I slammed my fist down onto the bar and cursed, causing a few people around me to scatter.

Ali had disappeared through the crowd, leaving me reeling.

You didn’t want me.

I was letting her believe a lie, and it hurt more than copping a right hook right in the teeth.

Hissing, I turned and strode through The Underground, making my way out back. I still had to fight tonight, no matter what mood I was in. Championship points didn’t award themselves.

Pushing into the male change room, I immediately spied Viper, and my hackles rose. He was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, and smiled the moment he saw me.

I could see it in his eyes. The triumph. That whole show with Ali was just that. A show. Viper didn’t give one shit about her. All he wanted was to get a rise out of me, and I’d played right into his hands. Imagine what I would’ve done if I’d caught his tongue down her throat. If I found out he’d slept with her… Murder, that was what.

Rebel was right. Viper was looking for my weakness, and he’d found it.

Striding over to him, I snarled, my vision blurring with pure anger. “You want to fuck with me, then fine, fuck with me.” I pointed to myself to emphasize the point. “Leave her out of it.”

“See, here’s the thing,” he said, his voice remaining calm and steady. “I can do whatever I want, Blade. Who are you going to call? The cops?” He snorted.

“Are you threatening me?”

“I could ask the same thing,” he replied, pushing off the wall.

Facing off with him for the second time that night, I curled my lip, wanting nothing more than to pound his face into a bloody pulp, but both he and I knew we couldn’t. The moment we fought outside the cage, we were both disqualified from the Championship and banned. No fights meant no money. No Championship meant I would kiss a couple of million dollars and a chance at making a real go of life goodbye.

I could smell Viper’s game a mile off. A win against me in the cage wasn’t a sure bet. It was a risk he obviously thought was too much to handle, which was why he was going for Ali. He was trying to split my focus.

“I’m not going to fight you out here,” I said. “If you want to settle shit with me, I’ll fight you in the cage.”

Viper laughed, glancing at his friends who’d materialized behind me. “You so sure about that?”

“Hey!”

I hissed as Rebel appeared and pushed between us. Here he was with his white knight routine yet again. The guy who had it all together with his girl, his money, his good looks, and his upstanding morals.

“Lay off, Viper,” Rebel said, snarling. “You’re walking on dangerous ground.”

“I think you’re forgetting where we are, Kane,” he said, smiling like the snake he was. “The whole place is built on dangerous ground.”

“You know what’s at stake here,” Rebel went on. “Don’t be stupid.”

I waited, watching Viper closely while his attention was focused elsewhere. He was getting desperate, blinded by his desire to win at any cost. It was almost like he felt he was worthless until he was standing on a podium with a trophy in his hands. Money, women, fame… Those material things validated him.

It was exactly the way I was living my life, and realizing I had more in common with Viper than I did a guy like Rebel, I hated myself. It was yet another reason why I was not good for a woman like Ali. An honest, kind, thoughtful, and deep woman who deserved a fucking break.

“What’s stopping us from having a little chat outside?” Viper asked, shoving my shoulder.

“Careful…” I snarled.

“Are you crazy?” Rebel exclaimed, edging between us. “You start shit outside the warehouse, you’re going to get more than banned, mate. You and your buddies? Your last resting place will be in the gutter.”

“Like hell,” he said, jutting out his jaw like the arrogant prick he was.

“Max had a partner once,” Rebel went on, referring to the man who ran the entire Underground. “The guy tried to take control of this place, and Max…” He pointed to his head, the shape of his hand mimicking a gun.

Viper’s eyes widened slightly, then he curled his lip, turning his gaze back to me. “Then we fight in the cage.”

I nodded, knowing this wouldn’t go away until we hashed it out. The moment I toed the line before him was the moment The Underground would turn into a bloodbath. Winner takes all. Loser…who knew, but it wasn’t going to be sunshine and rainbows.

“Take a walk, Viper,” Rebel said, nudging the fighter with his palm. “I’ll make sure the fight gets scheduled.”

“You’d better.” He gave me one more foul look, then strode off, his posse of fighters following.

“Great,” I said. “A death match. Hasn’t been one of those since—”

“It was either that or have you beaten to death in the street by him and his gang,” Rebel interrupted. “In here, you’ve got a chance.”

“Doesn’t sound much better,” I drawled.

“It is what it is,” he replied with a frown. “When you get good here, you become a target. Just how it is.”

He slapped me on the shoulder and walked off, leaving me to seethe alone in silence. The entire change room was beginning to come back to life after stopping to watch the drama unfold. Give it a minute, and the whole Underground would be talking about the fact the rivalry between Blade and Viper was heating up. By the end of the night, I was sure Rebel would seek me out to let me know when the fight was going down. Probably next week, going by the schedule.

Opening my locker, I pulled out my hand wraps. Ripping the Velcro free, I let the material unravel until the end hit the floor, numbing my emotions to the downward spiral that was my life.

It was just how it was.