Unleashed (A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance) (111 page)

“You’ll need to use your mouth to breathe now.”

“I got blood congealing in my throat,” I tell him.

Kaminski has gotten to his feet now, and watches us. I hold the cup of water the ref hands me with my left hand, and down it, dislodging the sticky glob of blood at the back of my throat.

Kaminski’s eyes are on my hand. He’s still confused.

Good.

“Chance!” Cassie cries from beside me. She pushes her fingers through the chain-link, and I grip onto them for a moment.

“I’m fine.”

“No, it’s not that!”

I look at her, eyebrow raised. Some kid is still wiping the blood off the mat.

“Kaminski, he’s favoring his right leg now, but he’s right-handed, right? He should be putting his weight on his left!”

I turn, peer at my opponent, and realize Cassie is right. God damn it that girl is quick. I must have hurt his leg when I took him down to the mat.

I turn to Cassie. “Good eyes,” I tell her.

“Beat him,” she says. “Kick his fucking ass.”

“Can you see his moves?” I ask her.

She nods. “No. But I can see which side he puts his weight on.”

“Call it out,” I tell her. “If you think I’m misreading.”

“Okay,” she breathes, eyes never leaving mine. “But what if I’m wrong.”

“Don’t be wrong.”

I pop my mouth guard back in, and nod at her.

The ref starts the fight again, and Kaminski and I dance around each other. He’s grinning at me, like he thinks he’s got me.

His stance tells me he’s prepared for a right-jab-left-cross.

He’s prepared to fight a lefty.

But I’m going to switch my stance at just the right moment, and he’s going to miss it.

He thinks he’s got me…

…I’ve got him!