by Evelyn Glass
“What about you? You didn’t bet on me?” Grayson takes a step towards her, unable to stop himself, as if her presence takes his body out of his control.
Adriana’s hand is on the door, and she doesn’t turn around; but, he can see her shoulders sag a little, and he curses himself for being so thoughtless. “Not this time, Gray.” She says the words so quietly that it’s as if she doesn’t think that he’ll hear them. However, they reach him loud and clear, and it’s obvious that she’s not talking about the fight.
He stares at the door for a good few seconds after she’s walked through it, tempted to go after her. He wants to tell her to bet on him being there for her and being who she needs him to be; he wants to prove to her that she can believe in him.
“You ready to go give her a good show, chief?” Tommy interrupts his thoughts, rocking up and down on the balls of his feet, nervous.
Grayson nods grimly as the realization dawns on him that he wants to win for Adriana. He wants her to see him win, to be proud of him. If he can’t make her understand how much he cares about her and if he can’t tell her all the things that he’s worked for so many years to keep inside, then at least he could do this one thing that she’s asked of him.
But his head was still reeling from having Adriana so close to him and not being able to touch her, not being able to feel her. He needs to get his head straight and fast. There was only one thing for it.
“Hit me.” Grayson plants his feet, bracing himself.
Tommy looks at him like he’s just asked to be driven over a cliff. “What?”
“Hit me, hard, anywhere above the waist.” He holds his arms out, giving Tommy free reign.
“You want me to hit you? West will go bat shit crazy!” Tommy shakes his head taking a step back and holding his hands up.
“West won’t know. Besides, I think he’ll be madder if I don’t win this fight after everything he’s done to get me here. So either you hit me or I hit you.” Grayson spreads his hands to show just how serious he is. Tommy gives him a doubtful look, which quickly changes to unease as Grayson takes a step towards him.
“Alright, alright! Jeez, man.” His demeanor changes as he considers Grayson’s offer. “What the hell? When am I gonna get another chance to pound you?” Tommy smiles cheekily, raising his fists as Grayson advances on him.
“Hit me and then get me into that ring as fast as you damn well can. When I explode, I’d rather it was on King Kong.” Grayson smiles ruefully at his friend, hoping that he can keep it together for long enough to give the crowd a good show.
“Understood.” Tommy nods, grimly. “Ready?”
“Just hit me already, Tom—”
Grayson doesn’t manage to finish his sentence before Tommy takes him by surprise with an uppercut straight into his stomach. He doubles over, breathing hard to get air back into his system. “Nice.” He gives his friend a thumbs up before he stands up straight, feeling the clarity of anger start to build inside of him.
Tommy shakes out his fist. “Anytime. But I’m not sure if that hurt your stomach or my hand more.” He takes one look at Grayson and sees that the crazy idea has worked, there’s an unmistakable glint of danger in his training partner’s eyes. He’s seen it before, just before he pounds the crap out of a punching bag. “We need to get going, man. You ready?”
Grayson nods firmly. “Let’s do this.” He leads the way out of the dressing room, ignoring everyone around him as he heads towards the sound of the crowd. He’s vaguely aware of West falling into step just behind him, looking askance at Tommy.
“I wouldn’t want to be Kong right now,” Tommy says under his breath but just loud enough for Grayson to hear before he steps out into the view of the public, and the crowd goes wild.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
ADRIANA
The atmosphere in the place is electric. As soon as the first cry of ‘Punisher’ went up, it was like the whole place completely lost it.
“I thought he was supposed to be up and coming? How do they all know him?” Adriana has to shout to be heard over the screaming behind them.
“When you look like that, I don’t think it matters how long you’ve been around.” Willow nods her head towards Grayson who is making his way down the aisle, heading straight for the ring, his attention completely focused on what he’s aiming for.
“We love you, Punisher!”
“You’re so fucking hot, Punisher!”
“Fuck me, Punisher!”
The screams from the women around him don’t even seem to affect him; it’s like he doesn’t hear them, so intent is he on the fighter he’s about to join in the ring. Adriana wishes that she could block them out as easily, and she feels the dark seed of jealousy spreading through her stomach.
“He’s a fighter, not a goddam piece of meat!” The words are out of her mouth before she’s had a chance to temper them, and she sees her mistake in Willow’s expression instantly.
“Sure, and you’re here because of your intense interest in MMA.” Willow cocks an eyebrow at her friend, smiling wryly before her expression gets serious. “You asked me to come with you tonight to be your wingman and to remind you of the way he left you, so that you don’t do anything stupid. You came to help him win; that’s all.”
Willow’s words might seem harsh, but Adriana knows that she’s not wrong. Her friend is doing exactly what she’s asked of her. She’s making sure that Adriana doesn’t get led down the garden path again, reminding her of how torn up she’s been the past few days.
“You’re right. Let’s just watch the fight and get out of here.” Adriana focuses her attention on Grayson who has just stepped into the ring.
“Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, you are about to witness a match that will take one of these fighters to the state-wide championships and then to the nationals!” The announcer waits until the whoops and yells have died down from the crowd before continuing. “In the red corner, we have a fighter well-known to all you fans, unbeaten in his last five matches. It’s Kiiiiiiinnnnng Kooooooooonnnnnng.” He lifts Kong’s hand up into the air, and Adriana gulps hard. The guy is enormous and looks like someone you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. He looks like he’s broken his nose one too many times, and he’s clearly missing teeth. He’s not what you would call a looker.
“Holy crap, he’s not exactly the kind of guy you’d take home to meet the parents.” Willow sniffs distastefully at the meathead in the ring, who is smiling maliciously out into the crowd.
“You’re dead, pretty boy!” Kong shouts over the roar of the crowd, pointing at Grayson, and Adriana balls her fists, wanting to punch the smarmy smile off of his face.
“And in the blue corner, we have a new kid on the block, an up and coming crowd favorite. It’s The Punisheeeerrrrrr!” The announcer lifts Grayson’s hand in the air. The crowd lets out a roar of appreciation, and it’s not just from the female contingent…he clearly has a following among the men, as well. Adriana looks around at the adoring faces—The Grayson Effect, she thinks.
Grayson doesn’t smile, he doesn’t even bat an eyelid, and he doesn’t take his eyes off of Kong. In the ring, he looks every inch the professional fighter. His muscles ripple under the dramatic lighting, his tattoos highlighting the perfect contours of his body. He looks like an improved version of Michelangelo’s David, and Adriana feels her whole body tingle just at the sight of him. It had been hard beyond belief to be in the dressing room with him without reaching out to him, her body betraying her at every step.
But now, it isn’t just desire that she’s feeling now; it’s excitement and nerves. The bell rings, and she leans forward in her seat, straining to get as close to the action as she can. She and Willow are in the best position, front and center, as the jealous girls around them have been whispering since they’d shown up. However, she’s not thinking about them right now; all she’s thinking about is Grayson and how he’s moving around in the ring.
He pulls back his fist and feints a
t King, dancing around him, graceful and light on his toes. Adriana’s heart is in her mouth, as King swings a meaty fist at Grayson and connects with his jaw. The impact sends Grayson’s head snapping back, but he shakes it off, continuing to feint and jab at Kong. Grayson delivers some hard body blows into Kong’s abs, and Adriana is so close to the ring that she can hear the air as it is knocked out of him.
“Yes!” She stands up from her seat, fists in the air, carried away by the emotion of seeing Grayson do his thing. She ignores the sidelong look that Willow is giving her; she already knows what it means.
The bell rings, and the men go back to their respective corners. West is giving Grayson some advice and spraying water in his face, but Adriana can’t make out what he’s saying. Before any time at all seems to have passed, the men meet each other back in the center of the ring.
“You’re going down,” Kong’s says loud enough so that the words are heard by the crowd, and they’re met by universal heckles. Grayson just smiles at him, like he has a secret that Kong has no idea about.
“Breathe, Adrie,” says Willow in her ear, reminding her that oxygen would be good right about know. She hadn’t even realized that she was holding her breath.
The men circle each other, exchanging blows and kicks, grunting as their fists or feet connect with each other. Kong is bloody and breathing hard; but, Grayson looks like he’s barely broken a sweat.
“What’s he doing? Why doesn’t he hit him harder?” The frustration in Adriana’s voice is clear. She doesn’t know how much more of this she can take, seeing Grayson get hit. It’s like she feels every punch that lands on him, as if they’re connected.
“It’s a tactic,” Willow explains hurriedly. “He’s wearing that meathead down, tiring him out so he can go in for the big hit.”
Adriana pauses from her intense study of the fight in front of her and looks at Willow in surprise. Willow just shrugs and says, “So I did some research when we got invited to the fight the first time around. I like to be prepared.”
Adriana rolls her eyes and focuses back on the fight. Grayson has a cut on his bottom lip that’s bleeding a track down his chin. Kong’s right eye is swollen shut, and his face looks like it’s been used as a battering ram. It doesn’t take an expert in the sport to work out that, between the two of them, Grayson looks like he could go on for days and Kong looks like he might pass out.
The bell rings again, signaling the break, and West gives Grayson’s massive shoulders a rub, massaging the muscles. Adriana cranes to hear what’s being said, and she can’t be sure, but it sounds like West is saying, “It’s time, Gray. Let it out.”
Let what out? she thinks. But as the men take up their positions again in the center of the ring, it’s clear that something has changed. All trace of humor is gone from Grayson’s expression. In its place are a laser-like focus and a fire that demands to be quenched.
As soon as the bell rings, Grayson advances on Kong, batting off his tired punches as if they were irritating flies. Adriana feels her heart beating faster as she watches him. He really is magnificent, stalking his prey like a lion. Now, he was going in for the kill.
The expression on Kong’s face says it all, as he realizes what is happening. However, it’s too late, and he’s already dropped his guard, too tired to keep it up. Grayson pulls back his fist and powers through, delivering a punch that snaps Kong’s head to the side, blood and spit spraying out of his mouth, as he falls to the mat, face down.
Adriana feels a thrill as Kong doesn’t get up; but, the emotions playing out on Grayson’s face chase away all trace of her own excitement at his win. He looks terrified, as he stares at Kong’s prone body on the floor. He takes a step towards him as if he wants to get a closer look, but he’s pulled back instantly by West.
“It’s over, Gray. He’s fine.” West’s voice is low, but Adriana still manages to catch his words.
The referee kneels down, checking Kong who still hasn’t gotten up, and he makes a sweeping gesture with his hands. “TKO. The Punisher wins the match.”
A roar of approval goes up amongst the crowd; women whoop and holler; and, Adriana is vaguely aware of Willow getting carried along by the excitement around them. But Adriana is still focused on Grayson, wondering what it is that has him so spooked. The referee lifts his fist in the air, and the crowd goes wild. However, Grayson barely reacts. He looks like he’s searching through the spectators, and Adriana feels a physical jolt as his eyes settle on her.
There’s something in his eyes that looks as if he’s asking her for something, needing something, like he wants her to tell him that it’s all alright. She smiles at him, nodding in encouragement and claps harder, trying to show him how amazing he was in that ring. Adriana watches his eyes soften, as he looks at her, and she’s grateful for the distance between them. She doesn’t think that she could stop herself from rushing to him if he weren’t in the ring, and she knows that would be far too dangerous for her.
All too soon, Grayson is guided away by his entourage including West and Tommy. He sweeps through the tunnel back towards his dressing room, only pausing to sign autographs and pose for photos as he makes his way through the crowd. Adriana hadn’t really understood that this fight would launch Grayson into another stratosphere until this moment. He’s a celebrity now, and more than that, he’s a sex symbol. Women were stepping over each other to get to him.
Even Willow is fanning herself with the flyer handed out at the door. “Well, that was seriously hot.” She gives Adriana a shrug as she looks at her. “What? I know he’s off-limits, but you’re telling me there isn’t something that gets you all hot and bothered about seeing him up there in all his glory, the crowd shouting his name as he lays out some justice.”
Adriana raises an eyebrow at her friend. “If you’re having fantasies about Grayson, I’d rather not hear about them.”
“Uh-uh, honeypot, I’m more interested in his friend. Blondes are more my speed.” Willow licks her lips hungrily, as she looks at the tunnel the men have disappeared through.
Adriana looks at Willow in mock-shock. “Isn’t he a little young for you, Will?”
“No such thing, baby girl, no such thing.” Willow re-arranges her low cut top and flips out her compact to check her flawless make-up. “So are you going to introduce us or what?” She looks expectantly at her friend.
Adriana looks towards the tunnel and shakes her head. “I did what I came here to do, Will. Everyone’s happy. Now I’m going home to try to forget that Grayson Fletcher ever existed.”
“Right, because that’s what you want, isn’t it?” Willow gives her a no-bullshit stare.
“I can’t go there again, Will. You know that. I’m not a masochist!” Adriana watches as a stretcher is brought out for Kong who is just starting to move. A doctor is tending to him, and Adriana feels herself shift into work mode, cataloguing Kong’s injuries from what she can see from her vantage point. It beats thinking about her own emotional damage.
“I get that.” Willow doesn’t look at her as she re-applies her lipstick. “But that doesn’t mean you’re getting out of introducing me to the man that just might be my soulmate. So, lead the way, Adrie.” She snaps shut the compact and looks at Adriana expectantly.
Adriana looks towards the tunnel, sighing deeply and knowing that this is one of those moments that she’s not going to be able to walk away from. She can’t pretend that there was nothing between her and Grayson; it would be a lie. She cares about him; that is why she had come tonight. She had tried to persuade herself that it was just because West had laid on the guilt trip, but she knows that it is more than that.
She also knows that there is no way she can allow herself to be vulnerable with him again. She’d let her guard down twice with him, ten years apart, and nothing had changed. As a kid he’d had secrets, but all these years later there was something else, as if a part of him had been hidden, like he didn’t want anyone to see it. He had pushed her away again and again, an
d any sane person would be done with it all by now. But much as she tries to reason it out in her logical brain, she knows that she isn’t done with him. So, there is only one thing she can do. She takes a deep breath and leads the way.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
GRAYSON
The dressing room had been tidied up while he’d been in the ring and now it is filled with goodies from various sponsors trying to court him. It really had happened in an instant. He had been plunged into the limelight, and it wasn’t anything that he could have been prepared for.
But that isn’t the only thing in his dressing room when he gets back.
“What the hell are they doing here?” His question is met with an uncomfortable silence, as he looks at the three girls in various states of undress, posing.
“Hey, don’t look at me.” West holds his hands up, backing away from the fight.
“Get them out of here.” His voice is a growl directed at Tommy who he knows is the instigator of this little welcoming committee.