The Beat and The Pulse Box Set 1

by Amity Cross

I nodded. “Yeah. It’s a lot of money and…” I shrugged.

  “Fuck, I was so hot-headed when I was your age,” he said out of nowhere. “I want to tell you to stay away from that place, but you’re a grown man and I suspect you won’t listen to me anyway.” He clapped me on the shoulder before letting his hand fall away. “I would do the exact same thing.”

  I stared at him, not knowing what to say. In a strange bloke kinda way, he was giving me his blessing.

  “Ren told me who you’re fighting,” he explained. “I understand.”

  I sat for a moment, not knowing what he wanted from me. Finally, I wrung my hands together and shook my head. “It’s strange how things work out. I came back and I never expected…”

  “Neither did I,” Coach said with a laugh. “Ren blew in those doors like a bloody hurricane and gave me what for.”

  “I’m sure she did.”

  “What’s your big plan?”

  If I lived to see Saturday? I’d thought about it, but I hadn’t allowed myself to dream. Violet had planted the seed months ago and over time the notion had grown until it was the only future I could see. Now, it was clear.

  “I want to open my own gym,” I said. “I want to help screw ups like me avoid the things I had to go through.”

  Coach clapped me on the shoulder again, but this time he held firm, squeezing. It was his way of telling me he was proud and I was going to run with it. “So you basically want to be me?”

  “I can see where Ren get’s her fire from Coach.”

  I sucked in a deep breath and let it out in one long whoosh. I had to fight, I had to do whatever it took to take out Hammer in that cage because now that I’d said what I wanted, now that I’d voiced my dream to someone, I had to live. I had to win no matter what. For Ren. This future was for her. For us.

  Glancing at Ren’s dad, I asked, “Do you trust me with your daughter’s heart?”

  Coach looked me over and for a moment I thought he was going to tell me to fuck off, but he grinned and slapped his hand on my shoulder. Third time’s a charm. “I’m pretty sure that I do, son. But if you pull a stunt like that again, you’ll have to deal with me.”

  I grinned, my life finally feeling like it was worth all the pain and for the first time since realizing how this Championship was going to be won, I actually wanted to live.

  37

  Ren

  I’d never been to a Championship bout at The Underground before, so I wasn’t expecting the buzz to be so off the charts.

  The whole place seemed to crackle with excitement. Bets were being placed, the din from the bookies as they screamed their odds over the music, which was at fever pitch.

  “It’s somethin’, hey?” Ash said in my ear.

  I pressed against him as I watched a group of men place a huge five figure bet on me.

  “It’s…epic,” I breathed, my eyes wide as a wad of cash was exchanged, a beefy bouncer watching over the money as the bet was locked in.

  Josie pressed into my other side and whistled. “That’s some serious cashola.”

  I was glad my best friend had tagged along for moral support, but as of yet there was still no sign of Dad and time was ticking on. There was half an hour to go and still no sign that he was coming. The disappointment must’ve shown on my face because Josie reached for my hand and squeezed.

  “He’ll come,” she said. “I gave him the details. He’ll come.”

  I smiled weakly. “Sure thing.”

  I’d kinda resigned myself to the fact that he wouldn’t be there, but I found myself scanning the crowd anyway and when I saw Hamish, I smiled. The Irish fighter had become a friend in a roundabout way. He was always around, watching out for me and Ash and I was grateful that he gave a shit. Once all this was over, I reckon I should make an effort to know the guy.

  He smiled as he saw me through the wall of people and then his eyes lit up as he caught sight of Josie next to me. I never did give him her number after he’d so blatantly asked for it…or mentioned it to Josie for that matter.

  “He’s got the hots for you,” I said to her as he approached through the crowd.

  “Who?” Josie squeaked, scanning the crowd.

  “Hamish.” I nodded toward the fighter as he came closer and Josie smiled.

  “I remember that one,” she said, looking him up and down.

  Hamish grinned as he came to a stop in front of us.

  “Go easy on him,” I said to Josie. “He’s alright.”

  I smiled as she walked over to meet him and stifled a laugh as she flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder. Josie worked hard, she deserved a little fun. That’s when I caught sight of someone I’d never thought I’d see in a million years and my heart did a flip in my chest.

  Dad.

  I think I ran, but I wasn’t sure. I was in his arms a split second later and we hugged.

  “I really wanted you to come,” I said, my voice muffed against his neck.

  “I know,” he replied. “I know.”

  We hugged tightly for a moment before pulling away. I was vaguely aware of Ash standing to one side, one eye on Hamish and Josie by the bar while the other was on me and Dad.

  “You’ve been fighting here, in that cage, all this time?” Dad asked, his eyes wide.

  I nodded. “Yep.”

  “And it’s really that brutal? No rules?”

  There was no reason to cushion what I was going to say next. He’d see it once my fight began. “The bouts only end when one fighter taps out or can’t continue.”

  He sucked in a deep breath.

  “Dad?”

  “You’ve gotta take it slow,” he said with a grimace. “I’ve got shell shock.”

  I watched as his gaze ran over the scene before him. The crowd of people, the bookies along the far wall, the bar and finally the cage. It looked slap dash, like it was stuck together with sticky tape, but that thing was solid. It had to withstand hulking fighters smashing against it after all.

  “This is my world Dad; I know what I’m in for.”

  He nodded and stood a little straighter. “Have you fought this Fury before?”

  I grinned, knowing Dad had switched into coach mode. “Yes. Ash has seen her fight as well and we’ve been training with that in mind.”

  “Good.”

  “She’s like my twin,” I went on. “Same height, build, skill set… We’ve come up with some tactics that might throw her.”

  “She would be thinking the same thing. There’s a lot of money riding on this from what I hear. She’ll most likely try everything to get the upper hand.”

  “I’ve already anticipated that.”

  “Be ready for everything Ren.”

  I smiled. “You’ve got it Coach.”

  “Hey Reign!”

  I jumped as I was tapped on the shoulder and glanced up to find one of the referees.

  “Fifteen minute call,” he said. “Better get a move on.”

  I nodded my understanding and my gaze caught on Ash’s.

  “Good luck,” Dad said. “I’ll be watching from the stands with Josie.”

  “I love you Dad.”

  “Go,” he said, his eyes getting all misty. “Go and make me proud.”

  Ash threaded his fingers in mine as he led me through the crowd and out into the change rooms. They’d been totally blocked off since it was the Championship and as we came in, Fury glanced at us from the far side of the room. She nodded once and turned her attention back to stretching out her muscles.

  Ash opened my locker as I stripped down to my sports bra and shorts. Sitting on the bench he gestured for me to stand in-between his legs. He grasped my hand and began strapping me in for the fight ahead. The whole thing seemed so…final.

  “I knew he’d come around,” Ash murmured.

  I cocked my head to the side. “You did, huh?”

  He grinned, his green eyes flashing. “He wouldn’t miss his daughter’s Championship. No matter what shithole it was in.”r />
  “I guess that puts the full stop on our messed up relationship.”

  “It ain’t so messed up anymore Spitfire.”

  I smiled down at him. “Thank fuck.”

  “You’ve got this Ren,” he murmured so Fury couldn’t hear. “We’ve trained for this. You know the moves, you’ve got the strength. You can do this.”

  “I hope so.”

  “There’s no hoping Spitfire,” he said, standing so he could cup my face in his big paws. “There’s only knowing.” He pressed his lips against my forehead.

  “I know,” I said, closing my eyes and relishing the feel of his lips against my skin. “I know I can do this. I can do this.”

  Ash pulled back, his green eyes fixed on mine. “Now go get your Championship Ren.”

  “I love you,” I whispered, my whole body beginning to hum.

  “I love you forever.”

  As I walked through the gauntlet of the crowd towards the cage, I felt like I was walking in someone else’s skin. It was surreal. I’d done this so many times that it shouldn’t feel any different, but it did. It felt like the rest of my life was riding on this one fight.

  It didn’t matter if I won or not. Ash’s fight was the one we wanted in the bag. His was the one that counted.

  I still wanted to win though. Was that so bad?

  Ash left me to walk into the cage on my own, at my request. It only seemed fitting that I finish this part of my journey alone. It’d be that way once I was in the cage anyway.

  Two years ago, I’d walked into Beat and gotten a taste for fighting, long before Ash had arrived, so maybe this fighting thing was just mine all along. It was something that we shared, but it was also a solitary thing. Who knew, right? It just felt like the thing to do.

  I was about to step into the cage when I heard my name, and when I turned, my face split into a grin.

  The Twins were pushing through the crowd and when the bouncers went to stop them, I raised my hand.

  “They’re with me,” I said and they backed down, but watched the boys like a hawk.

  “Ren,” Dean exclaimed. “We’re glad we caught you.”

  “I didn’t think you’d be interested,” I said with a shrug.

  “You fucking kidding?” Lincoln exclaimed. “You’re in a Championship.”

  They caught me in their own separate bear hugs and kissed me on the cheek.

  “We wanted to let you know that we were here before you went in,” Dean said, squeezing my arm.

  “And we found this squirt on the way,” Lincoln said, shoving another familiar face forward.

  “Seth?” I exclaimed.

  “Hey,” he said, looking a little on edge. “I’d hug you but your boyfriend’s giving me the evil eye.”

  “Oh, screw him,” I declared and threw my arms around his neck. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Go get her, Reign of Terror,” he said in a mock booming voice.

  I laughed. “Oh, shut your face.” The referee called out for me and I began backing away. “I’ll see you guys on the other side.”

  The cage door closed between us, the Twins gave me the thumbs up and I smirked as Seth began to pale. It was his first fight that wasn’t all rules and regulations and he’d sure picked a night to come watch. I hoped someone had given him a bucket because the poor guy looked like he was gunna puke.

  Turning on my heel, I came face to face with Fury. She was hopping from foot to foot, shaking out her limbs and looked as high as I felt. When she saw me approaching the center of the cage, she held out her hand. Total class act.

  “I’m glad I’m up against you, Reign,” she said as I shook her hand.

  “Why’s that?”

  She smirked as I let go. “You’re a good challenge.”

  I smiled right back. “Ditto.”

  “Don’t hold back.”

  “Wasn’t planning on it.”

  “Okay ladies, you know the rules,” the referee said, looking at Fury and then at me to make sure we were listening. “Fight until one of you taps or can’t continue. It’s the Championship, so give the people a good show.”

  I didn’t even stop to wonder what the prize for winning the Championship was. I hadn’t even looked, but I’m sure it was a pretty penny. Whatever it was, I’m sure it would go a long way towards helping the people I loved.

  Fury blew me a kiss and I smirked, toeing the line. The referee raised his hand and held, my heart thumping wildly in my chest.

  The whistle blew, his hand dropped and it was on.

  I darted forward, jabbing with my left and as Fury’s guard lowered to block, I threw with my right. My fist clipped her forearm as she backed off a step, the crowd cheering. Obviously, she’d been training with the same thing in mind. Do the unexpected.

  I tested her a few more times and when she did the same we were at a deadlock. We circled, each of us looking for an opening. It wasn’t going to be an easy fight, or a short one.

  Fury punched and I was too slow to bring my guard up and her fist connected with my eyebrow. I felt the impact split through my skull the same moment the sensation of ripping skin pulsed through my forehead. Then the warm trickle of blood as I twisted out of reach of her left hook, which was coming back to clean me up.

  She smirked at me as I shook my head and put her guard back up.

  The thing I liked about Fury was that she didn’t talk during fights. She didn’t taunt to try and put me off; she used her skill to best her opponents. It only meant that this win would be sweeter because I was fighting the best.

  We circled for what felt like an hour, getting a few punches and kicks in, grappling and breaking away. Someone had to take a risk soon, because this fight was going to go on until one of us dropped dead from exhaustion and that could take hours.

  I’d split Fury’s lip and I think I’d cracked one of her ribs and still she refused to slow. My eyebrow was throbbing like a bitch and I knew I’d be covered in bruises tomorrow. Black and fucking blue.

  Fury made the first move. She lunged with a roar, and I stumbled back, hitting the cage. She pinned me, shoving her forearm against my neck and sunk a punch right into my stomach. The air whooshed from my lungs and with a cry I brought my arms up and locked around her upper body, trying to wrestle my way free.

  My vision pricked as she pressed her arm against my wind pipe and sunk another punch into my guts. For some reason, the only thing I could think about was Hulk smashing. Where the hell that came from I didn’t know, but as Fury went to clock me with a third punch, I shoved against her with all my strength.

  She stumbled one step, then two, her body off balance and I struck.

  I had to go hard or go home and I was definitely not going home.

  I attacked, smashing my shoulder into her stomach. I hooked my arm around her knee and grasped her wrist in my other hand and then I hauled her onto my upper back and heaved. Fury sailed through the air and landed hard on her back, her eyes widening. The crowd cheered and whistled, calling for blood. I almost had her.

  I stepped forward and raised my fist for the final blow. One punch, right onto her temple. One-Shot Miller. Her eyes met mine and she knew it was over.

  Fury slammed her fist on the mat and just like that, it was over.

  Reign of Terror had won.

  I’d won.

  Fancy that.

  38

  Ren

  It felt like a miracle.

  The moment Fury had slammed her fist onto the mat; the world had seemed to shift on its axis. The crowd had erupted into cheers, the referee grasped my hand, shoving it into the air, and then I was on someone’s shoulders hurtling through the crowd, people giving me high-fives… Then I was in Ash’s arms and the pride in his eyes… I’d never forget it.

  And then there was Dad. His face had been ashen, but he’d embraced me with his own kind of pride and I was glad to share it with him. The man who I grew up hating had turned into one of the most important people in my life. I though
t I knew how this life thing worked, but as it turned out, I didn’t know a fucking thing.

  After a big fat check was shoved into my hands and I’d been congratulated by just about everyone in The Underground, we ventured back to Beat for an impromptu party. Josie had insisted of course and since I was riding high, I didn’t have it in me to say no. Ash nodded and it was settled.

  The Twins brought out the beer and turned up the music and it was the happiest I’d seen everyone, not to mention the first time everyone was in the same room at the same time.

  The only obvious absentee was Violet and Ash said she wouldn’t come anyway. We’d see her after his fight and I made it my mission to help her in anyway I could. She’d suffered far worse than I had, but in a way I felt connected with her. Maybe that’s what I could do with some of the money I’d won. Help people like us, people who needed support after going through ordeals like Violet’s. Maybe that’s what I was meant to do all along. Help people.

  Ash hovered at the edges, a beer in hand, watching the party unfold around him. I smiled as he shook hands with Seth and as his gaze caught mine, I raised my eyebrows. In true Maverick fashion, he just shrugged.

  I wasn’t a fan of parties on all those ordinary occasions, and since we still had Ash’s fight tomorrow night, it all seemed premature.

  I loved hanging out with everyone, but I was also glad when they left me and Ash alone. I could see the strain on his face. He wanted to be happy for me, but his own fight was weighing on him heavily. This was our end game. Him fighting Hammer.

  I locked the door behind Josie and the Twins and waved to them through the window as I armed the alarm. Turning back to the dark studio, I hesitated as I caught sight of Ash on the far bench, leaning forward with his elbows pressing on his thighs. His head was bowed, his shoulders hunched and I knew he was on struggle street.

  I padded across the mats and sat beside him, rubbing my palm up and down his back.

  “Ash?”

  “Hmm?” he mumbled, glancing up at me.

  “It’s almost over,” I said with a sigh, “I believe in you.”