Page 132 of Divine Obsession

But Kali moved first.

Climbing the cage wall with a precision that sent the crowd into a frenzy, she leaped onto him, her legs snapping around his thick neck like a vice.

Her body twisted, muscles taut as she locked her ankles together and wrenched him off balance. The man staggered, clawing at her legs, his face turning red as he gasped for air. But Kali held on, her grip firm, her expression cold as stone.

He fell to his knees, and the cage floor shuddered under his weight. Blood smeared across the ground as he pitched forward, his movements growing slower, weaker. The crowd screamed louder, chanting her name.

Kali shifted her position with ruthless efficiency, tightening her chokehold.

Then it was over.

Mortal’s body went slack. The referee hesitated, unsure whether to intervene, but before he could, she released him with a shove, sending his massive frame crumpling to the ground.

Sighs of relief left not only me, but Trevor too.

His friend, on the other hand, had no reaction, other than glaring across the floor towards Kali.

In the cage, she stood over her opponent; chest heaving, fists clenched and bloody. Kali screamed, a guttural, primal sound that sent a chill down my spine. She threw her hands in the air, circling the cage and urging the crowd to roar louder.

And they did, the energy in the room boiling over.

The cage doors opened, and Kali hurried out; her long braids swung as she moved, blood still dripping from her knuckles.

The crowd erupted into another wave of deafening cheers, but she didn’t seem to hear them anymore.

Kali’s focus was fixed on a man waiting for her just outside the cage. She jumped into his arms, and he caught her with ease, laughing as he spun her around. The gesture was affectionate;intimate. His hands steady, holding her like she weighed nothing.

Then Kali threw a fist in the air, her victorious grin lighting up the chaos around her. The crowd roared again, their energy feeding off hers, and the man holding her smirked, clearly enjoying the spotlight just as much.

My chest tightened with recognition.

Tony DeMone.

The youngest of the DeMone siblings.

I’d only met him a handful of times, but his reputation was impossible to ignore. Tony was a legend in the criminal underworld – a fighter so devastating that his matches rarely lasted longer than ten seconds. A knockout artist who moved like a predator and hit like a sledgehammer.

A sudden memory fromEclipsehit me. Francesca worried about her younger brother. And Kali’s tight, almost angry response.He’s fine.

And now, my best friend was wrapped around him, bloodied and triumphant, looking like she belonged here, in his world.

Gripping my wrist again, Trevor bulldozed through the crowd as we cut a path toward Kali and Tony. Her victorious grin faltered the second she saw her brother.

Tony, on the other hand, stood calm as ever, his arm dropping from her as he set her down. “Relax, man–”

In one swift move, Trevor released my wrist and grabbed Tony by the collar, hoisting him up.

“You wanna explain to me what you’re doing here with my little sister?” Trevor’s voice was low and lethal.

Tony’s dark eyes narrowed slightly, but his voice stayed even. “She’s a good fighter–”

“Not your fucking problem,dago.”

The slur hit like a slap, but Tony didn’t flinch. Instead, his hands came up, clamping down on Trevor’s wrists, which were still gripping his collar. His arms tensed, and I saw the veins in his forearms bulge with the same intensity as Trevor’s.

“Back. Off.” Tony’s tone was a cold; a quiet confidence that only came from knowing exactly what he was capable of.

My stomach tightened as I glanced between the two of them, certain they were about to kill each other.