Page 4 of High Stakes

“You don’t need them, and it’s best to practice without them. You must be at your strongest, even when you’re weak. You have more enhancements than the guys, and since I don’t feel like hearing Abram whine about it, let’s make it an equal fight,” he finished with a wink.

No fight between Assets was ever equal. We had different strengths and different fighting styles. If I could describe our sparring matches in one word, I’d label them as entertaining.

Victor and Kael watched from the edges of their seats as the first two Assets circled one another. Abram lashed out first, throwing a punch to the side of Titus’s head. With that jab, Titus’s cocky attitude melted away. His jaw muscle ticked in time with his quick feet. Titus exploded, throwing his size into every blow.

Maru winced as Titus delivered a punch that had Abram’s head lolling for a second. He quickly recovered, barreling into Titus and knocking him to the floor where they wrestled around, neither able to gain the upper hand for more than a second or two.

“Stretch,” Maru ordered.

I folded forward but kept my head up, watching to see who would win, because that would dictate which one I would fight. Standing up straight, I rolled my shoulders and made small circles with my arms, widening them every few revolutions.

“Good, now jog in place.” Maru watched intently as Titus took to punching Abram’s abs. Abram, instead of wincing, smiled. “Uh oh. He’s got him.”

“Titus knows better than to wear himself out,” I tutted. He kept punching until his arms tired, and when he could no longer deliver an effective punch, Abram ended the match with a single, forceful blow to the head. Titus crashed to the ground like a tree felled in the forest.

His trainer rushed to him, falling onto his knees and holding an ammonia towelette under his nose. Titus came to immediately and jumped to his feet, ready to continue the fight. The tech in his hand flared, detecting the injury, and his suit amplified his body’s healing response. The small gash on his cheek healed in a blink. With a grimace, he wiped the blood and sweat away. He glared at Abram for a moment, but in the end, offered him a handshake. “Good fight.”

Without answering, Abram turned his back on Titus and focused his predatory attention on me. He punched his gloved hand and waved for me to enter the ring. To bring it.

“He’s going to fight dirty,” Maru offered as I walked toward the ring, like I didn’t know that already. It was obvious Abram wanted to show off. He was watching Victor and Kael in his periphery.

“Keep your hands in front of your face, and if he tries anything, go for the groin.” Maru shrugged when I raised a brow at him. “If he brings it, you end it. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Victor won’t approve of a below-the-belt move.”

Maru snorted. “Victor would wholeheartedly approve. How do you think he rose to power? By fighting fair?”

He has a point...

Abram bounced from foot to foot as I threaded my leg through the ropes and ducked into the ring. Titus joined Victor and Kael, and Abram was noticeably miffed by the attention they were giving him instead of us as the three discussed Titus’s error. On the floor, the men were engrossed in their conversation and didn’t even care that Abram and I were about to spar.

Abram turned his attention back to me and a dark shadow fell over his face. He stalked forward, uttering a prayer and crossing his chest. It was the same ritual he performed when he faced a vampire.

Maru slapped the mat. “Fight!”

We circled each other slowly. I walked left and he stepped right, keeping the same pace. The circle we formed shrank with each revolution until we were within striking distance.

“Make it quick!” Titus shouted. “I’m starving.”

Victor’s laughter floated up to us. “You’re always starving.”

Abram growled, striking first with lightning speed. I blocked that blow with my glove, but his second hit landed on my shoulder.

I wasn’t going to let him beat me.

Not after yesterday.

I unleashed hell on him.

Crouching down, I swept his feet out from under him, smiling when his breath escaped with a whoosh. I heard Victor stand. Then Kael. Titus walked over to stand with Maru ringside. I heard every movement, my hearing keen and clear, but never took my eyes off Abram.

He kicked out, trying to take me down, but I jumped away. Abram leapt to his feet and held both gloves above his head to call for a pause. I held mine up to acknowledge the request.

“Permission to use enhancements?” he spat, looking to Victor.

Victor looked between the pair of us, sizing us up. I knew he would grant the request. He loved to see what we were capable of now. “Granted.”

Titus shook his head and cupped his hands around his mouth. “You just made a grave mistake, friend,” he yelled to Abram.

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