Page 46 of The Explorer
“Aubri, are you sure you want to do this?”
“It’ll be fun,” she told me before waving her hand at the petite woman and shouting to her. “I’ll fight your boyfriend.”
Banni said something fast in French that glued the peoples’ gazes to Aubri and me.
“Your offer has been accepted,” Banni shouted to Aubri over the noise that erupted. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Aubri removed her sweater, revealing a thin beige top and black pants that hung low on her hips. With her chin held high, she walked with her back straight to the center of the room.
The Gorilla stood for a moment looking at her as if he wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. Aubri on the other hand took her time to run her hands over her braids and remove a ring on her finger that she carefully placed in her pocket before sealing it.
I couldn’t understand the things people were shouting but if I were to guess from their laughs, they were telling him to go easy on her.
Men in the Northlands underestimated Aubri all the time, but I would have thought these people were wiser. Compared to them, she was a tall woman and with her confident stance, she was signaling that she knew what she was doing. But maybe women didn’t fight here, or maybe this man was so superior to all the other fighters they’d ever seen that it seemed unthinkable for a woman to beat him.
When the woman came around asking for our bets, I leaned in to Banni. “Can I borrow money to bet from you?”
“Oui.How much do you want to bet?”
With a small smile, I whispered. “As much as you can spare.”
Banni’s eyes widened and then he spoke a number to the woman that made her laugh at him. I didn’t understand her answer, but her body language said, “You’re joking, right?”
After a quick glance in my direction, Banni confirmed that he was serious. The woman held up her wristband to show him the number he was betting and they both nodded.
“I just transferred my entire savings to that woman. If Aubri loses I’m fucked.”
“Hey, Aubri,” I called out. “Banni’s got money on the line so youhaveto win.”
Her jaw dipped, signaling that she’d heard me.
It was warm in the underground room and Banni was sweating profusely, making his thin shirt wet on the back.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” he muttered low. “What if she loses?”
Crossing my arms, I scooted further back on the table and waited for the fight to start.
Aubri had always been an expert at riling up men. Her mother and Raven had taught her tricks to get under her opponents’ skin as a tactic to trip them up emotionally. This time, she couldn’t use her clever words, but she was already making eye contact with him and playing her game.
The Gorilla winked at Aubri and spoke to her in French.
I didn’t like the way he licked his lips. “Alex, what did he say to her?”
“That if she wanted him to touch her all she had to do was ask.”
Lowering my brow, I wished that I’d volunteered instead of her.
The man now moving closer to her was a few inches taller than Aubri’s six feet. They moved in a circle with their knees bent and their arms in fighting position.
Aubri’s eyes were glowing and I felt my own heart race from the tension and excitement in the room.
What if he’d gone easy on his last opponent and we had underestimated him? There was no doubt the man was strong and could knock Aubri out if she let him get close enough.
His first attack was a half-hearted jab in her direction. He laughed and seemed to think this was a show rather than a fight.
As he looked over to his fans and made what was no doubt a witty comment, Aubri reacted like a cobra seeing her opening. Boom! Her foot was in his face with the speed that made her lethal.
He staggered back with shock and surprise on his face.
