The Forbidden Trilogy(201)

Even through Luke's relentless attacks, Hunter seemed to compose himself and gain strength. His back straightened and shoulders squared as he dodged blows with more speed. Ten points to Luke for enthusiasm, if nothing else—though he did keep impressive form. They circled each other, and Luke's limp became more pronounced. Hunter could take advantage of that—trip Luke, or get him off balance. Luke had to be getting tired after his jackhammer approach.

But Hunter didn't do any of that. He just kept pulling his punches.

Uh-oh. Lucy figured out Hunter's tactic. Luke was getting too comfortable, too complacent. When he leaned in for another punch, Hunter countered by blocking and then landed a hard punch on Luke's ribs.

Luke stumbled back, and braced himself against a rock to keep from falling.

Mr. K didn't miss the chance to taunt Luke. "Ooh, the tree thinks that hurt. Maybe I'll draw a picture of the big bruise you'll get on your face."

Luke laughed it off, then focused and charged Hunter.

He tackled him, and they tumbled to the ground. Luke put Hunter in an arm lock, but Hunter gave Luke one good kick in the ribs, and knocked him off.

They both scrambled to their feet. Luke charged again, but Hunter countered and scored a hit on the chest.

Luke retaliated with a pair of vicious kicks.

Hunter dodged one, but the second swept his leg and planted him face-first in the dirt. He spat and wiped his mouth. "Is this what you eat, Mr. K? I feel sorry for you." Hunter hopped back onto his feet, again adapting a purely defensive posture.

Lucy felt the fatigue radiating from both of them. This had gone on too long; they needed to end it.

Something about Hunter's stance shifted, and a new heat came from him. He closed his eyes as if meditating.

Luke attacked with the last bit of speed he possessed.

Hunter dodged to the side and opened his eyes. He'd clearly seen Luke's bad leg, and could have easily tripped him up and won, but he didn't. He just stood there.

Luke, oblivious to the subtle exchange, twisted and landed a hard punch on Hunter's jaw.

Hunter fell to the ground and stayed down.

Mr. K counted, "One, two, three, four...." all the way to ten. Hunter pushed himself up, but stumbled back to the ground. "Knockout!" Mr. K shouted, then added, "Rats. I rooted for the wrong guy."

Luke's face split into a huge grin, full of cocky arrogance, and he raised his fist in the air like Rocky.

Lucy clapped and whistled. "And the winner is... Luke Rivera." Hey, it's a win-win. My brother or my boyfriend. Well, wait, not boyfriend per se... ah crap.

Hunter stood—without any trouble at all, Lucy noticed—and shook hands with Luke. "Good fight, bro."

Luke grasped his hand. "Same here, man. You sure know how to move. I needed that. Thanks."

Neither was too worse for the wear, though both had their fair share of bruises. A dark purple circle had already formed on Hunter's jaw, and, as Lucy suspected, this only added to his hotness. She shook her head. What is wrong with me? And speaking of, what's the deal with Hunter? He didn't have to take that abuse. He could have won. So why'd he let Luke kick his butt?

Lucy stood and walked over to the guys. "I want in."

"What?" Luke frowned. "You serious?"

"Yeah, I need the exercise." She stretched and flexed to prove her point.

"You're still healing, though."

"So are you. I'll be okay."

Luke cocked his head, then shrugged. "I suppose we could." He lifted his fists.

Lucy laughed and held up her hands in mock surrender. "No. There's no way I'm facing the champion. I'm not that okay."

"Whatever you say, Sis." He moved aside and bowed dramatically to Hunter. "She's all yours. Don't bruise her, or I'll whoop your ass again."

Hunter shook his head. "My father taught me never to hit a lady."

Lucy stuck her tongue out and danced around him, throwing mock punches. "Come on. Or did your father also teach you to be a spineless wimp?"

Luke laughed. "Don't worry, man. She's vicious. I wouldn't blame you for not fighting her."

Perfect! Her brother gave Hunter just the push he needed to fight—though it was never really a question. He wanted this as much as she did. His body relaxed as he considered his options, and Lucy couldn't help but taunt him just a bit more. "Besides, I don't fight like a lady, so don't worry about hurting me. And ignore my overprotective brother. I'm not a banana. I don't bruise as easily as some."

His eyes turned into slits, and Lucy knew she had him. "You asked for it," he said in a low voice, and then sprang at her.

Lucy swayed side-to-side, dodging the blows with minimal effort. "You're not even trying. This is sad."