Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Just when I thought I was done for, the bell rang.
End of round four.
The ref pulled Alonzo away from me. He took a few steps back and flashed me one of his signature grins. But this one was more than that: it was cocky and gloating. Moni, Vinny, and their staff all sported the same look.
They thought they’d won.
Fuck ’em.
I had one more round to prove them wrong.
I slumped into my chair for the break, and Frankie massaged my neck. I groaned through the pain and couldn’t even move my damn head. Some doctor was going to be really pissed off at me.
But five minutes remained to change our futures.
“Bones…” Ari said then shook her head. She seemed resigned to my choice now. “Hang in there. I’ll never forgive you if you break your jaw.”
“Yes, you will.” I smirked.
“Okay, I will, but if you do, I’m going to make you the nastiest green smoothies and blended soups and force you to drink them through a straw.”
“A vanilla milkshake doesn’t sound too bad.”
“You’re going to get ground cheeseburger milkshakes and endless borscht.”
“Fuck. You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“With my life. So don’t do anything stupid. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“This isn’t the underground, so I can’t tell you to go for his ribs again.” Frankie set a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “But I can tell you that he’s leaving that area open because he’s tired.”
I swallowed and fought off a grimace. Even that hurt like a bitch. “Then I need to make him pay for it.”
“If he doesn’t make you pay for your neck first.”
“Nothing a little physical therapy can’t fix before Vegas.”
At least I hoped so.
I tapped my gloves together and stood. Frankie slapped my shoulders a few times to loosen me up before he sent me. Ari screamed my name as I took my spot; Lotto, River, and Teo yelled with her.
We tapped gloves. The crowd roared back to life.
But I didn’t hear any of it.
All I heard was the thumping of my heart and Dad’s voice in my head.
Kick ass in the Circuit, would ya? You were born to be a star.
My old man was wrong. I wasn’t born to be a star.
I was born to be a champion.
And though a handful of people tried to stand in my way, I wasn’t going out without one last hoorah.
My steps were faster. My strikes were harder. I danced around Alonzo to avoid his jabs at my left side. Every time he tried, I made him pay with a punch to the gut.
Time ticked by. Three minutes. Two minutes. One minute.
Thirty seconds.
Adrenaline surged through my body.
It was time to win this fucking thing.
Alonzo’s next punch to my jaw moved in slow motion. I jerked out of the way and jabbed at his stomach. The force made Alonzo double over.
This was my shot, and I wasn’t going to get another.
I threw an uppercut. It connected with Alonzo’s chin and sent him sprawling to the mat.
The referee rushed over and started counting.
One, two, three…
But Alonzo couldn’t get to his feet. He swayed to his knees and froze there, even as the ref kept counting.
Six, seven, eight…
And then Alonzo threw up his hand and shook his head.
The ref didn’t need to count anymore.
Alonzo had tapped out.
The ref grabbed my hand and held it up.
I stared at the spotlights shining above me, my eyes blurring with tears.
I’d won.
I’d fucking won.
A pair of arms wrapped around me, then another, and another. Smiley’s gym swarmed me and squeezed until I couldn’t breathe. The crowd went absolutely wild, chanting my name and screaming for more. Among the chaos in the ring, I caught eyes with Alonzo. He offered a dimpled smile and a simple head nod—his admit to defeat.
I was on cloud nine. Fuck my stupid jaw. I didn’t feel anything but the electricity running through my bones and the feverish excitement clawing at my insides.
All the injuries, all the bullshit. It was all for this.
For Vegas.
For Dad.
I looked up to the ceiling and pointed to the sky.
He and Mom were watching over me.
I hoped I made them proud.
“Bones! Bones!” a few reporters at the sidelines called. Cameras flashed and lenses moved my way. “Smiley’s! A word?”
“The word is hospital.” Ari pinched my side.
“Ouch, hey!” I said.
“Your jaw is swollen to all hell, Bones. We’re going to get it looked at. Now.”
“I can’t even enjoy my spoils?”
But she was right. Now that my determination and adrenaline were wearing off, I could barely talk without wanting to rip off my jaw.
“We’ll talk to the media for you.” River threw an arm over Teo’s shoulder.
“Goddamn, I’m gonna be famous.” Teo laughed and punched me in the upper arm. “All thanks to you, dude.”
I winced. “Keep your ego in check, man. At least until you have the skills to back it up.”
“Aw, come on, not you, too.”