33

"Risin' up, back on the street. Did my time, took my chances. Went the distance. Now I'm back on my feet. Just a man and his will to survive. So many times, it happens too fast. You trade your passion for glory. Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past. You must fight just to keep them alive. It's the eye of the tiger. It's the thrill of the fight. Risin' up to the challenge. Of our rival. And the last known survivor. Stalks his prey in the night. And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger."

Laughing to myself, I slipped out of bed and walked over to the bathroom, leaning against the doorframe and watching as my wife danced and sang Eye of the Tiger by Survivor in front of the mirror. She was beautiful. She'd woken up full of energy, and even after a round of passionate lovemaking, she'd damn near skipped into the bathroom to shower. I loved it. Loved the way she had let go of her demons, let go of the pain and fear that had been holding her back and finally find peace.

"Are you going to just stare at me?" she asked, looking at me through the mirror. She was gathering her hair into a ponytail.

"Maybe," I said, letting my eyes drag down her body. A pair of blue, cotton boy-cut panties, and matching sports bra hugged her ass and caressed her breasts.

"Yo," she snickered, causing me to look up at him. "We don't have time. Get your ass into the shower."

Groaning, I walked over and turned the shower on. "Yes, ma'am, Mrs. Masen."

"That's Cullen-Masen," she giggled as I stepped in under the water.

"Whatever, Mrs. Masen," I called out, tipping my head back into the water.

I heard her laugh before she walked out, leaving me alone. My arms and legs were sore, my back tight. I'd fought six matches yesterday, and all but the first had been nail bitters. I'd managed to pull out the win, but I felt them today, which meant my battles today would be that much harder. I didn't mind, though. I loved the ache in my arms, the burn in my legs. I thrived for it because it meant I'd earned every victory.

"You drown?" Bella asked, pulling the shower curtain back and looking me over. "Damn, baby, you look good wet."

"That doesn't help me not want to take you, love," I groaned, reaching for her.

However, she stepped back and shook her head. "We have ten minutes to get downstairs. Hurry."

"I am hurrying," I muttered, yanking the curtain closed and grabbing some shampoo.

Fifteen minutes later, Bella and I stepped off the elevator, ignoring the grimaces coming from the rest of our team. Yes, we were late. Yes, we had a big day today. But we were ready. All of us had stepped into our rings the day before and proved that we belong in the competition. Every single one of us made it to day two. While I knew some of us would fall today, the fact that we'd all made it this far spoke volumes for our program.

Phil muttered something under his breath about us being pains in his ass before he led us to the bus. The ride to the gymnasium was electrifying. Our team was high on adrenalin, ready to go in there and show them once again that we owned it all.

As we made our way down to the floor, more boxers stopped and looked at us, probably trying to find a way to take us down. However, none of us gave away any weaknesses, even if we had them. We did what we always did and found our corner and began to stretch, getting our minds on the matches ahead of us. With the number of boxers cut nearly in half by yesterday's matches, we knew the odds were that we'd end up facing a teammate looking back at us, and that would be hard. Still, I knew Bella and I would have no problem taking them out one by one. We were leaders, yes, but we wanted to win, and our thirst for victory was intense.

"Listen up," Phil said, squatting in the middle of our circle. "Though I know we're all feeling the effects of yesterday's rush, today we have to climb back into those rings and do our jobs. Now, it's not going to be easy. I can tell that you're hurting today, feeling every blow you took yesterday. But, fight through it."

He stood up and pulled today's schedule out of his folder. "First up is Riley. You're in ring four. You're competitor is—"

"Cal Jones from Texas Tech. Sophomore. He has quick feet, but lazy arms. I have to hit him hard and fast, making sure he can't sidestep me. If I do that, I'll win. And I will win," Riley said.

Phil smiled and looked back at his list. "Next is Missy."

"Hailey Braiden. University of Tennessee. Freshman. Powerful uppercut, but she's got heavy feet. Has as hard time moving around the mat. I need to make her move a lot, cause her to get tired. Then, go in for the kill," Missy rattled off.

He nodded and looked back at his list again, but before he could say anything, Embry stood up and said, "Demetri Romans. Senior from UCLA. He has power and speed. He's going to be tough, but I'll win."

"You wish," Demetri snickered, standing up and placing his hand on Embry's shoulder. "Embry Call. Scrappy. Has a jab that stings like a bitch. I'll have to work my ass off to win."

Liam stood up next, followed by Bree, Heidi, and Benjamin, each blabbing off the details about their opponents. Bella scrambled to her feet next. "Maggie Mirren. Freshman at UCLA. Heard she's a bitch, but I've fought her before. She's tough. She has a wicked uppercut, and she has good feet. She's smart and crafty, but in the end, I'll take her ass out."

Maggie laughed as she stood up, placing her hands on her hips. "Isabella Cullen-Masen. Tough as nails freshman from UCLA. She's amazing: fast, smart, always thinking three steps ahead. Power like you've never heard, and speed. She's unstoppable. And while I can't say that I will win, I'll step into the ring and give her everything I have."

"You'd better," Bella muttered.

Everyone looked over at me as I stood up. "Henry Martin. Junior at University of Kentucky. He's never lost a match, not since he was a freshman anyway. He has power, both in his arms and legs. He's a bit heavy on his feet, but he makes up for it with power."

"Well, good to see everyone's prepared," Phil said, closing his folder. We all laughed.

Grabbing our bags, we made our ways to our rings, settling in for a long day. Phil tapped his hands and helped him with his gloves while Bella prepped Missy, muttering encouragements to her. Bella and Missy had become good friends, and I was glad. While I loved that Bella knew I would always be there for her, she needed friends, too, and someone else to count on. And Missy needed Bella. She had brothers, too, ones who would give their lives for her, but knowing the way Bella felt for years, the guilt Missy felt for relying on them was heavy.

Riley ended up winning his round fairly easy. While his opponent was able to move quickly, his arms weighed him down and Riley was able to take advantage of it and took him out by the middle of the second round. Missy's match came down to a matter of points earned, but she wasn't able to pull out the win, losing by a single point. Though we could tell she was disappointed, she fought an amazing match, and that's all we could really ask.

Bree, Liam, and Heidi all lost their matches, too, but like Missy, it came down to a matter of points, and they only lost by a couple points each. They were disappointed, but they'd take the lessons they learned today and use them in the next tournament.

"All right, Embry, Demetri, you're up," Phil said, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "Make us proud."

"We will," the murmured together.

As they climbed into the ring, it was difficult to know which to cheer for. Both men were good fighters. Where Demetri had bulk strength, Embry was crafty and quick on his feet. The referee, the same one who had stood by during Bella's first match the day before and watched as she nearly beat that girl into nothing, called them to the middle of the ring. With nods of their heads, they agreed to fight clean before they pressed their gloves together and walked back to their corners. While to every other team here today, this match wasn't anything special, for us it was huge. They'd have to face off against a teammate, a friend. That was harder than one thought.

The bell rang and both men took a tentative step to the side, clearly unsure of how to approach the other. Just another way training together often made it difficult. They knew each other's bad habits and fighting styles.

"Get your asses in there and fight, dammit," Phil yelled, slamming his hand on the mat.

I saw Embry's jaw tighten as he stepped forward and hit Demetri with a roundhouse, left jab combination. Demetri countered with a right uppercut followed by a left hook, which knocked Embry back a step. However, he regained his traction and hit Demetri in the arm, side, followed by a head shot.

Arms flew from every direction, grunts of pain and anguish could be heard coming from both of them. The match went back and forth. First Embry had the lead, then Demetri took it, and then back to Embry, then to Demetri. By the time the bell rang ending the match, both of them had built up a lot of points against each other, leaving the decision to what the judge's score cards said.

As the referee stepped into the middle of the ring to announce the winner, Demetri and Embry stood side by side, knowing that no matter who came out ahead, it was still a victory for our team.

"The winner is . . ." the referee looked between both men, ". . . Embry Call!"

Demetri laughed as he turned and gave him a hug. Embry looked stunned as he muttered a quick thanks. They climbed out of the ring and we surrounded them, reminding them that no matter what, they both had succeeded. It was an important step for both of them, for all of us. In the end, there could only be one winner and we were all vying for the right to be called tournament champion.

"All right, Cullen-Masen," Maggie taunted, looking over at Bella. "You ready to lose?"

Bella laughed. "Oh, I don't lose, honey."

"Yet," she snickered. "Feels like today is a good day to start."

"You wish," Bella scoffed, grabbing her headgear and mouthpiece from her bag.

"Want to bet on it?" Maggie asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Pressing her lips together, Bella studied her opponent. "Okay. Terms?"

"When I win, you have to tell me about your family," she said. "About what it was like growing up as Cullen."

The smirk fell off Bella's face, and I resisted the urge to pull her into my arms. Maggie was asking a lot, though she didn't understand that. For Bella, her family was everything, but living with the Cullen legacy over her head wasn't an easy crown to bear.

"Okay," Bella agreed. "When I win, and I will win, you have to spend one afternoon alone with me next week, so we can train together."

Maggie smiled. "Deal."

They bumped gloves before climbing into the ring and preparing for their match. I stepped up onto the side of the ring and helped Bella put her headgear on. Once she was ready, I leaned my forehead down against hers. "Don't take it easy on her, wife."

"I won't," she murmured.

"You've got this. Elbows in, feet moving, make her work for it," I said.

Bella smiled. "Yes, husband."

"Yo," Maggie called, drawing our attention to where she and Liam were standing. "Enough chitchat. It's time to fight."

"Better bring it, bitch," Bella snarked, and if her hands hadn't been shoved into a pair of gloves, she would have flipped the woman off. Turning back to me, she smiled. "Sorry, husband, gotta kick some ass now."

I winked before I leaned in and kissed her. "Love you, wife."

And before she could reply, I slipped her mouthpiece into her mouth. She smirked around the black rubber and turned back to Maggie, who was trying to come off more much more confident than she was. The referee called them into the middle of the ring, giving the usual talk before having them bump gloves and telling them to go back into their corners.

Unlike when Embry and Demetri were fighting, we weren't the only ones watching and waiting to see what was going to happen. Other boxers from other schools had begun gathering around the ring, their attention locked on the two women in the ring. Though I knew they were curious on whether Maggie would indeed be able to pull out a win, I knew she wouldn't. Like Bella said, she didn't lose, and she wouldn't start now.

The bell rang, and a collective silence filled the air. Bella and Maggie each took a step toward the side, watching and waiting to see who would make the first move. While I knew that Bella would normally give her opponent a chance to set the tone of the match, she didn't this time. She sprang at Maggie hitting her with a right hook, left roundhouse, right jab, and pushed her into the ropes.

Maggie attempted block her, to keep her strikes from landing, but Bella was ruthless. Tucking her elbows against her ribcage, Bella threw her left hand out. Then a right, left, right left. Maggie's arms flew to her head to protect herself, which left her torso open to attack. Bella pushed her shoulders forward and hit her in the gut, left side, right side, left side, right. Over and over, she held nothing back.

The bell rang ending the first round. Bella turned and walked back to the corner so I stepped up and grabbed the water bottle from Phil. Bella spat her mouthpiece into my hand before gulping down some water.

"She's not even trying," Bella panted.

"I know," I murmured, using a towel and sponging her face off. The referee moved back into the center of the ring so I shoved her mouth piece back in. "Don't hold back."

Bella nodded before she turned and faced Maggie. Liam was whispering in her ear, but she kept shaking her head. The bell rang and I jumped off the mats, placing my hands on the edge and watching as Bella rushed to Maggie. She put her arm up to defend herself, but Bella hit her low, causing her arm to drop and letting Bella have access to her head. Just like in the first round, Bella dominated the round, striking her over and over. Head, abdomen, arm, ribs. Maggie managed to get one or two hits in, but it was clear to everyone watching that Bella had won.

The bell rang ending the second round, but instead of coming to her corner, Bella placed her gloved hand in the middle of Maggie's chest and spit out her mouthpiece into the palm of her other glove.

"You want to know what it was like growing up as a Cullen?" she snarled, causing everyone to look at her. "It was the best. My parents were amazing. They pushed us to be better than everyone. Failure wasn't an option, but not because they wouldn't love us, but because we refused to fail. We didn't climb into the ring and give a half-assed effort. We demanded the win, took it because it was ours. And if we didn't win, then we knew we put it all out there, giving the cliché one-hundred and ten percent. That's what it means to be a Cullen. That's what it means to be a winner. Either fight back, or quit, but stop pussyfooting around. I have other people to defeat today."

Releasing her hold on Maggie, Bella turned and walked over to me, taking the water I poured into her mouth. I watched my wife in amazement. She'd opened a part of her that she never let anyone but me see, a part of the Bella who had been lost when men broke into her house and destroyed her life, when her parents left her alone, rather than save her from hell. She was incredible, and mine. All mine.

I helped her put her mouthpiece back in before she turned and faced Maggie. The bell rang and the third and final round started. Bella walked to the middle of the ring and waited for Maggie to come to her, to make a decision. Though I could tell she was exhausted, Maggie stumbled to her. Her arms came up and she gave a feeble left jab, but Bella dodged it. I expected her to strike back, but she didn't. She just stood there.

Maggie threw a right uppercut, but Bella was able to move out of the way of it, too. She was taunting her, begging her to push through her exhaustion and fight. However, I could tell that Maggie was defeated. She'd given up and there was no way for her to come out of it now. The bell rang, ending the match and everyone's attention was on Bella, who merely shook her head and climbed out of the ring, throwing her headgear and gloves into her bag.

Placing her hands on her hips, she turned to Maggie, who looked ashamed. "You could have beat me today, but you chose to not even show up. You wasted my time, and the time of everyone here. Is this the life you want? Do you even want to be a boxer?"

"Yes," Maggie muttered, keeping her eyes on the ground.

Bella reached out and tugged her head up, looking her straight in the eyes. "Then next time you and I face off, you'd better kick my ass. Understand."

Maggie nodded.

"Good," she replied, releasing here. "Next week, you and I are going to work. I'm going to push your ass to the extreme. You're too fucking good to let fear hold you back, Mags."

At the sound of her nickname, Maggie snapped her eyes up to Bella's. "You really think so?"

"Yeah, I do," Bella said, folding her arms in front of her chest. "The real question is whether or not you think you're good enough. And I can't answer that for you. I wish I could."

Bella turned and grabbed my hands. With her back toward Maggie, she began to tape my hands, leaving our entire team to consider who they wanted to be as boxers, and if they were prepared to let go of their fears.