He’s not going to do it, is he?
I sprint in the direction of the crowd, pushing desperately through the ocean of anxious people to get all the way up front. People are squeezed together so tightly that it’s hard to even breathe. The crowd is a ravenous, savage animal tonight, eagerly writhing for blood to soak the cage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you’ve been waiting for! D-D-Deadbeat vs. Killerrrrr!” The announcer calls, earning another blast of cheers. “Who will prevail and claim this year’s ultimate title? And who’s gonna crawl out of this cage tonight bleeding and butchered with broken bones?
Wait no longer ‘cuz here are your fightersssss!”
I manage to find Brent and Evans by the time I hear the resounding, cacophonous roar of the crowd as Kayden emerges from the shadows. He’s stone faced as he circles the cage, giving the crowd a quick, silent wave before taking his place opposite Jax.
Jax raises his fists high, the embodiment of arrogance as he yells and jumps around the cage, riling his adoring crowd up. The “Deadbeat” chant surges and his deadly grin lengthens across his mouth, fueling the exhilarating energy of the masses. The gnarly scar on his right cheek as a result of what happened during the wedding yesterday only serves to heighten the aura of fear around him.
He looks smug as hell. So smug that I wish I could be the one to personally fuck him up in that cage so he’d never be able to make that look again.
The crowd’s cheers reach a crescendo as both fighters ease into their stances, waiting for the countdown to the bell. Kayden’s gaze swings in my direction, colliding with mine. I shake my head, silently begging him not to do this.
His Adam’s apple bobs and his eyes flicker toward Jax. They narrow into purposeful slits.
And the second the bell rings, Kayden does something no one but me could have anticipated.
He drops his hand to the concrete floor and taps out.
Outraged gasps erupt all across the camp.
“Did he just—?” Evans stares at the cage in disbelief.
“What the hell is he doing?” Brent yells. “No way he just tapped out!”
Both of them are staring at me expectantly, as if saying any context right now will be welcome. But I don’t have the answers they’re looking for.
This isn’t real. This isn’t happening right now.
My eyes flutter shut and I suck in a tight breath, forcing my frustrations inward.
I should have known. I should have known this was what he was going to do when I saw his face after he kissed me.
He’s really giving it all up. And there’s nothing I can do about it.
“And we have a . . . forfeit?” The host’s face is a mask of confusion. He scratches his head, eyebrows furrowing low on his face when he snaps his attention to Kayden. “Is this right? Killer, you’re tapping out?”
Kayden nods silently.
“What the fuck? ” Jax screams, gesturing with his arms in aggravation. “You think you’re just going to take the easy way out of this?”
“I’m not going to play into your stupid game.” Kayden shakes his head, the exasperation gripping his body causing his muscles to move and tighten. “I’m done with this shit.
And I’m done with you.”
More gasps. More outrage. More booing.
“Are you for real right now?” Jax fumes.
“Does it look like I’m joking?” Kayden hisses back.
It’s pure chaos around the cage. The announcer is trying to get everyone to calm down but the entire crowd is seconds away from turning into a full-blown mob. Some people are already hurling beer cans and cigarettes at the cage. Definitely not a good sign.
Kayden refuses to wait for the referee to call the fight.
Cutting one final look at Jax, he turns his back swiftly and heads straight for the cage door. But Jax isn’t having any of it.