Tito the Freakstood in front of me.What kind of name was that? The dude clearly came up with it on his own. Probably meant hewasa freak.
He was two years younger than me. The tattoos on his face were gnarly. A coat of arms was on his left temple, a hazard symbol on the right, and “Tito the Freak” in an Old English font on his forehead.
The dude’s whole body was covered in ink, straight down to his ankles and the tops of his feet. Tito swaggered about the cage with a cocky confidence that said, “I’m gonna rip you up.” He was something else.
The lesson for today?
Never let a woman fuck with my mind. It may cost me big.
The ref came between us. He leveled his beady eyes at me. “You ready?”
“Yeah,” I barked with my mouthpiece in place.
“You ready?” He pointed to Tito, who nodded. Ref clapped and shouted. “Let’s go.”
At the sound of the bell dinging, we were on the move.
I kept my feet quick and my eyes on Tito. He took a jab, I returned the same. The crowd amped up the yelling as we worked the floor, moving about the cage. Tito threw everything from elbows to knees faster than anyone I’d fought before. I had to admit it wasfreakyhow rapidly he moved. But I kept up, dishing back my own playlist of uppercuts and knee strikes, tossing in a wrestler’s tie up to pull a leg trip takedown.
Tito was speedy; he broke free before I had him on his back or against the cage.
It seemed to be an even match until the glimpse of a blonde distracted me.
Stupidly, I darted my eyes off Tito for a millisecond. Maybe two. Wolf yelled my name. I glanced between Tito and the blonde with long hair. I couldn’t see her face, only the guy kissing her neck.
Tito startled me with a quick jab on my side. I shuffled back as he got in another punch, pushing me against the cage. In the clinch, I struggled to get out and get the upper hand as Tito went nuts with strikes to my ribs.
The match was going to hell in a handbasket.
“Zach! Get out of there!” Wolf yelled.
I tuned out my brother despite hearing my birth name. Hell, the whooshing sound in my head muffled most of the noise in the building.
I took a hit on the left side of my face, then the right. Yet, I still sought out the blonde. I found her, tossing her head back the same way Aspen would, laughing. The dumb fuck next to her copped a feel of her inner thigh. I couldn’t tear my gaze away. It was like I had to see how far his hand would travel under her skirt.
Wolf yelled as a punch to my jaw sent my head back into the cage.
Fuck!
I couldn’t get my head back into the fight. All I thought of was Aspen, hiding out in my club. I knew the fucker was coming for her. He’d hunt her down, turning the world on its side if needed.
“Zach!” Wolf went nuts outside the cage.
I shook my head while Tito jabbed my side, pinning me to the wall. I couldn’t lose the fight. I wouldn’t give Aspen power over me. Not again.
Turning the tables, I shifted, grabbing Tito and throwing him to the side. I got out, bounced on my feet, and pivoted. Kicking my leg up for a round kick, I missed the deranged piece of shit.
He copied the same move.
I caught his leg, bringing an outside trip for the takedown. Tito hit the floor, landing flat on his back.
No mercy, I chanted to myself.Finish it.
Pinning him happened lightning fast. Gassed like never before, I had my enemy under me, both arms clasped tightly behind his back. I avoided a closed guard when he tried to get his legs around me. Coming from the side, I went for it,no mercy, unleashing a round of brutal ground strikes as I imagined Aspen’s boyfriend taking the hits.
I didn’t let up, hearingfinish it,finish it, finish it!
I pulverized Tito until the ref pulled me off.