Path To Redemption (Fighter's Den, #1)

Chapter 34 - Emily

"Holy shit!" I start slapping the arm of the guy next to me in excitement. He shoots me a dirty look and I give him an apologetic smile, clapping and squealing like a total fangirl.

The ref pulls Jaxon off of Sanders and they both stand up and stumble away from another. The camera pans between their faces dramatically, zooming in on how they're breathing heavily. It seems the whole arena is on the edge of their seat when Sanders delivers yet another punch. Jesus, this guy has stamina. But then I just about fall on my ass because Jaxon catches his fist mid-blow and pulls Sanders forward, lifting up his knee and burying it in Sanders gut. A collective gasp sounds around the arena when Sanders coughs out and splatters blood onto the canvas.

"Christ." The announcer mutters. "Who else felt that? I'm practically clutching my own stomach."

"Holy shit." The man next to me whispers, this time slapping my arm. I don't object because I get it. I totally get it.

"That's my boyfriend." I lean over and say to him in pride.

"Holy shit." He repeats with wide eyes.

I nod, because holy shit is right.

Sanders inhales so roughly his breaths look like a wheeze and while he's hunched over, Jaxon raises his elbow above Sanders' neck and brings it down just shy of a 12-6. And then the crowd is screaming all over again because the bell trills and alerts the end of the round and there's no question that Jaxon took this one home.

"Let's get a replay on the finishing move." The announcer calls to the tech guys handling the cameras.

Jaxon and Sanders make their way to their corners and look up at the jumbotron with the rest of the crowd. The camera shows a slow motion replay of Jaxon's elbow strike, a red arrow making a line that imitates the direction of the hit. It's a close call but it doesn't look like a 12-6.

"Foul!"

"That's a foul!"

"Fuck that!"

A good portion of the crowd erupts in protests at the move, several "boo's" ringing out angrily.

"That's a fucking foul! Eliminate that shit!" A man at the end of our row yells out.

"Hey, shut the fuck up. That was clearly legal. Are you blind?" The man besides me calls back to him.

And then the entire arena seems to be arguing back and forth, angry shouts and insults hurtling towards one another. The announcers try to shush the crowd down but it's no use. Everyone has caught on to the buzz and pretty much the entire crowd becomes invested in heated arguments. I look over to where the judges are fiercely involved in their own argument, gesturing dramatically at the playback on the jumbotron and pointing to their scoreboards in front of them. My ears are starting to hurt from the loud atmosphere. Unable to contain my nerves, I jump up from my seat and run over the where the boys are gathered at Jaxon's corner of the cage. Jaxon and dad are discussing something in low voices and I watch up at them anxiously from down below the ring.

"That wasn't a foul." I grab Cameron's arm in worry.

"No, it wasn't." He shakes his head, looking serious as ever. "Let's see what the judges say. This is out of our hands."

I turn to the boys who are all watching the judges table silently. I bite my lip and send out a silent prayer that they won't call it a foul and eliminate Jaxon from the match. My heart pounds in my chest as more nerves overtake me. Feeling Jaxon's eyes on me, I look up and meet his gaze. He seems cool and composed but I know better so I nod at him reassuringly. He nods back, the nerves on his expression finally giving way, before he swallows and looks over to the judges table with the rest of us. The judge sitting in the middle sits up and taps the microphone repeatedly, causing feedback to break out. I wince and cover my ears at the screeching noise of it. It does the trick though and the crowd quiets down. I clutch Cameron's hand so hard I'm surprised I don't break bone but I don't think he has it in him to notice that right now. Please don't be the end, I think silently. Please don't be the end for him.