Chapter : Epilogue

, I think, ducking another right hook and stepping back as he follows up right with a blow that would have certainly cracked a rib if I hadn’t anticipated it.

I counter with a hard left to his stomach that connects and sends him staggering back.

The crowd goes wild. Adrenaline hoses through me.

My heart, already pumping like it’s ready to burst, pounds harder and faster.

My opponent, Jack O’Connell, looks up at me, blood dripping from his left eye, his cheek swollen, his face filled with hatred. He thinks he’s here to take my championship title from me today and has been telling the world my days as a fighter are over–that I’m nothing but a washed-up husband and father–but he’s about to be proven wrong.

I lunge in with a feint that causes him to dodge left and throw up his guard. Then I drive a hard knee into his chest and follow it up with a hook to the jaw that sends him sprawling.

I know right then as he falls that the fight is over.

I could continue. I could jump on him and keep pounding him as he tumbles to the mat, even as the ref rushes in to end things, but I’m not that kind of fighter. I back away and throw my hands in the air in victory as the crowd goes wild. Two seconds later, the fight is called, and the whole arena erupts with cheers and screams.

I leap over the cage fencing and rush straight over to my wife and throw my arms around her.

“You did it, baby!” she cries into my ear. “You did it!”

“I did it!” I cry back, barely able to contain myself and the overwhelming joy of the moment. “I’m the champion!”

“You’ve always been my champion, baby!”

I kiss her again, deeply and proudly on the lips, before leaping back into the cage for the whole circus that goes along with the presentation of the belt and everything else. But I can’t keep my eyes off her the whole time.

Winning this fight was an enormous deal for me. During my court case, the league decided to take my title away from me and give it up for anyone to compete for. I tried to be magnanimous and look at things from their point of view, but it really ate at me, especially when the case ended up taking a year and a half more of my life and I wasn’t able to fight professionally. Tucker and his family basically took the only meaningful thing in my life away from me. That is of course until I married Nina and we brought Rebecca into our lives.

It didn’t take long. I’m almost one hundred percent sure that first time we had sex she got pregnant, because almost nine months later to the day Rebecca was born. Our baby girl, and what an angel she is.

I don’t let her come to my fights, of course. She’s not old enough to see them yet. I tell her that Daddy wrestles for a living, and then she and I play-fight in her bedroom and I show her fun little moves that always make her giggle and want to stay up past her bedtime. I have a feeling if it weren’t for her mother, I’d be raising a total tomboy.

Neve is sitting on the couch when we come into the house. She springs up and jumps on top of me as I step through the door.

“Holy shit!” she hisses, doing her best not to wake Rebecca. “You did it, you did it, you did it! I was watching after I put Becca to sleep–don’t worry, she didn’t see anything–and you kicked the shit out of that guy!”

Nina laughs from behind me as she sets down our things. “He wasn’t tough,” she teases.

“Oh shut up, you!” Neve replies, laughing. “My brother could beat up Superman!

he takes a shower, though.”

Neve lets go of me and crinkles her nose.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” I laugh. “Two sweaty guys tussling around in a ring together isn’t the best cologne.”

“Thanks for watching Becca for us, Neve,” Nina says, handing her fifty dollars for her fee.

“Of course! You know I love your little girl. She’s the best. And She really loves reptiles. She was telling me about the Belalanda chameleon.”

I laugh. “Yeah, she loves that one. She thinks it’s cute.”

“Anyways, I’ll get outta you guys’ hair. Can I tell Mom you’re coming by tomorrow for a celebratory dinner?”

“Sure.” I nod. “That’ll be fine.”

“Look at us.” Neve grins. “An actual functioning family now. And all thanks to my big brother.”

I chuckle and give Neve a love tap on the shoulder as she heads out the door to her car.

“Ah, alone with my wife at last,” I growl, snatching Nina up by the ass and pulling her to me. I slip my hands up her shirt and grab both of her breasts. Five years later, and I still love them just as much as the first time I touched them.

“We should check on Becca first…” she whispers.

I want to just snatch her clothes right off and fuck her here on the floor, but I’m a father now, and she’s absolutely right.

“I can do it,” she says. “If you’re too tired–”

“No,” I reply. “Of course I’ll come.”

I slip my wife into my arms and carry her upstairs to the second floor, the entire time thinking about just how lucky I am.

First, I met her all because I happened to meet Jason at the gym so many years ago, and he happened to be cousins with Riley, who just happened to think of me when Nina needed self-defense classes. If none of that had happened, Nina and I wouldn’t be married today.

Then it turns out that Nina is a journalism major, and not just because she was pressured into it by her family or because she thought it would be fun, but because she was really passionate about it. The interviews she did with Neve and me ended up gaining major traction online, both in print form and in video format, and were an integral part of our defense. Not only that, but she helped clear my public persona after all was said and done and helped convince the league to let me back in so I could fight again.

Talk about a dream woman.

Tucker ended up going to jail for 10 years. Bullshit, if you ask me, but better than nothing, and I’m going to try my hardest to not find out where he’s living once he gets out so I don’t end up catching another case for beating the crap out of him on Neve’s behalf.

Right now, I’m just trying to focus on how great my life is going. I have a gorgeous, wonderful wife, an adorable, smart little girl who’s full of excitement and curiosity, my family is getting along better than ever, and as of today, I’m the middleweight champion of the world again. What more could I want?

“Look,” Nina whispers as she pushes open the door to Becca’s room. “There she is.”

A warmth comes over me as I see my daughter sleeping peacefully in her bed, her little starlight projecting twinkling stars on her ceiling.

“I hope she’s dreaming sweet, sweet dreams.”

“Me too.” Nina smiles.

I close the door quietly, then lunge at my wife and snatch her up into my arms. She squeals into my ear as I lift her over my shoulder and drag her into our bedroom at the end of the hall. She’s already ripping my shirt off as I carry her to the bed.

I drop her down and stare at her eyes as she looks up at my topless torso. She’s licking her lips like a thirsty kitten.

“God, I love how hot you look after a fight. Your muscles are so swollen and ripped.”

“Don’t mind the bruising?” I tease. I know she loves it. She thinks it’s masculine.

“God no.” She shakes her head, grabbing my shorts and tugging them down. “You look like a gladiator.”

She strips my cup off and stuffs my cock into her mouth. I’m covered in sweat, but she doesn’t mind at all. She’s told me before that she likes it–that it makes her feel primal–like we’re a couple of animals doing what we’re meant to be doing.

We’ve been through so much together, and every bit of it was worth it. Seeing her blossom from a college girl who couldn’t even handle a canister of pepper spray into a professional journalist and an amazing mother who gave me the most incredible daughter has been the thrill of a lifetime for me.

My cock swells in her cheeks as she sucks it, and I reach down and slip my hands under her shirt and grab her breasts, two nice handfuls of her perky tits. Normally I’d take the time to strip her completely naked and get a good look at her, but something’s different about me tonight.

Maybe it’s the fact that I just beat the hell out of Jack O’Connell and took my title back, or maybe I’m just too turned on by my insanely sexy wife. Either way, I grab her by the hips, bend her over the bed, and tug her pants down over her hips, taking her panties with them.

She gasps and looks back over her shoulder at me, her eyes flaring as I press the crown of my cock against her slit, which is already dripping with desire.

“You have such a pretty pussy, have I ever told you that?” I ask as I slide into her.

“Many times,” she moans. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll ever tire of hearing it.”

I reach down between her legs and press rub her clit, then lean forward and bury my face against the tender spot where her neck meets her shoulder–she loves it when I kiss her there.

This causes her to go wild, and I feel her pussy clench up as I pump her, thrusting deep and fast, hard and vigorously as though I need to remind her that she’s my wife and I own her, now and forever.

“Fuck, baby,” I growl. “You feel so good.”

“I’m gonna come already, honey,” she whines, her voice taking on that high-pitched tone that it always does when she’s approaching her climax. I snatch a fistful of her hair and tug, forcing her back to arch, reinforcing her curves. With my other hand, I apply more pressure to her sweet little button. I hear the sound of her legs trembling against the bed.

“Do it, baby,” I purr. “Come for your champion.”

That’s all it takes. My wife goes off. Her tight pussy clamps down on my manhood, sealing it inside her, causing me to come at the same time like we almost always do.

I unload my seed inside her, spraying her walls with my hot load, pushing it deep and as far inside as it will go.

“Take it,” I growl. “Take it all.”

“Give it to me,” she moans. “Yes…”

We come down together, and I snatch her up in my arms and lay her down on the bed beside me so we’re spooning, my arm draped around her lovingly, protectively, letting her know she’s mine and I’d take on the entire world for her if I had to.

“What got into tonight?” She giggles as several moments go by.

“You mean beside being married to the greatest, sexiest, most incredible woman on earth and having just won back my title?”

Nina smiles, turns, and kisses me. “Yes, besides that.”

“That was basically it.” I grin. “But if you want me to come up with even more compliments, I’m sure I could.”

“I’d like that,” she laughs.

“Okay, well…you’re stunningly beautiful, you gave me the best daughter in the world, I’m pretty sure you saved my career…” I brush a few stray hairs from her face. “I can give you more, but why don’t we go take a shower first? I know I need one after that fight.”

“Okay.” Nina nods. “Probably a good idea.”

I start to roll to get up off the bed, but she grabs my arm and holds me back. I turn and look at her and see her staring at me with intense, loving eyes.

“Hey. I love you so much. And I am proud of you. You know that?”

My heart swells with warmth and joy, and I take both of her cheeks in my hands and pull her to me. I kiss her deeply and don’t pull back until it feels like a good ten seconds have gone by.

“Right back at you, baby.” I smile. “I love you much, and I am proud of you too. I owe you everything, and I mean that. You are mine, and I am yours. Forever.”