Page 11 of Burn for Her

“Rematch or I’m out for good.”

Bane narrowed his gaze at her threat. “You don’t mean that.”

“Try me.”

It would kill her to walk away from this perfectly suitable money maker, but there were other outlets she could immerse herself in to burn her aggression. Lena held a wad of bloodied paper towels in her hand and ignored the sting and ache across her face. It didn’t hurt nearly as bad as her back. But that was her own damned fault. She’d been too slow to protect her soft parts.

“I can’t stand by and let you go another round against that guy, Lena.” Bane gripped her shoulders as his intensity levels went through the roof. “Trust me on this. He’s. Not. A. Fair. Match.”

“I’m not here for fair. I’m here to win and walk away with bank.” That’s why she took on the opponents she did. Even after two years of fighting with the fools who stepped into the ring with her, she was still considered the underdog because of her size and sex. It pissed her off, but she’d learned to use it as a leg up.

And she won more than she lost.

That meant all those new guys who came and took one look at her, thinking she was an easy win, paid out and most of it went into her back pocket. She even challenged men who looked like they could take her down in one hit because it made her ego inflate when she was the last one standing.

Tonight, however, she might have bitten off more than she could chew. A mistake she wouldn’t make again. “Fine, let him have the bragging rights. This time.”

Not that there was much to it since that fucker was twice her size and moved like the Flash. Hand-to-God, she had no idea if he struck her too many times in the head, or if she just lost the ability to keep track of his movements, but that guy—known as the Jackhammer—moved like lightning and struck as hard as his name insinuated.

It was unreal.

She wanted a rematch, and she’d get one. Just not tonight. Lena had more training to do before she challenged that prick again. She was a fool to think, all because he looked unraveled earlier, she could take him on. “Put me in with Nekko instead.”

“No fucking way.”

“I’m not asking, Bane.” She punched him in the chest with her bloodied, busted fist. “If I go home now, after having my ass handed to me, I’ll never get into a good fight again. My profits will plummet.”

“It would serve you right!” Bane roared. “You were reckless with this one, Lena. What would you have done if I hadn’t come tonight?”

Damnit, she didn’t want to think about that. But he was right, this was a totally fucked up decision on her part. It’s just that she was desperate, which, okay fine… might have made her stupid and careless. Reckless, like Bane said.

“I made a mistake,” she whispered. “It won’t happen again.”

“He could have killed you.”

She winced. Again, Bane was right. There were no rules down here. Well, except the obvious one… The Jackhammer could have beaten her to a pulp and left her for dead out there. She had no one except Bane to watch her back. He was the only one who kept a close watch on her at these meet ups.

“You don’t need the money, Lena. We both know that.” Bane handed her a fresh wad of paper towels. “Everyone here knows that.”

“What? How?” They never used real names. Besides Bane, who she sometimes confided in, how could anyone possibly know who she was?

“No matter how busted you get, you’re still fire. Every man with a pulse can see the beauty past your bruises. I think some went a little overboard and did a little digging on you. They know exactly who you are.”

Lena rolled her eyes. “Fuck it, I don’t even care.”

“Reckless.” He wagged his finger in her face. “Seriously, what’s gotten into you lately?”

He was right. Again. Damn him. “I’m sorry,” she said and looked down at the stained, filthy floor. “I honestly don’t know what’s come over me. And tonight, I just took one look at that guy and wanted to ring his motherfucking church bells.”

Ironic how she chose him because he was a cocky sonofabitch, when the truth was, Lena was the pot to his kettle. What she wasn’t willing to admit about her derailment lately? Nothing satisfied her—not food, not fights, and she hadn’t orgasmed in so long, a good dick-down wouldn’t even touch the itch she needed scratched at this point.

Life was losing its color. Her “fair-matched fights” had lost their thrill.

Tonight, she chose an opponent she had no chance of winning against. Lena just wanted to go down swinging, if only to feel the burn and rush of adrenaline while she fought for her life. If there was only a slight chance of being victorious, it would make the win so much sweeter and exciting.

Soooooo maybe she did have a death wish.

If Bane hadn’t showed up and kept track of when things went from bad to worse, no one else would have pulled her out of that ring in time. The Jackhammer would have drilled her sorry ass into the ground and left her there for dead.

---