170 Chapter 170

Seraphina’s POV

The roar of the crowd hit me like a physical wave before I even stepped through the curtain.

My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. I clenched them into fists, tried to steady my breathing, tried to remember everything Rico had drilled into me over the past three weeks.

*Keep your guard up. Move your feet. Don’t let him corner you.*

“You ready?” Rico appeared beside me, his face all hard angles in the harsh backstage lighting.

“No.” My voice came out smaller than I wanted.

“Good. Nerves keep you sharp.” He grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look at him. “Listen to me. Kade–that’s your opponent tonight- he’s big. He’s strong. He’s going to try to intimidate you.”

“He already is intimidating me,” I admitted.

“But he’s slow. And he underestimates women.” Rico’s grip tightened. “Use that. Be faster. Be smarter. And for God’s sake, don’t let him

pin you against the ropes.”

The announcer’s voice boomed through the warehouse: “Ladies and gentlemen! Our next fight features a newcomer to the circuit!”

This was it. This was really happening.

“You got this,” Rico said, but his eyes said something different. Something that looked uncomfortably like doubt. 1

I stepped through the curtain.

The noise tripled instantly. But it wasn’t cheering. It was laughing. Jeering. The kind of cruel mockery that made my skin crawl.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” someone shouted from the crowd.

“She looks like she weighs ninety pounds!”

“This is gonna be a massacre!”

“I’ll take bets on which bone he breaks first!”

My legs felt like jelly as I climbed the steps. The canvas was stained with old blood. Some of it might be mine soon.

The overhead lights were blinding, making the crowd beyond them look like shadows. Faceless. Hungry. Waiting for me to fail.

the announcer bellowed,

catcalls so loud

“Go home, little girl!”

call child

19:14

170 Chapter 170

bucks says

twenty! She won’t last

ropes. The rough material bit into my palms. This was a

huge, terrible mistake.

the opposite door opened, and Kade stepped

Oh God.

He was a monster.

mountain. Dark skin stretched over muscles that looked carved from stone.

his shoulders were so

Cheering. Whistling. Chanting his name like he was some kind of

“KADE! KADE! KADE!”

sound vibrated through my chest, through my bones. Dozens of voices merged

into the ring with the easy confidence of a predator entering familiar hunting grounds.

would end..

he said as he moved past me to his corner.

made it worse.

crowd laughed. Someone threw a beer can that clattered across the

the ring. Up close, Kade was

the

entire arm go numb. His grin widened, showing perfect white

softly. Just for

to our corners. Rico was climbing through the ropes, his face

he said, fitting my mouthguard. His hands were steady, but I

down–get back up. No matter what.

not trusting

The bell rang.

sound cut through the air like

me like

punch caught my forearms with enough force to send

19.14

170 Chapter 170

rattled my teeth. His second punch–Jesus Christ, his second

swing and circled away, my feet remembering the footwork Flint had drilled into me until I could do it in

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255