Beat (The Beat and The Pulse #1)

by Amity Cross

  “I didn’t pick it, smart ass,” I said, elbowing her. “The referee gave it to me. I’m stuck with it now.”

  “Why do they have stupid names like that? Ash doesn’t have one.”

  “He doesn’t need it,” I replied. “Some people here don’t want their real names bandied about. For good reason, I bet.”

  “Oh,” Josie said, eyeing a fighter that was walking past. “I guess you’re right.”

  “Reign.”

  We glanced up as one of the referees came up and tapped the bleacher in front of us. “You’re up after this next lot. Fifteen tops.”

  Nodding, I replied, “Got it.” I’d miss Ash’s fight, but he didn’t need a lucky charm.

  “Shit,” Josie said. “Are you ready? Who are you fighting?”

  I shrugged. “I haven’t checked the board, but from the way Rogue has been eyeing me all night, I’m guessing they drew me with her.”

  “Oh, fuck. Are you worried?”

  “Nope. She won’t make it easy this time, but I’m ready.” I nodded toward the cage. “Ash is up next. Keep an eye on him for me?”

  “Sure. But I don’t think he’ll need the likes of me looking out for him.”

  Smiling, I said, “Don’t run off with any degenerates while I’m gone, okay?”

  “Can’t make any promises,” she replied with a wink.

  Waving, I sauntered off to the change rooms to prepare myself for my fight. Checking the board on my way past, I saw that I was right in assuming I’d be up against Rogue. Glancing at the bookie’s boards, my odds had gone down to four to one. Not bad. Rouge’s had dropped from three to one to five to one. That had to hurt.

  All eyes trained on to me as I entered the fighter only area. I didn’t have to talk to anyone to know exactly what they were thinking. Was I going to KO Rogue again? I didn’t know, but I was sure as fuck going to try. I didn’t want to be that one hit wonder, the fighter who got lucky once on her debut and never scored again.

  “You’re mine,” Rogue spat, slamming her shoulder into mine as she passed. I stumbled back a step, dropping my roll of bandages. She was a bully, plain and simple, and bullies didn’t like being beaten.

  “Save it for the cage,” I said blandly, bending over to pick up the bandages.

  Not bothering to even glance at her, I made my way back out into the arena as they were getting the floor ready for the next round. Ash came bounding up to me, high on adrenalin, and I didn’t have to ask him if he’d won or not.

  He planted a kiss on my lips, a hand curling around my ponytail and tugging hard. Our tongues danced for a sweet moment before he drew back and smiled.

  “You gunna serve Rogue her ass again?” he asked.

  I shrugged, totally swooning at his sudden burst of playfulness. Things were good. Finally, I felt like smiling.

  “You won, I assume?” I asked instead.

  He stroked his fingers through the length of my ponytail and puffed out his chest. “Of course.”

  I gestured to Josie, who was watching our exchange with a smug look on her face. “Look after Josie for me while I’m in there?”

  Ash glanced up and grimaced. “Sure.”

  “Put a shirt on first. I’m afraid she might lick you.”

  He cupped my face in a sweaty hand and kissed my forehead. “You got it, Spitfire.”

  As the announcer called out our names to the crowd, Rogue pushed past me again and stepped into the cage like she owned the entire joint. She was cocky and overly sure of herself. This would either be the hardest fight I’d ever been in, or the easiest.

  Stepping in behind her, the cage door was secured and locked and it was just me, her and two referees. Rogue toed her line and glared at me with the fire of a thousand suns. Man, she was a ball of fury and all of it was aimed at me.

  Remembering what Ash told me about letting anger rule me in the cage, I took a deep breath as the referee held up his arm. Rogue was letting her rage control her mind. This I could use.

  There was a shrill whistle as the bout began and no sooner than the ref had gotten out of the way, Rogue came forward swinging with a guttural scream. Leaning backwards, I felt a gust of air as she missed my face by what felt like a millimeter. While I was distracted and off balance, she kicked out and her foot connected with my knee, making it collapse from underneath my body.

  I felt to the mat awkwardly, pain shooting up my leg. Rolling to the side, Rogue’s knee missed as she came down with the full force of her body behind her. She landed on the mat hard, crying out as she jarred her knee against the hard surface.

  Taking advantage, I scrambled to my feet and shoved her face forward onto the mat, pushing a knee into her lower back. Wriggling out of my hold we fell onto the floor and wrestled until I managed to fist my hand into her hair. I smacked her head into the mat with as much force as I could muster. I felt the shockwave through my arm and let go, scrambling back as the crowd roared my name.

  Shit, I’d hurt people in the cage before, but not like that. Not so brutally.

  Rogue moaned and struggled to her feet, swaying from side to side. Sweat and blood poured from her brow as she staggered forward, her fists up in the guard position. I could end this with one perfectly aimed blow.

  She was so out of it that when I came forward on the attack, she was too sluggish to counter properly. My fist slammed into her temple and her head snapped back.

  For one sickening moment, she looked like she was about to fall, but she steadied herself and let out a growl. The crowd held its breath as we all thought the same thing. She was slipping.

  Rogue’s head lolled back and forth as she tried to hold on to consciousness. The crowd started thumping their feet on the bleachers as her eyes began to roll into the back of her head. When her body slammed into the mats, totally limp, they went wild.

  I was well and truly in the shit now.

  Chapter 31

  Ash

  Fuck. Ren KO’d Rogue. Again.

  I’d usually laugh at that shit, but that would be like rubbing salt into an open wound.

  Scanning the crowd as the ref spun my Spitfire around in the ring, I caught sight of the ugly fuck I was looking for almost instantly. He did not look happy. Hammer slammed his fists against the bleachers and his gaze raked the crowd. When it found mine, he jabbed a finger toward me, the warning plain in his crazy ass expression. Sore fucking loser.

  I made a note to keep an eye on him and his ugly ass until the Championship bout. There were still two rounds to go, but it was clearly me and him. I wouldn’t put it past the fucker to try something. And shit, Ren just kept kicking them square in the balls.

  I wasn’t sure if I should be proud or making her rein it in.

  “Ren is a machine,” Josie exclaimed beside me, drawing my attention back to the cage.

  I never knew Ren had a friend outside of Beat. The more I thought about it, the more it made me sound like a total asshole. Of course she had friends. She did work at that cafe around the corner, so it was inevitable, right? Ren was stunning, fierce, a real firecracker...of course she had friends.

  I watched Josie staring at Ren as she exited the cage, her eyes like saucers. It was clear she was out of her comfort zone. She was this together, uptight, corporate woman. The Underground wasn't a place for a woman like her.

  “What are you fucking looking at?” Josie hissed when she realized I was staring at her.

  “What's your fuckin' problem?” I drawled.

  “You,” she replied.

  “What the fuck did I do?”

  “You let her come here and get the shit beat out of her, that’s what!”

  I stared at Josie and grimaced. Yeah, but Ren fought me until she was blue in the face. I still didn’t want her to be here, but who could fight that Spitfire when she wanted something? Not even me.

  “She fuckin' won,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  “She's not a bloody beefcake Rambo wannabe,” she went on, oblivious to the crowd around us. �
��She's not a steamroller like you. You mow everyone down like it's nothing. Ren has to work for it like everyone else and when you work like that, you get hurt. Ren’s not untouchable. As far as I'm concerned it's your fault.”

  I narrowed my eyes, starting to get annoyed. Never in my entire fuckin’ life…

  “You hurt her, and I’ll rip your balls off,” she said, jabbing a finger at me.

  I gritted my teeth, trying to rein it in because she was Ren's fuckin' friend, but when it came to me hurting my Spitfire...she'd messed with the wrong guy.

  “I’d fuckin’ die for her,” I hissed. “I didn't want her to come here. I-” Turning away, I ran a hand over my face.

  Josie was staring at me open-mouthed. “You love her, don't you?”

  Catching sight of Ren weaving her way toward us, I hissed, “Shut up.”

  “So fucking jealous.”

  I raised my eyebrows. Fucking women.

  Ren reached us just as we were exchanging a less than pleasant look.

  “You’re not arguing are you?” she asked, glancing between us.

  “I was worried he was a douche,” Josie declared.

  “And what's the verdict now?” Ren asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

  I glared at Josie, my way of warning her to keep her smart comments to herself, but she just flicked her hand at me.

  “He's okay,” she said, dismissing our little spat like it was nothing.

  “Just okay?” Ren replied, but I started to fade, my thoughts taking me from their conversation.

  Did I love Ren? Could I love her? Is that what this thing was? Every time I saw her, my heart did this…thing. I didn’t know what the fuck it was, but it hurt. I wanted to protect her, keep her safe from this place, from anyone that would see her harmed. I wanted to keep her for myself.

  Then every time I thought about her, my cock stirred and all I could think about was fucking her perfect pussy stupid. Tasting, biting, licking. Fucking her from behind, up against the wall and ploughing into her with reckless abandonment. Sweat, fighting, sex.

  Was that love?

  “Hey,” Ren whispered, nudging me with her shoulder. “You okay?”

  Rubbing my chin, I nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Where were you just then?”

  I didn’t know how to tell her that I was trying to come to terms with all the things I felt for her, so I just said, “My cock. Your pussy.”

  Her lips curved into a grin, then she was laughing, her whole face lighting up. She was so fucking beautiful.

  Leaning over so Josie wouldn’t hear, she whispered, “How about...your cock. My mouth.”

  Cue instant boner. My eyes widened as a vision of Ren on her knees with hollowed cheeks slammed into my brain. It was the only thing I could see and I nodded, leaning in for a kiss. My cock in her hot, wet mouth. Fuck, yes.

  “Yeah?” I brushed my lips against hers.

  “I thought you’d like that.”

  Rubbing a hand over Ren’s thigh, I glanced at Josie who was staring at Hamish, aka Goblin, with wide eyes. That was lust if I ever saw it.

  “Let’s go back to Beat,” I said. “And take her home before she gets knocked up.”

  “Hey,” Josie exclaimed. “I heard that.”

  Ren laughed at her friend and squeezed my hand. “He’s right you know,” she said. “You’re foaming at the mouth.”

  “Oh, fuck you,” she said, trying not to laugh. Standing with a dramatic sigh, she stormed off down the stairs, parting the crowd as she went.

  “That’s a bit dramatic,” I drawled.

  “That’s Josie,” Ren replied.

  “You’re really close?”

  She frowned at me. “I do have friends outside of Beat.”

  “I figured.”

  “Oh, you’re such an asshole,” she said, her lips quirking.

  “Does that mean I’m not getting head later?”

  Ren just laughed, following her friend through the crowd.

  Catching up to my Spitfire, I leaned over and nipped at her ear. “The moment that door closes and we’re alone, you’re delivering, Spitfire.”

  She glanced up at me, her face flushed. “Can’t fucking wait.”

  Chapter 32

  Ren

  The Underground was pumping.

  Something was in the air and even I could feel it, pinging against my skin like little crackles of static electricity.

  Josie had declined on coming again, and just as well. I wasn’t going to let her back here. Not after beating the shit out of Rogue again. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to my bright and optimistic friend because of something I did in the ring.

  “Watch Rogue,” Ash said as we weaved through the crowd to get ready for the night’s bouts. “You beat her scrag ass two times in a row. She’s going to try something.”

  “I know,” I replied. “All eyes open, Maverick.”

  I helped him get ready for his first fight of the night, bandaging his hands, rubbing his muscles, kissing him for luck. He didn’t need it, but I would’ve kissed him anyway. While he was there all of my worries seemed to fade away, but the moment he was gone, I felt eyes on my back, burning little holes into me…warning what was coming. Because something was coming.

  Ash went out for his bout and I busied myself stretching and bandaging up my hands for my own bout later on. I could hear the roar of the crowd as he went through the motions. Not being there to watch him fight didn’t bother me as much anymore. I had complete faith in his ability, although I loved watching his body move as he dominated in the ring. My thoughts inevitably went to that first night we’d had sex on the floor at Beat, his body over mine, our eyes locking in the mirror. I almost had to fan myself and I bounced on my heels shaking my arms out. Fuck, now I was horny for hot animal sex. Damn, I loved watching his body, in more ways than one.

  Glancing up, I saw a male fighter watching me. I recognized him from a few fights I’d watched, but I couldn’t remember if he’d met Ash in the cage before. I looked over his physique and he grinned slyly at me.

  Rolling my eyes, I turned away. Best not give him the wrong idea.

  The fighter sidled up to me and before I could step away, a big hand clamped down on my ass and squeezed.

  “Hey,” I cried. “Fuck off, asshole.”

  “That’s no way to speak,” he growled, trying to palm my other ass cheek. “I saw you lookin’.”

  “That’s no way to treat a fucking woman,” I retorted, turning and shoving his hands away. “I wasn’t looking at you like that, asshole.”

  Suddenly it hit me where I’d seen him before. He was a part of Hammer and Rogue’s posse. Was this her revenge? Getting some guy to come in here, wait Ash out, and try it on with me? Try or force?

  He stepped into my personal space, crowding me back into the lockers. My back pressed into the cold metal as he shoved his groin into my thigh. Okay, force.

  I shoved him hard in the chest with the flats of my palms and he backed off a step. I went to move away, but he wasn’t done with me yet. Glancing around the change room, I suddenly realized it had emptied out. Fuck. Shit. Ass. They’d planned it.

  The fighter pushed me back against the lockers, using the empty room to his advantage, but I was having none of it. Just because I was winning fair and square and they had their jocks in a twist over it did not give them the right to fuck with a woman like this. Not me, not anyone.

  With a growl, I kneed the fucker in the nuts making him double over, right at the same moment that Ash walked in and witnessed the entire scene.

  I shoved the fighter off me as he grasped his balls, his face turning red, but Ash strode up and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, slamming him head first into the locker, a wild look in his eyes.

  Fuck.

  The guy stumbled back, blinking hard and all hell broke loose. I stumbled out of the way as another two fighters came up from behind and launched themselves on Ash, holding his arms. He’d done nothin
g wrong, he was just trying to protect me, but here there were no boundaries.

  “Get the fuck off of him,” I screamed at them, but the guy who’d tried it on with me, stood to his full height and pounded a fist into Ash’s stomach, making him double over, air whooshing from his lungs.

  “Assholes,” I screamed beating uselessly at the closest man. He was too heavy for me to even make a dint.

  The fighter who'd rubbed his cock against me, shoved me back into the lockers and Ash struggled harder, trying to break free.

  “Don't fucking touch her,” he roared, but the only the answer he got was another fist, this time connecting with his left cheekbone.

  There was a shrill whistle as a group of referees and security poured into the room, brawn overpowering brawn, separating the fray.

  Shit, an epic fighter brawl over me? What had I gotten myself into?

  “Enough!” The head referee walked into the middle of the room, his voice thundering in the now silent room. “You fucks know the rules. No fighting outside of the cage. If this goes on, every single one of you will be disqualified. I don’t give a flying fuck who you are or how much money you’ve got riding on your bout. You fight outside the cage and you’re done. Got it?”

  There were a few grumbles and sideward glances aimed at Ash and I, like it was our fucking fault.

  “Did he hurt you?” Ash asked, winding an arm around me. I felt the tension still coiled in his muscles and I knew he wasn’t going to let this go. Not easily anyway and that kind of frightened me a little.

  I shook my head. “I deflated his balls. If you hadn’t come along, his eyes would’ve followed.”

  “You shouldn’t have to fucking do that,” Ash growled, his fingers biting into my skin.

  “No, but it’s done.”

  “Fuck that.”

  I grabbed his face in my hand and made him look at me. His eyes were dark, which was bad news. “Ash, don’t do anything to fuck up your Championship. Not over me.”

  “Fuck the Championship,” he spat. “I don’t give a fuck. I’ve told you before. I don’t fight for the money.”