I limped my way into the ring while Brandon and Vince watched. Vince was wary, still, but Brandon was grinning. “Are you sure you want to do this? You’re already hurt. I don’t want to hurt you.” His grin already proved to the gathering crowd he was lying. But I let him keep talking. “Look at you.” He waved his hand at me. He stepped closer and made a show of sniffing me. “You stink of blood.”
I just shook my head and made my way over to Corzone. His face was a mask of alertness, but I could see the concern behind his eyes. I smiled at him. “Are you ready?”
He nodded once. “I am.” He looked me up and down. “Are you ready?”
I smiled wider. “Yeah. I am. Brandon has the bad habit of underestimating his opponent.” Corzone nodded once but kept his mouth shut. He was smarter than anyone else t
