Undefeated: Bad Boy Fighter Romance (Fighting For Gisele #4) (8 page)

There was a loop winding through the area, with phenomenal views of natural beauty. Under the bright sunshine, the red rocks looked like they were on fire. The narrow road had steep drop-offs, and the desert below looked very peaceful.

Micah held Gisele’s hand, grateful for the tranquility. After the next couple of days, he could bring her back, even stay all day, and do whatever they liked. Much had to happen before that, but he would risk it all in the ring tomorrow to make sure that it did.

After driving the loop, they took a few minutes to sit at a picnic table perched above the canyon, delaying their return a little longer. “It’s so beautiful here,” Gisele said, and Micah put his arm around her.

“I desperately want to see my mother, but I don’t dare go to her.” Gisele leaned into him. “The mob may be watching me. I can’t take the chance of revealing her hiding place.”

“Abby will take good care of her until you return from Zurich.” Micah didn’t relish the idea of Gisele going off with Yuri, but there was no other way.

“
If
I do return”—Gisele looked up at Micah—“I
must
succeed. The alternative is too horrible to consider. I refuse to have any doubts about escaping from the mob…
forever
.”

“The fight is on, and it’s turned into a huge event…bigger than I had envisioned,” Micah said, changing the subject. “The betting is out of control. Chernov has his regular clientele, plus the mob families. It seems that no one wants to be left out of the action. He couldn’t be more pleased about my battle with Fromer.”

“I’m afraid for you, Micah.”

“I’m ready to face him. He had his win; it won’t happen again.” Micah squeezed her hand.

Gisele stood up and looked down the hill, then turned around. “I used a safe phone, and talked to the banker in Zurich today. I coordinated the call through my attorney.”

Micah listened with anticipation.

“I also talked to Luke. I told him my plan and…he’s willing.”

“I figured he would be,” Micah said.

Gisele smiled at him. “I think this is going to work.” She came back and sat down beside him. “Plus, I learned a lot more about that diamond. I had the attorney contact a few renowned jewelers who deal in international trade.”

“What did you learn?”

“It seems fifteen years ago, when a rare blue diamond was stolen, it was big news. There aren’t that many of them in existence.”

“Do you know who the true owner is?”

“The banker in Zurich has a contact who is an expert in obscure gems.” Gisele took a breath. “I’m expecting to hear from him before the end of the day. It’s likely I’ll soon discover who is missing the lovely diamond.”

“That will be something.” Micah took her hand and stood up. “As much as I hate to leave, I need to get back and eat a hearty meal, then get a good night’s sleep.”

Gisele kissed his hand. “Mmm, sounds sexy.”

Micah grinned at her. “Just wait until you see me in the ring tomorrow.
That
will be sexy.”

Chapter 9

Micah was about to fight the biggest fight of his career. High stakes hadn’t made him shy away before, and he wasn’t about to now. Yet he hadn’t fought for any higher stakes than he would tonight. He was
fighting for Gisele
.

Gisele was the woman he loved, and her life hung in the balance. His win would mean her freedom. There was no way in hell he wasn’t going to beat the crap out of Max Fromer. Strength and power were just two components of a winning formula. But Micah was highly motivated, more than his German opponent could ever hope to be. And he wouldn’t quit short of winning the bout, no matter the odds.

There was no question in his mind about what he was up against. The German was ruthless, and underhanded tactics were the man’s ace in the hole. He was an ex-con with little in life left to lose, so he’d break all the rules to retain his spot as the underground fight circuit’s star.

In any sanctioned match, Fromer’s cheating would result in charges of assault. But in the underground, no one cared. All that mattered was a brutal fight, a huge draw for the audience, as well as those who cared to play the odds.

Micah arrived early to mentally prepare. The lights were bright, and guards roved about the cavernous space. The crowd hadn’t yet begun to filter in. Even Leo Chernov was there. It wasn’t often that he attended the fights he promoted, but he’d made an exception.

The Russian was over six feet tall and muscled, although he had a belly. Years of managing the fights had been lucrative, providing him with a privileged lifestyle. But it hadn’t always been that way. The man’s nose had been broken, maybe several times, and he had scars across his face in several places, giving him a rough look. He’d seen his share of fighting, and had been in the ring too. But it had been a while.

Chernov spotted Micah and nodded. He wasn’t about to come over and wish him luck. If the promoter had his way, it would be the last time he saw Micah breathing. There wasn’t much better for the underground world than a fight to the death.

Ignoring the man, Micah headed for the locker room. He had more important things to be concerned about than Chernov. Then a voice he recognized slowed his stride.

“You’re back for more, Rinaldi?” It was Nadia.

Micah turned to look at her, unimpressed with her choice of outfit for the big event. She must have an entire wardrobe of tightly fitted tops and shorts that rode up to the tops of her thighs. The spiky high heels were a nice touch.

The woman stood to make a bundle on the fight. She handled a lot of the betting and the invitations to the fight, such as they were. The mob really knew how to pick them, as Nadia Jelinek was good for business. She was a stunner, if you didn’t look past her in-your-face style. But she was as self-serving and lacking in warmth as any woman Micah had the displeasure of knowing.

“Nadia, why am I not surprised to see you here?” Micah said. “I’m flattered by the support. But I can understand why you wouldn’t want to miss watching my big win against your lover boy.”

“Okay, smart ass. You haven’t changed, but then, I don’t expect much from you,” Nadia said, with a haughty gaze. “I didn’t think that even
you
would be stupid enough to fight Fromer again.”

Micah held his ground. The woman was no more than an annoyance, and he was finished with idle banter. “I like high stakes, Nadia…you know that.” He shrugged, as if the upcoming match was just another day in the ring. “I get off on the thrill.” Then he turned and walked away.

Although Micah entered the locker room early, Harlan was already there. He stood with one foot up on a bench, scribbling on his clipboard. “Micah, let’s get to it.” The coach wasn’t one for pleasantries. He was all business, and prepping his fighter for the event was his sole concern.

The coach took special care wrapping Micah’s hands. “How does that right hand feel?”

“Good.”

Harlan talked while he wrapped. “This match will be as bad as it gets,” he said. “So don’t be easy bait out there…remember what you’ve practiced.”

Micah watched the wrap winding around his hands, but didn’t engage in conversation.

Then the coach interrupted the process, and, with tape in hand, looked at Micah. “Your opponent doesn’t know what you’ve got. He has underestimated you.”

Harlan watched to see that Micah got the point. “Fromer needs that arrogant look wiped off his face,
permanently
.” Then he cracked a narrow smile. “Tonight is your night.”

Once Harlan was finished wrapping, the masseuse came over and worked on Micah’s shoulders. The kneading was relaxing, so he closed his eyes, considering the fight ahead. Every time Micah went in the ring, his life was in jeopardy. A heavy blow to the head could end it all.

And with the German killer in the ring with him, that was all the more likely. Yet that wasn’t how it was going to go down. Micah would walk through fire, if he had to, in order to save Gisele. A few punches weren’t going to scare him off.

Micah had prepared for this fight, physically and emotionally. The German might feel invincible, but he’d find out that he wasn’t. The formidable opponent was human, with vulnerabilities like any other flesh and blood man. He could be beaten.

After massaging the upper body, the masseuse had Micah lie on the table so he could work on his hamstrings. The place was a buzz of activity, and the tension mounted. Noise from the crowd in the arena filtered back to the locker room.

This fight was such a big deal that it was the only one scheduled for the evening. The bloodthirsty audience wouldn’t put up with opening acts. They wanted the main event, and soon, before they tore the place apart.

Micah sat up, and the masseuse gave him a pat on the back, signifying he was finished. Just as Micah was about to hop down from the table, Yuri loomed over him with two of his thugs by his side. He hadn’t met Gisele’s mobster father before, but he’d seen pictures of him.

Such cruelty couldn’t be captured on film. Only real life could reveal the hatred of mankind, redolent in the man’s expression. Yuri’s dark hair was greased back, and his green eyes were cold as steel.

The man’s imposing presence was meant to throw Micah off his game. Yet all the unwelcome annoyance achieved was to solidify Micah’s determination to win, and to wipe the smirk off Yuri’s grotesque face.

“Gisele is in the front row out there,” Yuri said. “I tried to tell her that Fromer is going to kill you in that ring tonight.” He glowered at Micah. “Then she won’t have any knight in shining armor to save her.”

“Are you trying to convince
yourself
, Yuri?” The thugs guarding the mobster leaned in, as if to grab Micah, but he met them with a condescending look.

No one was going to put a hand on Micah, and deprive their boss of the pleasure of seeing him pulverized by the German. The bloodbath had plenty of attraction, but there was a lot of money at stake, as well.

Yuri had come to see the fight, confident about increasing his fortune by watching Micah get beaten to a pulp. “You’re a thorn in my side, Rinaldi…an insect that needs to be squashed,” he said. “Without your
bad influence,
Gisele would have cooperated, and acquiesced to my demands much sooner.”

Yuri got right in Micah’s face, close enough for his stink to taint the air. “If you win against Fromer…which is
highly
unlikely…I’ll let you go. And you can take Gisele with you.”

Micah glared at the heartless mobster.

“But if you lose…” Yuri didn’t need to complete his sentence. Micah already knew what the deal was.

Micah jumped down from the table and walked over to his locker, as if Yuri and his men weren’t even there. They thought they were so important, their inner circle so impenetrable.
Yeah, keep right on believing that
, Micah thought.

It was tough to have faith in a criminal, which Yuri surely was. But there would be added peer pressure in play at the event, to keep Yuri in check, and provide incentive for the mobster to pay up when he lost the bet. Because Micah was going to win…and winner took all.

Micah jogged in place to warm up and settle his nerves. Then the music boomed, reverberating off the walls, indicating the start of the event. He strode down the hallway toward the shouting, then stood at the edge of the arena. Looking out, he saw Max Fromer part the ropes and enter the ring.

The man looked bulkier than he had before. The dude must have been getting in shape for this, just as Micah had. The competition would be fierce, but that would make the win all the sweeter. The German’s shaved head and tattoo-covered body made him look every bit the convict that he was.

The announcer screamed at the top of his lungs, “In this corner is Max the
Bru-u-u-ute
Fromer!” With that opening, Fromer pumped both gloves in the air, and danced around the ring, entertaining the crowd.

Micah jogged down the aisle to the floor, and when Harlan parted the ropes, he hopped into the ring. “And in this corner is Micah
Thu-u-u-under Pu-u-u-unch
Rinaldi!” The crowd went wild. Any man gutsy enough to face the German tank deserved their rowdy support.

Glancing down at the audience, Micah spotted Gisele in the front row, lodged between Yuri and his thugs. She was alone, the mob breathing down her neck, and without a bodyguard. Not that one would be effective against the mob, if they got riled up.

Luke and Zeke were conspicuously absent. But that wasn’t something the mob would notice.

Gisele thrust both her hands in the air, screaming out her support, although Micah couldn’t hear what she was saying. He thrust his glove in the air and smiled at her. Seeing her in the mob’s grasp, alone and vulnerable, made him feel like a fist had reached inside his chest to squeeze his heart. Micah loved her so much. Gisele’s freedom depended on him, and he wasn’t going to let her down.

The music faded and the crowd roared, anxious for the fight to start. The referee gave the fighters final instructions, and Micah looked into the soulless eyes of a murderer, his opponent. The bell rang and the mayhem began.

Skill and talent increased the odds of winning. But once in the ring, there was no way to predict the outcome of a fight. Part of the battle was mental, and finding a way to keep the opponent from fighting at his best.

Micah did all he could to be annoying, and throw off his German competitor. He maneuvered so as to stall the fight, and used clever methods to steal rounds. Micah maintained an attitude that he had more in him than he did, and the pretence proved effective.

Using feints and jerky movements, as if he had dangerous counter attacks lined up, Micah successfully slowed down the fight. He worked to make Fromer believe he was faster than he was. He overdramatized his movements, such as cocking his fist back to convey that he was a dangerous power puncher.

Despite the German’s size and aggression, Micah strove to scare him, to get into his head, and instill fear that Micah was more dangerous than he was. The tactics seemed to distract Fromer, to some degree.

The fight unfolded one punch at a time. Micah would pop Fromer with a hard jab, then fake a right but not throw it. Instead, he’d act as though he hadn’t been in perfect position. So, anticipating the actual hit, Fromer became more cautious.

The strategy seemed to annoy and frustrate the German, but he was still a powerful force to reckon with. Micah took plenty of hard punches, and it felt like Fromer had lead in his gloves. The dude was a tower of muscle, honed for action.

The fight was brutal and bloody, making the crowd go wild. The shouting was a din in the background, as Micah focused on staying alive. During the fight, he talked trash to Fromer to further incite him. And when breaks were called, Micah kicked aside his stool, and stood up in his corner to flaunt his endurance.

Fromer acted just as Micah predicted. He used the first rounds to show off, and demonstrate his greater strength. Micah perceived that the needling tactics were getting to his opponent, but the crowd only saw the heavy punching and bloody results.

One particularly forceful punch knocked Micah to the mat. Visions of Gisele, and what would happen to her if he lost, flooded his mind. His motivation surged, shooting adrenaline through his veins, and into his fists.

Micah leapt back to his feet before Fromer could attack while he was down. He was immersed in the heat of the battle. Soon Fromer would get desperate, and resort to cheating to guarantee his win.

It was vital to take Fromer out of the game before that happened. Strong determination, and an overpowering urge to protect Gisele, fueled Micah’s motivation. Just when it looked like he might die in the ring after all, he sprang into action, finding
the magic
that Harlan had spoken of.

A motivated fighter is a deadly fighter. When Fromer put up his gloves to protect his head from a thunder punch, Micah executed a well-targeted body shot. The sudden blow to his opponent’s liver was a surefire knockout punch.

Fromer was instantly disabled. On shaky legs, he doubled over, unable to catch his breath. The perfectly placed shot crumbled him to the mat. Max Fromer fell to the ground, unmoving, down for the count. Micah stood over him, until the referee yelled and grabbed his forearm, thrusting it up in the air.