Page 44 of Always Love You More

I relax a bit, knowing he’s not out there, but then I tense again when the crowd erupts.

Someone starts counting, and then the crowd goes wild again.

As the winner walks away, the people around me shift, and a window opens, allowing me to see the ring. My eyes catch on the guy who lost, and I feel like I’m gonna be sick.

His body is beaten and bruised. He’s bleeding, but I can’t even tell where the blood is coming from.

Is that going to be Jameson?

Someone helps him up, and he’s able to walk away on his own, but he looks awful.

Johnny shifts closer to me. “You all right?”

I nod.

The next fight is over quickly. The one after that takes a bit longer. We’re close enough now that I can just barely see, and the initial shock is starting to wear off a bit. It’s still brutal and, at times, I have to look away, but I’m starting to get into it, calling out like the people around me. Johnny watches it like a sport, which I guess it is.

As another fight ends, he pulls money out of his pocket, handing it to someone and yelling a name over the noise—Jameson.

He turns back to me and finds me watching him. “He’s next.”

A voice announces Jameson, and I stand on my tiptoes again, scanning the room for him.

Across from me, there’s a break in the circle, and I see him walk through. He’s in jeans … just jeans.

My face heats at the sight of him.

His chest is tanned, and as he brings a hand up to push the dark hair out his face, the muscles in his arm flex. I notice a tattoo on his shoulder that I didn’t know he had. It looks like maybe a skull.

His father walks behind him, and once they stop at the edge of the circle, he leans over to say something into Jameson’s ear. I watch as Jameson stares back at him and nods.

His father steps back, and then I jump when his hand comes down against Jameson’s cheek. He shouts something I can’t hear, and Jameson shouts something back. They do it again and again until Jameson is clearly fired up.

The guy he’ll be fighting is announced, someone named Kayden. I drag my eyes away from Jameson and see his opponent walk into the circle. He’s about fifty pounds heavier and maybe ten years older, but I’d still put money on Jameson. The guy’s big, but he doesn’t look like he spends nearly as much time training. He bounces from foot to foot then paces from side to side like he can’t get his energy out fast enough.

I look back at Jameson. Where Kayden is chaos, Jameson is pure control.

His father has faded back into the crowd, while Jameson stands still, watching his opponent.

A voice yells fight, and Kayden instantly moves forward. He throws a punch, but Jameson dodges it easily, like he saw it coming.

He circles Kayden, who tries to land another punch, but before he can right himself, Jameson’s fist connects with his cheek.

I suck in a breath.

Kayden stumbles back, shakes his head, and then charges Jameson. He goes for Jameson’s face but, when he misses, quickly switches to his stomach. He connects, and Jameson hunches over, the wind knocked out of him.

Fuck.

He recovers quickly, moving out of Kayden’s reach before he can land another hit.

Kayden takes two quick steps and is suddenly in front of Jameson again, but Jameson swings out a leg, and Kayden trips back, allowing him to get in another hit.

People start cheering, and I hear myself joining in.

“Finish him,” my brother yells.

Jameson’s fist connects with Kayden’s jaw then stomach, making him stagger back.