Love Tap(74)

I climb into the ring, and circle the cage, getting a feel for it. The floor is soft, cool beneath the pads of my feet despite the hot lights boring down on me.

The crowd boos more than cheers, and anxiety tries to poison my outlook.

“You got this,” I whisper to myself. This is it. If I screw this up, I’ll fall to the bottom and have to climb out harder than anyone else.

“Here she comes ladies and gentlemen. The one everyone has been waiting for, Kiki! Queen! Kong!!!” The speakers blare her name, and the crowd erupts into a wave of cheers. I step to my side of the ring, jumping on my feet to keep my muscles warm.

Keep your hands up. Jab her in the chin, and right hook her. I tell myself, trying to remember everything Camden told me about Kiki, her weaknesses. She can deliver a strong hit, but she can’t take them.

She climbs into the ring, her hair in cornrows. The referee steps forward, calling us to tap gloves.

Raising my glove Kiki punches it unnecessarily hard. My eyes widen, my jaw opening with the amount of disrespect she has displayed publicly.

“Lets get it on!” the referee declares.

Instantly Kiki circles me like a lion. Keeping light on my toes I start walking, trying to keep ahead of her. She strikes, and instinctively I duck, and jab her in the stomach.

She twists, and jumps to the side, my hit doing nothing as far as damage.

My head whips back, a blow to the side of head coming out of nowhere. My brow stings, and my heart pounds against my chest as pain begins to blossom across my face. She grabs ahold of me, and slams me against the cage. She kicks at my legs, trying to take me to the ground. I lock my knees, and try to stay on my feet as much as I can. Using one of her hands that is wrapped around me tightly, she jabs it into my ribs.

Fuck that hurts!

Closing my eyes I turn my head, trying to breathe through the pain. Slowly I open them, and see Camden gripping the cage so hard his knuckles are white. He looks like a madman, as if he’s about to climb in this cage and kill Kiki himself.

I can do this.

Sucking in a quick breath I shove Kiki off me with every muscle I have. She throws a left kick, and I jump sideways, her foot nearly colliding with my face.

Side stepping her kick, I grapple her to the floor. She fights for side control, but I don’t give up. I keep my legs closed together so she can’t get in between them, and I keep my head tucked next to her neck.

Ding ding ding.

The bell goes off, declaring round one over.

Getting off of Kiki, she shoves me hard. Biting my mouth guard I shove her back, and the crowd goes crazy at the hostility.

The referee ushers me to my corner where a stool and my team await.

I sit on the hard wooden stool, and Debs runs a rag over my face, Camden giving me water.

“You’re doing great. Just keep your hands up to block her blows. Watch for her to drop her hands, and when she does, knock her f*cking lights out!”

The referee declares our time’s up, and Camden helps me up. The break not near long enough, my throat still dry I long for more water.

Centering the ring, Kiki looks refreshed and ready to pound me into the floor.

The bell rings, I inhale a long breath through my nose to prepare myself.

Kiki instantly starts circling me, and I follow. I jab at her, hitting her in the nose perfectly. Her brows furrow as her face grows two shades of purple.

Her legs whips out from under her, and kicks me in the side of the head. My ears ring, and my head throbs. I notice her hands are at her side, not blocking her face, pushing my discomfort aside, I go in. Getting up close her eyes widen as she realizes her mistake in not keeping her hands up. I lay a one two combo into her face, one punch after another. Her head whips back from the force, and she stumbles backwards.

This is my opening!

Quickly I lay a right hook into the side of her face and she falls to her hands and knees.

Get her. It’s now or never!

I drop to the floor, straddling her body. My heart racing with so much adrenaline I feel high. I slam my fists and elbows into her face, not letting up. My fists flying, and popping her anywhere I see skin.

She stops resisting but I don’t quit laying into her. I can’t, not until the referee calls it.

Blood stains my fingers as I continue to strike. Pain driving me towards victory. The crowd screams, and the referee grabs me by the shoulders, pulling me off her.

Kiki rolls back and forth covering her face, and her coach and a medic enter the ring and assess her injuries.

Camden races into the ring and picks me up over his shoulder, and slaps my ass!

“You f*cking did it!!”

Setting me down on both feet, I watch as Kiki’s team help her up. She’s looks a mess. Her face is purple and bloody, and the white of her eyes have popped blood vessels everywhere.

We’re both ushered to the middle of the ring and the referee grabs my arm and raises it.

“Winner by knock out, Tatum ‘HellCat’ Davis!” The crowd screams in excitement, their earlier boos a lost whisper.

Camden grabs my face with both hands and kisses me hard in front of everyone. I didn’t think the audience could get any louder, but they do. Cameras flash from all over and in that moment I can say that I am the happiest, luckiest woman in the world.

Releasing my lips from his, I open my eyes, and the world sets back into place.

A tap on my shoulder catches my attention and I turn finding a bloody faced Kiki.