Wyatt dodged to the right, seeming to move effortlessly out of the way.
Which of course angered Teddy. He let out a roar and raced at Wyatt.
Wyatt spun around him and got in a solid kidney punch that had his whole weight behind it.
Teddy stumbled forward, grimacing.
The crowd hurled encouragement and abuse.
Wyatt waved his fist triumphantly.
Which was a mistake. Teddy made the most of the moment and jabbed forward twice, the first hitting Wyatt on the temple, the second on the jawline.
Wyatt’s eyebrow appeared to explode, a gush of blood spurting into the air before peppering the floor. The red flow was instant, flooding over his eye and down his left cheek. He swiped at it, his jaw tight with frustration.
Belle let out a gasp.
Rigor squeezed her shoulder. “Eyebrows bleed like sons of bitches. He’ll be okay.”
Belle wasn’t so sure.
“Not so fucking tough now, huh!” Teddy mocked. “Think you can take what you want … not so, asshole.”
“I can take you on.” Wyatt raised his fists again. He lunged at Teddy but missed. Unsurprisingly when he was down to one functioning eye.
“Come on, Wyatt!” Taff yelled.
“Use your instincts,” Jayden added, gripping the rope.
Belle held her breath as Teddy had another go at Wyatt. He missed this time and allowed Wyatt to get behind him where he delivered another two hard punches to his kidneys and then got one on his ribs.
Teddy fell against the ropes, but only for a second, then he was back on the attack. Three bikers straightened the drum that had been knocked askew.
Wyatt dashed at the blood on his face again, smearing it over his nose. He was blinking rapidly, though it was clear his upper eyelid was swelling fast.
“Oh, God.” Belle pressed her hands to her face, hardly daring to watch.
“You little shit…” Teddy charged at Wyatt with madness searing over his eyes. His fists were balls, his muscles tense. He was a steam train on a direct collision course.
Wyatt held his ground. He didn’t move, didn’t even raise his arms. Just stood there, a coiled spring with nerves of steel.
Then at the last moment, just as Teddy was about to strike with another colossal right hook, Wyatt skipped to the left. He leaped upward, power coming from his feet, up his legs, through his torso to his arm, and ending in a colossal hit that caught Teddy on the temple.
Belle jumped as though she herself had been struck. It was such an accurate, hard shot.
Teddy froze, mid-step, arms mid-air. His mouth fell open, and then he began to fall. Or rather crumple. First his knees, then his hips and spine, which sent him slithering to the hard ground. He landed with his face twisted toward Belle. His eyes were closed. He was out cold.
For a moment, there was stunned silence, a shockwave of disbelief, and then Rigor slipped into the ring. Quickly, he crouched beside Teddy and shook him. “Hey buddy, you alive?”
Teddy grimaced then groaned.
A cheer went up.
Wyatt, with his bloody face, held his arms aloft. Carter and Jayden were at his side, punching the air and grinning as if they’d won the fight.
Belle’s heart was tearing in two. She loved Teddy, and he’d always looked out for her. But Wyatt … to see his handsome face soaked with blood as if he were in some macabre horror movie turned her stomach. She’d never liked the sight of blood, even less so on someone she loved.
Love. I do love him.