Page 77 of Captivating

Not a chance, motherfucker.

“Stop playing and end this, Killer,” Hudson shouts.

He’s louder than Dad. Always louder during fights.

Victor shifts his hips, lifting us both off the ground, and breaks my hold on his legs.

Fuck.

I lock my arm around his neck, and he flips us over and slams me back into the mat as the buzzer sounds, and round one ends.

Shit. Not how I wanted this round to go.

My eyes immediately snap to Lilah’s, inherently knowing where she is. And once I see her and know she’s safe, I move to Dad, Hudson, and Maddox, who all yell at once.

“Focus.”

“Breathe.”

“What the fuck are you thinking?”

Their words mash together as I swish water around my mouth and spit.

“You good?” Dad asks, and I nod and look at Lilah one more time. She’s surrounded by the men I trust most in this world. She’s safe, and she’s mine. I’m good.

“Yeah,” I nod, breathing heavy.

“Then fucking finish him,” Dad snarls, his calm breaking. “Don’t let this go to round three, you hear me? You’re the better fighter. Make sure he knows better than to ever challenge you again.”

I nod and shake out my arms.

Round two starts, and Victor rushes me, managing to pin me against the cage.

But his grip is sweaty and sloppy.

He’s already breathing hard before my fists fly against his ribs, over and over until I can force my foot out and leverage it to flip us around.

I press his face against the cage and slide my arm around his neck. “Tap, motherfucker,” I grunt as I cut off his oxygen.

His face turns purple as he fights to get free.

“Choke him out,” Maddox yells.

He tries to shift. To get under my grip. To kick. Desperation showing as he tries to free himself.

Until finally his fighting slows and eventually stops, and I drop him to the floor.

It’s like I’m in an airlocked tunnel for a second with no sound escaping before the arena explodes. The ref moves between us as the medics rush in, but as soon as I released my hold, Victor started coming to.

“The three-time world heavyweight champion, Killian St. James.”

Dad and Hudson rush the cage, but I tune them both out as I catch my cousin grabbing my girl. With Maddox pulling her forward and Rome shielding her from behind, they help her into the cage, and she runs for me. “You did it, champ!” she screams.

Blood and sweat cover me as she throws herself into my arms, and I lift her from the mat and squeeze her to me. I kiss her like we’re alone and there aren’t a hundred thousand people streaming this fight. “I fucking love you, Lilah.”

She pushes my sweat-soaked hair from my face and kisses my brow, my cheek, my lips. “I love you so much.” She holds my face still in her hands and kisses me over and over as she ignores everyone around us. “Holy shit, that was so hot. I’m so proud of you.”

“Yeah, baby. That was just the start,” I warn her, knowing when we get home, the celebration really begins.

---