Chapter 12

12

GRIFFIN

“ H ow are you feeling, champ?”

“I’m good to go,” I tell him. “I’m ready.”

“You look ready. You look good.”

I nod. “I’m good.”

Ray Mackey was my agent back when I was working my way through the pro game. He’s a good guy and always looked out for me. He hated to see me drop out when my mom got sick, but he understood and always kept an ear open for opportunities for me.

“You nervous?” he asks.

“Me? Nah.”

Ray smirks. “You sure?”

“I’m good, man.”

“Good lad,” he says and pats me on the shoulder.

I’ve always loved fighting, and like I told Grace, it’s the only thing I’ve ever been good at. I’ve always believed I can beat anybody. And I always did. I’m confident in my abilities and never get nervous before a fight.

Tonight is different. We’ve got a nice purse—five grand—but I’m not here for the money. No, I’m here for something more. Tonight is the culmination of everything I’ve been working so hard to build before walking away. Tonight is my second chance to get where I want to be in life. To achieve my dream. So yeah, I’m nervous as fuck.

I don’t know the fighter I’m going up against. He’s not somebody who trains in my gym or fights on the underground circuit I’ve been working through. I haven’t even been able to study film on the guy—his camp refused to give us access to his tape. That makes me nervous. I don’t like going into a fight blind like this. They used to call me a technician in the ring, but part of that is because I studied my opponents and broke down all their habits and tendencies. I knew how they were going to move and what they were going to do in any given situation and simply countered that, then beat them to the punch.

“What can you tell me about this guy I’m fighting?” I ask.

Ray perches on the bench across from me and purses his lips. “Dominic Caprisi. He’s twenty-five, and he’s fast. You’ve got a couple of inches and twenty pounds on him. He’s solid as a boxer, but watch out for his legs. He’s got a hell of a kick, and once he gets you on the ground, it’s lights out. He’s forced his last six opponents to submit. He’s dangerous, and his star is on the rise.”

“So, the promoters are really here to see him,” I say dryly.

“And just think about how good it’s going to look if you beat their new golden boy,” he tells me with a shrug. “Yeah, they want to see Dom, but they’re also here because they want to see how much you have left in the tank, kid. They’re here to see you just as much as they’re here to see him. So, give them a good show out there.”

“I plan on it.”

“You know what’s at stake here.”

“Only everything,” I reply.

He nods. “Only everything.”

For so long, I’ve been content doing what I’m doing—training fighters and picking up small fights here and there. I haven’t given much thought to the pro circuit or a shot at the title in a long time. I just figured it wasn’t in my cards, so I put it out of my head and haven’t given it any consideration since then. I didn’t realize how many unresolved feelings I still had until Ray lobbed me that phone call. I didn’t realize just how much I still fucking want this after all this time. I guess some dreams really do die hard.

“How much longer? I want to get this shit started already,” I say. “The sooner that bell rings, the sooner I can put him down.”

“That’s what I like to hear, champ. And you’ve got about twenty minutes.”

I get to my feet and start to stretch out. Closing my eyes as I do, I start going through the fight in my head. Visualizing the fight. It’s all part of my pre-fight ritual. I want to be good and limber, physically and mentally, by the time I get into the ring. Going up against somebody younger and faster than me is going to be a challenge, but as long as I stick to my game plan and do what I do, I’m going to be fine. If I fight the way I know how to fight, nobody can beat me.

“Excuse me, miss, but you can’t be in here. This is for the fighters only,” I hear Ray say.

A smile touches my lips, expecting to see Grace, but when I open my eyes, I’m surprised to see who’s actually standing there.

“Lila,” I say.

“Miss, you’re going to need to go?—”

“It’s okay, Ray. She’s a friend of mine.”

Ray frowns, seemingly not very pleased with the distraction of a pretty girl coming into the locker room just before a fight. But there’s a look on her face that worries me. She shuffles her feet, wringing her hands together, her eyes wide and filled with fear. Putting on my robe, I step over and put a hand on her shoulder, looking her in the eye.

“What is it, Lila?” I ask.

“I just ... when was the last time you talked to Grace?”

The tone in her voice matches the look of near-panic on her face, and it sends a chill down my spine. My belly churns, and my throat is dry.

“We exchanged texts, but I’ve been locked down training and prepping this week, so not for a few days at least,” I say. “But she’s supposed to be here tonight. Are you not with her?”

She shakes her head. “I haven’t seen her for a couple of days, Griffin. I’m scared something’s happened to her.”

My stomach drops into my shoes, and my heart stops dead in my chest, a sick feeling washing over me.

“It’s not like her to just disappear,” Lila says, her voice trembling. “But she hasn’t returned any of my calls or texts in the last couple of days. Campus police refuse to help, and I’ve been going out of my mind.”

I put a hand to my head and pace the room, that sick feeling getting stronger. No, it’s not like Grace to just disappear. It’s not like her at all.

“Champ, we need to get ready,” Ray says. “It’s almost time.”

“Hang on, Ray. Just … hang on a minute.”

“Griffin, it’s worse,” Lila says. “Professor Bryson hasn’t been to his classes for the last couple of days either.”

It takes me a minute to recall the name. Bryson. He was the guy in the restaurant harassing her the night I took her out. The night I told her about this fight. I remember the look of fear on Grace’s face.

“Please, Griffin,” Lila says as tears stream down her face. “We have to find her.”

“Griff, we have to get ready,” Ray urges.

“Give me a fucking minute, Ray!”

Pacing back and forth, my head is spinning. Grace wouldn’t just disappear without saying a word to Lila. Or to me. No way in hell she just vanishes like that. Not on her own. There really is no decision to make, so I throw off my robe and quickly start to dress.

“Griffin, don’t do this,” Ray warns.

“I have to.”

“If you walk out now, you’re never going to get another shot at the title,” Ray says. “You’ll never get to where you’ve always wanted to be.”

Grace’s face flashes through my mind, and her voice echoes in my ear. I feel her fingertips on my skin and think about those times when we’re lying in bed together, staring into each other’s eyes, neither of us feeling the need to speak while just enjoying the connection between us. It’s in those quiet moments we share that everything seems to make sense. When I feel more complete and whole than I’ve ever felt in my life. Than I ever thought I could feel.

I look Ray in the eye and nod. “I’m good, Ray. I am where I always wanted to be.”