Chapter 32

thirty-two

. . .

Demi

I’d been involvedin Romeo’s training for months. But nothing could have prepared me for this fight.

I’d watched as he’d taken hit after hit.

The crowd was completely behind Romeo now, as everyone was chanting his name.

A part of me wished they would call the fight, because I couldn’t stand to see the way he’d stumbled to his corner after the last round.

Leo was not steady on his feet either.

They were both relentless, though Romeo was taking twice as many hits as Leo.

But the punches Romeo landed seemed to really rock Leo.

They both had to be completely exhausted.

Brinkley’s hand was wrapped around mine through every round, and I’d had to bury my face in her neck several times when Romeo had taken several shots to the face.

I felt every blow that he took.

And he just kept going.

Everyone was invested now. The commentators, Ben Kilny and Rod Baker, were screaming as if they could feel each hit, as well.

The sound of the bell had my hands fisting.

Round eleven.

Here we go.

“I don’t think one person on the planet thought this fight would go eleven rounds,” Ben said into the microphone.

“I’m guessing Romeo and his team were the only ones who expected this. But I don’t know how many more hits this guy can take and remain on his feet,” Rod said, as Leo circled Romeo.

They were both moving slower. Romeo’s right eye was swollen, and Leo was leaning to the left, which told me he was in pain and probably had several broken ribs.

Leo moved in, throwing a punch that landed on the side of Romeo’s face, and his mouthpiece shot out as he stumbled into the ropes.

I gasped, along with the thousands of fans packed in the arena. As if we’d all just felt the hit. I squeezed Brinkley’s hand so hard my knuckles were white, and we both jumped to our feet.

“Unbelievable. How is this guy still standing?” Rod said, as we all watched the ref talk to Romeo and hand him his mouthpiece.

Tears ran down my face. It was almost too much to bear.

But he held his hands up, letting the ref know that he was okay.

I glanced at his corner, and it was impossible to miss the distraught look on Joey’s face.

He wanted them to call the fight.

He shouted something at the ref, and Romeo turned around and shouted something back.

Lincoln looked pissed as he yelled at both Romeo and the ref. He punched the side of the ring in frustration.

“Oh my God,” Brinkley whisper-hissed. “Lincoln’s losing his shit.”

River’s gaze locked with mine from a distance, and he gave me a nod. As if he were saying everything was okay.

But I did not miss the pained look on Hayes’s, Nash’s, and Kingston’s faces.

No one thought they should let Romeo continue.

But the ref agreed that he was okay, and that was when I saw it.

Complete panic written all over Leo’s face.

He was desperate for them to call the fight.

Because he was also hanging on by a thread.

I squeezed my eyes shut as they finished the rest of the round, and Brinkley grabbed my face when Romeo went to his corner. “Look at me.”

I opened my eyes; my vision blurred as the tears were coming fast now.

“Demi, he’s a fighter. He’s made it eleven rounds. He’s still standing. Listen to the people chanting his name. He needs us right now. Do not fall apart. You wanted to be here for him, so you need to be here. Through the good and the bad.”

I sniffed and pulled myself together. “Okay. One more round.”

“One more round.”

And this time when I looked over at his corner, Romeo was looking right at me. One eye was swollen completely shut while the other found mine, and the corners of his lips turned up just the slightest bit. No one else would have noticed, but I did.

He was telling me that he was okay.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I grasped my heart and shouted his name.

My fierce warrior.

And then he moved to his feet. Joey whispered something into his ear, and he nodded.

The bell rang, and they both moved toward the center of the ring. The next three minutes would be the longest of my life.

They took turns throwing punches. One after another. They were leaving it all out there. And Romeo was throwing as many as Leo now.

One for one.

As if the exhaustion was too much for more than that.

They’d throw a punch and then stagger as the other landed theirs.

Again and again.

Everyone was on their feet, screaming and shouting.

“I’ve honestly never seen anything like this before,” Ben said, his voice filling the arena through the speakers. “The heart and the determination. It’s unbelievable.”

It was then that Leo landed a hit that had Romeo stumbling back on his ass, and the entire auditorium gasped in unison.

He was down.

And the countdown started.

“One. Two. Three!” the ref shouted, and Romeo crawled toward the side, reaching for the ropes.

Leo stood, shoulders slumped, and you could see the hope in his eyes that Romeo would stay down.

“Four. Five.”

I couldn’t breathe as I watched. Joey was telling him to stay down. Lincoln and River both had tears streaming down their faces.

Hayes, Nash, and Kingston had their faces buried in their hands as if they couldn’t watch.

And I shouted at the top of my lungs. “Get up, Romeo!”

He’d come this far, and I knew that going the distance was what he’d wanted. He had a minute and a half left to go. As much as I wanted him to stay down, I knew how important it was to him to go the distance. To remain on his feet.

The crowd must have picked up on what I’d said, as they all started chanting those words. “Get up, Romeo!”

Over and over.

“Six. Seven.”

He reached for the last rope and pushed to his feet as a startling roar filtered around the arena.

“He’s on his feet!” Rod shouted into the microphone over the roars of the crowd.

I had both hands over my mouth as I watched him nod at the ref and move toward Leo, who looked completely devastated that this wasn’t over.

They both raised their gloves and went at it once again.

Punch after punch.

Hit after hit.

And that was when the shift came.

They weren’t going one for one anymore. It was only Romeo throwing the shots now. He pushed Leo into the corner and just kept going.

Leo no longer held up his arms as he slowly started to slide down the ring. The ref pulled Romeo back as Leo fell to the ground in a heap.

The deafening screams were overwhelming, and it was difficult to see through my tears.

The ref started another countdown, but Leo wasn’t making any effort to get up. He held his hands up in defeat, but the ref continued to count.

“Seven. Eight. Nine.”

I never did hear the number ten because the auditorium exploded in celebration as the guys charged the ring, and Romeo fell against Lincoln and River, as they supported him.

“He did it!” Rod shouted. “I can’t believe it.”

“What a fight! I don’t think anyone expected this outcome,” Ben said.

Brinkley and I were hugging, and then I was rushing toward the ring, needing to make sure he was okay. Brinkley was right behind me as we shoved past a few spectators to make our way to his corner.

Hayes and Nash were standing there crying, and River and Kingston were shaking their heads in disbelief.

I hugged Hayes, and he quickly lifted me up as my sling made it near impossible to pull myself up there. River reached over and grabbed me.

“Our boy did it, Beans!” he shouted. “Go congratulate him.”

I maneuvered the best I could through the crowd that had gathered in the ring, and I saw him.

My Romeo.

He was searching the crowd for me, and his gaze locked with mine.

Lincoln must have picked up on it because he shoved a few people out of the way, clearing a path for me to his brother.

I lunged at him, and he scooped me up into his arms.

“You did it!” I shouted over the noise as I buried my face in his neck.

“We did it, baby. I love you so fucking much.”

“I love you.” I didn’t know how long he held me there as I sobbed, and everyone congratulated him.

But he wouldn’t let go.

He kept me close.

And then I pulled back when they were ready to announce the winner, which everyone already knew was Romeo, due to the knockout.

Brinkley found my hand, and I stood with her and Lincoln as they held up Romeo’s arm, and he and Leo actually hugged.

They’d gone to battle, and they’d both fought like hell.

There was a mutual respect now.

The emcee took to the mic and asked Romeo several questions.

He thanked his coach and his team and all the guys and me. He was humble and genuine and honored when they handed him the belt.

“So, what will you do to celebrate, Romeo?” the man asked him.

“Right now, I’d just like to take my girl home.”

More cheers came from the crowd as he thanked the man and then made his way to his corner, where we were all waiting for him.

He wrapped his arms around me and tipped my head back and kissed me.

I tangled my hand in his hair and kissed him right back.

I didn’t care who was watching.

I was too busy loving Romeo to care about anything else.

My champ.

My heart.

My everything.