Free Beyond Promise by Karice Bolton

right in his opponent’s gut, and it didn’t
stop there. I watched a rapid-fire assault take place on Viktor’s
already abused body. Ayden landed a right hook, followed by a
straight punch into Viktor’s jaw, a power shot like no other.
Viktor attempted to steady himself, but it was too late. Ayden
landed a haymaker into his opponent’s jaw. The unnerving amount of
force behind Ayden’s punch sent a chill up my spine as the pain
radiated from Viktor’s gaze. The quick-fire assault of Ayden’s fist
as he jabbed and grabbed Viktor to finish him off gave me hope that
the fight would end soon.
    Viktor’s stamina was running out. The fight
had taken its toll. There was no denying the hazy look sitting
behind his expression as he attempted a couple missed swings that
resulted in nothing more than slaps. Boxing was a science, and it
seemed all the fights leading up to this one were Ayden’s
experiments.
    The smacking of skin on skin echoed through
the air as the crowd quieted down to an astonished murmur as Ayden
threw his final punch. Viktor’s head lolled about before he took
one step back and fell to the mat. Ayden had floored him again, but
this time there was no getting up for Viktor.
    The world around me fell away as I watched
Ayden declared the victor, the MC holding up his arm. Everything
around me was nebulous as I watched the man of my dreams fulfill
his own, and I was here to experience it. Ayden’s gaze buzzed with
excitement as he scanned the crowd.
    His eyes found mine, and excitement ran
through me as I saw the look in his eyes. His hunger for the fight
had been sated. But truthfully I wasn’t sure how long that feeling
would last for him.
    Ayden bent under the top rope and left the
ring almost unblemished. His gaze connected with mine as he climbed
down, and a flurry of emotions ran through me. I wanted to hug him,
kiss him, and never let go. The fight had been grueling, but the
victory had made his spirit soar.
    In my haze of staring at the winner, I
hadn’t noticed how unruly the crowd had gotten until Mason grabbed
Ayden’s arm and shook it. I saw the two trade glances, and my pulse
quickened with the realization that a lot of people had lost a lot
of money. There was always security at every fight, and this event
was no different. I watched the men descend from all corners of the
building and quickly create an aisle for us to exit. I glanced
behind me toward the ring and saw Viktor, now standing, glaring at
us as we left the makeshift arena. We climbed the stairs quickly
and guards stood post at each door.
    “You were like a machine out there,” I
whispered to Ayden when we reached the top of the stairs. “You were
amazing. Incredible, really.”
    “Thank you, babe,” Ayden said. His intense
gaze locked on mine as he pushed the door open, and I wished that
we were alone.
    The excited chatter from Brandy and Gabby
broke our silent moment as everyone piled into the room, amazed at
what they just witnessed. Everything we’d worried about earlier was
absent, leaving us all relieved and excited for our future, any
future.
    “You’ll polish right up for the wedding,” I
teased, touching a slight cut above his brow. “Nothing a little
Neosporin won’t fix.”
    “My ribs might be a little sore so I might
not be able to carry you over the threshold on our honeymoon,” he
laughed.
    “That might not be the only reason,” Mason
teased.
    I gave him a dirty look but had to
agree.
    We wandered over to the window that
overlooked where the match had been only moments before. The crowd
was clearing out quickly and there was no sign of Viktor. I saw a
group congregating near one of the exits, and my stomach tightened
as I watched them survey their surroundings.
    “That’s weird,” I said, tapping Ayden and
pointing to the group.
    Ayden nodded. “Probably nothing.”
    “It pays to be the underdog,” Mason blabbed,
coming up behind us. “Our take is turning out to be insane.”
    Never once had