Page 97 of Strike Zone

I hold him for the longest time. “You asked.”

“You doubted me? You’d have had the ring on your finger when Lilah was born if you hadn’t gone into labor.”

“You were going to propose that day?”

“Yep. I had a whole thing planned with the team and a human cage. It was going to be super cute.”

“This is perfect. Just you, me, and Lilah.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“I have one condition for setting a wedding date.”

“Name it.”

“I get my title back first.”

“That was a given. You don’t think I’m planning on marrying an ex-UFC fighter, do you? I know you, Diana. This is something you need to do for you, and you alone. Me and Lilah… we’re here for it, ready to cheer you on all the way.”

“What did I do to deserve you?”

“I’m not sure, but it must have been pretty awesome. How romantic is this?”

“It’s amazing, and so are you.”

We lie under the night sky in a field of candlelight, just the three of us, and I thank my lucky stars for the amazing man by my side and our beautiful daughter laying asleep on my chest. We talk and laugh for hours, making plans for the future. Tonight was perfect. Everything about it was stunning, elegant, and more than I ever could have dreamed of.

As Linc pulls me to my feet, he envelops me in his arms.

“I’m still getting that blow job you promised when we get home, right?”

Chapter Twenty-One

DIANA

ONE YEAR LATER

Usually, I’m pumped and ready, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I stand in the wings, listening to the crowd chanting my name when they start playing my song. Tonight is different. I haven’t fought in almost two years now, and as I begin the walk to the cage, there’s a churning in the pit of my stomach as Katy Perry’s “Roar” blares through the speakers of the MGM Grand’s arena.

Every fight of my life until now has been about me. I had nothing to lose when I stepped into the arena, no one to answer to, and no responsibility to anyone other than myself. This is the first time I feel like I’ve got something to lose. It’s not about the title anymore or even my opponent. Tonight is about me and my journey.

In the past two years, I’ve challenged myself in ways I never thought possible. The last time I was here, my life looked completely different than it does now. I’d just found out my ex was married, and I was pissed off at the entire male species. I let him take my self-confidence and sense of self-worth and crush it underfoot. Then, bam, Linc came crashing into my life with all the subtlety and nuance of a bull in a china shop.

Tonight, he’s ringside, waiting to cheer me on the way he has been all throughout training, working out and jogging Central Park at ungodly hours with me, pushing Lilah in her stroller.

We brought her with us to Vegas because I couldn’t bear to be away from her, so we asked my mom and dad to fly out and babysit during the fight. Brooke and Anders are here, and if I’m not mistaken, Brooke has a slight curve to her stomach that I know all too well. I hid it long enough myself. I figure she’ll tell me when she’s ready.

Gray is at my side, talking me up with his thick New Jersey brogue, telling me I’m going to crush my opposition and walk away the victor. He’s predicting a third-round knockout, but his optimism is doing nothing to calm my nerves. Gray still tries to motivate me the same way he did before I became a mother, and the problem with that is, I am forever changed by the birth of my daughter.

I take a deep breath and remember what Linc kept telling me last night. Forget about the crowd. Forget about everything else around you. Your biggest fight is with yourself. Tune out the doubts and focus on your body. The natural ebb and flow of movement.

He was right. If I overthink this, the jabs will be off by a fraction and my footwork clunky, but it’s hard not to psych myself out. I close my eyes and try to tune it all out, shaking my arms and legs, letting go of the tension that’s been building all day. Nerves are healthy, but fear is not. I’ve never been afraid of getting hurt before, but there’s an unease in the pit of my stomach tonight—not for myself, but for Lilah. She needs me in one piece, not beaten to a pulp.

As I wait for them to announce my entrance, my stomach is on a spin cycle, threatening to make me heave at any moment.

“Get your head in the game, Dee. Where the fuck are you at right now?” Gray braces his hands on my shoulders, snapping me out of my thoughts. “This is the biggest fight of your career. It’s your big comeback.”

“Don’t you think I know that? You pointing it out to me every five seconds for the past two months isn’t helpful. I can hear sixteen thousand people screaming, and I’ve seen the odds on me winning, getting a knockout, or losing. I’ve studied all of Kayla’s fights and moves. Just back the fuck off and give me a minute.” I shrug out of his grasp and blow out a few deep breaths.

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