by Nicole Fox
I’ve fought before, but not like this. Never as part of a plan. When I was attacked in the park, there was no time to prepare or think. It was a thoughtless burst of adrenaline, an act of necessity.
But this is by choice, and suddenly I’m doubting myself.
Did I train enough with Caleb to know what I’m doing? Am I strong enough to take on John? And will I freeze up the second he lays his hands on me, flashing back to all the other times he touched me and hurt me?
“We don’t have any gloves,” John says, turning to face me when he gets to the middle of the ring. “We also don’t have any rules.”
“Nothing’s off-limits?” I ask, remembering Caleb’s joke from earlier. I hope stuff below the belt is allowed because half of the self-defense moves Caleb taught me depend on me being able to utilize that particular weakness.
John shakes his head and then lifts his arms, squatting down to get into position. “Nothing. Hit me with your best shot, Haley Bear.”
Hearing my old nickname on his lips is enough to shake me out of my worries and fears.
It’s enough to cut through my panic and doubts and remind me why I’m here. What I’m fighting for.
Using the hair tie on my wrist, I tug my curly hair back into a tight ponytail, shake out my arms and legs, and step into the ring.
“Let’s go, motherfucker.”
47
Caleb
“We’re positive this is a good idea?” Noah whispers in my ear.
I’m annoyed at him for asking but only because the same question has been playing in my head on loop since Haley spoke up and stopped what was about to be a brawl.
I have no fucking idea if this is a good idea.
Yes, I taught her to fight, but mostly as a means of self-defense.
But I didn’t imagine she would ever call out Bumper in an underground fight situation.
I didn’t train her to grapple and spar with a guy twice her size.
I didn’t train her to bareknuckle street fight.
I taught her to escape—to fight someone off and then flee.
Haley can’t escape this. Now that she and Bumper are in the ring, the fight won’t stop until one of them is on the ground and the other is declared victorious.
“Haley can take him,” J.C. says. He cups his hands around his mouth and whoops his support for Haley.
“This isn’t a pay-per-view fight.”
He shrugs. “Maybe if you’d invited me to the underground fights before, I would know how to act.”
I roll my eyes and focus on the mat. Usually, a kind of nervous excitement flows through me at the start of any fight, whether I’m in it or not. When I’m watching other fighters in the underground, it’s almost like I get a sympathetic adrenaline rush. I know what they are feeling and experiencing, so I feel it, too.
Right now, however, there is just cold fear.
Haley pushed me into training her to fight, but somewhere along the way, I decided it was my job to keep her safe.
I decided that I wanted to be the person to protect her and care for her the way Bumper should have.
The way she deserves.
But I can’t interfere now. No matter how much I want to jump in and take her place, this is Haley’s fight. I saw the determination in her eyes, the drive.
She wants this, and no matter how nauseous I feel watching her ready for a fight with Bumper, I can’t step up.
I can’t undermine her like that. I need to support her.
Before I can think about it too much, I cup my hands around my mouth. “You got this, Haley!”
J.C. turns to me with a raised brow. I wave him off and focus on the ring.
Haley is in jean shorts and an oversized T-shirt that will give Bumper a lot of fabric to grab during the fight, but as soon as the thought crosses my mind, Haley turns and lifts the shirt over her head.
Underneath it, she has a pale pink tank top tucked into her shorts. It hugs her entire body.
I’ll be damned if I don’t want to run over to her, throw her over my shoulder, and get us both the fuck out of here.
One of the Hell Princes in the group next to us whistles under his breath. I snap my attention to him, narrowing my eyes, and he quickly melts behind Levi.
Haley and Bumper are circling one another by the time I stop giving the Hell Prince the evil eye.
Bumper’s fists are raised, but he is flat-footed, and his entire body, toes and all, is pointed right at Haley.
It’s a shit stance, and I can only hope his fighting ability matches.
Haley looks perfect.
She is on the balls of her feet with her dominant leg back. Her lower body is aimed to the side of Bumper, shifting to maintain position as he moves, but her torso is twisted towards him.
She has her hands up to protect her face, left hand pressed forward a bit, and her elbows are flared out slightly from her sides to protect her ribs in case Bumper manages a kick.
Pride swells up inside of me. Also, relief. I’ve seen Haley fight, so I know she can handle herself, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be worried about her.
Firemen train to put out fires, but that doesn’t mean the sight of an inferno isn’t disconcerting.
Bumper takes the first swing.
His arms are long and thin, and there is no real power behind his punch.
Knowing what I know about his abuse during their relationship, I don’t assume Bumper has any problems with hurting a woman, so he must really not know what he’s doing.
Haley dodges under the strike with ease.
Out of all the years I’ve been coming to the fights, I’ve never seen Bumper in the ring.
Most people end up there for one reason or another—usually a debt or an argument—but never Bumper. Instead, his issues are dealt with in a group setting.
He knows the only way he fares a chance is with backup.
Bumper pulls in his arms and lashes out again.
And again, Haley dodges the hit.
This time, Bumper has enough momentum that he stumbles forward. As soon as he is off-balance, Haley hits him with a left jab. Her fist lands on his nose, and it begins to bleed immediately.
The hit catches Bumper by surprise. He pulls his arms and elbows in tight to protect his face, and Haley takes the opportunity to land a right hook to his ribs.
“Shit.” Noah nods his head in approval, and J.C. jumps up and down, silently pumping his fist in the air.
Haley backs Bumper into the corner of the ring, peppering him with distracting jabs and then devastating hooks and uppercuts. She is treating him like a punching bag, which is basically what he is. He is in full turtle mode, more focused on protecting his face than returning any hits, and Haley is owning the fight.
As soon as I start to relax, however, Bumper changes course.
Haley jabs at the shield of his arms, and as soon as her arm pulls back, Bumper throws his arms wide and rushes her.
Haley must have been lulled into complacency as well, because she freezes when Bumper runs at her.
He throws his arms around her body and lifts her off her feet, taking advantage of the size difference between them.
“Unfair!” J.C. yells.
“There are no rules,” I remind him while fighting the urge to yell the same thing. “They can do whatever they want.”
Haley squirms and kicks her legs until Bumper has no choice but to release her. She falls awkwardly on her leg, wincing as her ankle rolls under her.
But there’s no time to assess the damage.
Bumper reaches out and wraps his hand around her throat.
Every muscle in my body tenses up. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up like a dog’s hackles.
I’ve never wanted to hurt someone so much in my entire life.
He knows he can defeat Haley this way because he has done it countless times before. This is how he exerts control and power—by grabbing women who are smaller and weaker than him by the neck.
&nb
sp; I can practically see the terror rolling off Haley. Her movements at the start of the fight were careful and controlled, but now she is flailing.
Her nails scrape at Bumper’s hand wrapped around her neck, and she fights to keep her toes on the ground, to regain some contact with the floor that Bumper has nearly lifted her off.
“He can’t choke her, can he?” J.C. asks. The excitement he’s had since the start of the fight is gone, replaced with a cold intensity. “When do we step in?”
She is freezing up, forgetting her training.
Fuck—do the right thing, Haley!
Just as doubt begins to creep in, clouding the faith I had in her only a few minutes before, Haley thrusts her right arm up into the air, twists her body as hard as she can, and brings her elbow down on Bumper’s arm.
Just like I taught her.
The move is flawless, and Bumper’s arm collapses, causing him to lose his grip.
When he stumbles back, Haley doesn’t give him an inch. She follows him step for step to the center of the ring and then kicks her leg straight up between his.
Bumper crumples to the ground with a sharp cry of pain.
Haley throws herself on top of him.
The transition of power is swift. Total. Merciless.
In only a matter of seconds, Bumper goes from having his hand around Haley’s neck to being on his knees on the floor with Haley’s body twined around his like a rope. Her legs are locked around his midsection, pinning one of his arms to his side, and her arms are cuffed around his neck and upper arm, keeping him immobile.
Bumper fights the hold for a few seconds, struggling for balance and any kind of meaningful traction, but anyone can see there is no point. His chest is heaving with exertion.
And then he falls.
As soon as he is flat on the floor, Haley lets go, stands up, and throws her arms into the air.
She did it.
She fucking did it.
I’m halfway across the auditorium before I even realize it. I run to her and scoop her up the way I wanted to at the beginning of the fight.
“Thank you,” she says, burying her face in my neck.
“I didn’t do anything, Haley. You did this.”
And she did. Entirely.
Haley sought me out for training on her own. She could have hidden from Bumper or tried to find some way to negotiate with him.
But instead, she taught herself to fight back. Haley earned this victory on her own, and I don’t want to take a second of the glory.
“You won.”
Haley pulls back and grins up at me. Her face is flushed and a sheen of sweat covers her forehead and chest, but she isn’t even injured.
Bumper didn’t land a single meaningful punch.
Haley destroyed him.
“Cheaters!” I pull my eyes away from Haley to see Bumper rising from the floor behind her, an accusatory finger raised. “The fight wasn’t over.”
“You were on the ground,” Haley says. “How was it not over?”
Bumper moves towards her, and even though Haley just proved she is more than capable of fighting her own battles, I pull her behind me and stand between her and her ex-boyfriend.
“The two of you weren’t fighting to the death, Bumper.”
He narrows his dark eyes and shrugs. “No rules means no rules.”
“Which means I can’t be a cheater.” I take a step closer, and Haley grabs my wrist. “You lost. Back down and let this be over.”
Color rises higher in Bumper’s neck and face, turning him a violent red color. “Round one is over.”
“I get that you’re embarrassed,” I say, lowering my voice, trying to sound rational despite how badly I want to knock him out. “Really, I understand why you’re upset, but refusing to admit your defeat is only making it worse. Haley called you out and won. Shake hands and move on or else.”
“Or else what?” His voice is loud enough for everyone to hear. “Is that a threat, Golden Boy?”
“John,” Haley hisses. “Don’t do this.”
“I’m not doing anything. I’m just trying to understand why your boyfriend is getting in the middle of our business,” Bumper says, turning towards his five friends still standing on the outskirts of the ring. “The Golden Boys showed up here to get involved in Hell Prince business, so they can’t be shocked that we are going to push back.”
“You texted me, you worthless asshole.” The words come out a growl, and I’m aware I’m losing control, but I can’t stop it.
The fighting itch under my skin is a fire now.
If I don’t release it, I’ll burn up with it.
“Exactly. I called you out, you showed up, and now you don’t want to fight?”
Bumper is twisting everything around. He’s embarrassed and ashamed and backed into a figurative corner. He’s coming out swinging with everything he’s got.
“You’re a coward.”
Suddenly there is a shout from behind me, and I spin around in time to see the Hell Princes edging toward J.C. and Noah. No one is fighting yet, but they are ready if the need arises. J.C. shoots me a worried look.
In a second, I turn back and close the distance between myself and Bumper.
I grab a handful of his sweaty shirt. “Call them off now. Don’t make this bigger than it needs to be.”
“You made this bigger than it needed to be when you chose that bitch over our truce.” He glares past me at Haley, his top lip curled into a snarl. “It wouldn’t be such an insult if she wasn’t a worthless piece of trash, but—”
His next words are lost when I shove them back down his throat with my fist.
Haley screams behind me and the tension boils over as a fight finally breaks out between the Golden Boys and the Hell Princes.
Bumper is on his knees after one punch, his eyes bleary and unfocused.
I turn around just in time to see Haley join the fray alongside J.C. and Noah. They are outnumbered five to three, but J.C. and Noah can hold their own well enough.
Especially since Haley is squaring off with Levi.
I take a step towards them. Even knowing that Haley can and has defended herself against Levi before, my instinct is to protect her. To save her.
Before I can, an elbow slams into my spine.
I have to admit, it’s a good hit from someone as useless as Bumper. My knees wobble under the force of it, but I manage to step out of the hit and find my footing again.
“She has you under some kind of spell,” Bumper says, swiping at the blood dripping down his chin before lifting his hands to protect his stupid face.
The confidence from a few minutes ago is gone. Now, his words come off like begging.
“We both know she isn’t worth this kind of anger.”
His eyes flick past me to the fight beyond, and I angle myself slightly so I can see.
One Hell Prince is lying over a row of the rusted-out bleachers and another is standing back, jockeying back and forth from one foot to the other but never quite gaining the gumption to join the fight and help his friends, who, despite having the numbers advantage, are being destroyed by J.C., Noah, and Haley.
Haley has taken up the defensive position in the middle, moving in a slow circle as she strikes out at anyone who manages to get close.
J.C. and Noah are stationed around her, taking the offensive route. They both move away from her in either direction, attacking the bikers who look like they altogether regret following Bumper into the school building tonight, before returning, as though they are tethered to her.
They are protecting her while I’m busy elsewhere.
Their loyalty to Haley is a sign of their loyalty and friendship to me.
Not only did they not ditch me as soon as they realized I’m poor and a liar, but they are taking care of my … well, the girl I care about.
I’ve never been more grateful for my friends.
“You don’t know shit.”
Now that I know Haley is okay, I can fo
cus on Bumper.
“Actually, I think you know a lot, but you’re too ashamed of yourself to admit it.”
Bumper frowns. “What kind of psychobabble are you spewing? I thought we were supposed to be fighting.”
“Oh, I’m absolutely going to destroy you like I’ve wanted to for years, but I have enough time for a few truth bombs, too.”
I lower my hands and lift my chin, looking down at Bumper like the scum he is.
“You’ve always known Haley was too good for you, which is why you pushed her around and beat up on her. You wanted to make sure she wouldn’t leave you. You wanted to keep her around and subservient to you because, as long as she obeyed you, it made you feel worth something. It made you feel better than her.”
Bumper rolls his eyes, but his plastered-on smile has a sharp edge to it. He can’t quite meet my eyes.
“But she left you as soon as she got the chance. Haley realized what a lowlife, insecure creep you are, and you can’t stand that she isn’t scared of you anymore. So you’re trying to start another feud between our people, not because we are a threat to you, but because you can’t handle losing control. You are willing to throw your friends in front of you like human shields all because your fragile ego got hurt.”
I flex my fingers and shake my head.
“You use people and abuse people, and yes, I’m going to punch you in the face because you hurt Haley, but mostly, I’m going to punch you in the face because you’re a selfish asshole, and you deserve it more than anyone I’ve ever met.”
Bumper’s face is red and his chest is heaving with anger and embarrassment. His gaze flicks over my shoulder for a second.
Then his face twists into a rage and he launches himself at me.
After the buildup, it feels like our fight should be an epic one. Like a scene from an anime cartoon with lightning bolts and explosions of color happening in the background.
Instead, I throw a single punch that hits Bumper in his left eye. His head snaps to the side from the blow, his face slips to neutral, and he collapses on the floor, knocked out cold.
I stare down at him for a second, waiting to see if he’ll stir.
He doesn’t.
Then, there is clapping behind me.
I look over my shoulder and see that the Hell Princes and my friends aren’t fighting anymore.
