AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Me:Pick me up at the diner at two?
Lexie:See you then.
I glance over at Danielle. “I’m going to the tournament.”
She grins widely. “Awesome. But don’t let him wriggle away. Get a straight answer out of him.”
I nod, determination stealing over me. Whether he likes it or not, we’re talking tomorrow.
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
AUSTIN
“What arethe chances I get two Russian fighting machines in a row?” Ethan complains, waving his already wrapped hand in the air. “Daniel Vasiliev? That’s Russian, right?”
“Could be,” I hedge, trying not to feed too much into his conspiracy theory. Ever since he learned his upcoming opponent’s name, he’s been a ball of nerves.
“The universe is out to get me. I’ll have two losses in a row.”
“You’ll be fine,” I tell him in an even voice. He needs to calm down.
“You think he’s related to Sokolov? It can’t be a coincidence, right?”
“Stop thinking about it. It’s time to focus and warm up.”
I lead him through light drills until he’s limber, not giving him a chance to worry.
“Now, I talked to a buddy of mine who knows this guy—”
“How long has he been fighting?” he interrupts.
“Don’t worry about that.”
His face falls. “That means longer than me.”
Yeah, he’s right. Somehow, he keeps getting matched with guys more experienced than him. “Okay, but you have something he doesn’t have.”
“What?”
“Me. And I’ve got a strategy for you. I did some digging, and this guy’s a southpaw.”
“Shit, are you serious?”
Left-handed guys usually have the advantage in a fight because they have more experience against someone of an opposite style.
“Better you know now, right? I’ve got two things I want you to focus on to beat him, okay?”
He nods seriously.
“Get your front foot on the outside. If you control that position, you control the fight. Throw some punches and while he’s busy blocking, step outside. The other thing is to counter his left hand. Don’t just avoid it—counter it.”
“Should I use my right or left?”
He seems flustered, when I know for a fact if we were training back at Uncle Marty’s he wouldn’t have a problem. Tournaments can mess with your head when the pressure’s on.
“Your best punch is with your right hand, but be ready for his left cross. Every time he throws it at you, pull your head to the outside and come back with a counter right. Got it?”
“Foot on the outside, counter his left,” he mutters to himself. “How much time do I have?”
