One. Two.
One. Two.
One. Two.
"Seven! Eight!"
Kaiden closed his eyes as the referee shouted the last two numbers.
"Nine! Ten!"
Kaiden sniffed, wiping the blood from his nose with his wrist. The referee raised his arm, following the cheers from the crowd that huddled the ring. Sweat ran down his forehead as his breaths heavied with each exhale, looking down at the opponent he had just knocked down. A strand of his light brown hair hung in front of his eye, dripping in the sweat that built up from the fight.
"Reaper wins!"The crowd roared as the announcement spread through the room like hellfire, and the numbers on the billboard on each wall increased. Kaiden couldn't figure out anyone from the crowd, but the smiles irritated him.
The fighter on the floor was carried by his team, bruised and bleeding, and a trace of blood followed behind him. Kaiden watched him with no reaction. There was neither a smile nor a frown on his face. The cheers and excitement of everyone else just meant that Kaiden had won them all money. Whether they were good people or bad, if they bet on their winnings, they will get the winnings.
That's how underground boxing worked, after all.
"Standing at 6 feet and on a 2-month winning streak, Reaper wins another fight!"
Two months? Has it been that long already?
The referee dropped Kaiden's arm, giving him a warm smile and a soft pat on his sweaty back. "Good job, boy," he commented before leaving him to stand alone in the ring. Kaiden sighed, tilting his head to the side, releasing any sort of tension that had built up. His heart raced from the adrenaline, but he still felt like he could go for another round. The faces in the room weren't familiar, but Kaiden could bet that they always appear when he's fighting. The crowd continued to cheer as some workers handed out the money from the betting. Kaiden closed his eyes as if drowning in another win for the week. His body was wet and bruised and bleeding, but it was a normal feeling for him. He learned to endure every inflicted pain on him. Even though his body ached, his mind was still intact.
That's all that mattered.
"Reaper!" someone called from behind him.
Kaiden opened his hazel eyes, meeting the bright lights that hung from the ceiling. He turned his attention behind him, seeing Nathaniel with a water bottle. He was just as sweaty as Kaiden since he had his own fight right before Kaiden's.
"Won again, huh?"
Kaiden blinked before finally moving to the edge of the ring, picking up two strands of the red rope and pushing himself out of the ring. "What do you think?" Kaiden responded, grabbing the water bottle he held. "How did it look from the outside?"
"Dude, it looked like you were about to murder him!"
Kaiden scoffed, shaking his head as he brought the water to his lips that were slightly cut from a hit. He started walking towards an archway of the main room, ignoring the people in the crowd who congratulated him and making nasty remarks about when he would take a beating next. Nathaniel followed behind him, also ignoring the crowd that cheered Reaper on. Most of the people standing before him moved out of the way so as not to confront Reaper face-to-face. He was a legend in the underground fight club, after all. The people greeted him and threw their fists in the air with glee as if they had won the fight. That's what Kaiden hated most. People celebrated his beating.
YOU ARE READING
The New Boss. (MxM - ONGOING)
RomanceKaiden Foster has built a name for himself as an underground fighter nicknamed the "Reaper." But his past catches up with him when his estranged father summons him to take over his seat as CEO of his publishing company. Despite his distrust, Kaiden...