Page 72 of Choke Hold

And all I can do is laugh. “Asshole.”

TWENTY-FIVE

I keep my hood up and my eyes down, trying to tune out the happy voices in the room with me. Adão just finished his brutal fight that went all three rounds, and it ended in a decision. He won, and he fucking deserved it.

And as much as I want to congratulate him with everyone else… I’m next.

Before every fight, I’ve always sat alone and quietly visualized the fight I want to go into. I form scenarios in my head, and how I would approach each one to bring this fight into my control. I imagine the feeling of a takedown and plan my attack, as well as the feeling of an attack on me and how I will defend and redirect.

But right now, I’m having a hard time doing that. Because this fight is different from any other fight I’ve ever been in. I’m coming back from an injury that almost ended my career, and the guy who caused that is fighting the guy I love right after me.

“Hey, Tiger.”

I lift my eyes from my lap as Luca sits on the chair across from me. He’s left me alone since we came in here, and I appreciate that he recognized my need for this space. But I also appreciate that he apparently recognized how it isn’t going so well.

“Hey,” I say, dropping my eyes again.

“Not to interrupt the broody focus ritual you got going on here, but…” he pulls his chair a bit closer to me, “show them to me.”

I look up at him again with a furrowed brow. “Really?”

He nods eagerly. “Yes.”

“No.”

“Come on.” He inches his fingers up my leg and under my shorts. “Just a peek.”

“Fuck off,” I say as I bat his hand away. “I have them on, you know I do.”

He smiles widely. “Fucking right you do.”

I sigh and close my eyes, wanting to forget him forcefully trying to put the tiger boxers on me just an hour ago. I was going to wear them anyway… but he was being annoying about it so I was pretty damn close to changing my mind.

“When a tiger chooses to fight,” he says in a low voice, “he can take out a d-hole in a single swipe.”

I open my eyes to meet his, and he smiles softly.

“Ty.”

We both turn to Max as he stands by the door, and he tilts his head in a gesture that it’s time to go.

I stand up, pull my hoodie off and toss it on the chair. But as I turn to leave, I pause. I look down at Luca’s soft hazel eyes peering up at me and let the comfort from his gaze settle my nagging thoughts.

Then I lean down and press my lips to his.

“Go get him, Tiger.”

This venue is huge, and the crowd is loud. The walk to the cage is almost overwhelming with deafening cheers, but I keep my eyes focused on the cage at the end of the walkway and try my hardest to channel my energy where it needs to be.

I reach the cage, and the ref motions for me to spread my arms so he can pat me down.

Max watches me and doesn’t say anything. Usually, he would have a pep talk lined up and give me my final instructions for this fight, but everything that needs to be said has already been said. I know exactly what to do.

“Good to go,” the ref says, stepping aside to let me into the cage.

I meet Max’s eyes and he smiles.

“Hit hard, hit fast.”

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