It was safe to say that I was not emotionally stable the night that I was supposed to fight but I don't really have a choice, do I?

I was standing in right beside the stairs that led to the fighting ring, the crowd's roars ringing in my ears. It repulsed me how excited they were to watch such violence and it repulsed me even more when I remembered I was the one who was providing them that entertainment. It made my stomach churn but I quickly got a grip of myself. I made my decision that I can't let myself get killed. Too much was at stake. I was so close to having my family and all the people i love within safety. I just need to beat Cole. But I have to climb my way up that ladder first, fight every guy I have to fight to get there.

I need to do whatever it takes. Anyone who takes a good look at me would see how unstable I was, the scorning looks I got from the lady who usually calls me out from the dressing room was proof of that. She doesn't think I'll make it through the night. But I have to. I don't have any other choice.

I tried to calm myself, to push the thoughts that seemed like it was glued to my head aside and focus on the fight.

When my name was called out, I shook my hands lightly and exhaled a puff of air, pretending it was all of my worries and steeled my expression as best as I can. I'm going to win this fight.

I stopped short in front of my opponent. I was shocked to see a woman this time. Since my time in this competition, I have yet to seen another female competitor and to finally meet one now was surprising. So close to the semi-finals. This woman smirked at the sight of my leaner figure. Her body was all muscles and she was probably half a foot taller than me. She is definitely to the bulkier side as she flexed her arm that I'm guessing was a move that was supposed to intimidate me.

Her cockiness is going to be her downfall. I would've thought that being a woman, she'd know better from the other male fighters that you shouldn't underestimate someone of smaller size than you. She was bulky but she wouldn't hold a candle beside the male competitors.

The bell run and she stood back on her heels, apparently deciding to give me an opportunity to strike as she beckoned me with her finger and a smug smirk with one of her eyebrows raised cockily.

I gave her a deadpan look and barreled straight into her, nailing her on the midriff and pushing her as hard as I could to slam her back on the ring's hard floor. I straddled her body and started punching. I started aiming at her nose when she started covering her temples after I got a few blows in. Out of nowhere, she had a death grip on the left shoulder with her right hand and yanked me to my right and I ended up rolling off her with my back glued to the floor and she was the one on top now.

I crossed my ankles to lock my feet around her waist and yanked her back with my legs when she was about to punch me, making her miss.

When I noticed her losing her balance after she missed her shot, I yanked her forward again to punch her square in the face before yanking her back before she can get back at me for that punch. I repeated this a couple more times to maximize the damage I can put in on her before she can figure out my rhythm and wrestle her way out.

After having my fun of yanking her back and forth like a rag doll, I rolled us to the side abruptly and got to my feet as quickly as possible to put the much needed distance between us for it to be safe.

Her eyes narrowed at me as she scrambled up to stand on her two feet. There was a trail of blood coming out of her nose and a bruise forming on her left cheek and her eyes were getting swollen. I did quite the number on her.

I could see the anger in her eyes when we locked eyes and it reminded me of my own when I looked into them this morning. Anger that was coated with so much hatred I have trouble figuring which was which. The similarity between the look in her eyes and my own this morning was that they were both directed at me.

I had barely enough time to dodge her oncoming figure when she ran straight for me. I side stepped her last second before she could get me and I can feel the rushing air from her passing figure graze my skin at how close that encounter was. It didn't take long for me to react this time, running after her as she ran straight for the rope and bounced herself of it, back to where I was standing.

However, what she didn't anticipate was me running straight at her and adding a small jump in the end to deliver the ending kick. I got her right on the temple, her head lolling sideways at the impact as my feet dropped back to the ground and throbbed from crashing at such force.

My chest was heaving as I watched her crumple to her knees, cradling her head in her hands. I forced my sympathy out of my system, saving it for later. Ever since I realize how much people's life are affected by the injuries they've gotten from these fights, I couldn't see the aftermath of my fights the same way anymore. I kept on seeing ruined lives after lives. I've lost that love I have for fighting, for the adrenaline that helps me fight instead of flighting the scene.

When the referee decided she was no longer fit to fight since she could barely stand up straight without swaying, he raised my hand and faced the crowd, announcing me the winner.

Unlike all the other times, I felt no victory, I felt no satisfaction. All I felt was relief. Relief that I was one step closer to keeping my family safe. I just have to do one more fight to face Cole and beat him.

I took my leave, stepping out of the spotlight as quickly as I could. I made my way back to the dressing room and grabbed my things. I made sure to check the board that was in the hallways on my way out for my next fight and put a reminder on my phone.

I walked back to my bike, tucking my phone into my duffel bag since I didn't trust my back pocket of being a secure phone holder in a place like this. I was straddling my bike, ready to go home when a voice stopped me.

"Case!" I whipped my head back, my feet kickstarting my bike alive. I have got to stop meeting all these people I don't want to meet after my fights. My foot's hurting like a bitch after that last kick and I was still limping.

"Fuck you, Dom!" I yelled back at him, my middle finger raised to flip him off over my shoulder as I backed up my bike from the tree I parked it under. I felt a hand land on my shoulder and I grabbed it, twisting it painfully by its thumb.

"Do not lay your filthy hands on me." I gritted out as I threw his hand away from me. I didn't bother to look at him as I prepared to speed away.

"If you care about your boyfriend's baby siblings, you'll hear me out." He didn't have to raise his voice, my blood was already running cold at what he said.

"What is it about you people and blackmailing me using the people that I care about?!" I yelled at him through the angry tears that were gathering in my eyes. I have had enough of this bullshit. I was frustrated and all I wanted to do was get over this competition so that I can be free of the blackmails coming from Cole. I don't need another blackmail directed at me.

If only this guy wasn't a fucking psychopath that I can blackmail back to make him taste his own goddamned medicine. This son of a bitch needs to know where my limits are at or the next thing he knows I'll be choking him in his sleep.

I wonder why I haven't done that after all he's done to me.

"What do you want, Dom?" I asked him in resignation. Better speak up, boy.

"I just want to apologize for what I've done to Adam. I don't know what I was doing. I'm sorry I made you upset, Case." He softly said, reaching out and started to rub my arm what I supposed was lovingly. I flinched away from him, causing hurt to spring in his eyes as I pulled my arm away from him, inching away not so subtly.

"Really?" I asked sarcastically as I rolled my eyes at his indecent apology.

"You have only just now realize how stupid it was to brainwash my boyfriend into thinking I killed his mom after I risked my own life trying to save hers? I don't even care about the technicalities. It's ridiculous for you to even try to brainwash him." I snapped.

The thought of forgiving him alone is ridiculous and did he really think that he'll be able to just apologize with thoughtless words and easily win my forgiveness? I think not. He'd better think twice before he takes that conclusion because my forgiveness might as well be non existent.

If only he didn't kill Bryant, all of these problems might not be here because if Bryant was still here, I would've had someone to turn to instead of drowning in fight after fight to mask the hurt that I was feeling inside. If I didn't take up this street fights so seriously, if I hadn't been so well acquainted to it, I wouldn't have seen as a way to help Carla and I wouldn't have injured Cole's brother. I wouldn't have put the people I love on the line; people that didn't deserve to have to face any of this.

But I know deep inside that I can't blame Dom for all of this because I can't be sure what would have happened in an alternate universe where he wasn't a psychopath who madly fell in love with me and killed Bryant. I couldn't be sure that things wouldn't turn out how it did even if Bryant was still there to guide me. I couldn't even be sure that Bryant would live to see me today if Dom didn't plan to kill him. There could have been a real drunkard waiting to crash into him that night and it would all still play out the way it did.

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't blame Dom for every bad thing that has happened to me and that made me even more furious than I already am. It made me hate him more that I can't blame him after all the damage he has inflicted in my life.

"What? Are you going to apologize for what you did to Bryant too?" I asked sarcastically when he kept his mouth shut. I was so carried away with my emotions and when he shook his head no, opening his mouth to explain, I lost my grip on sanity and climbed my bike only to lunge at him in a quick flash. My fists were a flurry of punches and all I saw was the murderer of my brother who had no remorse for taking another human's life. No regret in killing his own best friend, my brother, his supposed love's brother.

I hated him with a burning fire and when he caught my wrists in his grip, he threw me off him easily, as if I was a rag doll. I rolled on the ground to let my body absorb the impact and ended up in a crouch facing him. I narrowed my eyes at him as I bounced on my heels, ready to attack if he tried anything funny.

"That's enough! All I wanted to do was mend our relationship, I swallowed my pride and even admitted that piece of filth as your boyfriend. Did you not see how much effort I put into that apology?" He demanded as he ran his hand through this hair and rub his scalp furiously.

"Go to hell, Dom." I spat at him as I walked backwards towards my bike, keeping him in my sights to make sure he didn't jump me when he least expect it.

"I don't understand you, Case. I tried everything to make you love me. Why won't you love me? Instead you chose that wimp of a boy." He wouldn't stop trying to reason with me and I don't know why. Nothing was adding up.

"Try being the murderer of the brother I love." I sneered at him, straddling my bike and turning on the engine once again and zooming out of there before he could process anything.

I tried to keep the tears at bay until I reached the safety of my house because Lord knows that crying while riding a bike can make you crash and die and I was definitely not ready to pass over to the other side.

When I got in the house and finished locking up, I slid to the floor with my back to the wall right beside the door and started weeping like a hurt kitten. I let myself be weak for that moment and prayed that everything was going to be okay because God knows I'm just human and there's just so much I can do before I break.

I miss you so much it hurts, Bry.

~∙~∙~

You guys are always so sweet with the comments, you're making me cry n all HAHAHA.

I love you guys, thank you for taking the time to read this.

God bless -J <3