Caged (Mastered, #4)(122)
“Would it be better if I waited for you at the after-party?”
“Babe. We’re not goin’ to the after-party.” He kissed her again. “We’re having a private party for two.” Maddox shouted at him. “Gotta go.”
? ? ?
DEACON showed up for the meeting with the Smackdown guys still in his fight gear, except he’d slipped on a Black Arts hoodie.
Three guys in suits sat across from him and Maddox.
“Great fight, Deacon. You show outstanding promise.”
“That fight was bullshit and you know it.” Deacon let his gaze move between the men. “Is that the kind of talent Smackdown has on its roster? Needham? Courey? I’ve beat the f*ck outta both of those guys now. So which washed-up fighter are you gonna put me in the ring with next?”
“Washed-up?” Lars Turkin, the Smackdown talent manager, repeated.
“Yeah. Look, I’ve been waiting a long time to sign with a fight organization.”
“Is it true you turned down a UFC contract?”
“Yep.” Deacon felt Maddox looking at him. Oops. He’d forgotten to share that. “I’m a fighter. I want to fight. Not once a f*cking year, either. That was my issue with them. That’s why I decided to talk to you. From what I’d seen, you let your fighters fight, not just train to fight for some big TV event once a year.”
“That’s where we intentionally set out to be different from the UFC,” Lars said. “They think they’re signing the best-of-the-best fighters, but then they only put a chosen few to the test because of policy and politics. We want a guy like you, Deacon, who’s been toiling in the trenches for years, who blows onto the scene and beats the piss out of everyone in your path.”
Deacon grinned. “No surprise that appeals to me.”
Lars smiled back. “Good. At least we’re on the same page there.”
“Tell him,” the CEO, Jim Fichter, urged.
“We’re in talks with Bellator to have their belt holders fight ours.”
“Seriously?”
“We know that when anyone hears the words mixed martial arts, they immediately think of the UFC. And the UFC has effectively killed any competition by simply buying the damn organizations like Strikeforce and WEC. Some of their titleholders keep the titles for so long because they’re not allowed to fight anyone that might be a true challenger.”
“And yet they continue to dominate the MMA world.”
“We are trying to change that. Bellator has managed to avoid a buyout. They’ve got the TV contracts, they’ve got great fighters, but they need a bigger pool of challengers. That’s where we come in. Combining forces, creating a new championship level and yet retaining individual championship belts for our organizations, gives us an edge and makes it interesting for the fighters and for the MMA fans.”
No argument there. “When is all this Bellator-Smackdown lovefest gonna happen?”
“We’re working out the details, but we hope to make the announcement in six weeks and get the fights scheduled in the next six months.”
“Sounds interesting,” Maddox said. “But where does Deacon come in?”
“On top. If he signed with us, we’d expect him to put his money where his mouth is.” Lars grinned. “He complained that fighters under contract don’t get to fight? We’d put him to the test four times. Con Man beats our top four guys in his division, he’d be in contention to fight a Bellator champ in a televised bout.”
Maddox’s eyebrows rose. “That’s a pretty hefty f*cking carrot to dangle.”
Lars leaned forward and looked at Deacon. “You are the real deal in MMA. You are exactly what Smackdown needs. Sign with us and we can get you real challengers—not guys like Needham and Courey, who are good, but not good enough to reach the highest level.”
“I appreciate y’all agreeing to meet with me. I’m not playing hard to get when I say I need a little time to weigh my options.”
“Understood.”
The older guy on the end, who hadn’t said anything, finally spoke. “You mean what you said about fighting any of our guys at any time?”
Deacon squinted at him and recognized him as Dan “the Destroyer” Destin, one of the first MMA fighters who’d spoken out against the popular World Federation–style wrestling. He challenged martial arts fighters to do something “real” that was entertaining because of skill and training, not showmanship and stupid costumes. “Yes, Bob, I mean it. You got a fighter in my division who needs an opponent? I’m there.”
“Even if it’s next week?”
“Yep. I’m in fighting shape and I wasn’t even f*cking winded after Needham, so I’m ready for a challenge.”
Bob nodded. “Then we’ll be in touch.”
Deacon shook hands with everyone and left the room.
Maddox caught Deacon in the hallway. “That throwdown is gonna come back and bite you in the ass.”
“Good.”
“You going to the after-party?”
“Not on your f*cking life. Had enough of fighters, promoters, trainers, and fans for one night.”
? ? ?
WHEN Deacon walked into the locker room, he headed straight for Molly. He pulled her body against his and took her mouth in a kiss that left no question how he felt about her.