Xavier: A Friends-to-Lovers MMA Romance (A Cocky Cage Fighter Legacy Novel Book 1)

by Lane Hart

  “Oh, you dirty little fucker,” Vinny grunts as he limps back to his feet. He hops backwards a few steps away from me as the crowd explodes into cheers. “You think you’re gonna win just by tweaking my toes, you little bitch?” he roars as he regains his stance, then rushes back towards me.

  Just as we’re about to collide, the bell rings to signify the end of the second round, and the referee jumps between us. “Break it up, break it up,” he yells. “To your corners!”

  We glare at each other as we go our separate ways, Vinny’s lips and mouthguard still bloody from the start of the round. My dad and Jude are already inside the ring with my stool and bucket, waving me over.

  “That was a good escape,” my father says as I sit down and take a quick drink.

  “Good escapes aren’t going to win this,” Jude cautions me as he towels me down. “You started out hot, but that round could go either way. You only landed one clean hit when you hit him with that knee. He was blocking everything else. Don’t let the judges take this from you, you hear?”

  “Don’t ever rely on the judges,” Dad reiterates. “Put that old bastard to sleep and end this. Hey, someone else wants to say something really quick.” He points just outside the ring, guiding my eyes to the floor just behind me outside the cage.

  “Cass!” I break into a huge grin when I see her standing just behind me. My smile falters as I consider everything she’s seen in these last two rounds. “I’m glad you’re here, baby, but I hope you don’t think less of me if this doesn’t turn out well. I’m giving it all I’ve got for you guys!”

  “I’ve been right here, Xavier!” Cass says. “I’ve even heard some of the trash that guy was talking to you! Xavier, listen to me. This guy is taking you to the ground because he knows that you’re bigger than your dad or your uncle. He knows you’re even more of a heavy hitter than they were! He’s terrified of you knocking him out!”

  “He doesn’t seem like it from in here,” I reply with a wry shake of my head.

  “Don’t laugh this off!” Cass insists. “Don’t beat him for me or for your family. Do it for yourself! You are a lawyer, and you are beautiful. You’re also the best fighter any of us have ever seen! Get back in there and prove it to yourself. Knock his ass out!” Cass stammers.

  “Time, gentlemen,” the referee announces as he checks each corner.

  I nod to Cass as I get back to my feet, both my dad and Jude giving me a slap on the back as they pick up my gear. As my father puts my mouthpiece back in, he says, “Listen to your girl. She’s speaking from her heart. You don’t have anything to prove to anyone except yourself. Now go take that motherfucker’s head off.”

  I give him a sharp nod as he exits the cage, the bell ringing as soon as the door is closed. With a new determination, I stomp toward my opponent. While Cass was speaking, my mind seemed to clear, her words scattering my self-doubts and fears. Head clear, the ring and everything around me comes into sharper focus. There is a man in front of me, a man whose name doesn’t even matter. I only know that I have to destroy him and that nothing under heaven can stop me.

  My opponent tries a new strategy; but in my hyper-focused state, I’m not surprised at all when he aims a front kick towards my belly. I trust my body. Tightening my abs, I walk right through it, throwing him off balance as his foot bounces right off of me. I move faster, driving the man in front of me backwards into the wall of the cage, my fists pumping from the left and right in perfect harmony. Again and again they crash into his upraised arms, as the man ducks his head lower and lower to make sure I can’t reach his chin.

  With his arms so high, his huge, firm gut makes an appealing target, and I shift my posture to deliver a series of crushing left hands low into his right side. I can practically feel his liver shrieking and hemorrhaging under his skin as he bends forward, crumpling from the internal abuse. His arms drop involuntarily to protect his torso, and I take a step back, time seeming to slow down even further as I tee up the perfect shot.

  The man in front of me, the man who had taunted me, the man who represents all the doubts I had about myself looks up at me with glassy eyes and his mouth parted, struggling for the breath I’ve beaten out of him. I have only one mercy I can bestow upon him. I raise my right fist high and bring it down on his jaw, his face crumpling as though a meteor had crashed through the roof of the arena and slammed directly into his jaw. I leap back a step as the man pitches forward, his limp body slamming into the canvas so hard he bounces once before coming to rest in a sprawl of loose limbs and humiliation.

  I stand above him in perfect silence, the sounds and fury of the crowd around me unable, at first, to pierce the perfect clarity and focus I had created. Only when I begin to release it do the incredible sensations of the gathered crowd break through, as my family and the love of my life race into the ring to wrap me in their arms.

  “You did it!” my father roars as he picks me up by my waist briefly, then drops my feet back to the mat. “Damn, son, I always forget how heavy you’ve gotten,” he huffs before Jude wraps me in a hug.

  “Be proud, Xavier. That…that was a thing of beauty,” Jude says.

  When Cass steps between us Jude backs away, both of them grinning broadly. “You found it, didn’t you?” Cass asks me as she wraps her arms around my waist.

  I bend down slightly to kiss her, then wrap my arms around her and lean back to raise her into the air. “You helped me find it,” I confirm. “I couldn’t shake the doubts by myself. I couldn’t see myself the way you do. What you said, though, the way you looked at me tonight, it finally got through to me. I’m not living up to a legacy or following in anyone’s footsteps. I’m just me.”

  “Well, ‘just you’ is the greatest fighter, and the best lover, in all the world,” Cass teases as I set her back down on her feet.

  “Only because I’ve got the best woman in my corner keeping my head on straight,” I reply.

  I know that without Cassidy, even if I could have accomplished everything that I have, it never would have the same meaning. She helped bring me here, where I need to be, which is right by her side forever.

  Epilogue

  Xavier

  It’s been two weeks since my big win, and I’m still riding the incredible high. It’s better than anything I’ve ever felt, making me certain that I made the right decision by giving up law for the cage.

  And while I’m dog-tired after another full day of training, ready to get home to see Cass, I stop by Coach Briggs’ office before leaving since my dad said he needed to see me before I leave.

  “Hey, Coach. What’s up?” I ask when I step through his open office door after my shower with my duffle bag hanging over my shoulder.

  “Xavier!” he says in greeting when he gets to his feet behind his desk wearing his usual black and red Havoc shirt. “I know you’re ready to get home. I just wanted to let you know that Macy and I are headed off to North Carolina tomorrow morning. We’ll be down there for a few weeks helping to get Sage, one of Linc Abrams’ twins, ready for his welterweight title fight against Cyrus Cutler.” Narrowing his eyes and wagging his finger at me, Coach says, “Don’t you dare fucking slack off while I’m gone! Keep up your training with Jax and the other coaches.”

  “I will,” I agree with a chuckle. “And send my condolences to the Abramses. I wouldn’t want to fight that mean son of a bitch even with a sixty-pound advantage.”

  Nodding his head in agreement, Coach says, “Cyrus has built his reputation on fear because he’s not that great on his feet or on the ground. He’s known for fighting dirty, but that shit won’t fly against the Abrams’ twin.”

  “Yeah, let’s hope not.”

  “Before I leave, I needed to give you this,” Coach says when he picks up a white envelope from his desk and holds it out to me.

  “What is it?” I ask when I take it.

  “Your purse from your first fight and a contract to look over for your next one.”

  Dropping my duffle to the
floor, I tear the envelope open on the side to dump out a cashiers’ check with a whole bunch of zeros. “Holy shit, that’s a lot of money,” I remark. “More than we agreed on.”

  Coach laughs. “The IFC was feeling generous after you helped their ratings go through the roof with your win. That’s why they gave you a bonus and are offering you a pay-per-view fight next for a helluva lot more money.”

  “Wow. That’s…amazing,” I say nearly speechless.

  “You sound surprised.”

  “Yeah, I guess I am. I wasn’t sure I would win, much less get a second fight. I think I’m still in shock.”

  “Well, kid, have a little fun with your payday, but don’t spend it all in one place.”

  “I won’t. I’ve got a few bills to pay first,” I agree with a grin, knowing the one thing I do plan to splurge on. “Thanks for everything, Coach.”

  “Hell, I just made a few calls and gave you a few pointers. The rest was all you, Malone.”

  Cassidy

  “Baby, I’m home!” Xavier calls out as soon as the front door opens.

  God, I will never get tired of hearing that, his voice every day or the term of endearment.

  “I’m in the kitchen!” I yell back to him while stirring our dinner.

  “Mmm, mmm. Something smells good.”

  “I’ve cooked us some grilled chicken, veggies and peppers for dinner,” I tell him when he strolls up behind me at the stove. After I turn off the burner, Xavier grasps my waist in his big hands and then places a kiss on my cheek.

  “Thanks. I know it’s probably getting old trying to eat healthy shit,” he says.

  “I don’t mind. The healthy shit for dinner just leaves more room for dessert,” I reply, spinning around in his arms to kiss his lips.

  “True,” Xavier agrees with a chuckle. “So, how was your day at the store?”

  “Good. Yours?” I ask.

  “Great,” he replies. “I got paid for my fight and a contract for the next one on pay-per-view.”

  “That’s awesome, Xavier!” I say when I throw my arms around his neck to hug him. “Congrats! Pay-per-view is huge!”

  “It is,” he agrees, squeezing me back tightly. “And it’s a relief to pay off my credit cards and not have the past hang over my head. I also wanted to do a little something for you to pay you back for letting me crash here the past six months.”

  “I don’t want your money. I’ve loved having you here,” I tell him honestly when I let him go.

  “I figured you would say that, so I decided to do something else for you.”

  “Oh yeah?” I ask.

  “I have a very important question to ask you, Cassidy Brooks,” he starts before reaching over into his duffle bag he sat on the island.

  Holy shit, he used my full name and he has an important question. Is it the question I think it is? Oh, I know it’s soon, but I want nothing more than to marry Xavier, my best friend and the love of my life.

  Instead of a jewelry box, Xavier pulls out an envelope and hands it to me. “Will you be my date to all of the Baltimore home games next season?”

  Peeking inside, I see a ton of tickets, just like Eddie had. “Season tickets?” I say in surprise.

  “Yeah, you love football more than anything, right?”

  “Right,” I agree although football is a close second to him now. “Thank you. These are…really great.” God, I’m so stupid. Why did I even get my hopes up? Xavier’s not even divorced yet.

  “You okay?” he asks. “I thought you would be excited.”

  “I am,” I agree. “The tickets are great. It’ll be fun.”

  “I thought so too, even though you’ll have to walk me through every play,” Xavier says. “Oh, and, um, I also bought tickets for our families to come to the first home game.”

  “You did? That was…nice of you,” I say absently as I turn around to keep stirring our dinner to give myself time to try to blink away the stupid tears of disappointment.

  “Yeah, I did, because I was sort of hoping you might marry me before kickoff, and I didn’t want them to miss it.”

  “Uh-huh,” I agree before I finally digest all of his words. Spinning around with the spatula still in my hand, I say, “Wait. What the heck did you just say?”

  When Xavier goes down on one knee on the kitchen floor and holds up an open ring box with a big, sparkling diamond solitaire inside, I throw the freaking spatula in the air and scream. “Oh my god! Oh. My. God!”

  Grinning like the cocky bastard he is, he says, “Cassidy Brooks, would you do me the honor of being my wife? I know we’ve only been a couple for six months, but I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me, Bambi?”

  “Yes, yes, yes!” I squeal as I throw myself at him and kiss him so hard that I ride him down to the floor. “I love you…so much,” I tell him when I bury my damp face in his neck.

  “I love you too,” Xavier says when he sits up so that I’m straddling him. Removing the ring from the box, he slides it onto my finger. “And we don’t have to get married in the stadium. The wedding can be anywhere you want it to be, baby.”

  “No, it’s perfect,” I tell him. “You’re perfect, and I am the luckiest girl in the world to have you as my best friend and soon-to-be husband.”

  The End

  Coming Soon

  Thank you so much for reading Xavier!

  Sage’s book is up next in the Cocky Cage Fighter Legacy Series!

  Order your copy now!

  Also by Lane Hart

  Covered in tattoos and leather, Malcolm Hyde is a smoking hot biker and nothing but trouble.

  Start reading Malcolm!

  When tragedy strikes during a bachelorette weekend, Roman McNamara and the Savage Kings MC are Charlotte’s only hope of finding her best friend before it’s too late.

  Start reading the NEW South Carolina Savage Kings MC!

  About the Author

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lane Hart was born and raised in North Carolina. She still live in the south with her husband, author D.B. West, and their two daughters. Lane enjoys spending the summers on the beach and watching football in the fall.

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