Page 90 of Spike

Why was Spikedoing this? Did he need money? Was it some sort of macho glory BS? None of thismade any sense, and the worst part was, I may not ever get the chance tostraighten it out with Spike because he’d likely be in a coma soon.

Spike locked eyeswith me. It was brief, but it was clear he now saw me.

** *

Spike

Every last bit ofair left my body, and I lost the ability to take the next breath. My legswobbled and my right hand was inches away from touching the canvas, earning myopponent a second knock down.

I glanced over towhere Trixie was seated and caught her bright blue eyes. Beacons of pure light,surrounded by utter darkness.

Fuck this. I’m notgonna let myself get beat to death in front of the woman I love. I’m not gonnalet another bunch of bully assholes tell me what I can and can’t do with myfucking life!

Arlovski took astep back to let me fall. But this time I didn’t go down. I re-planted my feet,blocked out the fact that I felt like I was drowning, and focused on my righthand. I imagined I was holding that old, rusty, railroad spike again. Irecalled how it felt in my hand the day my fate had changed. I imagined it waseven heavier now. That instead of being made of steel, it was made of my lovefor Trixie. Forged from something far tougher than molten iron.

Time felt like ithad slowed down, but in reality, this all happened within seconds. Before Iknew it, I’d stepped forward, and delivered an uppercut with everything I had.My new spike in hand. Fighting for her. Fighting for us.

** *

Trixie

I was in shock. Incomplete disbelief at what I had just seen with my own eyes.

Spike was secondsaway from defeat when, from out of nowhere, he punched the Mangler so hard, thegiant stiffened and fell backwards like a fallen oak tree. Spike lookedbattered and dazed as the referee began counting down from ten all the way downto one.

The crowd wentcrazy. Bottles, cans and just about everything else flew into the ring, as Spikewas announced as tonight’s winner and new champion. I took this as my cue toget out of the crowd before a riot broke out.

** *

Spike

I was stillcatching my breath as Ropes and Clutch hustled me back to the dressing room.

“What the fuckh…happened back there?”

“You won kid,that’s what happened,” Ropes said.

“Trixie! She’shere somewhere,” I said. “Someone needs to find her and make sure she’s okay.”

“I’m on it,” Minussaid, before taking off back toward the ring.

“Holy shit,” Isaid, trying to replay the last few minutes in my mind.

“More like deepshit,” Clutch said as we reached the dressing room.

He opened the doorto reveal Edison standing with his one remaining bodyguard.

“Like I said,”Clutch grumbled.

“What the fuck wasthat?” Edison shouted.

“You heard thereferee. That was our fighter beating your fighter,” Clutch said.

“That wasn’t thedeal,” Edison seethed. “Spike was supposed to lose.”

“I told you not tobet against me,” I said.

“Don’t get cutewith me, punk,” Edison said.

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