Page 35 of Echoes of Obsession

“The moment you’ve all been waiting for,” Hunter says, his voice powerful in its excitement. “In this corner, coming in at one-hundred and ninety-two pounds, you all know him, you all love him, let’s hear it for Raul ‘The Reaper’ Mendoooooozaaaaa.”

The crowd goes wild as their favorite fighter raises his gloved fists in the air and walks around the cage. They chant his name, causing the fighter to shout back his approval.

“REAPER. REAPER. REAPER. REAPER.”

“And in this corner,” Hunter’s voice drops an octave as if he’s about to reveal a huge secret to the entire room. “He’s mean. He’s angry. He’s fucking furious. Coming in at one-hundred and fifty-nine pounds of pure unadulterated rage, a rising star, give it up for Nathan ‘Firecracker’ McAllisteeerrrrr.”

The lights flare and Nathan McAllister bursts into the arena, his eyes blazing with intensity. His lean frame is taut with barely contained fury, and every step is a controlled explosion of pent-up rage. The crowd’s energy shifts, a mix of anticipation and awe as they witness the entrance of this volatile new contender.

There’s only one problem.

“Is that a kid?” I ask Ghost.

“That mother fucker,” Ghost seethes. “He said the fighter didn’t want to meet until after the fight. Now, I know why. This also explains why The Reaper’s match was moved up.”

“FIRECRACKER! FIRECRACKER! FIRECRACKER!”

The chants echo, swelling louder as Nathan simply watches his opponent. His focus is unbreakable, as he points every ounce of rage in his body towards one single person.

Hunter’s voice rises again, charged with the electricity of the moment. “This fight is set to be an inferno, folks! Let’s get ready for a showdown between The Reaper and Firecracker! Let’s get it on!”

“Come on, babe,” Ghost says. “I’m taking you upstairs to hang out with Emily while I have a chat with my partner.”

“I think I’m good here,” I say quickly. “I’ll stay out of the way.”

“If you stay, you’re going to see a part of me that might scare you away, Snow,” he says. “I’d rather you not witness that until I have you tied down a little more. Plus, I don’t want you stressed. I read it can cause you to fall into a seizure.”

“It can, but I’ll be fine. If, by some miracle, this whole thing between us isn’t a joke, I’d rather see this side of you now than years from now.”

“Not a joke, baby,” he growls. “I’ll do whatever I have to for you to see that. Here he comes. Just know that I would never hurt you.”

“I know,” I admit. “I know you wouldn’t.”

“Good, baby. I’ll protect you and Dove with my very life.”

My heart flutters from his words, but as soon as Hunter opens the door, my heart flutters for an entirely different reason.

Ghost grabs Hunter by the throat, kicks the door shut, and slams the man against it.

“What the fuck did I say?” Ghost shouts. “Are you trying to get us locked up? What the hell were you thinking bringing that kid in to fight when I told you no?”

“Don’t worry,” Hunter gasps. “It’s all taken care of. His parents signed a release form.”

“A fucking release form?” Ghost yells. “I don’t care if they signed over their rights completely. That kid is going to get himself killed in that cage, and it’s going to come back and bite us in the ass.”

I can’t see Ghost’s face, but I can feel his rage. This isn’t good.

“Come on, man,” Hunter says through what little air he’s getting. “I covered all of our bases.”

Ghost releases Hunter and then punches him right in the jaw.

“Fuck,” Hunter yells, gripping his face. “What the fuck, man? Choking me wasn’t enough?”

“Explain,” Ghost growls, still not looking my way.

“First off, I’d like you to remember that I own half of this business,” Hunter starts. “You’re not the only one who gets to make these decisions.”

“That’s not the fucking point, and you know it,” Ghost growls, his fists tightly clenched. “You’re not only risking our lives with this stunt. You’re putting my whole fucking family at risk. If the police start investigating me for holding illegal fights, then it’s only a matter of time before they start looking into my family. Into King. Ever think about that?”

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