I hopped back on my feet and got into position. I rocked back and forth before releasing all that I had into the pads. I threw a jab and then a cross followed up by a leg kick. Coach stumbled a bit, but found his footing quickly. At sixty-five, he was still tough as an ox and probably the only person I wouldn’t want to go up against. He was fighting MMA style before it was even a thing. He had the strength, but, more than anything, he had the skill. Fast on his feet and capable of anticipating an opponent’s every move. He was too old for cage life, but he would never be too old to teach. I was a world champion because of everything he taught me and, if he knew I had a girl on my mind, he would beat my ass.
“Better,” he said, as I delivered a perfectly planned Superman. “Take a break.”
I walked to the edge of the ring and grabbed my bottle of water, chugging until it was halfway gone. Sweat dripped down my forehead, and I used the back of my hand to wipe it away.
Coach came to a stop next to me. “How you feeling? Good?”
“Feeling great. Never better.”
“Good that’s exactly what I want to hear before a fight.”
“I’m not worried,” I said.
“Me either. Stanton isn’t really competition. He’s three and one. He got his ass handed to him by a newbie.”
I laughed. “That sucks.”
“That’s what I said, but the newbie is good. Hasn’t lost a fight yet. I think we should keep an eye on him. He’s in your weight class and at the rate he’s going, he might be after your title.”
“What’s his name?” I asked, thinking I’d look him up if I had a minute.
“Bronx Boston. They call him The Boss.”
“Bronx Boston? He sounds like a douchebag.”
“Probably is, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is the boy’s got skills.”
“I’ll worry about it when I have to.” I took another swig from my water bottle. There was no use concerning myself with some rookie. For all I knew, it was beginner’s luck, and he’d be fading soon. No one stayed undefeated in this sport for long.
“Good, because right now you need to focus on Friday’s match. A lot of money is riding on you, and you don’t want to piss any one off.”
The one thing about being champion, people loved to bet against you, thinking your run would have to die out eventually. But then there were those who put all on the line for me, knowing they’d be raking it in big if I win again. I didn’t fight for them, though. I didn’t fight for anyone. I fought for myself. I didn’t give a shit who was betting on me and who would win what. I didn’t owe anyone shit.
Sebastian, Julius and Marco, I knew always threw bets down in my favor, but I told them to keep me in the dark. I didn’t need to worry about their money while I was beating some guys face in. They did their thing, and I did my own. Afterwards, we celebrated. It was the only way it would work.
“Go hit the showers.” Coach climbed out of the ring. He stopped when he jumped down to the ground and looked up at me. “And Knox.”
“Yeah, Coach?”
“Whatever chick has you spacing out, fuck her and forget her. You don’t have time for distractions.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, opting to play dumb.
“I wasn’t born yesterday, and I’m not fucking stupid. I’ve watched some of the greats fall because of some chick and I’m not going to let that happen to you. You need to keep your focus, and whoever she is needs to be forgotten.”
“Coach, I’m not some fucking amateur. Don’t insult me. The minute I step in the cage, everything on the outside disappears. I’m here to win and I will.”
Coach nodded. “Don’t tell me. Show me,” he said, then disappeared into the locker room.
Chapter 8
Mila
I packed my schoolgirl outfit in my bag and pulled it onto my shoulder. Christian Bates was in town, and I knew he’d be stopping by to get his kicks. The sick bastard had some sick obsession for schoolgirls, and while I didn’t think it was as innocent as others, he tipped well. Besides, he was a rich and powerful business man that people turned a blind eye to all the time.
Music blasted from the living room, and I rolled my eyes as I made my way out of my room. I went over to the remote and turned it off.
Mackenzie in a black bikini top, looked up from painting her toes. “Hey, I was listening to that!” Mackenzie whined.
“The whole building was. Shouldn’t you be doing your homework?”
“What’s the point?”
“The point is, you need to do it.”
“Why?” She sat up, holding her legs out, and admiring her feet before glancing up at me. “You dropped out of high school and look at you now.” Her words dripped with sarcasm and I knew she was looking to get a rise out of me. But I’d been dealing with her bullshit long enough, and I wasn’t going to take her bait.
I took in a deep breath to calm my nerves before I jumped over the coffee table and smacked her stupid. “I didn’t have a choice. Someone had to get a job and put a roof over our heads. You’re welcome by the way.”
“Geez, Mila. I was just kidding. Take a joke, would you?”
“I would if it was funny.” I was still pissed at her about the money, though she swore up and down that she didn’t touch it. She must’ve thought I was a damn moron. If she didn’t take it who did?
If it weren’t for Knox, she wouldn’t be eating that bag of chips right now. I would have had to work an extra shift, and prayed that I made enough in tips to cover what was missing. Her morning omelets would have been replaced with dollar store cereal.
I still needed to pay Knox back, which is why I was going in tonight. It was usually my night off, but when I heard Christian was in town, I figured it was my best bet to earn enough to pay my debt.
“I’m heading to work now. Mrs. Suarez said she’ll look in on you.”
Mackenzie’s lip curled and her hand landed firmly on her hip. “You’ve got to be freaking kidding me. I’m sixteen. I don’t need a babysitter.”
I willed myself to stay calm and not add any more fuel to the Mackenzie fire. “Apparently, you do, since the last time I came home I found two boys passed out drunk in my living room.”
She stomped her foot, and it reminded me of the tantrums she used to throw when she was five, and our parents were the ones who had to deal with her. It was comical then, not so much now. “This is so not fair!”
“Yeah, well life’s not fair. Get over it. Besides, if you have nothing to hide, then why are you getting so worked up?” I met her gaze and held it, refusing to back down to her. She needed to get it through her thick goddamned head that she wasn’t the one in charge.
“That’s not the point,” she spat.
“Isn’t it?”
“No! The point is, Mrs. Suarez is a nosy bitch who has nothing better to do with her life than spy on me.”
“Mrs. Suarez has five kids, so believe me when I say she has plenty to do. Anyway, you brought this on yourself. You’re the one who showed me I couldn’t trust you on your own. Instead of acting like the grown up you proclaim to be,” I put my fingers up making air quotes “you did the total opposite, leaving me no choice but to have someone look in on you. You want to be treated like an adult? Then try acting the part. You think I like having to do this, then think again. I don’t like it any more than you do, but since I am in charge of you, you left me no choice. So deal with it.”