Page 25 of Fighter Daddy's Girl

“That’s what I like to hear, champ. And you’ve got about twenty minutes.”

I get to my feet and start to stretch out. Closing my eyes as I do, I start going through the fight in my head. Visualizing the fight. It’s all part of my pre-fight ritual. I want to be good and limber, physically and mentally, by the time I get into the ring. Going up against somebody younger and faster than me is going to bea challenge, but as long as I stick to my game plan and do what I do, I’m going to be fine. If I fight the way I know how to fight, nobody can beat me.

“Excuse me, miss, but you can’t be in here. This is for the fighters only,” I hear Ray say.

A smile touches my lips, expecting to see Grace, but when I open my eyes, I’m surprised to see who’s actually standing there.

“Lila,” I say.

“Miss, you’re going to need to go?—”

“It’s okay, Ray. She’s a friend of mine.”

Ray frowns, seemingly not very pleased with the distraction of a pretty girl coming into the locker room just before a fight. But there’s a look on her face that worries me. She shuffles her feet, wringing her hands together, her eyes wide and filled with fear. Putting on my robe, I step over and put a hand on her shoulder, looking her in the eye.

“What is it, Lila?” I ask.

“I just ... when was the last time you talked to Grace?”

The tone in her voice matches the look of near-panic on her face, and it sends a chill down my spine. My belly churns, and my throat is dry.

“We exchanged texts, but I’ve been locked down training and prepping this week, so not for a few days at least,” I say. “But she’s supposed to be here tonight. Are you not with her?”

She shakes her head. “I haven’t seen her for a couple of days, Griffin. I’m scared something’s happened to her.”

My stomach drops into my shoes, and my heart stops dead in my chest, a sick feeling washing over me.

“It’s not like her to just disappear,” Lila says, her voice trembling. “But she hasn’t returned any of my calls or texts in the last couple of days. Campus police refuse to help, and I’ve been going out of my mind.”

I put a hand to my head and pace the room, that sick feeling getting stronger. No, it’s not like Grace to just disappear. It’s not like her at all.

“Champ, we need to get ready,” Ray says. “It’s almost time.”

“Hang on, Ray. Just … hang on a minute.”

“Griffin, it’s worse,” Lila says. “Professor Bryson hasn’t been to his classes for the last couple of days either.”

It takes me a minute to recall the name. Bryson. He was the guy in the restaurant harassing her the night I took her out. The night I told her about this fight. I remember the look of fear on Grace’s face.

“Please, Griffin,” Lila says as tears stream down her face. “We have to find her.”

“Griff, we have to get ready,” Ray urges.

“Give me a fucking minute, Ray!”

Pacing back and forth, my head is spinning. Grace wouldn’t just disappear without saying a word to Lila. Or to me. No way in hell she just vanishes like that. Not on her own. There really is no decision to make, so I throw off my robe and quickly start to dress.

“Griffin, don’t do this,” Ray warns.

“I have to.”

“If you walk out now, you’re never going to get another shot at the title,” Ray says. “You’ll never get to where you’ve always wanted to be.”

Grace’s face flashes through my mind, and her voice echoes in my ear. I feel her fingertips on my skin and think about those times when we’re lying in bed together, staring into each other’s eyes, neither of us feeling the need to speak while just enjoying the connection between us. It’s in those quiet moments we share that everything seems to make sense. When I feel more complete and whole than I’ve ever felt in my life. Than I ever thought I could feel.

I look Ray in the eye and nod. “I’m good, Ray. I am where I always wanted to be.”

13

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