Page 20 of The Fight

He chuckles, not at all put off by my attitude. “I like to see things for myself. Hear things firsthand. And I’ve been hearing that you’re one hell of a fighter, Shay. A real powerhouse in the ring.”

I raise a brow. “Yeah? And who’s been saying that?”

“People who know talent when they see it.” He flashes a grin. “But I’m not just here for you. I’m curious about this place. The fighters. The setup. There’s a lot of potential here.”

My skepticism doesn’t fade; neither does my annoyance. This arrogant asshole just interrupted something I definitely didn’t want to stop.

“Potential for what?”

“For something bigger than this,” he says, gesturing around the empty gym. “You’re good, Shay. Real good. But fighting in these small gym matches is only going to take you so far. I’m talking about real fights. Sanctioned matches. Bigger crowds, bigger paydays. You can’t tell me you’ve never thought about that.”

I narrow my eyes, trying to get a read on him. There’s something about his demeanor that makes me uneasy. He’s smooth, too smooth, and it feels like he’s just saying exactly what he thinks I want to hear.

“And you’re the guy that’s going to make it happen, huh?”

“Could be.” He shrugs. “That is, if you’re interested. You can be more than just another small-town Florida fighter.”

His words hang in the air, and despite my gut, I feel a flicker of interest. Making my own cash and getting out of here and away from my dad would be pretty fucking great. And making that cash by doing what I love and making a name for myselfwould be even better. He’s dangling the very big, very shiny, proverbial carrot in front of me, and I can’t help but want to believe him.

I glance over his shoulder again, but Blair is long gone now. There is no point in chasing after her. She’s probably halfway home, and besides, she’ll probably just want to talk more shit anyway.

I shift my attention back to Blake. “What’s the catch? You don’t just show up out of nowhere offering guys like me a shot at the big leagues without wanting something in return.”

Blake laughs again, but there is something sharper in his smile this time. “No catch. I’m just doing my job—finding talent and helping it grow. I get a cut, sure, just like any promoter. But you make money, I make money. It’s a win-win.”

I study him for a moment, weighing his words. It sounds too good to be true, but then again, maybe that’s just the cynic in me. “Alright. Let’s say I’m interested. What happens next?”

His smile widens as he claps me on the shoulder. “We set up a meeting and talk details. You show me what you’ve got in the ring—first hand—and if what everyone says about you is true, and I like what I see, we move forward. Simple as that.”

I nod, still not entirely convinced but willing to hear him out. “Fine. I’ll think about it.”

“Good deal. I’ll be around, just kind of scouting out the other fighters. Let me know when you’re ready to talk more.” He steps back, then turns, walking slowly toward the door and bouncing his eyes around the gym.

“Oh, hey, Blake!” I call out before he reaches the door. When he turns to look at me, I continue. “If you’re full of shit, I’ll find out.”

He just laughs, throwing me a wink. “Wouldn’t expect anything less from a fighter like you, Cornell.”

As he exits, Austin enters with his gym bag in hand, doing a double take as they cross paths. He jogs up to me and motions to the door behind him. “Yo, who was that?”

“Some promoter,” I reply, keeping my tone casual. “Says he’s with Orion Promotions, looking for talent.”

Austin’s eyebrows shoot up. “Orion? Damn, that’s big-time. Think he’s legit?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe. He seemed pretty interested.”

He whistles low, shaking his head. “Man, if he’s for real, that could be huge. We never get the big shots in here.”

“Yeah,” I mutter more to myself than Austin. “That’s what makes me skeptical. Why all of a sudden is someone like him here?”

He claps me on the back with a grin. “I don’t know, man, but don’t question it. If he’s still poking around in a few days, he’ll see you fight, then we can see how legit he is. Just don’t forget about us little guys if you make it big.”

I snort and shove him playfully. “Yeah, right. Like I could ever forget your ugly mug.”

He rolls his eyes. “Whatever. Ready to spar? Gotta get you ready for your next fight, playa!”

“Let’s do it.”

As Austin pulls his tape from his bag, I glance at the door one last time.

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