We switched positions several more times, the crowd going wild every time one of us got on top. I was getting winded. I needed to get back on my feet and end this shit. He was a great opponent and I wouldn’t give him the disrespect of throwing this fight. It would be a show down to the end.
Finally, I get back on my feet, leaving Tiernan to scramble after me. He grinned with blood covered teeth and lunged at me. I did another round house kick and catch him in the solar plexus—right below his sternum—and he stumbled backwards gasping for breath. I didn’t give him a moment of recovery, though. Advancing on him, I aim another punch to his face. He lifted his arm in time to block me, but it left his left side open and I aimed my knee at his ribs, kneeing him hard on his weak side.
Tiernan grunted in pain and stumbled back breathless.
I moved in before he could catch his breath and did a spinning kick that caught him right in the temple. Tiernan went down like a bag of bricks on the mat. The MC slid into the ring and began counting. It didn’t matter. Ronan Tiernan was out cold.
I stood back panting hard, only feeling a little guilty about how thing ended.
Axel
After the fight, I cleaned up in the makeshift changing room. I toweled off as much sweat as I could with towels I brought from home and poured a bottle of water over my head to wash my face of any blood that was leaking.
Blaze bandaged my face with a butterfly bandage above my eyebrow with a grin on his face. “Great fight, brother.”
“Yeah, we gotta talk to Tiernan though. I gotta call Marcos.” I grunted as I stood up.
“What’s going on?” Phoenix asked, as he walked into the changing room.
“Tiernan is Irish Mob. He’s looking for Coke. Said he has info on Hillcrest.” I take a swig of my water and reach for my phone in my bag.
“Shit,” Phoenix grumbled.
There was a commotion outside the changing room, I turned to look just as Marcos and Nico walked in the room. “Hey, I was just going to call you.”
Marcos nodded. “Yeah, I thought I’d just come down. Sorry I missed the fight.”
I shrugged. “No worries, but the other fighter was Ronan Tiernan. We need to talk to him.”
“I’m not familiar with him,” Marcos said.
“I think he’s Irish Mob from Chicago. He says he has information on Hillcrest.” I pull my shirt over my head as I talk to my president.
“Ronan Tiernan?” Nico asked, stepping closer.
“Yeah. You know him?”
“I’ve heard the name a time or two. Leo keeps tabs on prominent players.” Nico nodded, glancing around the black curtained off space we had as our locker room. “How was the fight?”
“Good. He was fair. Wants a sit down with Leo, though. Looking for an in on the coke trade,” I muttered.
Nico raised an eyebrow and Marcos crossed his arms over his chest. “What’d you tell him?”
“Nothing. He didn’t mention Seratelli by name, was just looking for the coke supplier. I figured I’d run it by you. If we get coke back from Seratelli, we could make it one of our runs.”
Marcos nodded his head once. “Something we can bring to the table. We need a sit down with Seratelli too. Where’s Tiernan?”
“With the medic,” Phoenix said. “Axel laid his ass out.”
Marcos smirked. “Good.”
I chuckled. “He fought clean. Wanted to trade information. I told him I was gonna kick his ass first.”
Everyone laughed and Marcos nodded. “Alright. Well, let’s go find him.”
Phoenix led the way out of the locker room and down the hallway of black curtained off rooms, while we followed behind. He paused at the opening and spoke to someone before he motioned us forward.
I went first, taking in the small medical space. Ronan Tiernan was sitting in a chair next to the exam table. Two men moved in to block him as I entered with Marcos, Nico, and Blaze behind me.
