Vassili
After a quick prayer, I kiss the cross pendant, before placing it with the rest of my gear. Thanking God for strength is always the last part of my routine of warming up. I then rise from my knees. Adrenaline surges through my veins.
“Vy gotovy, you are ready?” Vadim's eyes lock onto mine.
“Da!” I reply with a nod.
He, along with Nestor, who has my belt draped over his arm, and the rest of my crew follow me along the corridor toward a door, which reads ‘To main stage.’
The vibrations of my opponent’s music bang against the doors as Nestor opens it.
With the change in music, it's my cue to migrate toward the octagon. A camera crew is in front of me. I head out with my people right behind me. The camera man pacing backward, tracking my every step.
The lighting is dim, my vision is tunneled and targeting the cage. This motherfucker talked his way into this fight. Now it’s time to break his neck.
This is personal.
It's always personal when a motherfucker is gunning for what belongs to you.
At the entrance, I hug my team, and pull off my pants. Then I stop, standing still for the cutman to place Vaseline on my face. Next, my gloves are checked before I enter the cage.
While Hauser poses himself to look hard, I place my hands behind my back, head tilted in disinterest. That bitch isn’t intimidating anybody but himself.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is our main event of the evening, Sanctioned by the Nevada Athletic Commission.” The announcer, mentions the three judges and the referee’s name.
The announcer broadcasts the undercard’s bullshit stats before mentioning mine. I nod, jumping in place. That’s right, I’m the champ, bitch!
We touch gloves and a rush of adrenaline pounds through my ears. On my toes, I reach in for a quick jab. He punches my chin as I go for his nose.
My body is on fire, ready to kill him,but first I’ll fuck with him. This fight will last all of three minutes—just so my fans get a little show. I fake the takedown, and come back with a right hook. Hauser kicks my left ribs. Shit, I’ll feel that later. But it’s all about baiting him now. He reaches in, jabbing my nose.
He extends his arm in a cross. Blood trickles down my mouth, I bait him. My hook claiming the side of his ear.
“Stay on him!” Vadim shouts in Russian.
Then I catch him with a left, right, left. Blood squirts from his nose. My fist hits the cage as Hauser drops to the mat. The referee is on me, but I’d already stepped back.
I gesture for Hauser to get back up. His eyes are spacey. Those dilated pupils catch my taunting while the referee checks on him. Hauser’s gaze hardens, connecting with mine again. He clinches the ground. I step back to my corner, not taking my eyes off him. Get up. So I can bring you the fuck down once more.
The referee says something inaudible. In a second, he rolls over and scrambles to his toes. The arena applauds this peace offering.
We come to our feet, hands up, chins down. I let him feel me out. Hauser low kicks toward my shin. I toss a cross punch to his face. It’s met by air. Then it’s all about control again; gauging his strength. Hauser reaches low and punches me in the chin. Looks like he’s got his swag back. Once I bring this bitch to the ground again, there’ll be no complaining. He's had his chance, but he's going down.
This motherfucker begins to feel good about himself, tossing a cross then going for a shin kick. I reach low and catch his foot. I yank and bring us both onto our backs. We are foot to foot. As we are ascending, Hauser’s pupils almost pop out of his eye sockets. He looks exactly like a cornered animal. Yeah, he knows the drill. By the time we hit the canvas, I've wrapped my arm around his ankle, securing it at my armpit. My free arm locks down his shin, before he can wiggle away. Hauser’s free foot kicks at the opposite side of my ribs. The least amount of pressure is applied to his calf—
TAP! TAP!
Either he’s totally weak or his Achilles' tendon is.. The bitch taps out. I offer a smug smile, getting up and spitting out my mouth guard. The ankle lock submission was just a little tit for tat, payback since the bitch had mocked my bandaged ankle the other day.
###
The Sky Villa at Aria is my sanctuary. Yuri and his girl tried to get Zariah and I to come out tonight. Any little bandage on my arm or leg always was a pussy magnet, but I already own the best piece of tail in the entire universe. I promised we wouldn’t sleep tomorrow. My legs are kicked up, arms draped over the back of the couch. “Nu, Podogi,” a Russian cartoon similar to Tom and Jerry, is on the television.
The door opens and Zariah struts in, hips swaying in her dress, bag in tow. “I found it!”
I clap my hands. “I knew my baby would.”
“Don’t be sarcastic.” She drops the wad of cash I gave her onto the coffee table. “Did you have the masseuse come while you’re watching that old-ass cartoon?” Her tone tells me she already knows the answer, so I just position myself more comfortable like on the couch. “Vassili, why get the flashiest room, if you aren’t using the accommodations?”
I nudge my chin at the cartoon. “Baby, this shit right here, isn’t free. And the old episode is done. This one isn't as old. Now, that ass,” I reach around her, grabbing her ass cheek as she pulls a black container from a bag, “is all the accommodation I’ll ever need.”
“Whateva, Vassili. You’re crazy. Or am I crazy because I love you?” Zariah places the container in my hand with a spoon.
“Where’s your soup, girl?”
Her eyes shift. “I am not hungry.”
“You telling me that you searched high and low on the Vegas strip—”
“Off the strip.”
“Off the fucking strip? Shit, you did all of that just to find borscht for me?” I grab her hand, she places the container back on the coffee table and tries to sit down next to me, but I pull her down onto my lap, instead.
“You’re sore, Vassili,” Zariah, plants her hand against the couch, as leverage to get up, but my bicep flexes around her.
“No, I’m good. No babying me, beautiful. What did you eat?”
“Nothing,” she says, teeth gleaming in a smile.
I squeeze her waist harder. A bubble of chuckles causes Zariah to place her face against my neck in embarrassment. “Karo, lemme alone.”
“Nyet, don’t call me Karo.”
“You’re being a bully, who ironically likes to watch cartoons.” She pulls away from my kisses and I’m hypnotized by the twinkle in those mahogany eyes.
“This is the funniest cartoon, baby, so no talking shit. What did you eat?”
“Damn it, Vassili, there’s a lobster sandwich place downstairs.”
“So did you get a sandwich on your way out or…”
She points a finger at me. “Damn, am I on the stand? Are you judge, jury, and executioner?”
“Fuck yeah. Yuri and your friend almost tripped running out of here when I said I was hungry and wanted borscht, you knew I was hungry. And I have something for you, depending on your answer. So, did you enjoy a sandwich on the way out, or did you scarf it down while in the elevator on your way back to the room?”
“Hmmm, my answer depends on what exactly you have for me.” She grins
“Okay, let me show you.” I grimace leaning forward. My ribs are sore and scream out as I reach into my pocket.
“Vassili, you’re hurt,” Zariah scolds, again trying to rise up from my lap, my bicep squeezes harder around her waist, just enough for her to groan and stay put.
“Ouch, Vassili! Oh… Oh my God!” Zariah comes face to face with a shiny diamond ring. “Seven carats, for all those long years you made me wait. Princess cut for the obvious reason.”
“Oh my God,” Zariah’s face is shocked and full of tears.
I rub a thumb along her cheek. “No tears, baby. I don’t like to see you cry. We are fearless, you and me. I’m in love with your character, Zariah. How you fought for justice for Ronisha. I failed when it came to my sister, but feel better because I was able to help your friend. You will continue to fight for justice in the courtroom, and I’ll continue to put mudaks to sleep in the cage.”
“Are you proposing? Because it sounds more like coaching,” she murmurs.
“Dah.”
“You haven’t even asked the magic question, Vassili. You are so crazy.”
Oh. “Will you—”
“Yes! Yes! Yesssss!” She lunges against me. I grit my teeth against the pain.
“Tomorrow? Zariah, marry me tomorrow?”
“Tonight!” she says, “Damn, I don’t know where that came from. You just make me so damn excited.”
“No, we will marry tonight.” I pull out my phone and call Yuri. “Zariah and I are getting married.”
“Fuck, kazen, when?”
“Now.”
“Where?”
“That’s where you come in manager.” I pause, noticing Zariah mouth the words ‘right now’ when I say ‘manage the situation’ and hang up
“Oh my God, we’re getting married right now?” Zariah asked.
I softly grip the back of her neck. “Dah, and that’s the way we will stay, married forever with God’s blessing.”