as I quickly realize what just happened. It was an illegal shot. When the referee doesn’t call it, I realize that I was probably one of the few who even caught it, and only because I was so close to the action. Derrick had made a deliberate strike to Richards’ groin, but somehow managed to make it look like a thigh hit to those not at the right angle to see it.
 

Richards’ footing loosens from the blow and it’s enough for Derrick to mess him up. Hooking a leg around Richards’, Derrick takes the larger man down in one brisk move. His chiseled frame crashes against the mat. Derrick is immediately on top of him, smiling wickedly and throwing punch after punch, every single one connecting with the handsome man’s face. Blood splatters everywhere. For the first time during the fight, I close my eyes, afraid to witness what Derrick is going to do.
 

The taste of bile fills my mouth. Everything has played out exactly like Cameron said it would. All I needed to do was watch Derrick at a fight in order to make my final decision about the future of our relationship.

Managing to just barely find an opening between punches, Richards’ uses the last of his strength to push Derrick off and feebly stumble to his feet. Crimson liquid trickles down along his finely sculpted chest, and his copper hair is matted in areas. He still looks beautiful, but the determination that was once in his face is gone. The poor man must know that he’s likely about to lose, all because my boyfriend cheated.