Page 80 of Shifting Gears

“Don’t forget to cheer for me, baby,” I said.

I strode into the center of the ring, flexing my muscles as I twisted slowly from side to side, stretching my back muscles. Koroshi met me there. The ref’s arm separated us as we stared back at one another. One thing was for sure: I wasn’t going to let him fake my punches anymore. He’d feel each and every one of them.

The air was tense; the crowd's murmurs died down as all eyes turned back on us. The second the ref removed his arm and jumped back, I went on the attack.

No fucking around this time.

I launched a fast inside low kick to the knee, aiming to buckle him at the start. My shin smashed against his leg with a thud, but he pivoted at the last second to divert the brunt of the blow.

He spun with a back fist, and it connected with my shoulder. I slapped my hand around his wrist and chuckled as I turned and yanked with all my might, dragging him over my back. I tossed him on the floor.

This motherfucker had to be part cat because he flipped over me and somehow landed on his feet and left hand. His eyes snapped to mine.

I kept up my assault, throwing a savage right hook, aimed straight for his jaw, anticipating he would try and block it.

And I was right.

He brought his arms up and blocked my punch with a tight guard, and his forearms absorbed the brunt of it. But feeling his flesh and bone under my fist made me smile. He was actually feeling my attacks now. I wouldn’t let him avoid them any longer.

I immediately continued my attack, throwing a mean body shot, followed up with a left hook and finally a right cross. Each blow landed on their targets. Hearing him grunt as the last one soared across his jaw made my adrenaline pound in all the right ways.

I caught him with a solid left to the ribs, and he staggered half a step.

“Come on, boy,” I growled under my breath, circling him. “Ain’t so untouchable, huh?”

He didn’t answer. But I could feel his energy switch.

He was angry, but he’d not gone on the attack yet. He could have easily attempted to counter after half of the last blows I had landed, but he’d chosen not to.

There was something about this whole match that felt off. I wanted to know what.

Why was he not fighting back? What was he planning?

A man who worked for the yakuza had his life on the line each match; if he lost, there was a chance he wouldn’t walk away to fight another day. So, why risk it?

I prepared for my next move, but just as I took a few steps?—

Bang!

A loud sound of a door slamming open resounded through the space, causing the entire crowd to quiet. All heads turned to the direction of the front entrance’s stairwell as heavy footsteps pounded down them.

Koroshi’s head snapped toward the entrance, stopping my fist mid-punch.

The bouncer, who usually keeps the front door in check, ran into the room, holding his shoulder, which was bleeding.

“Cops!” he shouted into the room.

In seconds, the space erupted into chaos. People poured out from the bleachers as shouting came from the entrance. I watched as officers began to pour into the opening.

I looked back across the ring, and Koroshi was gone. As if he had disappeared into fucking thin air.

That was when the first gunshots rang out. I ran to the edge of the ring, jumped over the gate, and hit the deck. I covered my head with my hands as gunfire rained down. Screams and people rushing to get to cover or run out the back filled the air. I opened my eyes and looked around, searching for Sydney.

I saw Kaito run up the back steps and disappear out the door. Two of his bouncers turned back from escorting him to face the crowd to open fire at the cops.

He must have used his bodyguards to stop the crowd from using the back entrance long enough for his escape. Fucking coward.

That was when I saw Sydney. She was sprinting after him, slipping right past his bodyguards.

---