He wasn’t going to lose.
He caught the man with a brutal right hook that caused him to stumble back. The fighter shook off the hit, and the two of them went at it. One hit after another. As Lance received a hard blow to his already bruised side, his body jerked sideways, and a grimace contorted his face. She clamped her hands over her mouth. Lance came around with a punch to the ear that made his opponent retreat.
What were the McNealys thinking about this?
She glanced toward the cousins, who were in their usual place at the back of the room, leaning against the wall. She was surprised to see grins on their faces. Why were they so happy? Lance was supposed to lose.
She returned her attention to the cage in time to witness Lance eat another fist and stumble back. He wobbled on his feet, then straightened but still swayed alarmingly. She looked the McNealys, whose smiles had stretched to outright shit-eating grins. And it clicked.
The cousins would never just let him throw a fight—they’d at least want it to look like he lost fairly.
So much for his body being saved from another brutal beating.
As the fight progressed, neither Lance nor his opponent seemed to be backing off. They went to the ground, grappling. One moment his opponent had the upper hand; the next Lance had freed himself from the hold and was on his feet. If he was trying to make it look like a fair fight, he’d succeeded. No one in this place would believe he’d lost on purpose.
End it Lance. Please.
Then he did. By wrapping his opponent in a choke hold. The man refused to tap out, struggling against the hold, and only after he went limp and the ref called the fight, did Lance release him.
Her stomach dropped. There wasn’t even a way for him to claim that had been an unintentional win. A knockout could be explained away. Choking a man out—literally—was a clear message that he never had any intention of losing.
Damn him. He’d just made this entire situation worse.
Ella glanced over at the McNealys. Both had straightened off the wall, shock evident on their faces. As with everything they did, they believed they’d tied things up perfectly to go their way. As the crowd went wild around her, she kept her gaze on the cousins. Waiting. Fury leached the shocked expressions away.
Lance exited the cage and started toward her. She watched the McNealys head in their direction. This was going to be bad. So bad.
Throat tight, she looked up at Lance as he came to stand beside her. The bruising that had slightly healed over the last few days was bright and inflamed again. Blood streaked one side of his face from the gash that had reopened on his cheek. Large angry red splotches marred his torso from the multiple body shots he’d taken. Most likely he’d be nothing but bruises again tomorrow.
“Why?” was the only word she could get out. He’d had an out. No more senseless injuries. He’d be done with the McNealys. He could put all his attention to getting his daughter back, put this part of his life completely behind him. But he hadn’t chosen that route. He’d chosen to continue it.
His brow creased in confusion. “Why what?”
“I know about the deal.”
Swallowing, he straightened. “I couldn’t do it.”
“Because of your pride.”
“I know you’re disappointed, Kelsey. But I’ll get it paid back. It’s just going to take a little longer.”
“At what cost, Lance? Your health? I hope keeping your pride intact was worth it.”
“Office. Now,” Mitch ordered as he and Gabe stormed past.
Knowing he needed to put pressure on the wound over his eyebrow, she stepped into her room, grabbed a towel, then held it out to Lance. He pressed it to his forehead and started following the McNealys.
She fell into step behind them, feeling like a lead weight was in the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t do this anymore. She couldn’t stand by and watch the man she— Her heart stuttered. God, there was no reason to deny it. The reason she stayed way past the point she needed to was that she hadn’t wanted to leave Lance. She’d fallen in love with a man who only thought of himself and his pride.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Gabe pointed at Lance. “We had a deal.”
“Yeah? I decided I didn’t like the terms.”
Mitch hurled a glass across the room and it shattered against the wall. Lance immediately stepped in front of her. She didn’t need his protection. Not when he kept refusing hers. “Do you have any idea how much fucking money we lost tonight?”
“You only lost the money for the upset. You and I both know you still made a goddamn killing tonight,” Lance said. “I decided that I would rather continue fighting than lower my standards as a fighter.”