Brave

by Natalie Gayle

  Xander needed to know I was one hundred percent behind what he was doing. If Len thought he could do it, then I had to believe he was right. No loving father would ever let their only child do something that might be very dangerous regardless how old they were. Certainly not a person like Len.

  “I’m going to hold you to that, Gem. That’s a great incentive not to get banged up. What am I going to be looking forward to?” His voice came out as a sexy whisper.

  “As if I’m going to tell you that? You’ll just get hornier. I’m trying to help, not get you worked up more.” I went to get up. “Maybe I should just get up and leave you to get some more sleep.”

  He held tight. “Don’t Gem. I’ll behave. Stay with me please.”

  I snuggled back down. “Well, you did say please.”

  He chuckled a little and his hand came over my waist and was headed to cup my breast. I caught his fingers in time and laced them with mine and rested our joined hands on my hip. “Spoil sport,” he protested a little.

  “You’ll thank me for this later.”

  “I know, you really are the best you know and that’s just another reason why I love you.”

  My heart swelled. “Well, as long as you think so, that’s all that matters. I love you, too, so much.”

  He kissed the back of my neck.

  “Let’s try and get another couple of hours sleep,” he suggested.

  “Okay. Sweet dreams Xan.” Immediately complying with his suggestion. Another couple of hours would be that much closer to the weigh-in.

  “Always with you in my arms,” he mumbled and I wondered if he’d started to doze off already; he had to be exhausted.

  I’d just lay here and try not to worry too much.

  * * *

  Xander

  The walls seemed to be rippling as I sat in the dressing room waiting to head out for the official weigh-in. Reed was pacing beside me. For what reason, I had no idea. I was the one that was doing this. Off to the side were a series of bottles that were calling to me more than any alcohol ever could.

  There sat the precious fluids I’d drink as soon as this weigh-in was done, to rehydrate my body. Twelve feet away and this pain would all be over.

  I’d had no more than half a dozen sips of water since I woke hours ago. I looked like a cliché in a vampire movie.

  Finally one of the organisers popped his head in. “Five minutes.”

  “Right,” Reed said. Then he turned towards me. “You okay?”

  “No, but I will be in about half an hour.”

  “How dizzy are you?”

  “Sitting down. Okay. Standing up, okay… hopefully.”

  Reed nodded. “You just need to get to the scales, mate.”

  “Thanks for those words of advice! Getting to the scales is kind of what I’m focusing on. I’ll be fine—I think.”

  The seconds ticked over and finally we began to make our way down the shoot to the weigh-in area. As soon as I walked into the arena beside Reed, I could hear the fans going wild. The place seemed to be packed for a weigh-in. It wasn’t unheard of for a crowd to turn up for a weigh-in, but this seemed to be extreme.

  Tina and Simon were standing off to the side with big smiles on their faces which I took to mean that they were happy with the frenzy going on. Music blared from the speakers as I climbed the small staircase up to the weigh-in platform. Every step was a challenge and it took, what seemed to be an inordinate amount of mind control, to make my legs lift on cue.

  An even bigger roar from the crowd erupted, signalling “Lights Out” had just entered behind me. I took the spot the officials pointed out to me and stood with Reed beside me. I hoped to hell I wouldn’t need to lean on him. I just wished the world would stop spinning, but I knew that wouldn’t be the case until I started to drink again.

  “Lights Out” greeted me with that big shit eating grin of his as he climbed the stairs. He was trying to make out he was doing great, but I knew he was feeling no better than me. Reed, nor I, missed the way he slightly miscalculated the second step from the top.

  He stepped over to the position the official pointed out and threw me a wild eyed stare with a crazy grin. Right here was when all the ring hype and bullshit started—the psyche out and all that crap. “Lights Out” was known for being a dick about this stuff. The PR people loved it, other fighters not so much. It didn’t look like he was going to disappoint. I generally loved Americans. Over the years I’d spent a lot of time here and found them to be warm and generous people. Even Luke, away from the fight hype wasn’t a bad bloke, but he just seemed to lap it up a little too much.

  The announcer started to speak to the crowd explaining about the fight and our records. It was nothing more than background noise in my head. My brain was focused on the unquenchable thirst I had.

  Who would have thought it’d take ten minutes to introduce two fighters, but it did, and all the while the crowd roared and hollered.

  “God, if it’s like this now, tomorrow night will be a zoo,” Reed hissed between closed lips to me. He was right, but I wasn’t going to think about any of that. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was taking down “Lights Out.” “Strip off your clothes. You’re about to go up.” I toed off my joggers, which I’d worn sans socks. Then, pulled the T-shirt over my head and stepped out of the loose tracksuit pants until I was standing in just a pair of ultra-light weight athletic shorts.

  The announcer looked over at me. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, from Logan, Australia please welcome Xander “Pretty Boy” Todd.” The crowd roared even louder and there were a few jeers. That didn’t worry me. It was to be expected. I was in Luke’s home town after all.

  I stepped up to the scales and glanced over at the digital read out. Seventy five kilos exactly. Two kilos under the required seventy seven. Easy Peasy.

  This time I grinned over at Luke, let him feel a bit of the pressure of making weight. I was done, qualified. The announcer went on to introduce “Lights Out” as I stepped back over beside Reed.

  “Lights Out” made a big deal of thrusting his arms into the air like he’d won the fight before we’d even stepped into the ring. He stepped up onto the scales and the readout wobbled around before finally settling on seventy six point three kilos. He cheered again and hopped off the scales

  There were a few more official things said and then it was all over until the press conference in four hours’ time. As the opponent, I made my way from the stage first. I was down the shoot and in the wide corridor on my way to the dressing room when I heard “Lights Out” call. “Enjoy the last few hours with that face, Pretty Boy. Tomorrow night I’m going to fuck you up till you’re as ugly as that girlfriend of yours.” Anger surged through my veins.

  I spun around and was opening my mouth to unload when Reed threw out an arm across my chest and barked. “Xander!” I froze, but every nerve in my body had moved from wanting water to now wanting to rip the arsehole’s head off.

  “Save it for the cage,” Reed snarled. “He’s just trying to get a rise out of you.”

  Reed half guided, half shepherded me back to the dressing room and passed me the first bottle of fluids.

  “Enjoy.”

  I took the bottle and downed the half a litre as quick as I could. My body was screaming for the fluids. It was some sort of electrolyte drink, but I drank it that fast I didn’t even taste the flavour.

  Then he handed me another half-litre of water which I downed in big gulps and passed back to him. Finally he handed me a litre flask of water.

  “Sip this for the next hour.” He looked at the time on his watch. “Okay, you can have another at three fifteen.” For every hour I was awake from now until before the fight tomorrow night, I’d drink a litre of water; that was about all my kidneys could process. If everything went to plan, I’d step into the cage tomorrow night about ten or twelve kilos heavier. It was crazy how we cut weight, but that was the way the sport worked.

  Already I was starting to feel bet
ter. My throat felt lubricated again and the dizziness seemed to be passing. I sipped a couple more times from the flask of water. It was time to start eating now.

  “Okay, let’s head back to the hotel and get you fed.”

  Oh yeah, that sounded good. I was looking forward to doing some serious food damage. For the next few hours I’d indulge.

  Chapter 31

  Eden

  Xander came back from the weigh-in with Reed in tow looking much brighter than when he’d walked out a couple of hours ago. The chef Reed had hired for him was just finishing up the preparation for his meals in the compact kitchen the suite offered. This was something that had been occurring ever since I’d arrived. The chef would come in a couple of times a day, prepare a series of meals and leave them with instructions for reheating or whatever.

  “How’d it go?” I asked getting up from the sofa and the book I was reading to cross the floor to him.

  He pulled me straight into a solid hug and dropped his lips to mine for a kiss that left no doubts in my mind about how he felt about me.

  “Seventy-five kilos. Two kilos under.” He took a sip from the bottle he carried and grinned. “I’m starved.” He took my hand and pulled me over to the dining room table and started in on all the food that was laid out.

  There was so much food. All high quality carbohydrate dishes such as brown rice, sweet potato and quinoa; it smelt fantastic and I bet tasted even better. There was grilled salmon and a couple of very juicy looking steaks as well as a huge bowl of beautifully steamed vegetables.

  Xander sat down and over the course of the next hour systematically hoovered through the vast majority of the food in between taking sips of water from the bottle. At three fifteen, Reed handed him another and he started in on that one.

  It was amazing to see how his body was almost transforming in front of my eyes. The black from his eyes seemed to be disappearing and I watched his skin take on a more natural look. His dad joined us for the “re-feed” and we all laughed and joked a little about everything and nothing. The fight wasn’t even mentioned and to be honest it was the most relaxed I’d seen them all since this had started.

  When the food was demolished. Xander stretched out and took my hand. “Come watch a movie with me?” He pulled me up from the table and we moved over to the sofa where he pulled me down to lounge with him. Reed and his father got up saying their goodbyes.

  “Be ready at five thirty,” Reed reminded him as he headed out the door.

  “See you then,” Xander called offhandedly as he flicked through the movies on the hotels pay-per-view channels.

  “What do you want to watch, Gem?”

  “Nothing too heavy.”

  We finally agreed on an action comedy cross over thing that was light on story line and big on easy action and laughs.

  The alarm on his phone had beeped once and Xander had gotten up and taken another bottle of water from the fridge.

  The movie wasn’t all that long, which wasn’t at all surprising considering the storyline or lack thereof.

  “I guess it’s time to get ready for this press conference,” he said standing and offering me a hand. “I can’t wait till all this is over.” He pulled me in against his body and his mouth found mine and his tongue swept in and brushed away all sane thought with his wicked teasing. A low growl escaped from his throat and he pulled me in even tighter to him. My hands curled around his rock hard shoulders and I kneaded the muscles under my fingers. It would be so easy to get carried away.

  We both seemed to realise it as we moved our heads back a couple of inches. “Go have a shower, Xan. This is just making things more difficult.”

  “I’d ask you to come with me but…” He glanced down at the bulge in his pants.

  “I know and remember I’d want it a lot colder than you.”

  “A cold shower might not be a bad idea right now,” he said and sauntered off.

  A little while later we were both showered and dressed. Xander in a pair of black jeans I hadn’t seen before and a plain black T-shirt with an abstract colour splatter over it. It never ceased to amaze me how he could make simple clothes look insanely good. The splatter was the only colour he wore. He had a sexy street look going on.

  “You look so much better than you did a few hours ago,” I said to him when he’d emerged from the bedroom.

  “I feel so much better. Tomorrow, I’ll feel even better.”

  “Good. I can’t say I like seeing you like you were earlier. I know you have to do it but I don’t like seeing you suffer like that even if it’s all part of what you love doing.”

  “Yeah, the cutting part sucks. But it’s all part of making sure I get to the fight in the best condition possible with the greatest amount of strength.”

  He fussed with his phone for a second before we waited to head downstairs to the press conference which was being held in the Hotel Ballroom.

  “What’s up?” Xander was fidgety and seemed uncomfortable while we waited for our escort to arrive. This sort of restlessness was out of the norm for him.

  “I hate doing these press conference things and I think this one’s going to be a doozy. The two PR people from the fight franchise are doing everything in their power to whip up a frenzy of hype and they don’t give a shit who they hurt in the process. Unfortunately, there’s naff all I can do about it.” There was no mistaking the frustration and distaste for the whole thing in his tone.

  “Don’t worry about it. They’re only words and as long as we don’t take it to heart, then they can’t hurt us.” I tried to make my words sound solid and convincing. Maybe if I said it with confidence, I’d believe it, too. That was the point. I did believe it, but it still didn’t make it any less hurtful when the barbs flew.

  “People just suck. I don’t get why they feel the need to be so cruel and hurtful. I guess it’s small minds and insecurities.”

  There was a knock at our door and Xander glanced through the peep hole, then opened it before I could answer, and we were no longer alone. Xander took my hand and led me from our suite. Four official looking guys in black suits immediately moved forward to surround us and we made our way to the elevator. The ride to the floor the ballroom was located on was done in silence. The door opened and we all moved out.

  “This way, Mr Todd. We’ll take you back to where your party is waiting.” The men shouldered their way through the crowd of reporters and other interested bystanders and now I understood why there were four of them. It had seemed like overkill up on our secure floor, but now I saw it for the necessity it was. We moved down through a hotel service corridor and the guys escorted us into a comfortable room with a couple of sofas and a table of refreshments. Reed and Len were already there, as were Dane and Seth. After this we’d all planned to have a quiet dinner before an early night.

  Seth made a show of looking Xander over. “Well, that was unexpected. I didn’t think security had a hope of getting you through there without you losing your shirt or getting pawed.”

  Xander chuckled. “Yeah, it’s a mob scene.” But he still seemed to have that jittery nervous energy about him.

  “Calm down, man. It’s not the fight, just the press conference,” Dane joked.

  “Wish it was the fight. I hate this shit.” He cast me a glance and I realised why he was so uptight about it. He was worried what they were going to say about me. I tried to give him my best reassuring smile, but I wasn’t sure if it worked or not. A few seconds later the four guys were back and escorting him and Reed away for the press conference.

  “Come on. We’ll watch from the side,” Len said getting to his feet.

  My stomach was in knots and I wasn’t sure I really wanted to see this.

  Here goes nothing I thought to myself.

  * * *

  Xander

  The room was awash with the din of what seemed to be a million bees as they led us up to the stage with tables and chairs set out along it. In front of each seat there was a microphone
. The room had been darkened a little and all I could see was row after row of media people. But judging by the noise it had to be full. Sponsors’ screens had been placed at each side of the stage and there were about ten chairs behind each wall for both camp’s entourage. I was just settling into my seat with Reed to my left when I spotted Dad and Eden from the corner of my eye. Seth and Dane were right behind them.

  As I glanced to my right I could see Luke moving towards the stage with his crew in tow as well. I looked straight ahead and tried to block it all out. My hands were resting on the table in front of me, but underneath the clothed table, my legs were bouncing.

  “Try to relax, will you,” Reed said out of the corner of his mouth. I took another sip from the water bottle that was my constant companion—anything to give me something to do. I could feel the animosity flowing off “Lights Out” as he sat down in his designated chair.

  A few moments later Parker Cook, the promoter stepped up onto stage and took the seat in the middle of Luke and me. Just like Reed was to my side, so was Barry, Luke’s trainer.

  An official looking guy let out a piercing whistle and the room hushed. He then explained how the questions would be organised and answered before the cameras started to roll. It really was all about the “viewing and exposure opportunities.”

  The man walked off to the side and we were away.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, thanks for coming out this evening.” Parker started the proceedings and droned on for a couple of minutes. This show was as much about him as it was about the fight. “Enough about all that. Let me introduce you to the fighters you’ve all come to see. As you know this fight has been touted as one of the greatest grudge matches ever. Xander “Pretty Boy” Todd here is undefeated, but hasn’t fought in over three years since that fateful day he took the life of The Cobra.” Parker paused for a few moments, letting the full force of those words sink in and the tension build in the room. This was his craft and he was a master at it. Guess it didn’t matter that I thought he was a disrespectful arsehole right about now.