Path To Retaliation (Fighter's Den, #2)

Chapter 23 - Cameron

"Come on, Cameron!"

Jax's plea is loud and clear but I find myself struggling to oblige.

My fingers tightly grip the crevices of the metal fence surrounding the arena and I use all my body weight to try and stand up. When I fail yet again, I grip the fence with my other hand and use both arms to push myself up this time. That does the trick even though my muscles are screaming in agony, my biceps stinging as if they're on fire.

"And he's up again!" One of the announcers all but screams into the mic and the crowd responds with a mixture of cheers and boo's. I couldn't give a single fuck at this point. I can't even see the audience properly thanks to the black eye my opponent gave me. Why the fuck would I care if they're on my side or not?

"Damn." I cough out the word and splatters of blood accompany the action, dripping down my chin. I resist the urge to wipe my mouth because I have a split lip and no way am I bringing any contact on the open wound with a sweaty arm.

Miller charges at me before I have the opportunity to completely upright myself and I duck low to avoid taking a hit to the head. I've taken enough in the last nine rounds and I know one more will more than likely knock me out. The sheer pain in my arms violently protests against the punch I throw to Miller's stomach but I do it anyways. At this point in the match I'm completely done for but I'm going to go down with guns blazing. My attack causes him to hunch over where my fist is waiting neatly under his chin and I send my arm up in a right uppercut that snaps his head back. I don't waste another second before my arms go around his waist in a tight hold and I take off running, my head butting into his chest. I throw my weight down and both of us tumble to the floor. He blindly throws a punch that I easily dodge and maneuver my way around his flailing arms until I'm on top of him and straddling his waist. He anticipates my next move and covers his face with crossed arms and my punch meets his forearms instead of his nose like I hoped. Not letting myself be discouraged, I seen an opening and go for his gut next. He gasps loudly when my knuckles make contact with his ribs, probably not expecting the strength behind my attack.

His hands instinctively shift to protect his now broken rib cage and I go for his nose like I initially wanted. That satisfying crack makes my mouth twitch slightly even though part of me feels bad for the guy. The victorious feeling doesn't last very long though. Clearly angered with all the hits I'm getting on him, his fist knocks into the side of my head with enough force that I fall off of him. There's barely enough time to blink before my jaw takes a brutal left hook that causes me to cry out. Jesus, this guy won't leave my face alone. My anger spikes, a rare ordeal for me especially in the midst of a fight, and I don't think anymore. I just act. Roaring like a fucking animal, I pummel punch after punch into his already broken ribs until Miller is crying out a noise so alarming I almost stop. Almost. But I'm determined to put up the fight of my life so I don't stop my attack and instead shift it to his face when I decide I don't want to be responsible for this guy eating through a feeding tube for the rest of his life. His jaw, his nose, his eyes are all victim of the hooks and jabs that I unleash with every ounce of strength left in me. A punch lands on my mouth out of nowhere and it momentarily halts my assault. That's enough time for Miller to turn the tables and put me on the receiving end of his fists.

I cross my arms over my face and head and risk leaving my midsection vulnerable. I'd rather he break my ribs than knock me out and one more punch to the head will take me out for good. Just like I guessed he might, pain explodes along my ribs when he buries his knuckles there in a flawless jab. A gasp makes its way up my throat but gets stuck and sounds more like choking. God fucking damn, that one hurt. My gaze clashes with Miller's who stares back at me, victory lighting them up. I can feel the vein pulsing along my temple, more than fed the fuck up. He is by far the most talented fighter I've faced but he also has an ego complex and that doesn't work for me. I fight with integrity only.