Free Caged Love: MMA Contemporary Suspense (Book One) by Liberty Thunderbolt, Zac Robinson

though.”
    “You knew about this?” Bretten said, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
    “Didn’t think it was too important, besides I thought it was just a myth. I didn’t want to get your worrying ass all worked up for nothing.”
    “If we make it through this, I’m going to kick the crap out of you Rodrigo.”
    “You know you still love me, just remember to be like water and find the root young grasshoppah,” Rodrigo said.
    “Now a grasshopper too, I’d definitely rather be gardening right now.”
    The grasshopper reference was from the 70s television series, Kung Fu, starring David Carradine as Caine. Rodrigo knew every episode by heart and heard Master Po call Caine grasshoppah on numerous occasions. “It is grasshoppah, Maris, grasshoppah.”
    The men passed the last of the grappling dummies and former UCC Heavyweight champion Bobby Newcomb stood up, spread his muscular arms, crunched his fists, arched his back until he glared at the ceiling, and howled at the top of his lungs. “Gauntlet!”
    The gym exploded. The men in the cage shook it violently and joined in with the prolonged howl, even the cute girl reading a magazine at the front desk let out a little howl of her own.

Chapter 14
    B ear Haynes cut diagonally across the parking lot over the faded white lines. He swung his Jeep Wrangler around the only filled in slots and was mildly disappointed to see his normal spot was occupied.
    It had been a great day already, and he was confident that both the Mavericks and Celtics would cover the spread. He desperately needed them to. He was down an even $5,000, and half of it was Mr. Smith’s money. So including the ten percent vig on that $2,500 he was down even a little more. That’s why he put $3,000 on both to cover. Pretty big money for him, but nothing he was too worried about. He had some money coming in from a couple of clients, and besides he really was confident in his bets.
    Bear didn’t like to admit it, but he was superstitious. He figured that once on a hot streak you’d better ride it for all it’s worth, and he felt hot right now. He won two of three bets last night and earlier in the day he’d tracked down the whereabouts of Bretten Maris. It’d been harder than he thought. The kid had not been in the fight game very long and had never even trained with anybody of consequence. Bear found out that Maris just finished playing college baseball less than a year ago, fitting considering his last name. The thought that he was so green made Bear salivate that much more over the valiant performance at Courage and Heart Fighting Championships. Bretten was an athlete and a gamer, think of what he could do with proper coaching.
    Earlier in the day he was cruising down Paradise Road when his cell phone rang. “Hey I’ve got some interesting news for you, Bear.” It was one of his many sources and this guy was usually reliable.
    “Oh yeah, what’s that?”
    “Bretten Maris and Rodrigo Cortez are on their way to train with Whit Daulton. Matter of fact they’re probably already there.”
    With this news, Bear almost crashed into the back of a Dodge Caravan at the corner of Desert Inn and Paradise. No doubt a soccer mom hauling her snotty kids around while Daddy pretended to be a golfer at the Las Vegas Country Club. “Are you serious?” He asked upon gathering himself after the near collision.
    “Yep, I heard it was a done deal.”
    Bear couldn’t believe his luck. Whit was a great coach, and of the seven fighters Bear represented Tristan Holmes was his best and highest-earning client.
    It took three tries before he got Tristan on his cell phone. “So I heard you guys are getting a couple of new fighters. That Cortez kid you beat up a few months ago, and Bretten Maris, the one on the Courage and Heart Card with you.”
    Tristan’s response would’ve surely made Bear slam into the soccer mom if he was still speeding down Paradise Road. “Yeah, the two asswipes are here now getting ready for