Page 114 of 4th Degree

The only thing that keeps me from spiraling into a panic is knowing that Tristan and Jax wouldn’t be here if something was wrong with Dominic. Coaching and working relationship aside, I know how much those guys care about him.

So, I focus my attention on Aiden. He seems excited to be in the cage for his second pro fight, so much so that he’s maintained his playful persona in the face of his determined opponent. When the ref asks the fighters to touch gloves, Aiden mimics rock paper scissors instead.

Whether that’s meant to confuse his opponent or not, the tactic throws off the Red corner enough that the fight quickly goes downhill. As soon as the bell rings, Aiden is out of the Blue corner like a shot, taking his opponent down before the guy even knows what’s happening.

Thirty seconds into the fight and the two men are already on the ground, Aiden in a dominant position. His opponent puts up a valiant fight, but he’s never able to regain the momentum. Every time he tries to get off his back and to his feet, Aiden drops a few punches to his ribs, an elbow to his face, and stuns him enough to put him right back on the mat.

On Red’s third attempt to push Aiden off, Aiden grabs the guy’s arm and swings his leg around to secure the armbar submission. Dropping his own back to the mat, he pushes his hips up and forces Red to tap.

The arena erupts into chaos. That was a dominant, two-minute fight that ended in an impressive submission by the favored fighter. It was a perfect fight.

I let out a loud cheer, bouncing on my toes and clapping for my friend’s victory. I’m so glad I came.

There’s cheering inside the cage, too. Jax is lifting Aiden up and even Tristan is grinning and clapping for his friend. The whole team is so supportive and elated.

I miss them.

I force that thought from my head and absorb the excitement in front of me. Aiden is still grinning from ear to ear when his name is announced as the winner, and as the announcer pulls him aside for his interview.

“Aiden Reeves, what a victory! Did that fight go the way you expected it to?”

Aiden grabs the mic and looks out at the crowd. “I’m sorry, Bob. I’m going to interrupt you for a quick second. Can we get all the lights on in here, please?”

A murmur runs through the entire arena, everyone confused about what’s happening. But after a few seconds, every light in the arena flips on.

The rumblings grow louder, and my head whips around, as does everyone else’s. With his hand shielding his eyes so he can scan the crowd, Aiden is clearly looking for something. Or someone.

“Skylar.”

I freeze in place when I hear the voice behind me.

Aiden spots me at the same time. With his grin becoming impossibly wider, he points me out in the crowd and says, “There we go, found her. Do your thing, Coach.”

Then, as if that was the most normal thing in the world, he turns back to the announcer. “So, Bob, you asked if that fight went the way I expected it to. Well, obviously, I planned on winning. So, I’d say it did.”

A chuckle sounds from behind me, and the whole situation is so bizarre that I find myself turning around.

And coming face to face with Dominic.

He looks…happy.

Well, actually, he looks tired. There are dark circles under his eyes, and he looks a little worn down, but…he looks happy now. A genuine, warm smile sits on his lips, and there’s an air of relief about him.

“Hi, Skylar,” he says quietly.

“Hi,” I reply, feeling breathless.

Suddenly, it registers that even though Aiden is still answering questions in the cage, we’ve become the center of attention in this part of the arena. Plenty of people have turned toward us, and I can hear them whispering.

“What are you doing?” I chance a glance around us. “Everyone’s staring.”

Dominic never takes his eyes off me. “Good. That’s what we wanted.”

I frown. “We?”

His smile grows. “Yeah. Me and Aiden. Turns out, the guy’s a really good wingman. Go figure.”

Still, I can only blink in shock. “What is happening right now?”

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