God, Miami was hot. Cali literally had nothing on this hellhole. I’d never been here before and now that I had, I didn’t see myself coming back anytime soon. Thankfully, we were leaving tomorrow, so this humid, rains every twenty seconds, weather would soon be a thing of the past, along with the tragic frizz to my hair. I will say the glow I’d caught from just two days by the pool was nice, and the food was absolute heaven, but that’s about it.
Then again, being in Miami had a huge advantage. It got us away from Dimitri, because although Manny believed we’d successfully let him off our trail by seeking refuge in my dad’s house, I knew he was still out there. And he was capable of anything. Even if he dropped off the face of the earth for a while and he never came after Knox and Hazel again, he’d always come after me. Which is why I wouldn’t ever let my guard down. Yes, I felt safe with Manny – I felt safe with Knox and Hazel, too – but still I was always looking over my shoulder. Living the life I knew would come from trying to run.
But it is what it is. What’s done is done.
I’d left and there was no going back.
“Are we ready, ladies,” I barely heard the referee ask Hazel and Celia through my daze.
Snapping my eyes toward center ring, I caught them nod in unison, their bodies set in a fighting position. The ref threw his arms up in the air and off went the bell, prompting both fighters to move around the mat. Manny was at the side of the cage, watching Hazel intently. He was somewhat filling in for Knox tonight, and although Hazel needed all the support she could get after her last two fights, it kind of sucked for me. Selfish, whatever, but I was so used to having him beside me, commenting every now and then on the bloodbath playing out before us. Tonight, I just had two rocks at my side. Literal stone-faced blobs of flesh, muscle, and bones who rarely said a word. I didn’t even know their names.
So fun.
Hazel and Celia were already throwing punches when I turned my attention back to the fight. Celia tossed a fist out and Hazel ducked, coming back out with two fists that went right into her opponent’s face. She stumbled back a bit and Hazel lunged, throwing another three punches that again went straight to her face, toppling her onto the mat. I perked right up in my seat as the crowd went wild with excitement. Hazel all but body slammed onto Celia, just wailing and wailing and wailing on her until the ref pulled her off, flagging her for unnecessary roughness. But I could tell she didn’t care, bouncing back to center ring with an impish smirk on her face. A smirk that told me she was going to make a comeback tonight, and I think the entire arena felt it too because even I could feel their energy, and I knew fuck all about fighting.
When Celia got back on her feet, blood dripping from her mouth, Hazel waved her hands challengingly, bouncing around on her feet until her opponent was just within reach. I had to give Celia credit, though, she was determined to see herself through, even if for one round. That’s way more than I’d do if I was trapped in a cage with The Lioness. Creeping toward Hazel with her arms up, she inched closer and closer. Slowly at first, then faster and faster. That’s when she made a grave mistake. I guess she took Hazel’s lack of assertion as a green light and she kicked out in hopes to get her down on the mat. But as she threw her leg out, Hazel caught it with both hands and tumbled her over with ease. For the second time in minutes, Hazel mounted her, but this time Celia fought back. They struggled around the mat, Hazel holding onto that dominant position while Celia wiggled around beneath her. I suppose what saved her from imminent doom was the referee calling an end to round one.
Neither one of them were willing to leave the cage, each one retreating to a corner, as their coaches were allowed in. Manny hunched down beside Hazel, handing her a chilled bottle of Gatorade. Obviously, I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I couldn’t read their lips either. Manny pointed to Celia and Hazel nodded as she took a sip, rolling her eyes just slightly. I presumed he was getting on her ass for that so called unnecessary roughness. Personally, I didn’t think she had been, but again, what the hell did I know about cage fighting?
The referee stalked back inside the cage, prompting Manny and Celia’s coach to take their leave. Hazel handed Manny the bottle, they fist bumped with a grin, and then he was gone, taking his place beside the octagon. Hazel and Celia met right in the center once more, just as the door was locked in place. From the two, Hazel was in much better shape, her head held high, shoulders squared. Looking at her, I could see so much of my dad in her. The thought made me smile. He’d be so proud she hadn’t given up despite two losses. Hell, even I was proud. Knox and Manny had been so worried she’d spiral after the first loss, but she kept at it, and she kept at it harder after the second loss too. She really was such an admirable woman and I was beyond privileged to have her in my life.
The announcer began rambling once more about round two and the crowd slowly but surely started up, growing louder and louder as Hazel and Celia stood in that ready position. Soon they were riotous, chanting for both fighters, their cheers bouncing Hazel on her feet just as the bell rang. I expected for them to move around the ring as they’d done the last time, but Hazel didn’t hold back even a smidge. She came out swinging, driving Celia back as she covered and dodged, until her back hit the cage. Hazel trapped her, throwing those hammer punches – or whatever Manny called them – over and over. She was going ham and I figured, given her direct approach, she was going for a knockout versus a tap out. It’d be the perfect comeback.
From one moment to the next, Celia managed to shove Hazel off. I expected Hazel to retaliate almost immediately but she retreated to the opposite end of the cage, clearly taunting Celia to come after her. So, she did. Celia took off running toward Hazel, and that’s when she made her second and last grave mistake. Hazel stood motionless as Celia throttled toward her, the only sign of a well-thought out plan, the sly gleam in her brown eyes. As Celia closed in, she reared her arm back and shot out with extreme force, hitting Celia dead center in the face. Fresh blood poured from her nose as she stumbled back, and that’s when Hazel went in for the kill. She shot out a second time, and this time, Celia didn’t stumble. She toppled back like a tree with a loud thud that unleashed roars of excitement around the arena, roars that only grew louder when Celia remained prone, unmoving.
“K-OOO! K-O, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE LIONESS HAS RETURNED! YOUR VICTOR, BY KNOCKOUT, HAZELLL ‘LIONESSSS’ PEEERRRYYY,” the announcer's voice blared as the ref held up Hazel’s arm, forcing me into my feet.
I screamed in victory, throwing my arms up, as did Manny, who was going insane at the side of the cage. After two losses, she did it, she fucking did it! And only after two rounds. I bounced up and down, beaming proudly, chanting her name in tandem with the rest of the arena.
“Li-on-ess, Li-on-ess, Li-on-ess!”
The smile that drifted across her face as she looked around at all the love pouring toward her was the cherry on top. I hadn’t seen her smile that big in weeks. My heart swelled. She deserved this, so very much.
Manny bounded into the cage, spinning her around in his arms while Celia’s coach helped her onto her feet as she came to. Two starkly different pictures, one happy, one sad, but then Celia really surprised me. She took Hazel’s hand and shook it. I’m sure whatever she said to her was something along the lines of ‘good match’ too. That simple gesture of good sportsmanship made the moment even better.
Manny and Hazel soon parted ways at the door, her to the locker room and him to me. I tucked a wayward strand of hair behind my ear as he approached, and tugged at my navy floral printed dress, a habit I’d developed around him recently. When his hand fell to the small of my back, ushering me up the aisle, I felt myself flush, something you never would’ve caught me doing when I first came back to L.A.
“That was amazing,” I said to him, and he flashed me this dazzling smile, nodding his head.
“She killed it. Wait till I get Carr on the phone. He’s going to go ballistic.”
“I bet he is.”
Humming, he tugged me a bit closer to his side, ducking his head low enough that my stone friends behind us couldn’t hear. “How were they tonight?”
“Same as always,” I whispered, shrugging a shoulder.
“Would you hate me if I left you with them for another ten?”
“It’s fine, seriously. Go get Hazel. I’ll have them wait for me outside the bathroom in the meantime.”
“You sure?” he asked, stopping us just before the lobby.
“I’m positive,” I smiled. “Go.”
With another soft smile, he disappeared through the top section of the arena to the locker rooms, leaving me with the men in black again. I turned my head toward them, their eyes on me expectantly, no emotion displayed. As usual.
“Bathrooms,” I said, rolling my eyes as they trailed behind me the short ways.
They took their post at either side of the opening as I made my way inside past a few straggling fans on their way out. I went about my business fairly quickly, though I wasn’t in any specific hurry to get back out to them. I took my time washing my hands, then drying them. I also combed my fingers through my dark hair, and swept it all to one side, pinching my cheeks to give them a little color too.
Stop it, Maya, I chastised myself, because primping should’ve been the last thing I was worried about, especially when I wasn’t primping for me.
Little did I know the effort I put in would never been seen anyway.
As I rounded the corner back to the lobby, a strong arm came around my waist while a needle was pushed into my neck. I gasped, fear rising in the pit of my stomach, and struggled against my assailant, but within seconds, the world around me started fading away into this heavy black hole. All I remember after that was being thrown over his shoulder, and faintly hearing him say, “I've got her.”
Then another voice, this one very familiar, answered back with, “Don't forget the little blonde one too.”