Page 9 of Sucker Punch Drunk Love

“You see the fight in this one?” This time, I didn’t leave him time to laugh and joke before I swung a right hook, his face again my target. To his surprise, it did make him stumble back. He had to know that I wasn’t playing.

“Okay, maybe there’s more than a plush toy in there, but let’s see if you’re half the shit that you think you are,” he said unbuttoning his shirt, as he snapped his fingers, pointing to where he wanted me to meet him.

“I’m only going technical on you because I don’t hit girls, but if you wantmeas a trainer, you’re gonna have to show me you got more in you than a sucker punch. Héctor, chime in.” As his colleague stood from a comfortable distance, judging for technique.

There was no doubt Josue would be fast. He was taller than me, had greater extension, but none of that would matter if I could get him on the ground. He taunted me, laughing whenever a move of mine was so predictable, he could sense it, but I kepttrying to impress him, when what I should have been doing was what I was good at. Grappling him to the floor.

Since I knew he wasn’t going to hit me, I needed to eliminate his reach before he saw me coming. I couldn’t use strength, but I could use leverage and positioning to get him to the floor. Locking Josue’s hips in a body lock, instead of muscling backward, I forced him to the side at an angle that forced him to widen his stance.

Once he did that, hooking my ankle behind his leg seemed easy, or easier given I wouldn’t win in a battle of strength, but I could at least trip him up. That was where he was at a disadvantage, because his size would make a harder fall, which I surprised even myself when I got him on his back, as he tried to push me back with his hips, but I pushed my weight against his chest, crawling over to trap his arm and neck in a guard.

He tapped, as I released his arm, something that seemed to upset him more that I’d been able to achieve so quick. Running his fingers through his dark strands, I was about to approach him, until he stopped me from entering his space. “Youstay right here,” he commanded.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” he hesitated. “Because you did something right. And now I have to speak with my colleague because I need someone to talk me out of this.”

“Talk you out of what?” I wondered, confused.

“Talk me out of training you. I’m gonna have a chat in our office and when I come out? You’ll have your answer.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Josue

I must have been out of my fucking mind. After she’d been right in my face, literallybeggingfor me to consider this, I was caught between whether this was a crazy idea, or if this was the best thing to happen toHouse of Beast. A female fighter wasn’t exactly the lure I’d figure would help the gym, but that’s why I had Héctor. He saw things I didn’t see.

It took me about a full minute to stop pacing out of anxiousness, as when I did finally sit, I lifted up the blinds to take a look at Sierra sitting lotus style, on the mat she’d just bodied me on. “She’sreallyfucking pretty. That’s too pretty, right?”

“Are you stating that or asking me?”

“I’m asking you, ¡Estúpido de mierda!?*”

“Audiences certainly don’t want to watchunattractivefemale fighters go at it. And attractiveness is suggestive, but she’s young. Doe eyed. Not that I’m trying to notice, but physically proportionate. Sex sells for female fighters. A pic on the gram in a sports bra, short shorts and her hip poked out could make her a celebrity overnight.” Which I’m sure what he was referring to was her social media presence, something Ididn’t pay much attention to with my own handles, because I had people to manage that for me.

“I don’t know if I want to take on the responsibility of taking her on and it goes fucking nowhere,” nervous for the first time in a long time when it came to what I could do for a fighter. There was a deep-rooted fear that all I’d do was waste her time, and neither of us needed that.

But…there was also endless possibility there. No expectations meant there wasn’t anywhere to go but up. No one would expect the first champion to come out ofHouse of Beastto be a woman. No one would expect that move to come from me.

“I know some people, who know some people, who are matchmakers who mainly take on female fighters. People who could really work with her and set her with the right fights,” Héctor admitted.

“I’d have to do my homework with this one. Study her competition, match her with people who would give her a challenge, but she could still beat while I clean her up on some of her weak points. She’s stronger on the ground, but she does have a mean right hook.”

“So, youareconsidering her?”

“I don’t fucking know yet, would you give me a second to think?” I barked back. “You watch more female matches than me, if you had to think, who do you think would match against her current state?” Knowing Héctor would have the know-how-and-what, having studied local and national fights with amateur and experienced talent.

“There’s a few. But I think your best bet’s a girl from the Midwest. She’s popular out there, so you’d have to be sure. But they have about the same number of fights under their belt, but given she’s 8-0, it’d definitely fast track the girl,” as he sharedthe name, and I put it to memory of all the homework I’d have to do on her.

“So, you’re not gonna talk me outta this?” I pointed toward the direction of the door, praying Héctor would knock me into my senses.

“We need a fighter. She’s a fighter. You must have saw something in her that you haven’t seen in someone, because you wouldn’t have wasted your time going to her fight, if you hadn’t.” ¡Coño?*! I hated when he was fucking right.

“Fuck me!” I huffed, choosing to leave the office before I changed my mind. At the sound of the open door, Sierra rose to her feet, and I’m sure I had noticed it before, but Héctor noting her doe eyes…I don’t know, they looked more…prominent to me now. Disarming almost, like she was incapable of hiding any emotion with them. It was like every laugh, moment of surprise or hurt could be seen through them before she even spoke.

“So?” she coaxed, making me instantly regret even noticing those big, beautiful brown eyes.

Shooting the girl a dismissive glance, my brow cocked, and I gave her a vague, “We’ll see.”