by Dani Wyatt
“You do anything, step one fucking pubic hair out of line again, I’ll cut you like a rotten fish. We clear?”
I nod, trying not to get my hopes up that what is happening is real.
Maria comes around and gives me a hug. “Don’t worry about him. He’s just grouchy because the doctor switched him to decaf.”
She looks down at Maggie and smiles, turning to kiss Teddy on the cheek and moves away back down the stairs.
“Get your ass in the locker room. Three hours until your fight. You’re lucky as hell I didn’t scratch you already. And no pussy before the fight. You get down there, tell her you’ll see her after. Don’t fuck with me.” He points a finger in my face and I nod. “Grimer Diaz will wipe the cage with your blood if your head isn’t exactly right. Your body is fucked, but it’s your heart that will win.”
“Thank you.” I manage as he shakes his head, grumbling, and slams his office door as I descend the stairs until I’m next to Maggie, Maria giving us a satisfied smile.
“You’re in?” She stands up, her bright blue eyes sparkling.
“Don’t fuck up.” Maria adds. “My charm only goes so far.”
“I can’t thank you enough.” I hold my hand out and she sniffs and pushes it away, grabbing me and hugging me like a mother.
“Thank me by winning tonight. Nothing fixes Teddy’s mood like his fighters winning.”
When she lets go, she turns away, humming and nagging at another fighter to put some balls into the bag he’s working, then disappears into the back room.
“Okay, baby.” I lean down and kiss Maggie’s forehead. “I gotta go. Teddy said no pussy before the fight...”
She giggles. “Good thing you got some right before we came.”
“Good thing. Now, go get Liza. Mom and Dad and Dino are going to meet you both out front at the venue, eight o’clock. You have the tickets?”
She reaches down and taps her backpack. “Yep.” She reaches up and hugs me so hard I feel every beat of her heart against mine. “Don’t get hurt.” She whispers into my ear, then lets go, her eyes connecting to mine. “And kick his ass.”
With that, she grabs her backpack and I hand her the keys to the Chevelle, watching her fine ass sashay out the front door of the gym as I turn and grab my bag, taking the walk down the hall to the locker room, imagining my fist raised in the air, my opponent on the mat, unsure what freight train just punched his ticket.
15
Maggie
I WATCH AS TEDDY HAS his hands on Stone’s shoulders, yelling in his face as he chews on his red mouthguard and shifts his weight from foot to foot, shaking his arms as he listens intently to his coach.
I don’t know how many people are crammed into the venue but I’d guess it’s a few thousand, and from the change in the energy since Stone walked out and through the crowd, a good portion of them are here to see him.
If he wins, he will be validated. So many comments on his video said it was staged or he must have been smoking PCP or something to make him that crazy. I know he wants to prove himself, but he also wants to prove something to himself.
He can channel his beast and create the life he wants, not only for himself, but all of those he loves.
Tonight won’t win him the life changing money, but it will put him on a track that will.
Liza, Caroline and I all hold hands as the announcer introduces Stone and his opponent, Grimer Diaz, to the crowd.
I don’t care Stone isn’t the headline fight for the night. He’s here, fighting after taking what he took last night. That’s superhuman, and whatever happens, I’m proud of him.
“It’s so hard to watch.” Caroline turns to me and both Liza and I nod. “God, please just let him not get hurt.” She finishes, squeezing my hand as the buzz from the crowd drowns out the deafening pound of my pulse in my ears.
Dino and Reggie clap and whistle, shouting insults at Diaz and encouragement to Stone as the ref waves them out of their corners and Teddy and Evan from the gym make their way out of the cage to their positions behind their fighters on the floor of the arena.
The crowd is hyped, they know who Stone is. His video means he needs no introduction, but that doesn’t keep Diaz, who is dancing around him with a purple mohawk while the referee for the fight goes through the usual spiel about having a clean fight, no low blows, blah blah.
Stone stands completely still, the intensity in his eyes as he follows Diaz around the ring making me scared for the more seasoned fighter.
By the time both fighters come to the center and rub fists, I’m ready to throw up, but Stone looks like he’s ready for blood.
Stone
I JUMP IN PLACE, KEEPING my focus and my body warm in the mass of cheering and jeering from the crowd.
Diaz and I rub gloves, he smiles, his yellow mouthguard taking up his top teeth as he calls me a pussy and jogs backwards, shaking his head back and forth as the ref points us each toward our corners.
Above us, the jumbotron has my name and face, and everything feels so surreal.
I shoot a final glance at Maggie and the rest of my family, because that’s what they all are, my family—and in the next few seconds, it will be go time.
I’m at a disadvantage. I’m beat to shit and I’m a nobody in this sport, if you don’t count my internet celebrity, but in my heart, I know I’ve got what it takes.
I just need to channel the beast.
Diaz points his finger at me as the ref backs to the cage, a finger at the end of extended arms pointed toward each of us.
I center my focus on Diaz. I picture Maggie.
He’s the enemy.
I will destroy him, because he stands in between what is mine and what my life will be.
At the last second, I do the unthinkable.
The flash of Diaz throwing Maggie against a wall, smashing his lips to hers as she screams my name...
The ref claps, my switch flips and there’s nothing left but the win.
Diaz is fast. He has a longer reach. He has more experience. More training.
It won’t matter. All I see is red. All I see is him hurting what’s mine and for that, there is no mercy.
He comes out hard, a shot to my jaw lands, then he’s dancing. Another shot to the cut above my eye and there’s a momentary jolt of pain but I shake it off.
I just need to find my opening. One moment is all it will take.
He spins, a round-house kick coming, but I dodge and dip. The grace from the years of dance classes is something that most fighters don’t have.
Diaz braces his hands in front of his face as we circle. I take my first shot, diving forward with a knee directed to his mid-section, but he’s ready and grabs it, shoving me away.
What he doesn’t know, is that’s exactly what I wanted him to do.
For the split second he’s off balance, time slows. Tunnel vision takes over and all I know, is if they don’t pull me off of him, I won’t stop and this could be his funeral.
I spin and for a fraction of a second my line of sight is on Maggie, her hands clasped together in front of her chest, her eyes on me as she shouts my name. Then I see my dad, the pride in his eyes and the fear.
It’s time.
I slam my right fist into Diaz’s jaw, watching the spit and blood fly, but I’m not done. I will put him down like a rabid dog.
My left fist hits the side of his head, then another to the other side, and I imagine his brain slamming back and forth inside his skull, but he’s still standing so I’m not done.
I twirl, more a pirouette than a fighter’s spin and for a silent moment I thank my mother for the dance classes just before my foot connects to the back of his skull and he falls, not even sixty seconds into the first round.
He’s out and the crowd is on their feet. I’m frothing, down on my knees, cocking back for more, unable to calm the animal that needs blood, death, the win at all costs, when from behind arms grab me, hauling me up and off the unconscious fighter as the ref dives
over him and I’m dragged back to my corner, each breath like fire in my lungs.
“You did it, kid.” It’s Teddy’s voice I recognize as he grabs the sides of my face and focuses me on him. “It’s over. Breathe.”
The crew for Diaz crash through the gate of the cage, sliding down on their knees and dealing with the unconscious lump of flesh that taunted me just minutes ago.
The ref grabs me, and Teddy is by my side as he pulls down the mic and makes the announcement.
“The winner by knockout...Stone Reiss!”
The cheers are deafening as my fist is held high, but all I see is Maggie on her feet, clapping and swiping tears from her cheeks, standing next to my mother who does the same.
I grab the mic, pointing toward Maggie.
“For you.” Is all I can manage before I storm out of the cage, security screaming for me to stop as the crowd closes in.
I shove and push until I find my prize and Maggie jumps up, her arms around my neck as I pull her to me, marching through the throngs of cheering masses.
I lift her high as she yelps, then settle her on my shoulders as she raises her hands high, screaming and crying, taking the only trophy that matters with me as I make my way from the arena.
16
Stone
EPILOGUE
Two Months Later
As I work my way downstairs from the bedroom, I run my hand back and forth over my head, my body reminding me of every punch and kick I took last night.
The scent of fried bacon hits me halfway down the stairs and along with the sizzle of the pan I hear Walk the Moon’s ‘Shut Up and Dance with Me’ playing, with Maggie singing along.
Before her, I never cared about having a girl with me. Never really put much thought into having a domestic life of any sort. I wasn’t some card-carrying bachelor, it was just not something that landed on my radar.
Now, I can’t stand the thought of not waking up next to this goddess every morning. In fact, we haven’t spent a night apart in more than two months and if I have my way, it will be that way for the next hundred years.
When I reach the bottom of the stairs, I maneuver around the moving boxes, half of them opened and things strewn everywhere.
Maggie is a wonderful mess and if I have to follow her around for the rest of our lives picking up after her, I will do it gladly.
I hear Unicorn swearing up a blue streak from his new aviary in the sunroom. I didn’t like him being cooped up in that other one; this one lets him fly around and stretch his wings. I had it delivered and set up the day before we moved in, two weeks ago, and fuck if it didn’t make Maggie cry when she saw it.
She couldn’t believe I cared so much about her bird.
I told her, she may have had Unicorn before I came into the picture, but what is hers is mine, and the other way around, so I just sort of figured I had honorarily adopted the foul-mouthed avem.
When I come around the corner, my heart leaps and my cock jumps.
There she is, naked except for a white frilly apron and red heels, her hair a mess as she shakes that fine ass to the music while turning the bacon over in the cast iron skillet. The morning sun warms the entire kitchen from the wall of windows that look out onto the lake behind the house.
It's more a cabin than a house. Built over a hundred years ago, and it needs some love, but Maggie adored it the moment we drove by and saw the for-sale sign. I wanted to buy her a mansion, and my career is on the upswing, but I’m not flush with the sponsors and cash just yet. But I’m doing hella okay for being in the game such a short time.
That day we were taking a drive, just enjoying being together, when we came down this little dirt road and saw the sign and older man in the driveway putting a green American Tourister suitcase in the back of a car.
He saw us slow as we drove by, Maggie’s eyes wide, and for some reason he waved. We stopped, had a chat, and found out he had to move his wife of seventy years into a care facility and instead of being without her, he’d decided he was moving in there with her.
An hour later, I drove to the bank, came back and put a deposit down and signed a contract for us to buy the house over time. Not sure why he trusted us the way he did so fast, but here we are and Maggie is so happy, I don’t know if a mansion would be any better for her.
I stand in the kitchen doorway, naked, and just watch her for a few minutes, still wondering how I got so fucking lucky that day my Brighteyes walked into the bar and changed my life.
It is these simple moments that hit me the hardest. Just being and living like this with her I feel all my dreams have already come true.
Except one.
I wasn’t sure when would be the right time. I’ve been agonizing and planning, but nothing felt right until this second.
I slip back down the hall to the little office that Maggie will use for her work. Back in the corner, there’s a little compartment next to the bookshelf where I’ve kept a little secret for the last week.
When I won the fight last night against Antonio ‘Rocket’ Holmes, my hand held high, I almost did it then and there when they handed me the mic, in front of the ten-thousand people cheering me in the arena with Maggie clapping right along in the front row.
But it didn’t feel right. It wasn’t for them.
Now feels right.
I make my way back to the kitchen, the song has changed and as I come up on the doorway, Maggie steps out and practically knocks me down.
“Hey!” She smiles after a surprised yelp. “I was just coming to see if you were ready for breakfast.”
I wrap one arm around her waist, pulling her body into mine, all the filthy things I want to do to her running through my mind as my cock hardens. But instead I spin her around and let out a grunt as I lean down and drag my tongue up her neck, her hands running over my shoulders and down my back.
“Well, I guess you’re feeling better.” She chides into my ear.
“I’m feeling a lot of things, but yes, better.”
When we got home from the match last night, I was sore and tired. It was the longest fight I’ve had and it went into the seventh brutal round before I won.
By knockout.
Which has become my new nickname, because it’s how I’ve won every match I’ve had so far.
I run my nose through her hair and she still has that sweet, cherry-vanilla scent I caught that first day in my apartment when I leaned in and took a deep breath next to her.
“Kiss me.” I growl, and she brings her lips to mine, my hand sliding upward to the back of her head, gripping her hair and brushing our lips together. When I pull back, I look down into those blue eyes that still make my heart skip. “You taste so fucking good. No matter where I put my mouth...”
“I feel the same way about you.” She chirps, her hand running down between us to encircle my erection as she licks her lips. “You know I love your taste.”
I want her. Right now, I want her, but I have something else to do first.
“Is the stove off?” I check first, because my lovely sweet girl nearly set the place on fire the night we moved in when she forgot she had a fry pan with oil on the stove, ready to fry some pork chops.
She nods and I pull her to the sofa in the living room, sitting down, my one hand holding the box, my other holding hers, pulling her down to sit on top of me.
When she does, she lets out this little moan as the slick heat from her pussy connects to my cock and she reaches down before I can stop her...not that I wanted to...and slides every inch of me deep inside her pussy, making me forget for a moment I have other plans.
She starts to rock and move and I grit my teeth as I try to focus. “Baby.”
“Yes?” She whispers, her hands on my shoulders—pushing up before letting herself back down.
“One sec, just sit still...”
Surprise covers her face and I don’t ever want her to think I don’t want her, so I speed up the process.
“I love you. I fucking love you.
”
She tilts her head. “I fucking love you too.”
“Fucking. Fucking. Fucking.” Unicorn chimes in from the sunroom adjacent to the living room, and Maggie shrugs and smiles.
I take a deep breath. I don’t remember ever being this nervous, so I plow forward, bringing my hand between us and turning it upward as I flip open the top of the box with my other.
Maggie’s hands fly to her mouth, her eyes darting from the sparkling diamond to my face, then back.
“You need to be my wife, Maggie. That’s the deal.” It’s not exactly how I’d planned the proposal, but it’s what came out and it’s the truth. “I’m not living without you.”
I take the ring out and slip it on her tiny finger, her lips parting and her eyes going wide in disbelief.
“Really?” She says finally.
“Are you fucking kidding me? You’re surprised? I would have married you that day I came to your apartment with the coffee. I can’t believe we’ve waited this long.”
She nods. “I know. I just...you never know.”
“Well, you do now. I know it’s not the biggest diamond, I wanted to get you something—”
“It’s perfect. It’s the most perfect thing ever.”
“When I get more sponsors, win the championship...”
“Which you will. But I never want another ring. Never.”
One of the million things I love about her, is the money isn’t important. She wants me happy, as I want her happy, and if we end up with millions? All the better, but knowing we are this happy, right now in this moment, the money will be a cherry on top is all.
She stares at the ring, my cock still seated deep inside of her, and when I look up she’s biting her bottom lip and staring at me like a Cheshire cat.
“You okay?” I put my hands on her cheeks as she nods, her smile growing. “What?” I draw my brow tight because I know that look. She’s terrible about keeping secrets and I can tell there’s something coming.
“I have a surprise for you too.”
“What is it, baby?”