Uncaged by Paige Notaro

Author:Paige Notaro [Notaro, Paige]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: dark romance, mma fighter
Published: 2014-10-02T04:00:00+00:00

3

Salvation

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be” - Douglas Adams

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Andre

I spit onto the dirt and tasted blood. The guy ahead of me, Carlos, grinned, but his smile was stained red. He was trying to use my moves but he was heaving, his walk was jittery and his eyes weren't quite in focus. He was going out and he knew it, but at least he’d bloodied me up enough to earn some respect.

I hugged in close and started jabbing at his chest. His forearms were there of course, but they were just flesh and blood and once they sang with pain, they fell apart like anything else. I drove him toward the fence and the crowd drowned the arena with their yells as if they were in the ring themselves. As if they were real men and not just spineless pieces of shit.

Focus, man. Where was my mind? I saw the grit in this guy's face, but I wasn't feeling what it meant. I was off today, my mind and body dulled by a night of too much thinking and too little sleep.

Georgia on my mind. That old tune had been a soundtrack in my head ever since I’d had to come down to Juarez, but now it was on infinite loop.

I slammed the guy into the wall and sighted my fist on his face, but he blocked the punch with surprising vigor. He let out a roar and thrust me back. My mind returned to the now, but I was off balance, spinning, and then-

My face exploded in pain. I staggered back, nearly dropped to the earth. The guy shot into me like a missile and it was all I could do to raise my arms. It wasn’t quick enough. My vision exploded white and next thing, I was staring up at the steel mesh of the cage.

The grid seemed to move. Someone was counting next to me.

“Seis.”

My head swam. I was out. For the first time since I got to Juarez, I was going to be knocked out.

“Siete.”

I should be popping back up. I had it in me, but I could just hear Georgia’s voice in my head repeating what she’d said before I left: Come back soon. I can’t feel good while you’re gone.

If I took the fall, I could head back home. I could see her again. Get up, and I might get bloodied or broken or worse. What would she do without me?

“Ocho.”

What would I do without her?

"Nueve."

I didn’t care about winning anymore, but I needed to win to keep her safe and away from the violence of this city. Losing the match meant losing the apartment and then she would be right back down in the dirt, closer to the garbage in this arena.

That wasn’t gonna happen.

I groaned up to a seat before the ref’s mouth started to open. I wiped away my sweat and heaved myself onto my feet.

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