Page 218 of Blackwood

I hate to admit it, but the cowboy can fight. Fast, clean, strategic. Chase lands a few, but Briggs dominates from start to finish. Ten minutes in, Chase’s flat on the mat, sucking air while Briggs tips his damn hat like he’s in a country music video. Thenwinks at my fucking girl when she gets in the ring to raise his arms in victory.

Knox’s voice reverberates through the speakers. “Well, apparently cowboy’s got some moves, because Caleb Briggs just made Chase Cooper look like a little bitch. And that’s saying something!”

Rez whistles low. “Well shit, looks like it’s Bella: 1, Me: 0.”

I don’t say a word, because I’m too busy wondering who the hell Bella brought into my kingdom. And how many of her boys think that they get to touch what’s mine.

Knox’s voice cuts through The Pit smooth like a shot of top-shelf tequila. “Alright! Next up, fighting for Team Rez, we’ve got the man with hands like hammers and footwork like a panther… DeShawn Reyes!”

DeShawn jogs into the ring, hyped up and cocky, pumping up the front row.

“And now…” Knox drags it out for the drama. “Fighting for Team Bella, coming to us all the way from Johannesburg,South Africa the one, the only…Tatenda Khoza!”

I freeze. “Did he just fucking say who I think he did?”

Rez nods, slow. “Yeah. He did. How exactly does your girl have all these contacts?”

I just shrug, grinning like this is all one big inside joke. “She’s Bella Blackwood, man. Queen of chaos. Apparently, international chaos.”

But I know better. I know these names. Briggs and Khoza are Black Book names. Khoza’s not just some underground fighter. He’s a blood diamond enforcer with ties in all of South Africa.

Holy shit.

If all her fighters are Black Book guys Team Rez doesn’t stand a chance tonight.

“Who the fuck did this girl pick for me?” I say under my breath.

Khoza enters the ring like a damn showman. All swagger and precision. The guy is built like a fucking tank, pure muscle and no bullshit. Skin like burnished bronze, veins and ink running down his arms like warning signs. Shaved head, jaw cut from stone, brown eyes that say he’s seen hell and walked out bored.

DeShawn is fucked.

DING.

Khoza plays the crowd, lets DeShawn land a few hits early on, probably to sell the fight better. He’s keeping it tight, clean, technical. Controlled.

Bella’s yelling from the sideline, calling out combos and reading openings, and it’s not my favorite thing to watch. Seeing her thatlocked in for another man’s fight?

No. Fucking. Thanks.

DING.

The men return to their corners. Bella walks right up to Khoza, leans down, and whispers something in his ear. He looks up at her and smiles with blood in his teeth.

Then she kisses his goddamn forehead. I snap the neck off my beer bottle against the edge of the bench, slicing open my palm.

Rez doesn’t even flinch. “Looks like your girl’s really good at playing the crowd… and her fighters.”

I glare at him.

“I did tell her I needed to sell this,” he adds, smug as hell.

DING.

Round Two starts and ends in under sixty seconds. Khoza drops DeShawn so hard, it echoes through The Pit. Bella jumps in the ring, all smiles as she raises yet another one of her champions hands in victory.

Then the motherfuckerlifts Bella into the air like she’s his fucking prize. I shoot to my feet, fists balled tight. “Baby, I swear to God.”

“Shit, Bella: 2. Me: 0.” Rez says shaking his head.