cheeks, shoulders, and ribs. He was utterly powerless to do anything other than take a beating. Soon, even remaining standing was an effort.
“Just don’t drop,” Jasper thought to himself. Because if he dropped in the second round it really was all over. He’d go from being a has-been to a joke.
Gritting his teeth, Jasper weathered more blows, but his body was beginning to crumble beneath him, like a cake that hadn’t been cooked long enough. His opponent delivered a sharp right hook, and Jasper went down. First he staggered back, noticing his own blood splattered across the mat. And then he dropped. His knees buckled, and he fell to the mat like a defeated giant. Before he closed his eyes, he saw the crowd on their feet, yelling and jeering. Were they happy or mad? He couldn’t tell. As he slid into darkness, the arena became still and silent.
Chapter 27
“Jasper! Oh God, no!” Kait was crying, one hand hovering over her mouth in horror. Jasper lay on the mat of the ring, his eyes closed.
“I’ve never seen someone go down that hard,” the person behind her noted sadly to their companion.
“Jasper!” Kait had to get to him. She pushed towards the burly security guard, and instead of holding her back, his stern face crinkled with pity. He let her pass and hurry towards Jasper’s corner of the ring where Carl was already poised to help escort him back to the dressing room.
“What the hell happened to him?” Kait demanded shrilly.
“He lost, that’s what happened,” Carl replied tersely. He was on his phone and seemed distracted.
“It was that drink!” Kait reached for his shoulder and spun him around to face her.
“You’re hysterical,” Carl told her, his eyes narrowing.
“He’s unconscious!” Kait gestured madly towards the ring where paramedics were now bent over Jasper.
“He’ll be fine,” Carl shrugged. “Fights get knocked out all the time. We’ll give him a precautionary MRI, one night in hospital and he will be right as rain.”
“You’re a monster!” Kait spat through gritted teeth.
“How about you go and tend to your boyfriend instead of arguing with me?” Carl suggested in a sickly sweet voice. Kait wanted to tell him to go to hell and to slap the smug smile off his face, but she needed to be with Jasper. With a terse sigh, she left Carl and went to check on the man she loved.
Chapter 28
When Jasper opened his eyes, all he saw was blinding light. He squinted against it and tried to get his bearings. As he moved, he felt the sting of something restrictive in his arm. The more he looked, the more he recognized the white tiles on the ceiling and the beeping which provided an annoying soundtrack to his thoughts. He was in hospital. Which could mean only one thing – he’d lost. Regret powered through him like a blade. How could he have lost? He was primed to win. He went out hard and fast in the first round. Had he given too much too soon?
His head ached with all his questions, and the machines beeped shrilly in disapproval.
“Argh,” he groaned. “Dammit.”
“Jasper?” Kait’s voice was welcome and sweet beside him. He felt her touch upon his hand before he was able to turn on his pillow and look at her.
“Kait,” he coughed her name. His throat was so sore, as though he’d been swallowing razor blades all afternoon.
“I’m so glad you’re awake,” Kait told him, squeezing his hand harder.
“What?” Jasper swallowed nervously, not sure he truly wanted to know. “What happened?”
He saw the pained look on Kait’s face which said it all.
“I lost, didn’t I?”
She nodded, confirming his initial fears.
“Dammit!” he slumped back angrily against his pillows.
“But I think I know why,” Kait moved closer to the bed, her voice low.
“Because I’m past it,” Jasper replied bitterly. “Because I’ve had my time and now
“Just don’t drop,” Jasper thought to himself. Because if he dropped in the second round it really was all over. He’d go from being a has-been to a joke.
Gritting his teeth, Jasper weathered more blows, but his body was beginning to crumble beneath him, like a cake that hadn’t been cooked long enough. His opponent delivered a sharp right hook, and Jasper went down. First he staggered back, noticing his own blood splattered across the mat. And then he dropped. His knees buckled, and he fell to the mat like a defeated giant. Before he closed his eyes, he saw the crowd on their feet, yelling and jeering. Were they happy or mad? He couldn’t tell. As he slid into darkness, the arena became still and silent.
Chapter 27
“Jasper! Oh God, no!” Kait was crying, one hand hovering over her mouth in horror. Jasper lay on the mat of the ring, his eyes closed.
“I’ve never seen someone go down that hard,” the person behind her noted sadly to their companion.
“Jasper!” Kait had to get to him. She pushed towards the burly security guard, and instead of holding her back, his stern face crinkled with pity. He let her pass and hurry towards Jasper’s corner of the ring where Carl was already poised to help escort him back to the dressing room.
“What the hell happened to him?” Kait demanded shrilly.
“He lost, that’s what happened,” Carl replied tersely. He was on his phone and seemed distracted.
“It was that drink!” Kait reached for his shoulder and spun him around to face her.
“You’re hysterical,” Carl told her, his eyes narrowing.
“He’s unconscious!” Kait gestured madly towards the ring where paramedics were now bent over Jasper.
“He’ll be fine,” Carl shrugged. “Fights get knocked out all the time. We’ll give him a precautionary MRI, one night in hospital and he will be right as rain.”
“You’re a monster!” Kait spat through gritted teeth.
“How about you go and tend to your boyfriend instead of arguing with me?” Carl suggested in a sickly sweet voice. Kait wanted to tell him to go to hell and to slap the smug smile off his face, but she needed to be with Jasper. With a terse sigh, she left Carl and went to check on the man she loved.
Chapter 28
When Jasper opened his eyes, all he saw was blinding light. He squinted against it and tried to get his bearings. As he moved, he felt the sting of something restrictive in his arm. The more he looked, the more he recognized the white tiles on the ceiling and the beeping which provided an annoying soundtrack to his thoughts. He was in hospital. Which could mean only one thing – he’d lost. Regret powered through him like a blade. How could he have lost? He was primed to win. He went out hard and fast in the first round. Had he given too much too soon?
His head ached with all his questions, and the machines beeped shrilly in disapproval.
“Argh,” he groaned. “Dammit.”
“Jasper?” Kait’s voice was welcome and sweet beside him. He felt her touch upon his hand before he was able to turn on his pillow and look at her.
“Kait,” he coughed her name. His throat was so sore, as though he’d been swallowing razor blades all afternoon.
“I’m so glad you’re awake,” Kait told him, squeezing his hand harder.
“What?” Jasper swallowed nervously, not sure he truly wanted to know. “What happened?”
He saw the pained look on Kait’s face which said it all.
“I lost, didn’t I?”
She nodded, confirming his initial fears.
“Dammit!” he slumped back angrily against his pillows.
“But I think I know why,” Kait moved closer to the bed, her voice low.
“Because I’m past it,” Jasper replied bitterly. “Because I’ve had my time and now
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