Henry ’s face like war paint. His fists remained up but he wasn’t using them. Fabian began to swiftly move in and out, peppering him with shots against his face and body. I leaned forward in my seat, waiting for any type of response from Henry. Fabian had grown so comfortable in the ring that he lowered his hands. He stuck his chin out and taunted Henry. Henry didn’t take a swing at him. The crowd started to grow restless at Henry’s seemingly inexperienced display.
“ I don’t think he’s a fighter,” Octavio said to me.
“ He’s holding back,” I replied. “I can see it in his eyes.”
“ Well, then, what is he waiting for?”
“ I don’t know. But he hasn’t gone down yet. He’s up to something.”
Fabian looked bored as he continued t o pummel Henry with light punches. He wasn’t using as much effort as he was initially. Both of them were covered in sweat even though Fabian was spending much more energy.
Fabian turned his attention back to the crowd and raised his arms up in victory.
“It’s time to end this!” he shouted.
The crowd roared with enthusiasm. Fabian turned back to Henry, who was still standing there and waiting with his fists up. Fabian reared back and loaded up his punch. He swung. Henry finally reacted. He caught the fist in mid-flight and sent back a punch of his own. Henry’s fist collided with Fabian’s jaw. His head rotated sideways on his neck. Then his body fell lifeless onto the ground like a marionette that had its strings cut. The crowd gasped in unison. I instinctively jumped out of my chair. The arena suddenly became silent.
Henry stood over Fabian ’s unconscious body and looked down at him for a few moments. Fabian wasn’t moving.
“ Yeah!” Maxwell shouted, the silence suddenly broken.
Maxwell jumped up and down in his pl ace, the only person in the entire building who was celebrating. I stood there in slight shock as Henry slowly ascended the stairs toward me. Behind him, security picked the unconscious Fabian up and took him away.
“ Excellent bet, Ms. Zara,” Octavio whispered to me.
“ Of course,” I replied.
The crowd started to disappear as Maxwell and Henry took their place back in front of me. Francis returned and began to pay Maxwell his money. I stared at Henry and he looked back at me, the look of intensity still on his face. The blood was dripping down his face and onto his now sweaty shirt.
“ Oh yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!” Maxwell jumped up and down as he started counting his money. “What did I tell you, Lanea? Can this guy fight or can this guy fight?”
I cont inued staring at Henry. There was a grin developing on my face. There was something about Henry that made me giddy inside. He was a good-looking man. Too good-looking to be a fighter. He had a strong, sharp jaw. His brown hair was messy on his head. He had these mesmerizing brown eyes that matched his tan complexion. I could see his broad shoulders bulging from his shirt. But it was more than that. He had an air about him. With the blood dripping off of his face and the sweat covering his body, Henry seemed to maintain the dignity I had noticed when he first walked in.
“ Congratulations on your first victory in The Pit,” I said to Henry. “The first of many, I hope.”
He didn ’t respond. He only clenched his teeth as he looked at me. He finally turned his attention to Maxwell, who was still counting his money and enjoying what was undoubtedly the biggest payday he’d had in years.
“ And your winnings,” Francis said to me as he held a stack of ten-thousand dollars out to me.
“ Yes, Octavio please take care of the money,” I said. “Maxwell, I’d like to speak to your fighter. In private. Octavio will take care of you until then.”
Maxwell and Henry looked at one another before Maxwell took a few steps back.
“Uh… sure,” he said. “I’m sure you’ve got some business to discuss. Henry, you make sure you get that cut taken
“ I don’t think he’s a fighter,” Octavio said to me.
“ He’s holding back,” I replied. “I can see it in his eyes.”
“ Well, then, what is he waiting for?”
“ I don’t know. But he hasn’t gone down yet. He’s up to something.”
Fabian looked bored as he continued t o pummel Henry with light punches. He wasn’t using as much effort as he was initially. Both of them were covered in sweat even though Fabian was spending much more energy.
Fabian turned his attention back to the crowd and raised his arms up in victory.
“It’s time to end this!” he shouted.
The crowd roared with enthusiasm. Fabian turned back to Henry, who was still standing there and waiting with his fists up. Fabian reared back and loaded up his punch. He swung. Henry finally reacted. He caught the fist in mid-flight and sent back a punch of his own. Henry’s fist collided with Fabian’s jaw. His head rotated sideways on his neck. Then his body fell lifeless onto the ground like a marionette that had its strings cut. The crowd gasped in unison. I instinctively jumped out of my chair. The arena suddenly became silent.
Henry stood over Fabian ’s unconscious body and looked down at him for a few moments. Fabian wasn’t moving.
“ Yeah!” Maxwell shouted, the silence suddenly broken.
Maxwell jumped up and down in his pl ace, the only person in the entire building who was celebrating. I stood there in slight shock as Henry slowly ascended the stairs toward me. Behind him, security picked the unconscious Fabian up and took him away.
“ Excellent bet, Ms. Zara,” Octavio whispered to me.
“ Of course,” I replied.
The crowd started to disappear as Maxwell and Henry took their place back in front of me. Francis returned and began to pay Maxwell his money. I stared at Henry and he looked back at me, the look of intensity still on his face. The blood was dripping down his face and onto his now sweaty shirt.
“ Oh yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!” Maxwell jumped up and down as he started counting his money. “What did I tell you, Lanea? Can this guy fight or can this guy fight?”
I cont inued staring at Henry. There was a grin developing on my face. There was something about Henry that made me giddy inside. He was a good-looking man. Too good-looking to be a fighter. He had a strong, sharp jaw. His brown hair was messy on his head. He had these mesmerizing brown eyes that matched his tan complexion. I could see his broad shoulders bulging from his shirt. But it was more than that. He had an air about him. With the blood dripping off of his face and the sweat covering his body, Henry seemed to maintain the dignity I had noticed when he first walked in.
“ Congratulations on your first victory in The Pit,” I said to Henry. “The first of many, I hope.”
He didn ’t respond. He only clenched his teeth as he looked at me. He finally turned his attention to Maxwell, who was still counting his money and enjoying what was undoubtedly the biggest payday he’d had in years.
“ And your winnings,” Francis said to me as he held a stack of ten-thousand dollars out to me.
“ Yes, Octavio please take care of the money,” I said. “Maxwell, I’d like to speak to your fighter. In private. Octavio will take care of you until then.”
Maxwell and Henry looked at one another before Maxwell took a few steps back.
“Uh… sure,” he said. “I’m sure you’ve got some business to discuss. Henry, you make sure you get that cut taken
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