breaking the rules to signing an actual rule-breaker. Nice fucking work.”
15
Jacob
Blood boiling, Jacob took a step forward, itching to slam his clenched fist into Ryker’s smug face. Gunther and Teague both grabbed his arms and he shook them off, taking a deep breath.
“Ksenia’s ten times the fighter you two ever were. And she didn’t fucking cheat.”
“Oh yeah? Then explain why she got disqualified.”
“Hey, she nearly kicked my ass fair and square,” Astra said, propping her hands on her hips. Simon closed ranks behind her, frowning at the wolves.
“I saw the match,” Simon said. “No one’s ever come so close to beating Astra. Not even me.”
Ryker snorted. “Especially not you, junkie.”
With a snapping growl, Simon lunged, but both twins moved as a unit, stepping aside so quickly there was no way they hadn’t known exactly where Simon would aim.
Jacob cringed at the dig. It was common knowledge that Simon had been kicked out of the League during the doping scandal a couple years ago, but he’d been clean for long enough that he’d been reinstated. He’d even managed to rank fairly well in the solo tournament since returning.
“What the hell?” Ksenia muttered.
“See? It’s just like we told you,” Teague said. “They can predict what’s going to happen next. I’ll prove it to you.” He leaned in and whispered something to Ksenia that Jacob couldn’t hear.
She nodded, then leaped so fast Jacob’s hair blew back. Her powerful thighs took her airborne over their heads, then her wings shot out, sending a gust of wind across the whole crowd and rustling everyone’s hair.
She turned a somersault in mid-air, the skirt of her gown clutched tight in one fist as she drew her wings back in. Her bare feet were aimed straight for the spot where Ronin was standing, except when she came down, he’d stepped back as casually as if he’d just realized it was raining and he didn’t want to get wet.
Astra’s eyes flew wide, and she grabbed Simon’s arm before he could charge at Ryker a second time. “Babe, let it go. They’re clearly working some magic.”
Ronin gave Ksenia an assessing look as she walked back toward Teague, his cold eyes sliding over her in a way that made Jacob’s bear want to burst free and maul him. “You’re pretty light on your feet for such a big girl. No match for us, though.”
“Please tell me you guys don’t use this shit in the arena,” Ignazio said, frowning at the pair.
Beside him his Hot Wings partner, Bryer, crossed his arms. “Because if you did, we would have to report you for it.”
Ronin shook his head. “It’s not against the rules to know how to read your opponent in a fight. We just happen to be very, very good at it, that’s all.”
“Bullshit,” Jacob snapped. “You know what’s going to happen before it happens. If I could prove it, you two would be banned from competing for good.”
Ryker chuckled. “You’re just bent out of shape because we fired you, so now you’ll never have the honor of coaching a tournament winner.”
Bryer scoffed. “You two only won last year because Ig and I weren’t competing. This season, you’ll have to beat us.”
Ignazio chuckled. “And good fucking luck with that. We just came back, so we’re reclaiming the title. And here I thought you two just wanted training advice from us. Now that I know you lost your trainers, I’m starting to think you’re after ours. If that’s the case, I’m sorry, but Mondaro only works for us.”
Jacob lifted his brows. The Hot Wings trainer was a legend, but he had no idea he worked exclusively with them.
“We managed to win last year without a trainer, I think we can manage just fine again,” Ryker said.
Simon bared his teeth. “If I had a partner to enter the tournament with, you two would be fucking done.”
Ronin gave him a derisive look. “We would wipe the floor with you, rotten fang. You’re so old news it isn’t funny. Now her . . .” He eyed Ksenia again with a salacious smirk. “It is truly a shame she’s probably out of the League. We’d love a chance to nail her fat ass to the sand.”
Ksenia went pale, and this time Jacob wasn’t alone when he lunged forward. All three of her mates had nearly reached the pair when Ignazio stepped forward, arms outstretched. “Guys, chill.”
“I’m going to rip that asshole’s head off,” Gunther growled.
Bryer jabbed a finger at Ryker and Ronin, a fierce glare on his face.