Fighter

He did care about her.

But he didn't want to mislead her. She deserved a man of her own age to make a good life with, not a busted up forty one year old ex fighter with no belt to show for his troubles. He thought of that and it made him sigh. He had longed to face a champ but had never gotten the opportunity as the promoters were just not as impressed by him.

With a sigh he brushed his teeth then went to his bed. He lay back and felt truly empty. It had been years since Bridgette had died, and he was truly alone. Sure, on the fight circuit he had met many groupies and the likes, but he didn't want that. He wanted a woman that he could hold tight and enjoy her warm feel. His mind fluttered along as he thought of the two women from his early life, but one image kept burrowing back into his brain. It wasn't the smiling face of voluptuous Nadine in her lab coat. It wasn't strong, firm Bridgette wearing her uniform and looking sexy as she did. The image was of a tiny, strongly built Latina named Annabelle in his gym colors and tight yoga pants. His eyes closed as the image of her burned into his dreams.

He awoke the next morning and went to the gym. He saw Annabelle's door was closed so he left her to sleep. She deserved it at any rate. She had made him proud last night as she had won her fight, but that was just the beginning. He went to his office and turned on the computer. He saw a series of tournaments that were opening. Each one was three fights to win. He pondered if she could do it. He then read the entry requirements and saw that the only one she didn't meet is that she only had one fight under her belt and the minimum was two. He then saw an opening for a fight this very week. He sighed contently as he noted she had taken no damage at all so he signed her up.

A few minutes went by and his phone rang.

"Go." he said into the phone.

"Marcus, its Nick. I see you got her up for this week. Didn't she just fight last night?" he asked concerned. Nick Canlos, his old promoter. He smiled to himself. The man was still a wolf in the industry.

"Yeah, but she owned her opponent in one minute ten and didn't take a single hit. I think she has it in her to fight this weekend. Just get it done and she'll be there," he said proudly.

"Alright man, I hope you know what you're doing." Nick replied.

"She is a sure fire thing man. Trust me. Her opponent won't believe she was out till she wakes up in the hospital," he said laughing.

They continued on for a while longer, going over a few of his other trainees and he was glad to hear that his favorite son, Christian was getting booked for a fight in Las Vegas in eight months for the light weight title! They hammered out the details. As the coach he was going to be needed in his corner and they decided that he would fight under his gym colors, but Nick's tag. Marcus was thrilled. He had a kid that had potential for a title! He hung up with Nick and called Christian. They had an excited talk about the upcoming opportunity then he hung up as he was on his way over right away to start training.

Marcus went over his schedule and found that he could train both Christian and get Anna prepared for the tournaments at the same time. He smiled at the possibility of getting some good press for his gym. He then heard the door behind him swing open and Annabelle came out looking like a fire was on her ass.

"Coach!" she squeaked, not expecting to see him sitting there. Normally he was out on the floor training someone.

"Morning sleepy head," he said grinning. He didn't mention the fact that she had slept in. Hell, she deserved it.

"Umm...sorry....I didn't set the alarm...." she stammered. He dismissed her apology.

"I have news for you. You have another fight coming up this Sunday. I need you to get to training now because we're going to have a full week ahead of us," he said sounding stern.

Her mind seemed to explode as he made the announcement. She ran back to her room and got dressed in her running shoes and athletic bra. He watched her as she tied her shoes and then turned on her I-Pod and ran out the door.

"Ten miles Anna!" he yelled after her. She waved her hand over her head as she ran off.

He smiled as he watched her. She was eager and ready to make him proud, but it didn't take much for her to do so. She had won her first fight and as far as he was concerned if she didn't want to fight again that was fine. He looked into the gym as the first few people showed up for their workouts. He saw some cops come in and they were chatting about Anna's win last night. He perked his ears up as he heard them laughing at how fast she destroyed her poor opponent. He smiled proudly then went out to start their training.

Anna ran like the wind as she thought about the time they had shared the night before and the way that he had held her on his lap. Did he suspect how she felt about him? After all she had kissed him. She was desperate for him to notice her and to take her seriously. She made up her mind that in the upcoming fight she was going to flat out kill her opponent. She wanted to use this fight as an example of the woman she was, not a little girl with a crush. She grunted and pushed herself to her limits as she ran the last nine miles at a dead run. Her chest burned so badly after she was done, but she knew it was worth it in the long run.

Back at the gym she quickly showered, changed into her uniform and grabbed a bite to eat. She still had her part time job to do and she was pushing it. She had to run for the bus and just barely got to work on time and still her boss was being difficult. He berated her for being late constantly and threatened to fire her if she wasn't careful. She suffered through his barbed words stoically as she needed the money for her gym dues. She covered her tables and had to deal with the cheapskates who left a big mess and didn't even bother to tip her. And then there were the perverts that tried to look down her shirt or up her skirt. She was near tears when she went back home. Her day had literally taken the wind out of her sails as her boss gave her a final parting shot of cutting her hours for not showing up the day before even though she had told him about the fight. As it is, she only worked part-time and it wasn't easy getting the hours she needed.

She trudged into the gym in a foul mood and Marcus saw it. He then looked to his main assistant and had him take over. Christian would be doing hard cardio for an hour so he had some time to kill. He barked out orders to Christian who acknowledged them by dropping down to begin his pushup drills.

Marcus was so damned proud of Christian. He remembered when the lanky youth had come to him to get away from a dangerous gang in his neighborhood. He took the boy in and treated him like a son. He had actually hoped that he and Anna would hit it off, but Christian had a beautiful girlfriend, Fabiana, who adored him. She was the reason that he was so determined, and with a baby on the way the title fight would make them much more comfortable in the long run. He saw Anna sitting by the water fountain still in her waitress uniform. He walked up to her slowly then tilted his head. He saw the redness in her eyes and knew she had been crying.

"What's wrong Anna?" he asked as he sat next to her.

She looked at him and tried to pretend that everything was okay but her face finally broke and tears spilled down her face. He put his arm around her shoulders and held her to him. She got it under control and told him about her day and what her boss had done. Marcus was now getting annoyed. He knew the boss she worked for was a weasel dick that liked to exploit helpless mothers and young girls. He considered making a visit to him to teach him some respect, but it wouldn't accomplish much except getting him tossed in jail. He then decided to take a huge gamble. He knew she was the right caliber of fighter, and as he didn't need the money so he gave in to his gut feelings.

"Annabelle, I want you to quit that crap job and stay here with me. You can stay in the room for free and work out here. The money you win from tournaments and fights will cover your personal expenses," he said sounding official.

Her eyes widened in shock. She trembled at the thought of staying here with him permanently. She was about to cry when he stopped her and continued.

"The usual conditions still apply. Keep it clean and wash the towels after the day. But I now expect you to work harder than you ever have before to become the best you can be. Got me?" he asked her with a grin on his face.

"Yes coach!" she said loudly then hugged his neck.

He smiled and patted her back then broke the hug.

"Go change we have work to do," he said with a serious look.

She bounced up and ran to her room. He got up and went back to Christian and continued to work him hard. He saw Anna go to the heavy bag and begin to work on it. He motioned for his other trainer Mike to go help her. Mike nodded and she began to be pushed hard.

He worked them both until late in the night. At one in the morning he dismissed them and Annabelle had to be back at eight to start all over again while Christian got a slight reprieve; he had to return right after work. They both left and Annabelle collapsed in her bed. She was so sore she couldn't move her legs. She then heard a knock and Marcus came in.

"How are your legs doing?" he asked.

"They hurt really bad coach." she whimpered softly.

He purposely had her kicked in the legs by the trainers to toughen them up. She had bruises that would heal, but the benefit was that she would be able to defend with her legs without breaking stride. He took one leg and started to rub a powerful muscle rub into it. She winced as the burning set in and was near tears as he continued. She did, however, enjoy the feel of his hands as he worked on her upper thighs. Her body trembled at his touch and she was slowly becoming aroused by his strong hands. She tried to hide it, but the heat that began to radiate from her now wet slit was going to be noticed.

Marcus did indeed feel the heat radiating on his arm as he rubbed her thigh. He ignored it to the best of his ability, but a bulge began to form in his pants. He shifted hoping to conceal it and finished her legs. He then turned her to her stomach and rubbed the gel into her bare back. She sighed as he did, and then winced as the burning began. He made sure to get her lats and trapeziums. He dug his fingers deep into them as she cooed under his touch.

Anna felt his strong hands on her bare skin and she knew that what he was doing wasn't sexual, but her libido made it seem that way. She couldn't stop the moan that she uttered into the pillow that she gripped. Her nipples screamed for attention. She lay there and felt the panties she was wearing become soaked through. She was embarrassed that he would see, but deep down she wanted him to see. She needed him to see, but he was not looking.

He finished his mission and she sighed in a tortured contentment. He pulled her shirt back down then leaned down and stroked her shoulders as he whispered into her ear.

"Go to sleep, honey, tomorrow is going be a long day." She shivered as the soft brush of his breath swept her cheek.

She shocked herself at what she did next. She leaned up and kissed his lips before he could move back. She did it softly and allowed her lips to linger there for a long moment. She breathed into his mouth then smiled happily as she lay her head back down. Her eyes closed and she was soon fast asleep.

If she had shocked herself, then Marcus was plainly stunned. She had kissed him fully on the lips and sighed into his mouth as she did it. He pulled back from her sleeping form and stared at her for a long moment. His mouth slowly opened as if he wanted to say something, but he had nothing he could say. He looked down at her sleeping body and pulled the covers over her. He then did something he never would have thought he would do. He leaned down and kissed her cheek softly. She sighed happily in her sleep and curled into a ball. It took all of his willpower to keep from climbing in the bed with her and holding her the entire night. Marcus left before his body betrayed him any further.

He went to his room and flopped on his bed. He knew what the kiss she gave him represented. It was meant to show him her want for him. He lay on his back with his eyes wide open and his brain going into overdrive. He was in trouble now. He realized she wanted him, and it was cute. But he also knew that a woman of her age would not accept rejection easily and he didn't want to hurt her, especially since she had obviously been crushing on him for a while, perhaps even since he had rescued her from those thugs. He knew he had to tread lightly, but a part of him wondered what her touch would be like. He lay there speculating the entire night without sleeping a wink.

As he left his bed the next morning he was relieved that he wasn't aroused. He'd had a few mornings of waking up very aroused at the thought of her and it was a process making it go away without giving in to the urge to relieve himself. He cooked some food for himself and for Anna. He wrapped her plate up and went down to the gym. He walked to his office and set the plate down. He looked at the watch and it showed seven forty. He went to her room and opened the door softly. She was still curled up and smiling in her sleep. He stood in the doorway leaning against the frame watching her sleep for a while then he got himself together.

"Annabelle," he said shaking her arm.

She woke up startled as she looked at him. She then smiled and stretched like a cat on her bed. She looked at him through bleary eyes then got her feet under her. She stood up and stretched to her full limits. She didn't realize but her shirt was showing off her firm belly and the lower part of her breasts. Marcus drank in the sight then turned his head and walked out.

"Get ready I have your breakfast here." he said as he walked out.

She changed and walked out to see he had a plate of fruit and eggs for her. She ate them down as he looked at his computer. He sat back reading the posts on the upcoming fight. He then saw her opponent. She was a small girl that was only twenty. She looked like a soccer player as she was rail thin with spindly arms. He had doubts of her ability as he saw her three and nine record. Twelve fights, but she was inconsistent in them. He then ordered her fight videos and had them put on immediate delivery to his office. He looked over to Anna and motioned her over.

Anna ate down another egg as she looked at the screen. She saw a small brunette girl that looked scrawny and disheveled. She burned her gaze deep into the photo and her mind focused on the target of her anger. She saw the three men that tried to rape her that time so long ago and her mind transferred that rage onto this girl. She suddenly wanted to crush her. Anna held nothing against the girl as it was business after all, and inwardly she even felt sorry for what she was going to do. She heard coach talking after a minute and she nodded her head.

"This is your next victim, honey. I hope you're ready because she has eleven more fights under her belt than you do. I don't want reckless this time. I want to see you be methodical in this one. Understand?" he asked and she grimly nodded.

She finished her meal then went to the bathroom, after showering and brushing her teeth she changed into her yoga pants and athletic bra then taped her hands up. She punched her hands a few times then began the grueling session.

Her body screamed in agony over the next days as Marcus pushed her and Christian past the thresh hold of exhaustion. He was relentless in his discipline and any breach of it left both of them suffering as he made them both do leg lifts while one of the coaches stood on their stomachs. He then had them put a weight on their stomachs and do crunches. He never once let them think they were doing it right as he wanted them angry so they would focus. Christian used his anger to fuel his body and to make himself work harder. Anna used hers to fuel her lust to tear her opponent apart. She watched the videos of the girl during the breaks and saw that she had no defense against knee strikes from the left side. So she figured out her moves as she did her crunches.

The days bore on and on until Sunday afternoon rolled around. She was in the gym doing her last minute drills and Marcus knew that she was ready. She was bouncing from foot to foot and he couldn't help but notice her perfect backside as she moved. Her rear was firm, but it had a magnificent shape to it. He watched as her dark caramel skin gleamed under the sweat of her body. Her thick mane of hair was wild and sticking to her face.

"Anna. It's time," he said sternly.

She turned around and wordlessly nodded her head. She went to her room and put on her sweats. Beneath them she would normally just wear a simple bra and panties, which she would strip down to in order to be weighed in. Unfortunately she had forgotten that when packing earlier and only had a lacy bra and panties as she hadn't had time to wash her others. She looked down at the black and purple lace and just sighed. She put them on and got dressed quick. She hoped Marcus would enjoy them, but she didn't have time for that.

The weigh in was getting started when they arrived. She stripped to her underwear and Marcus' breath caught in his chest. She was wearing something he shouldn't have seen. His favorite color was purple and she was wearing a very sexy purple and black bra panty set. His erection nearly tore a hole in his pants. He was lucky he was sitting down behind a table lest he have people see. He just secretly hoped his cock wouldn't hit the desk too hard. She weighed in at a trim one hundred twenty one pounds. She was ready to go. Her opponent was one hundred eighteen. They dressed and took a pose facing each other as a picture was taken. The fight wasn't the first fight on the card but the fourth. Marcus used the time wisely as he took her to the back and had her prepare like she had the first time. She stepped into the shower and let the hot water cascade down her body.

Anna was ready. She needed badly to make an example that she was ready to be the one he should pay attention to and this fight provided her with that very opportunity. After she showered she dried off and dressed in her trunks and athletic bra. She then lightly padded out to Marcus. He turned and saw her sitting on the table ready for taping. He got to it and tightly strapped her in. Her ankles and wrists were done quickly as were her hands. She looked at him while he worked and resisted the urge to touch him. She was content to just have him close to her and she smiled in anticipation as he slipped the gloves on her. He pulled her hair back into a ponytail and tied it tight. She shook her head and it didn't come loose. He then had her put on a tee shirt with the Gym logo and she smiled when she saw a new design made just for her! It had a batch of skulls wrapped in thorny roses with her name spelled out in old English. It was all in black and purple. She looked at him happily.

"Make us proud tonight, honey. Make us proud," he said looking her in the eyes with an intense stare.

He grabbed her head and brought her forehead to his and looked her deep in her eyes. She was ready. She then began to bounce from foot to foot and he led her out of the room. She walked down the aisle to the ring as a hard driving metal song played. She didn't recognize it even though she was used to metal as that was what played at the gym in order to keep their energy levels up. But that soon ended and she then heard a song that she did recognize and it seemed to be playing just for her as she walked with determination down the aisle. It was a group that she loved called Alterbridge and the song was an inspiring one called "Metalingus". As she listened to the lyrics, her mind latched on to the one that particularly touched her soul.