He didn't swing wild like Damon. He threw a calculated, heavy roundhouse kick that caught me square in the ribs. The impact knocked the wind entirely out of my lungs, sending me skidding sideways across the textured green mat.
The yellow contract slipped from my fingers.
I hit the ground hard, gasping for air. The crowd cheered, the sound distant and muffled over the ringing in my ears.
Leo, my brain screamed. Leo signed it. Leo ruined us.
Cole didn't hesitate. He rushed forward, dropping his weight to pin me. But his aggression triggered muscle memory. I didn't think; I reacted. I caught his descending arm, locked my legs around his neck, and twisted my hips. The momentum flipped us both.
We scrambled in a furious tangle of limbs. My ribs screamed in agony. Every time I looked past Cole's shoulder, I saw that yellow piece of paper lying on the floor, taunting me with my brother's name.
Cole threw a short elbow that bruised my cheek. The pain snapped me back to reality.
Focus, I told myself. Survive first.
I trapped Cole’s right arm against my chest, hooked my leg over his face, and fully extended my hips into an armbar. The pressure was intense. Cole fought it for three grueling seconds, his face turning bright red, before slapping the mat in submission.
I rolled off him, clutching my side. Two down.
I pushed myself up, my breathing ragged. I turned to Marcus, pointing a shaking finger at him. “You’re next, Marcus. Third round.”
Marcus glared at me, humiliated that his top guys had been embarrassed in front of his paying clients. He untied his black belt, letting it drop to the mat. But before he could take a step, a sharp, piercing whistle echoed from the front entrance.
“Police! Everyone stay where you are!”
I whipped around. Two uniformed officers were walking through the glass double doors, their hands resting cautiously on their duty belts.
Marcus froze. Then a slow, nasty smile spread across his face. He picked the yellow paper off the mat, folded it, and slid it into his gi pants.
“Looks like we’re out of time, Maya,” Marcus said softly. “You’re trespassing. Someone must have called it in.”
“You coward,” I hissed, stepping toward him, but Damon and Cole immediately moved to block me, nursing their respective sore joints but forming a physical barrier I couldn't push through without getting arrested.
“Officers,” Marcus called out, turning to the cops with a practiced look of calm authority. “This woman is a disgruntled former client. We’ve asked her to leave, and she’s been causing a disturbance. I’d just like her escorted off the property.”
One of the cops looked at me, taking in my fighting stance, the dropped hoodie, and the three men standing opposite me. “Ma'am. Grab your things and step outside. Now.”
I looked at Marcus. He tapped the pocket where he had hidden the contract, giving me a mock salute.
I picked up my hoodie, the rough fabric scratching against my bruised cheek. I didn’t say another word. I turned and walked past the officers, out into the cool night air, the heavy gym doors locking firmly behind me.
My ribs throbbed, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the betrayal burning in my chest.
I drove straight to the south side of town, my hands gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles ached. My older brother, Leo, owned a small 24-hour auto repair shop. Since our dad's stroke, Leo had buried himself in work. He was always quiet, always defensive about the past. Now I knew why.
I pulled into the oil-stained lot. The garage bay door was open, throwing a rectangle of harsh yellow light into the dark street. Leo was underneath a lifted sedan, wearing greasy overalls, classic rock playing softly from a boombox on a tool chest.
“Leo,” I said, my voice cracking like a whip over the music.
He slid out on his creeper board, wiping grease from his forehead with a rag. When he saw my bruised cheek and the absolute fury in my eyes, he stood up quickly.
“Maya? What happened? Are you okay?”
“Did you steal from Iron Apex?” I demanded, not stepping into the light. I stayed in the shadows of the doorway, keeping my distance.
Leo froze, the rag dropping from his hands. “What?”