FORCE: Alpha Badboy MMA Romance (22 page)

Cameron rubbed her hand down hard, then lifted it and gently pressed it down on her own knee.

“Keep that hand over there. I fucking mean it because I’m on the verge of a freak show right now. You’re quickly going to understand what a dirty mother fucker I am, I’m all in — l” His voice turned from playful to dark, serious. “Like I said before, this is no fucking joke for me, I don’t see passed tomorrow unless you are in it from here on out.”

“I’m here aren’t I? You just need to give me a minute to adjust to everything. You’re a little intense, Cam.”

She smiled and Cameron felt balls tingle.

I’m going to have to get some kind of cock ring or some fuckery. I can’t walk around 24 hours a day hard as a brick wall. Damn, down boy, give me a fucking break.

He pulled up in front of the doors to the hospital, he threw the Camaro into neutral and engaged the parking brake before jumping around to her side to open the door.

“You don’t have to do that every time — l” He could see the discomfort on her face.

“Yes, I do. You deserve to be treated like a fucking princess, so get used to it. Now, give me a damn kiss and I’ll see you back at the house.”

He stung her ass with a hard slap as she turned to go inside.

“Owww, Gawd — ” She protested, but after a few steps, she wiggled her ass back at him, then disappeared through the revolving door.

You’re in a ass heap of trouble with this one dude. We may not make it a damn week.

26

The waist band of Cameron’s light blue shorts turned dark as the sweat dripped from every intent of muscle and soaked into the fabric.

He thought of her, then all the fuckers that had ever fucked with her in any way as his fists smacked and throbbed. The heavy bag spun and weaved as Cameron’s six feet five inches made it his bitch.

He spun and kicked, then came back with a drum roll of frantic flat fisted punches.

Between her dad, Larry, Asher’s little revelation in the hospital, and thinking of everything they’d put on her with their own fuck ups and getting in too deep with a madman like Topher, Cameron was a cannon primed to misfire and take out anyone within a mile radius.

Reggie took a good look at the devil he needed to tame before the match tonight. It was just a scheduled spar, but there was a promoter hanging around. Word on the Detroit streets was Cameron was back in town working with Reggie, in better shape than ever and the promoter seemed to have more than a casual interest in what was happening in the gym that night.

“Breathe, you’re not breathing man. Focus on your breath, in and out, find those spaces between, the quiet, that’s when you bring the beast, man. You can’t run at Mach ten 100% of the time, you’re going to burn out. Pace yourself.”

Reggie did his best to chink away at the wall Cameron erected around himself tonight, but he could see it was going to be an entirely separate battle to get him to listen to anything.

“Who’s this fucking guy?” Cameron took a step back, wiping his red taped hand over his forehead.

“It’s Simon Reed.”

Fucking shit. This was not what Cameron needed tonight. Simon Reed had a handful of UFC champions under his belt. He had an eye for the underdog, for seeing raw talent and bringing it to the next level.

Cameron cracked his neck and swung his arms in a circle, trying to relieve the mounting pressure in his gut.

“Cameron, look at me. Just fight your fight, don’t fucking worry about him. He doesn’t exist. Dude, you’re gonna get there, but tonight, you just need to channel whatever this is — you’re jacked like someone just violated your sister, man. Chill — if I didn’t know you better, I’d think you’ve been hitting the pipe and haven’t slept for three days. Breathe, you’re either going to get your ass beat because you can’t focus, or you’re going to kill someone. Neither of these are optimal outcomes.”

“Fuck man, I just — I got a lot of shit going on right now.”

“Yeah? Really? I can’t tell. Well, whatever it is, you need to let it go and get with me. We have an hour before you’re going to step in the ring and it’s my job to get you ready. So, for now, just do what I fucking tell you, okay?”

With a primal growl, Cameron spun and slammed the bag with the back of his leg, sending it flying ninety degrees before it swung back and his fists gobbled it up once more like the pistons in his Camaro going balls out 110 miles an hour.

“Dude! Stop, come here. Enough, -- that bag’s tapped out, you win. Come on, we’re going in the back — “

Cameron followed Reggie, but his eyes locked onto Simon Reed as he leaned back, crossing his arms with a smug, satisfied look on his face.

After an hour of dancing around with Reggie’s voice chirping in his ear, Cameron’s heart settled to a deep, fast thud in his chest. Reggie re-taped his hands as they walked to the regulation size octagon in the front and center of the gym.

“Now, listen, he’s comes out hard, so you gotta stay on your toes. He’ll tire out, but he’s going to come at you like a bat outta hell, so just stay out of his way for the first few rounds, then, fight your fight. Slow, easy, steady — “

Cameron heard Reggie, but it was just back ground noise. He had tunnel vision as he stepped through the galvanized metal mesh door and heard the latch scrape behind him.

Reggie pulled them in as Cameron felt the sensation that everything outside of the ring turned smoky black. He slurped around his mouth guard and shook his head.

Voices clanged inside his head until he thought it would crack open. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, sitting in the house with Asher, wondering what was going on.

He finally gets to have her, and the only other person in the universe that means anything to him, tells him he’s got his eye on the same fucking prize. Cameron felt like he was carrying around two cinder blocks on his shoulders, one named Victoria and one named Asher.

“Okay guys, this is just a spar. So, come out, protect yourselves and have a good fight. Okay?”

Both men’s eyes locked onto the other, Cameron shifted his weight back and forth on his bare feet as the lights reflected the thousand glimmering droplets of salty sweat covering his massive, tattooed torso.

“Alright guys, touch fists and come out fighting.”

The last thing Cameron heard was Simon Reed’s voice from behind his corner.

“He’s done. No way he can take this guy, he’s a babe-in-the-woods and Jose’s gonna knock him the fuck out.”

Cameron took one look at the blue mouth guard behind the pulled back lips of his opponent. Time began to slow, Cameron blinked twice as Jose stepped back, his body twisted to a 45 degree angle and he shot forward like a Cobra, his left fist smashing into the meat of Cameron’s cheek and sending a burst of white light into his head.

Seconds turned to minutes as Cameron’s brain bounced inside his skull. Suddenly there was no sound, just a popping in his ears and his eyes saw everything like a time lapse of each micro-second framed individually.

Jose’s lips curled back, Cameron’s chest tightened, and that switch flipped somewhere in his gut.

Everything looked like it was surrounded by a halo of red and yellow. In the split second between Jose drawing back for his next strike, and Cameron’s body absorbing the impact of the first hit, every muscle in his body turned to unquestioning, mindless minions.

Jose’s second blow missed its mark as Cameron seized up and spun in his own orbit, like a shark coming up and out of the waves with a force far beyond any comprehension.

He was on him from behind before Jose could turn and adapt to Cameron’s new position. Cameron dropped him from below, sweeping both Jose’s feet from under him as his arm latched around his throat in a ‘V’ as both men toppled like the twin towers, shaking the floor.

Jose’s legs flailed, but the silent, mythical beast inside Cameron was running the show and if his opponent was not yet aware, the fight was over.

Between the grunts and growls, Jose struggled to find a hold, pulling at Cameron’s locked arm around his throat like a frantic child attempting to foil a parent’s grasp.

Cameron locked his ankles around the front of Jose’s thighs, curling and dominated the seasoned fighter until that moment when Cameron felt Jose’s hand loosen from the death grip on his wrist and give him three frantic smacks signaling the end of their first date.

Jose’s body went from rock hard ferocity to slack resignation as Cameron flung himself free from the slick, skin on skin of their violent dance.

Cameron lurched up, his hand on the cage door, flinging it back as it crashed against the metal frame of the galvanized steel squares and stomped down the stairs and back to the locker room. His only focus what was happening back at the house.

She was there without him and suddenly there was nothing else that commanded his time more than getting to her and making sure shit was in order.

Cameron pounded out of the locker room door, his bag in his hand. Reggie stood with Simon Reed, both men with arms crossed and Simon immediately jerked his head around to see Cameron heading toward the door.

“Cam!! Come here.” Reggie’s voice broke through and for a moment, Cameron paused his hand on the door.

Reggie was as close a friend as Cameron ever had, his heart slammed in his chest thinking of getting to her, but he owed Reggie his time.

Simon Reed kept his eyes on Reggie, who looked like a cross between a proud father and a defense attorney.

“Dude, what the fuck? Great fight.” Reggie gave him a slam on the back, drawing him closer to the two men.

“Simon, Cameron. Cameron, Simon.”

Both men shook hands, Cameron’s ice blue eyes barely acknowledged his aloof stare.

“Simon has a proposition. I’m not on board, but I’m going to let him tell you, then, we gotta talk.”

“Okay. What? Hurry the fuck up, because I got places I need to be.”

Cameron could see Reggie roll his eyes. Sure, Simon was somebody — somebody that could help him advance his career, but the niceties of networking had long escaped Cameron’s arsenal of useful tools.

“Dude, come on —” Reggie said apologetically toward Simon.

“No, it’s alright.” Simon turned, meeting Cameron’s challenging glare with his own. “I heard they call you Force.”

“I don’t know shit about that. People call me what they call me. I’ve heard a lot worse.” Cameron’s eyes stuck on the back door.

“Well, that was more than a good fight. You were outmatched, but, as your reputation precedes you, that is something you obviously don’t understand. I’m in the market for some fresh blood to sponsor. I’ve been out looking at wild cards and up and coming. Someone said you were back in town, so, here I am. I didn’t expect to be so impressed.”

“Yeah, well —” Cameron was bored already.

He was a stone wall in the way of his own success, and luckily, Reggie took over.

“He’s in the best shape of his life.” Reggie drew Simon’s eyes back to him.

“I can see. He lacks discipline, though. I’m not convinced he could do something like that over and over. He’s always been a one-hit wonder, then no follow up. I need a proven commodity, someone that can win over and over. Not shoot it all in one fight then disappear for months.”

“He’s got it. Like I said, he took time to go out to Colorado, to Ahmad’s place.”

“That’s what I heard. He takes animals and turns them into fighters. Real fighters.”

“So, what the fuck? Are we just going to stand here all night with our dicks out? You got something to say, get to it.” Cameron sniffed hard, throwing his head to the side and cracking the bones in his neck with a loud
‘snap, crackle, pop
’.

“Okay. Here’s the deal. I gotta see one more fight. Let me see what you can do against Jake Rashney. I can’t set it up, you guys have to go to him. There’s a row fight, it’s on the radar, big money going down, day before Thanksgiving, so I can’t be associated, but I’ll be there watching.”

“Shit, that’s Topher’s deal down there at Industry. Jake Rashney’s a beast, fights dirty man. I don’t know.” Reggie was as clean as they come, and something like this had his gleaming white shorts in a bunch.

Cameron’s chest felt like someone just administered the Heimlich maneuver on him.

“I’ll do it. Set it up,” Cameron didn’t hesitate.

Something inside of him knew he had to take it. Not just for this Simon fool, but because it was Topher’s fight. He didn’t know how, but there had to be some way to turn this fight into a win for Southside.

All this talking shit had Cameron busting down the gym doors and thundering down the street, he needed to get to her.

He could hear Reggie yelling after him, but he was done with the circle jerk, there were more important matters to attend to.

Whatever he just did with Simon would have to wait, because his girl was alone with his brother and some wanking crush, and his father who never knew when to shut his drunken mouth.

The words of his mother ran over his buzzing brain as he floored the gas on the Camaro’s small block away from the gym. He couldn’t remember how old he was when she first started telling him, but it was almost as far back as he could remember.

She would say he was born to be in charge. Somehow, he thought it was the same thing that drew her, and then Emily, to Larry.

His dad used to command people with his presence, drew women like moths to a flame. That kind of energy, that pull — it’s something you are born with, it can’t be taught or bought.

The years and too many drinks with Jack and Jim drained him of whoever he used to be.

His mother’s words echoed as he felt the mantle of responsibility weigh on his shoulders. No doubt Victoria belonged to him since the day they were both born, but now, it was his job to bring her to him in a way she could never have understood before.

As he drove the black streets, dappled with a street light every block or two, he thought of his hand on her ass. How many times had he fucked into other nameless, faceless bodies while smacking their ivory cheeks to a crimson red?

It was an empty gesture, only a half-hearted practice for what he truly wanted, which was to take care of her, guide her, and correct her like she needed.

To bring her the freedom she deserved meant guiding her with more than just words, she needed to feel it, to have that sting, that burn, the tears that would turn into the realization of her inherent value and the freedom his dominance would bring her.

He drove faster, his cock already giving him grief, but knowing he still needed to make good on his promise of 24 respite before he let himself peel apart the sweet, cherry folds and fuck into her like a starving man denied his just sustenance for too long.