Page 60 of Deviant Reign (Knight's Ridge Empire 6)

All the air rushes from his lungs as he bends over. The arrogant look on his face morphed into one of shock.

“Oh sorry, did you want me to pretend I was fighting a girl?”

His smirk returns, and faster than I anticipated, he lunges for me.

My back collides with the sprung floor with a thud, but I don’t let it stop me.

Using every ounce of strength I have and every bit of skill these guys have taught me, I manage to break free of his hold and get a solid knee to his stomach, making him fall to the side to catch his breath as I jump to my feet.

“You got this, Shorty,” Gunner says, his phone raised, recording our fight.

“Really?” I ask.

“What? Cruz is gonna wanna see this.”

Waving him off, I turn back to my opponent.

His eyes are almost black, although as he lifts his hand to push his hair from his brow, I wonder if it’s his burning need to win or just pure undiluted desire as he stares at me.

“Let’s go, Pretty Boy.”

“Pretty?” he scoffs. “A pretty boy would go easy, let you win. I have zero intentions of doing either.”

This time, I’m ready when he comes at me, and I block each of his attempts all while managing to get a few hits of my own in.

More and more guys crowd around the ring to watch as we duel, all of them calling my name in support and spurring me on.

“Come on, Shorty. Knock him on his pretentious arse,” a familiar voice booms over the others.

Glancing over, I find Xander standing there with a wide, proud smile on his face.

‘You got this,’ he mouths, giving me the confidence boost I needed.

Theo is still drinking from the bottle of water someone gave him when I fly at him, knocking it from his hand and sending it spinning across the gym.

I lock down every single emotion other than the anger and hate he ignites in me, and I lay into him with everything I have.

My muscles scream, my lungs burn, but fuck, as the sweat starts to cover both of our bodies, I’m pretty sure I’ve never felt better.

“Umph,” Theo grunts when I manage to swipe his feet out from beneath him and he lands on his back so hard it sends a tremor through my body.

I don’t give him even a second to recover though, jumping on top of him and wrestling him hopefully to victory.

“Come on, Shorty. You can do this,” Xander screams as I pin Theo’s hands to the mat above his head.

I stare down at him, our eyes locking as our chests heave.

Damn locks of hair that have escaped my band hang around my face, and sweat trickles down my spine as I wait for victory to be announced.

A smile twitches at his lips, and I can’t help but grind my hips down on his when I feel him growing hard beneath me.

“Gotta say, Hellcat,” he says between heaving breaths. “I’m impressed.”

I scoff, not wanting any kind of praise from him.

“Five,” someone shouts, finally beginning the countdown to my epic win. “Four.

“But,” he says, his eyes darkening and his smirk growing wider.