Samantha’s POV

2 years later……..

“You better not be chickening out, Sam. I already got us the tickets.”

I rolled my eyes, pressing the phone between my shoulder and ear as I tried to pick out an outfit. “Chloe, when have I ever backed out of a fight night?” I smirked, knowing damn well I wouldn't miss it for anything.

She snorted. “I don’t know. Maybe since your new ‘dad’ decided to put you on lockdown?”

I groaned. “Don’t remind me.” Life had been different since Mom remarried. We’d moved out of our old town, leaving behind every painful memory including my father, who was now serving time for murder.

Chloe sighed dramatically. “The tournament starts at eight, and we’re not missing The Caveman’s match.”

"Alright, alright. We’ll meet after work. Just don’t make me wait this time."

"Pfft. I should be the one saying that!" she shot back before hanging up.

I shook my head, a small smile playing on my lips.

My stomach did a weird flip at the mention of him. The Caveman.

For the past year, he’d been the only fighter I actually looked forward to watching. His strength, his resilience. He always fought like he had nothing to lose. Like he was proving a point. And in a way, I understood that feeling more than anyone.

I sneaked out of the house as quietly as possible, my mother still oblivious to my whereabouts. Since she remarried, she had been too busy playing the perfect wife to notice much about me. Fine by me.

After meeting Chloe outside, we made our way to the underground arena, the night was buzzing with energy just as usual. The underground fighting arena was packed, the line wrapping around the old warehouse like a snake.

"This is insane," Chloe muttered, bouncing on her heels. "I swear, every fight night gets crazier."

I nodded, my eyes scanning the crowd. “Yeah, which makes sneaking out all the more worth it.”

She grinned. “Especially because you finally get to see The Caveman in action.”

I shot her a look. “I’ve seen him in action many times… but yeah, it never gets old.” I added with a smirk.

She shoved me playfully, laughing as we inched forward. The atmosphere was thick with sweat, excitement, and the metallic scent of blood from previous fights.

"Ugh, I hate waiting," Chloe groaned with an eyeroll as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Be patient.” I drawled, teasing her. “We’re about to witness history.”

When we finally got our tickets scanned and made it inside, Chloe stretched. “I need caffeine if I’m staying up for this.”

“You work in a coffee shop. Why didn’t you just drink it at work since you already knew we were coming here?”

“Because I work in a coffee shop doesn’t mean I have access to coffee 24/7. Our Boss is a mad man.”

A chuckle bubbled out of me. "I’m going to the restroom before it starts," I told Chloe.

"Hurry up! If you miss Caveman’s entrance, I swear I’ll kill you."

I shook my head with a small laugh as I slipped through the crowd toward the restroom.

Inside the restroom, I checked my phone. No missed calls. No messages from Mom. Good.

I exhaled in relief only to slam right into a wall.

No. Not a wall. A person.

A very solid, very tall person.

And my phone slipped from my hands, crashing to the floor.

"Ugh. The hell! Watch where you’re going!" I snapped, rubbing my shoulder.

"You’re the one who bumped into me." came the cold reply.

I looked up and nearly gasped. Damn, he was huge.

Towering over me with dark, unreadable eyes, the guy looked like he could snap me in half with just one hand.

His sleeveless hoodie clung damp with sweat, hands bound in tape as his gray eyes locked with mine. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a chiseled jawline, he looked every bit the fighter.

Strands of damp hair clung to his forehead, a few falling over his face, while a skull tattoo stretched across his right arm in sharp black lines, dates etched into his wrist just beneath it.

There was something about him that just made my pulse spike.

But holy hell—he was devastatingly handsome.

And that was when it hit me.

He was probably one of the fighters scheduled for tonight.

His tattoos didn’t look familiar though, so he was probably a rookie. Just another underground brute, desperate to prove his strength and snatch easy fame.

I quickly masked my surprise, my lips curling into a smirk.

"You better not be Caveman’s opponent," I scoffed, folding my arms.

His brow lifted slightly, as if amused. "And what if I am?"

I let out a sharp laugh. "Then you might as well forfeit now, because you're about to get your ass handed to you."

His expression darkened. "Big words for someone who knows nothing about fighting."

“Oh I know a lot about fighting, I can even tell just by looking at you that you’re an amateur.” I added that part just to rile him up, and from the way his jaw tightened I could tell it was working really well.

“And an amateur like you against someone like Caveman? I guess we already know who’s going to win.”

"What makes you so sure?" His voice was low, controlled but I could sense the irritation simmering beneath.

"Because Caveman is ruthless. I’ve seen him fight. And you? You don’t look like you could last two minutes against him."

A faint smile tugged at his lips, or maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me. I had expected him to fire back just like he’s been doing, but instead he stepped closer, invading my space, his spicy scent filling up my senses.

"You talk a lot of shit for someone who doesn’t know what they’re saying," he muttered, his voice dropping an octave.

The way he stared down at me, like I was some clueless little girl, sent irritation flaring up my spine.

"And you’re arrogant for someone who’s about to lose."

His lips curled into a slow, taunting smirk. "We’ll see about that."

Before I could retort, a rough voice interrupted us.

"It's time."

An older man stood by the hallway, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

Without another word, he turned and walked away.

I exhaled sharply, my hands clenched into fists. Who the hell does he think he is? He just thinks he can walk into an underground ring and win easy fame.

Well I guess he’s going to have to learn it the hard way.

Shaking my head, I picked up my phone and stormed back to my seat.

"Finally! What took you so long? Were you peeing out your lungs?" Chloe exclaimed, not waiting for me to even reply before she continued. "The fight's about to start. Let's go!"

I’d barely even heard her as my mind was still replaying my encounter with that maniac.

The arena exploded with cheers as the announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO THE UNDERGROUND TOURNAMENT!"

The crowd erupted…

“AND NOW FOR THE FIGHT YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR…”

"IN THE RED CORNER, THE REIGNING CHAMPION— 'THE CAVEMAN!’.”

I rolled my shoulders, trying to shake off the weird energy lingering from my argument. But as soon as the fighters were introduced….

My blood ran cold.

The arena exploded with cheers as he stepped into the ring.

And that’s when I saw it.

The same tattoo from earlier. The skull inked on his arm.

My breath caught. No. No way.

Chloe nudged me. "Whoa girl. You look like you just saw a ghost. What’s wrong?"

I didn’t answer. Because my mind was spinning.

The guy from backstage the arrogant, smug bastard I had insulted…The one I had just told would lose.

He was Caveman. Oh fuck.

I froze in place, staring in shock. He wore a mask, but the skull tattoo on his right arm already gave off his identity. And now, I could see it in the way he moved.

His eyes swept through the crowd, and I didn’t need anyone to tell me to know that I was the one who he was looking for.

He wanted to laugh at me, and how stupid I must have looked right now. But I’m sure I sounded even more stupid when I said those things to him.

To think he was actually Caveman.

But Caveman didn’t have any skull tattoos… just…

Tiny ones on his wrists.

The dates I saw earlier flickered in my mind and I fought the urge to run a hand down my face.

How could I be so stupid?

He probably just got the skull tattoo but the dates had been on his wrists since I’ve known him.

I had a chance to meet one of my idols and I just messed it up—

The bell rang yanking me out of my thoughts and the match began.

The fight was brutal. His opponent was taller, bulkier, but Caveman moved like a predator. Every punch, every dodge calculated. Ruthless. Flawless.

I was completely mesmerized.

Now that I knew what the Caveman looked like underneath his mask, I began to see him differently. I mean I always knew he exuded an undeniable charm but now…

“Isn’t he so hot?” One of them screamed, giggling.

“Ugh. I wish he was mine,” another girl added dreamily and I felt a pang of irritation hit me.

The hell? They didn’t even know what he looked like. What the heck was their problem?

I turned to see if Chloe noticed any of these, but she had completely forgotten I had existed the moment the fight began.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes as I turned my gaze back to the ring, and then it happened.

A sharp right hook slammed into his jaw, sending him staggering.

The arena gasped as his opponent didn’t stop, landing another vicious punch straight to his temple.

"No, no, no," Chloe whispered, gripping my arm as we all watched in horror—dread curling tight in my chest as the blow came down.

Caveman took the hit and his body hit the mat in a flash .

The ref started the count.

"One... Two... Three..."

He wasn’t moving.

"Six... Seven..."

He still wasn’t moving.

The man from earlier—his coach—rushed into the ring.

"Nine... Ten!"

Silence.

The coach knelt beside him, pressing two fingers to his neck.

Then, he shook his head.

I pushed through the bustling crowd. "No! No, no…"

The Caveman wasn’t moving.