“You want me to keep going?” I scream. “I survived Get Fit or Die. I can go all damn night.”

But Evil Reid is down for the count. Winded, gasping for breath, he drops to his knees, and I kick him while he’s down. Illegal move, I know. But who’s around to see?

Clap. Clap. Clap.

“Sounds like that was some class you took,” a bemused Ray says as he peels a sniveling Evil Reid off the floor. Penny watches in stunned silence, a tray of coffees in her hand.

“It was a nightmare.”

“Might have to look into it.” He shoves Reid against the wall and pulls a pair of handcuffs from his pocket.

Penny’s eyes widen. “Um…those are handcuffs.”

“Yup.” Ray snaps the handcuffs around Evil Reid’s wrists and then reads him his Miranda rights from a card in his pocket.

“You’re reading him his rights,” Penny astutely points out.

“Yup.”

“I thought you were a private investigator.”

“I wear many hats.”

Still stunned, Penny says, “I’ve never seen you wear a hat.”

“And you never will, sweetheart.” He glances over at me and taps his watch. “Don’t you have someplace to be?”

“Oh. My. God. I’m going to miss him.”

I can’t be late.

***

By the time we reach the Kezar Pavilion, the event has started. There are fifteen fights on the card, but lucky for me, Jake is near the end.

Team Redemption, easily identifiable by the huge banner strung over the seats and the sea of shaved heads, has blocked off a section near the ring. Blade Saw and Homicide Hank wave us over. Penny is beside herself with excitement as two lightweights battle it out in the huge cage at the center of the pavilion, brightly lit with a circle of floodlights.

“There must be a thousand people here,” she gasps, looking over the sea of seats around us.

But I’m not interested in the cheering crowd, the excitement in the air, or the rattle of bodies against the cage.

“I need to see Renegade,” I whisper to Blade Saw as we slide into our seats.

He shakes his head. “He’s in the changing room and warm-up area. This promotion is following CAMO rules, so the top fighters have a shot at the Amateur State Championships. No one except licensed seconds, media, or officials are allowed out back. Better for the fighters that way because they need to focus.”

My stomach clenches. “But how will he know I’m here?”

Homicide pats me on the back. “He’ll walk through our section. Gives the fighters a boost to have their team cheering them on before they step into the cage. Just make sure you’re standing where he can see you and make a lot of noise.”

We sit through several fights before Ray makes an appearance. He edges in front of us to the seat Penny has saved for him. “Never been to an MMA event. Quite the atmosphere in here.”

I introduce him to Blade Saw and Homicide and then to Razzor, Minotaur, and Master Mayhem sitting behind us. Then I point out a few of the other fighters I know. So many. They are the brothers I never had.

Ray leans over and squeezes my hand. “You okay? Bastard’s been taken down to the police station. I gave them your details and said you’d give a statement after the event.”

“I’m good. And now that I’m here and I didn’t miss him, more than good.”

I am treated to a rare Ray smile. “That’s my girl.”

Team Redemption surges to their feet as Shilla the Killa walks in with Sandy as her second. She is looking incredibly toned and fit, having shed a few pounds to make weight. She’s wearing a sports bra and a pair of fight shorts with the “Team Redemption” logo stamped across her ass.

We stomp and cheer and clap as she climbs the steps into the cage. She is joined by a heavily muscled blond covered in tattoos.

“That’s Sergeant.” Blade Saw takes his seat beside me. “She’s a former Marine. Four tours of duty in Afghanistan and the Middle East. She’s won eight of her ten last fights in the Amateur Open and hoping to go pro after this fight.”

“She looks…formidable.”

Blade Saw nods. “Shilla’s the only one who would take her on.”

The whistle blows. Almost immediately, Shilla is on the attack. Using a move I haven’t learned yet, she throws Sergeant to the ground and locks her arm around Sergeant’s neck.

“Bulldog choke from side control.” The Minotaur gives an appreciative nod. “Unique variation of that choke. Hard to break.”

Sergeant tries to roll to escape the hold, but she can’t break Shilla’s grip. The clock ticks. The crowd cheers. Sergeant taps out. The referee lifts Shilla’s arm and Team Redemption explodes around us. Even Ray is on his feet.

“Christ. That’s some woman. Lookit her. Fucking amazing fighter. It was almost like she was dancing in the ring.”

I sit through fight after fight, my heart drumming against my chest. Why do the fights take so long? Why are there so many? Who scheduled Jake near the end?

Rampage gets his turn against Corn Dog, a giant of a superheavyweight with a tattoo of a corn dog on his back. Rampage avoids two takedown attempts from Corn Dog, who throws kicks to Rampage’s leg and abdomen. Rampage growls and drops Corn Dog to his knees with a solid right punch. Then he dives in with more punches. Corn Dog is unable to get up and turtles on the ground. Rampage is declared the winner at sixty-five seconds. I have never seen a bigger smile in my life.