Page 106 of Blackwood

She totally does.

Then she leans in. Face dangerously close. And then—fuck me—this girl drags her tongue up from my collarbone to the edge of my cheek, before giving it a quick peck.

My eyes roll back.“Oh my God, baby, you’re killing me.”

Shit. That was supposed to be in my head.

And just like that, she’s gone. Off my lap. Off my body.

She finishes the final chorus with the other girls but I’m not watching the other two. My eyes are locked on Bella. I glance over at Callum. He looks like he wants tothrow me through a wall.

Good. Let him try.

The crowd is so loud I can’t even hear Knox anymore… just roars, stomps, and chants. It’s pure chaos in here.

Bella heads toward the edge of the ring, aiming for Cade. Rez stops her. Leans down and says something in her ear. She smiles and looks back at me.My entire body locks up. She turns back to Rez, nods once. Confident.

DING.

Callum storms forward, jaw tight, all that cocky quarterback rage finally boiling over. Good. I want it. He jabs. I dodge. He swings wide. I duck under and land a body shot that makes him grunt.

I glance to the side. She’s there watching the fight with Rez, Chase, and DeShawn ringside. Not phased. Not blinking. Unlike Little Whitmore behind her who is watching the fight behind her hands, wincing every time a fist finds a face.

There’s something dark in Bella’s eyes. They’re savage and completely focused. Like me.

CRACK.

Callum catches me clean across the jaw.

My back hits the mat. The air leaves my lungs.

Focus, Barinov.

I blink up and there she is, crouched down under the ropes ringside. “Get the fuck up, Lex.” Bella says it like a challenge as she smacks both hands on the mat.“Don’t you dare make me go cheer for Cal. Finish this. I’ve got places to be, baby.”

Did she just call me baby?

That’s all I need. I lunge up like a goddamn beast.

Left.

Right.

One more left.

Hook.

Knee.

Callum tries to recover but he’s too fucking slow, too focused on Bella. A few more jabs andone final uppercut sends him sprawling back into the ropes. He hits the mat like a sack of broken pride.

The Pit erupts.I lift my arms, panting, blood dripping down my lip, sweat burning in my eyes.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Maddie Rae. Glittering in her knockoff crown, heels wobbling and ready to slither into the ring to play Queen of The Pit.

Rez steps in front of her.Shakes his head. Then nods to her, to my girl. Bella slides under the ropes like she was made for this. Boots hitting the mat, confidence bleeding from every step. She walks right up to me and raises my hand into the air.

Victory. Claimed.