Chapter 38: Chapter 38

‘Hell was about to break loose’ was all I could think of while I power walked down the corridor to where the ring was, I was feeling so much pent up anger in me and it wanted out. I know a lot of people have said it’s not smart to fight when you're angry but I wasn't feeling particularly smart. I wouldn’t count on coming out of this fight unscathed.

They said your focus tends to be blunt when you’re angry. Your ability to predict your opponent’s next move decreases when you're angry. It was probably stupid to still enter the ring, filled with anger knowing all this. But again, I wasn't feeling particularly smart that night.

I was risking everything, risking my family’s and my friends’ safety, and for what? For the guy who basically rejected me for a traitorous two-faced bitch, who’s also my brother’s murderer’s accomplice. Well, fuck you, Adam.

I was just arriving at the bottom of the steps that led up to the ring when my name was called out. I tried my best not to stomp my feet like a child throwing a tantrum as I climbed the steps up to the ring. As much as I hated it, I missed Levy. He was an asshole but the friend he portrayed himself to be when he was undercover was a good one. He was there to cheer me on at every fight and he had my back. Well, at least I thought he had my back.

I turned my gaze away from the empty corner of the ring and felt the anger rushing back with a new fervor. When I saw who stood before me.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Levy smirked as he gave me a small wave.

I felt my blood boil once again at the sight of him. The nerve of this asshole. He was still acting as if nothing had happened between us; as if he never betrayed me.

As the fight started, I decided to use this chance to unleash my pent up anger. I screamed as I ran towards Levy, arm drawn back to throw the first punch.

Five minutes into the fight and I finally came to my senses only to realize that I’ve severely underestimated the guy standing before me. My anger was extinguished not long after the fight started, blurred by the pain from the blows I received. It didn’t take much to land hits on me since I fought him like I was fighting an immobile training dummy. My defense was little to non-existent and I was solely relying on my attacks.

I was barely holding up. I stumbled back to my corner and tried to breathe correctly again. Every breath I took hurt and my hammering heart wasn’t making the pain any more bearable. My head was pounding and I couldn’t be sure whether the substance that was trickling down my temple was sweat or blood.

Through my daze, a voice screamed out my name over the crowd's noise. I lifted my chin up to see who was disturbing my pained daydreaming to see Preston standing there along with Maddison, tucked closely to his side. I would have expressed how shocked I was if it wasn’t for the pain that was making my body throb.

Preston had a hard expression on his face that was a contrast to Maddison’s concern one. I took it that they witnessed the early minutes of the fight because Preston’s disapproval shone bright through his narrowed eyes.

“What was that? What were you doing? Honestly, Case, that was a shit show and I know for sure that you didn’t get this far into the competition fighting like that. You would’ve died years ago if you fought like that. Get your shit together. You’re going to die the second you get back in there if you don’t start getting your shit together. So, start getting your shit together.” My eyes were almost closed shut in their swollen state, but I opened them as wide as I could once what he said sank in. Preston’s voice rang in my head. He was right. What was I doing?

I clenched my jaw, ignoring the throbbing that it caused me. The pain will keep me awake. There were other lives at stake, I needed to stop acting like a kicked puppy and start thinking about the people other than Adam that was going to get hurt if I don’t win this fight and the next one. I’m so close, I can’t fail now.

I sent a silent prayer to God. With my current beat up state, I could only count on the faith I had in God’s miracles to win this fight.

I know I did this to myself but please help me, God. I can’t do this on my own. It’s not humanely possible.

My head spun lightly causing me to stumble a bit before I steadied myself. I tried to strengthen myself with my sheer willpower and ignored how weak I felt. I had to win. I had to.

I glanced back at Preston, holding Maddison to his side. His lips were pursed into a grim line, sending me a curt nod. He looked determined that I could win this, but Maddison didn’t quite succeed in masking her doubts. She watched me with fear for my safety in her eyes and her fist clutched on the hem of Preston’s shirt.

I nodded back at Preston, sending a million prayers to God to help me win this fight somehow.

I looked at Levy who looked amused. He had a busted lip but that was all the damage I could see on his face.

‘You got this. God’s got your back. You’re going to win.’ I reassured myself. All I was holding onto at that point was the faith I had left in me. I channeled all my strength into believing that backup was coming.

Having felt entertained enough, Levy made the first jab that I quickly dodged. It felt like my instincts have finally kicked in as I ducked under his fist and landed my own against his midriff. The next few punches were a blur that I didn’t even have time to process. The next thing I knew, I gave out a kick to my opponent’s midriff after doing an uppercut. The force sent him sprawling on the ring’s floor, curling up on himself. Blood was rushing loudly in my ears, the thundering of my heart was the only thing I could hear. I couldn’t do anything but breathe heavily, not believing the sight before me.

The screams and hoots of the crowd started to seep through the rushing of my blood in my ears. My heart was still pounding and I felt a migraine coming as the adrenaline wore off. I felt my arm being held and raised.

I casted my eyes upwards, staring at the blinding eight above the ring. The last thing I remembered was swaying slightly and thinking ‘God heard my prayers,’ before I felt my legs give away from under me. I felt my body falling into someone’s arms as darkness engulfed me.

---

When I came to my senses, I heard the beeping of a heart monitor and the pungent smell of disinfectant. I tried moving my fingers and felt my index finger twitch. I tried to peel my eyes open next.

“She’s waking up,” someone called out before I heard multiple shuffling steps and felt the presence of others around me.

I peeled my eyes open but closed it immediately afterwards after getting blinded by the white lights.

“Call the doctor,” I heard Jerry saying before a set of steps left my bedside and the door closed softly.

“Hey,” Preston’s voice softly called out when I tried opening my eyes open once again. I lifted one of the edges of my lips upwards, attempting a weak half smile in greeting. I still felt really weak, but I didn’t have it in me to fight the feeling.

I was finally able to squint properly through my swollen eyes and I immediately looked around.

“Adam, Maddison and the kids are outside,” Preston looked like he wanted to say more but hesitated. I quirked an eyebrow at him. I felt like my throat would burn if I uttered a word without having a cup of water to soothe it first. I moved the hand that wasn’t hooked to the IV needles and the heartbeat monitor towards the desk with the glass of water on top of it. Preston passed the cup to me, helping me drink from it.

“What else is there?” I asked immediately after wiping my lips dry.

“Kiara is outside too.” Preston hesitantly answered. I felt my heart boil. My heart wasn’t beeping normally anymore. Preston and Jerry immediately tried to calm me down.

“What do you mean she’s outside?!” I asked, enraged. My voice came out raspy. I thought about how the kids were outside too.

“I tried to get her to leave, Case but Adam wasn’t having any of it. He wanted to stay and wait for you to wake up too, but he clung on to Kiara and I couldn’t do anything about it. I asked Maddison to keep an eye on the kids,” Preston explained quickly. It didn’t do any good though. I tried sitting up, a new determination coursing through me at the thought of a threat being so close to the kids.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Preston warned. I glared at Preston.

“I just risked my life for those kids in that ring. I am not going to let them be so close to that bitch after the hell I went through.” I said to him lowly, almost growling under my breath. Preston shook his head defiantly at me.

“You’re right, you did go through hell and that’s why you’re in no form to be prancing about, kicking the bitch’s ass. I’ll have the kids taken in here and make sure Kiara stays out.” Preston released me when I nodded at that. I’ll agree to anything as long as the kids are kept away from Kiara.

“You better be back here in 5 minutes or I’m gonna rip these needles off my arm and get the kids myself,” I told him. Preston just smirked, leaving me alone with Jerry.

The room fell quiet and I turned to Jerry who looked at me wistfully.

“It amazes me how much you would do to protect those kids,” Jerry mused. I smiled at him when he wiped his teary eyes.

“I made a promise to your wife to be there for your family when she passed. They’re like my own little brother and sister, Jer.” I softly replied to him before a nurse and doctor entered the room to checked on me.

“Well, you look worse than you are. You have a mild concussion and a swollen jaw, a couple of bruised ribs but nothing broken so that’s good.” The doctor wrote out a prescription for the pain and gave it to Jerry, who thanked him as the doctor and nurse walked out of the room.

Not long after, Preston came in with the kids in his arms and Maddison trailing behind him. They squealed when they saw me awake, squirming to get out of Preston’s hold. I smiled at them.

“Casey! Are you okay? Why is your eye so small?” Cali exclaimed in worry. She reached out to touch my swollen eye but changed her mind before she could touch it and cradled her hand to her chest instead. I chuckled at how adorable she was and touched my eye myself.

“I’m okay, sweetheart. My eye is just swollen.” Pio’s eyes became wide.

“Did you cry a lot? Is that why it’s swollen?” He asked me, looking serious. I shook my head with a small smile on my face.

“I’m okay, Pio.” I ruffled his head. These kids are worth every hit I got in every fight.

I finally remembered what I wanted to ask Preston and turned to him. “Did anyone call my parents?” I asked worriedly. I didn’t want them to question why I was in the hospital and I didn’t want them to worry about me. Luckily, Preston shook his head no.

“You owe me big time for that. I had to beg these guys to not call them. I even had to ‘seduce’ that old woman at the receptiondesk.” Preston gave out a fake shudder and I laughed at his theatrics before thanking him properly which he waved off.

Suddenly, I heard the door swing open and raised my head to see Adam with Kiara trailing behind him. Their hands were linked together, and my breathing stopped for a split second.