Fight ME

The Win

"What do you want?" Maxine tried to play off her fear. She continued to put on her gloves.

Carlos took a few steps and stood face to face with her. The two goons stayed at the door. He smiled. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your wins."

Maxine held her head high and slammed her locker shut. "Thanks!" she said and tried to make way past him.

Swiftly he grabbed her by the waist and slammed her against the locker. "I have a feeling that you're gonna fuck me over too!"

"Then you must be a very insecure man!"

Carlos let out a bark of a laugh and his goons laughed along with him. "You got a really big mouth." His fingers started to trace her mouth, but she moved her face away.

Someone knocked on the door and announced there were ten minutes before the fight started.

"I know what I have to do. Let me go now." She pushed him back and he set her free.

"I wish it were that easy, Max. See I just don't trust you two." He scratched his chin and gave one of the goons a nod. With no expression on his face he started towards them. Maxine swallowed hard and took a few steps back, but the man snatched her like she was weightless and took her into a tight hold with her back pinned to his chest.

The other goon walked towards her too and in his hand he swung a bat. Her eyes went wide and she wiggled trying to break free.

"I can't take chances anymore. What kind of man would I be if I just let you two fuck me over again. I can see it in your eyes that you want to win! So...I have to make sure that you can't fight."

"What are you talking about!" Maxine was frantic by now. "Why do you have your goons do everything for you? Anyone would think you're the kind of man to do things for yourself." She teased Carlos.

"Cover her mouth. I'm tired of hearing her talk." the man did as told, covering Maxine's mouth with his big hand. He could feel the vibrations of her screams against his hand.

Maxine was lifted off the floor and carried towards the long examination table in the corner of the room. While Carlos took the bat from the other goon.

"This will only hurt for a bit."

Maxine screamed into the man's hand kicking and trying to wiggle her way free. The goon pressed her against the table and pushed her body down into the table with his. Then Carlos yanked one of her arms loose and stretched it out along the table asking the third man to hold it down.

Tears were running down her face as she struggled with all her might to get away.

"I have to be sure my bet is won. You'll heal. Keep it still you idiots!" He demanded raising the bat up over his head. He smiled devilishly at Maxine as she continued to put up a fight.

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"Where the hell is Max? I left her with her dad and he's already back in his seat!" Marco asked Nick and they both looked out into the crowd and noticed that Howie was sitting with Leigh waiting for the fight to start.

Nick scanned the place and sighed heavily when he noticed that Carlos was no longer in his seat. Without warning Nick hopped out of the ring and ran into the hallway. He got a gut wrenching feeling in the pit of his stomach as he tried to rush to Maxine's locker room.

It felt like forever as Nick jogged down the narrow hallway. He hoped that his thoughts were just exaggerations and that she was just sitting on the bench nervous about the next fight. He made a quick right and felt a small rush of relief to see her door close by.

"You no good for nothing idiot. I told you to hold her tight. You made me miss." Carlos stared at the dent in the aluminum table. "Go wait outside! I can do this on my own."

The goon obeyed his orders and exited the room. Carlos went back to raising the bat over his head and just as he was about to swing again. He was interrupted by the sound of a scuffle in the hallway and then a knock at the door followed by Nick's voice calling out for Max.

"Let her go." Carlos whispered and the goon let her go and stepped away. "Open the door and let him in." He commanded Maxine with a glare.

"Just let me go out there to finish the fight and you can leave us alone already."

"Not that easy. Now go." He slapped her ass. Angrily she spun around moving quickly towards him and threw a punch to his chest. Carlos stumbled back a few feet and grinned. With no regard for her being a woman he swung his fist hard and knocked her to the ground.

She held her nose as the blood ran down into her mouth. "That's all you got?" She leaned against the locker to get back up, but Carlos threw another punch to her stomach. Maxine bent over with a loud groan.

She could hear the doorknob moving around and Nick was now pounding on the door shouting her name.

Carlos started for the door, forgetting about Maxine for a bit. He was taken by surprise when she came crashing into him and they slammed into the aluminum table. The bat slipped out of his hands and rolled under the table. The goon tried to get in and hold her down. However, Carlos made it clear with one sharp look he didn't want his help.

The struggle lasted for a bit, they were slamming into the walls and anything that was in the way. Maxine put up a fight throwing punches and clawing at him. He pushed her into a mirror that instantly shattered as her body made contact with it.

"Gun" Carlos said this time knowing Maxine wouldn't be getting up so easily. The goon took out his gun and trained it on her, while Carlos made way to open the door.

"Where is she?" Was the first thing that came out of his mouth as Nick made way into the room. He cursed when he saw that there was a gun pointed at her. "Max!" He was tempted to run up to her.

Carlos threw a hand over Nick's shoulder and gave it a hard squeeze. "Quite the girl you got there. Real pain in the ass!"

"What the fuck is going on? We should be out there, the fight is about to start. We told you we are going to do exactly what you asked."

"I'm always relaxed. I was just trying to assure you that you will do what I want."

Another knock at the door startled them. "Is everything ok in there? Are you forfeiting the fight?"

They all looked at each other. Carlos made a head gesture towards the goon and he dropped his arm and put away the gun. Then he looked over at Maxine and gave her a look she knew was meant to give her the ok to speak.

"No. I'm coming right now." Maxine shouted as she carefully stood up making way towards the door.

Nick took her hand and they both slowly started to exit the room. 

"Don't you dare fuck this up." Carlos shouted.

They didn't respond and shuffled out of the room. Without looking back or at each other they continued down the hallway. Once they turned and felt safe they both stopped and Maxine took in a deep breath wiping away any blood she thought she had.

"Are you alright?" Nick felt on her face then gave her a big hug. "We should leave now that we can. He'll get what he wants and we will be together."

Maxine looked up at Nick and shook her head. "I'm not leaving and giving him that satisfaction. I'm going to fight, Nick."

Nick and Maxine could hear the impatient crowd close by and the announcers making comments about the late fighter, which was her.

With a deep sigh Nick leaned over and gave Maxine a kiss. The kiss quickly deepened. They parted and gave each other a tight hug then started walking down the tunnel hand in hand.

"You gotta go all out."

"I just want to fight."

"No, I know you want to win. I know you can win...so just do it." He gave her hand a squeeze.

She smiled up at him just as they entered the arena and the crowd went wild with anticipation for a fight.