Fighting Silence (On the Ropes #1)(86)

Maybe.

“Don’t f*cking move!” was barked from the doorway.

Flint’s hands froze as he turned to look over his shoulder. I caught sight of Alex in the doorway, his gun aimed at Frankie. Flint immediately slid in front of me and pushed me over backwards. It wasn’t until I felt the first shot that I realized how wrong I truly was.

I heard the second shot as I lay on the ground with Flint on top of me. Blood sprayed from Frankie’s head as he too collapsed on the floor.

Maybe having it all was never meant for us.



As the bell rang to end the second round, I sat on the stool, exhausted. After the day’s events, I was in no condition to be fighting at all. However, I was fighting for her—there wasn’t a boxer in the world who could have taken me down. But I would fall anyway.

I opened my mouth to spit out my mouthpiece when one of the water boys stepped in front of me. As my trainer, Slate should have been the one to do it, so my senses immediately went on alert. I looked over my shoulder to find him just outside of the ring, secretively whispering with Leo. It was a sold-out arena in Vegas. No one should have been whispering in that chaos.

Leo pointed to the side, and Slate’s eyes drifted for only a second before he rushed to the ring. His face was pale, but his expression was murderous.

“What’s wrong?” I stood up, but he roughly pushed me back down. “Is she okay?”

He squatted in front of me. “One round. Then I’m calling the fight. You knock this motherf*cker out right now or it’s over.”

“I’m supposed to fall,” I stated as panic built in my stomach. I pushed to my feet. “What the f*ck is going on? Where is she?”

He looked down to Leo and swallowed hard. Leo responded with a nod, and Slate slowly lifted his arm and pointed to the far side of the arena. I swung my head to follow his direction.

My breath failed me as the weight of the world fell away.

Eliza.

She was wrapped in a blanket and surrounded by two uniformed officers, but she was more beautiful than I had ever seen her before. The second our eyes met, she burst into tears, and it was all I could do to keep my knees from buckling.

“Oh, God.” I breathed. I lifted my hands to sign before remembering my gloves.

“I’m okay,” she mouthed with a steady stream of tears dripping from her chin.

I nodded and swallowed the lump in my throat. I wouldn’t believe it until I held her. I’d started to climb through the ropes when Slate grabbed my arm.

“No. Finish this.”

I looked back at Eliza and smiled weakly.

“Why only one round if she’s okay?” I asked Slate without tearing my eyes off Eliza. I bounced on my toes and shook out my arms, trying to get myself back into the fight but finding it impossible.

Slate didn’t have a chance to respond before Eliza gave me the answer.

From under the blanket, she lifted a shaky hand to wipe away her tears, but her fingers left a streak of blood across her cheek.

My eyes went wide. “Eliza!” I called out, but there was no way she could hear me over the crowd.

I love you. I’m okay, she signed as one of the officers started to guide her away.

“Eliza!” I yelled as I traced the ropes down the side of the ring to follow her. I was vaguely aware of the ref pushing me back to my corner, but all I could see was the blood painting her face.

Slate moved in front of me as she disappeared around the corner. “One round.”

“Why is she bleeding? What the f*ck is going on?” I shoved his chest.

“She’s fine. Get your ass in that corner. Three minutes. Then you are out of here.”

I studied his eyes. “Swear to me she’s okay? Swear it!” I barked, backing into my corner.

“She’ll be fine. Now, hurry this the f*ck up. You have one round to secure your entire future. There are millions on the other side that bell. Claim them.” He pointed across the ring as he folded out. “Silence him.”

That I could do.

With a deep breath, I called up every bit of strength I had left. I drew from Eliza and the images of the life we were going to have together. The future I could provide not just Blakely, but also Flint and Quarry. I could win this for them.

The fight had been somewhat one-sided until that point—and not my side. It was obvious that Matthews wasn’t the same fighter I’d easily knocked out all those years ago. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t the same Till Page either.

Sixty seconds later, with the same combination I’d knocked him out with the first time, I made my own dreams come true. Rick Matthews stumbled back against the ropes before collapsing to the mat. The combination wasn’t anything special or unique to boxing, but it was conceived from a desperate need for me to get to Eliza’s side. And for that alone, it was unstoppable. I counted around my mouthpiece as the ref issued a ten-count, but I could have told you at three that the fight was over.

When the ref waved his hands to call the fight, the crowd went nuts. The vibrations from the cheering fans were unforgettable, but it was the sight of thousands of fans twisting their open hands in sign language applause that choked me up. I lifted a glove in appreciation to the fans on all four sides of the ring, but that was my only celebration.

“Let’s go!” I barked at Slate as he started pulling my gloves off. For a man who had just won his very first championship belt, my corner was entirely too subdued.