Chapter 26

Ares, God of War, and champion of the ring, was about to face the 'Asian Persuasion', a double team of two lithe Asian guys from the House of Horrors, a name I couldn't help but snort at until I heard the stories of their bags of tricks. Dirty fighting was their shtick; "anything to win" was their mantra.

Neither fighter had the bulk of Jacob's champion, but they sprung into the ring with all the bounce and flexibility that a musclebound stud like Tucker lacked. After his impossible win against Hercules, I couldn't imagine a greater challenge but here it was: two-on-one; muscle vs agility. Whoever lined up these fights knew how to keep the punters guessing.

The differences were evident just from the way they made their way to the centre of the pit: Tucker sauntering to the centre in his usual nonchalant way; the Asian Persuasion leaping and flipping like a pair of circus acrobats. Dragon, as one was called, reminded me of Ronan with his slim, defined body and boyish good looks. The Scorpion was darker in looks and tone, sporting a shaved head and goatee with a light coat of chest hair that made him look older and rougher than his partner.

As the trio met in the centre of the pit, the Asian Persuasion immediately split up, circling Tucker until they were on opposite sides of him.  Tucker's head shot from one to the other as he tensed in a show of muscle.  Individually, neither of his opponents could match his strength, so while they worked on a unified front, Tucker's tactic would no doubt be to divide and conquer.

The duo leapt at Tucker from either side and the muscleman somersaulted forward, barely avoiding the oncoming crush.  He was on his feet even as the aggressors skidded to a halt before colliding with each other.  Tucker extended his arms straight outward and brought them together catching both on the back of their heads banging their foreheads together.  It was almost comical as they bounced off each other and staggered apart.

Tucker kicked Dragon in the chest, then grabbed the other side-on in a headlock, dragging him to the other and flipping him over. The Scorpion landed across his partner and Tucker dropped an elbow into the man's chest. The blow winded both of them in one foul swoop.

Pulling them up by the hair, Tucker banged their heads together again then wrapped an arm around each head.  He leapt into the air and dropped to a squat, pulling the Asian Persuasion down with him.  Their throats collided with Tucker's thighs and they rolled away convulsing and gagging, clawing at their crushed windpipes.

Tucker stood and raised his arms to the adoring crowd before dragging the two helpless men to lay side by side.  He stepped onto their backs and stomped both of them with a short, hard jump. Tucker reached down and hooked his fingers under each of their noses, pulling their heads back. Their cries were silenced by the cheers of the crowd. In unison, they tapped out. 

Beaming broadly, Tucker raised his fists triumphantly and stomped on them both one last time before dismounting.  I couldn't believe he'd made such short work of the two. I'd been sure with their athleticism and training they would have given Tucker a run for his money.

Jacob was smiling and rose to his feet to applaud his champion.

"He's something else, isn't he?!" Jacob grinned. "A machine!"

I was applauding hard too. How could I not after such a display. But as I looked upon Jacob, recalling what quick work he'd made of Silvano, I remembered Josh's tale too, that my lover was the only man to ever beat Tucker.  If the champ's power was as immense as I'd now witnessed several times, Jacob's must be unfathomable.  I gulped.

I ran my eyes over Jacob's thick arms and solid torso. He was all man to look at, and knowing that he held that level of strength made me want to ravishing him then and there. I'd discovered something intoxicating in the masculinity of brute strength, and recognized it as one of the things that made Josh so irresistible to me.

It surprised me therefore that the thought of watching Tucker's body suffer at the hands of another didn't turn me on. I found the man too frightening and indomitable . Any appeal his good looks had vanished in the wake of the pleasure he seemed to get from violence.

In the few seconds it took me to ogle Jacob and have these thoughts, I found myself pulling Jacob into me by the scruff of his open waistcoat and planting a kiss firmly on his lips.  The feel of his fur on my skin made me sigh. He wrapped an arm around my waist and crushed me harder against him as he forced his tongue into my mouth.

The music blared through the speakers again, cutting short the moment. Jacob pushed me away and resumed his seat, motioning for me to do the same. The grin hadn't left his face, but it drained from mine as Josh entered the pit, slapping me with a reality check.  I glanced at Jacob, but he was too busy gloating silently down at Josh to notice my change of mood.

Josh raised an arm in salute to me and I smiled, relieved he hadn't seen me a moment ago in Jacob's arms. The crowd cheered, assuming he was showing respect to his Master, but I could see his eyes and smile fixed firmly on me.

Another figure stepped into the pit as the announcer hailed the mighty Mercury. I turned to see a distinguished older guy enter the room. He was a muscle bear old enough to be my father. Old enough to be Josh's. His greying hair and beard gave him the menace of maturity. Age equalled experience, and although he wasn't as buff as Josh, his very presence in the arena showed he could last the distance with his younger opponents.

I looked back at Josh, who had now turned to face his opponent, and it struck me that the sight of them mirrored Jacob and I.  I felt a twinge of jealousy at the thought of an older man wrapping his arms around Josh, even if it was in a fight.  I knew how good it felt to me when Jacob held me in his protective arms. The more I thought about Mercury being dominant in the fight, the more the green eyed monster raised it's head.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, a sinking feeling reaching my gut.  I felt an ominous presence press down on me and I chided myself for being silly.

I should have known to listen to instinct. I should have leapt over the balcony and somehow stopped the fight. But I sat there like an idiot, not knowing that less than two minutes into the fight, disaster was about to strike…