Page 91 of Silent Damage

I need to focus, but my eyes keep traveling to Gabe.

The bell finally rings, and the crowd stands, cheering and swallowing Gabe in the hubbub.

Focus. You have to focus.

The first two fighters enter the ring, one of them being the big fucker whose biceps look as thick as his opponent’s torso.

The ref walks into the middle of the ring, holding up his arm. When he drops it, the bell rings twice, and the match begins.

The smaller one darts around the ring, attempting to use speed to his advantage.

But the big guy?

He doesn’t even follow the other dudes’ movements.

He just waits in the center of the ring with his arms flexed and his chest puffed out.

Small-fry rushes toward him and throws a right hook, but it doesn’t even make big-fuck flinch. All it does is give him the opportunity to grab shrimpy by the neck and chokeslam him.

The crowd goes insane as the giant just unleashes on this dude.

Blood spatters the floor.

It’s not even worth watching.

I look at who is going to be my opponent in the next fight, and his face is a ghostly shade of white and his neck bobs as he swallows.

Yup, that’s pretty much how I feel, too.

The ref rushes into the ring when it becomes clear that the match is well past over.

He pulls the big dude off and holds his arm up. The bell rings, and the victor pumps his fists as he takes his seat.

I’m up next.

I glance at where Gabe was sitting and see he’s gone.

My heart sinks.

He left?

He didn’t think I could do it—didn’t want to watch what he assumed would be my annihilation if I needed to fight that big fucker.

Well, fuck him.

I’ll show him—I’ll show this whole place how tough I am.

The bell rings, signaling the next match, and I strut to the center ring.

As the lights above wash over me, my mind goes quiet.

Everything I felt before—jealousy, fear, anger—all meld together to form one big supernova of determination that buzzes through my veins like an electric current.

The guy before me has a mask of intimidation that makes me chuckle. He does a few practice punches, showing off his speed, and I literally laugh out loud.

Which he does not like.

Not one bit.