“Don’t you dare tap out!” Jax and Jude both yell from somewhere nearby. “You keep that grip and pull that fat bitch! Throw him out into the crowd if you have to!”
“Don’t listen to them, kid,” Vinny wheezes as he throws himself backwards, sending blinding blasts of agony up my arm. “You can tap out and head right on back to your safe little office. You tried, kid, I’ll give you that, but you ain’t got what it takes. Fighters aren’t born; they’re made in a gym, boy. You might’ve been born pretty and smart, but you ain’t got the soul to face a man like me. Tap, kid. Ain’t no shame in it.”
“Fuck you,” I grunt as I jerk my arm back towards my body. Vinny is heavier than I am, but I can feel that I’m winning this tug of war and know that I’m stronger. I thrash and heave myself away from him, dragging my arm back a few precious inches before I try my next move. It’s a hell of a gamble, but it’s the only way I’m going to escape without a broken arm.
Once I’ve got my right arm down far enough so that Vinny doesn’t have leverage, I take my left hand off of my arm and seize Vinny’s toes that are almost directly in my face. He throws himself backwards again to try to take advantage, but at the same time I seize his big toe and bend it backwards, the intense pain making his leg spasm and releasing the pressure across my neck. As Vinny hurls himself backward to try and break my arm, I roll with him and break free of his leg, getting my knees under me and finally yanking my arm out of his weakening grip.
“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
