Page 4 of I Am Lioness

“Is that all you got, Lani?” I taunted, inching toward her with a satisfied grin.

She growled, the sound loud and feral, and came running at me with renewed purpose, intent on taking me down.

Wrong move, girl.

I swung out with extreme force and my fist made explosive, bone-crunching contact with her nose, causing her to stumble back.

She. Was. Done.

Exhausted and in pain, her focus was long gone. Too stunned to cover, I brought my knee up straight into her gut and as she folded over, I trapped her neck in one arm, rolled her over my back, and slammed her down forcefully onto the mat beneath me. And then I wailed on her, over and over again, each blow harder than the last. The arm she’d hooked around me suddenly slipped away and the next thing I knew, the referee was pulling me to my feet. Leilani’s coach was inside the cage and down beside her in a flash, her prone, unmoving figure an obvious indicator of a knockout.

For the fifth and final time that evening, the ref grabbed my arm and threw it in the air as the announcer’s voice sounded out through the speakers.

“KO! K-OOOOOOOO! SHE’S DONE IT AGAIN! YOUR VICTOR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HAZELLLLL, LIONESSSSSSS, PEEERRRYYYYY!!!!”

After a quick shower in the locker room, I headed out to meet Bernie, Jason, and Emmanuel in the main lobby of the arena. Two of the three men were mid-very enthusiastic conversation about the fight when I approached.

“Where’s Manny?” I asked.

Jason tipped his head toward the front doors. “Pulling the Tahoe around.” He slid my bag over my head and slung it over his shoulder, a wide grin spreading across his face. “I believe a congratulations is in order.”

“I second that.” Bernie agreed with a beaming proud smile.

I curtseyed in the daintiest form I could manage, pulling the hem of my imaginary dress and all. “Thank you, gentlemen.”

Bernie slipped an arm around my shoulders, squeezing me into his side. “Damn good start to the season, if you ask me. I have a feeling this year is going to be bigger and better than ever.”

“Here, here,” Jason added, in his best Brit accent, raising his imaginary glass in a toast. “Tonight we celebrate!”

“Well, I don't know about you two but after a fight like that, I am starving.” Bernie rubbed the small beer belly he was developing with age. “We can celebrate AND eat.”

“I'm down for some grub, old man.” I grinned.

“Hazel…” He flashed me the famous Bernie side-eye.

Strike two.

I giggled, wrapping an arm around his back. “It's a term of endearment, Pops. You really need to get over it.”

“I’m not old.” He grumbled.

“Manny’s out front,” Jason said amidst Bernie’s tantrum, typing something out on his phone. “Shall we?”

Bernie and I nodded, falling into step behind him as he led the way. Nearing the front doors, I noticed Reyna Fonseca -one of the top four fighters from last season- chatting it up with two men. One looked strikingly similar to her, so similar in fact, I wondered if they were related. Standing side by side, it was easy to see they were nearly the same height and their dark features were virtually identical. The other man, however, was a almost a giant in comparison. My gaze worked it’s way up from classic black and white Chucks to a pair of dark wash jeans and a tight black tee. His arms were covered in tattoos, not an inch of bare skin visible amongst the black and white designs. From my vantage point, I couldn't make out exactly what they were but it was obvious the artist was a talented soul. All that art didn’t stop there though, no, it creeped up his neck, tapering off seamlessly to the buzzed sides of his head. Then a chiseled jaw came into view and I jerked to a stop as flashes of Blue Eyes from the tenth row instantly flooded my mind.

It can't be,I thought to myself, but then I noticed those nibble worthy lips…

And that perfectly sculpted nose…

And those vividly blue eyes...

Holy crap.

Itwashim.

Him, standing there with Reyna, staring straight at me as he, too, seemed to have a moment of recognition. My heart started hammering in my chest.

“You okay, kid?” Bernie asked beside me.

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