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"Who?"

"Me"

"Hilarious And here I thought you’d lost your sense of hu"

Knox’s sed into that steely-eyed former soldier "Fuck that, Ronin You don’t have to do this"

"Not a matter of have to It’s a matter of want to"

"With all the shit that’s happened in the last week, you are not in the right frame of mind Let me represent the dojo"

Ronin leaned forward and didn’t bank the rage fueling hi, Godan, that I don’t have the skills to adequately represent the dojo I own?"

"Jesus, no I’ this"

"Because I can" Ronin shoved the updated schedule at him "Find replaceive Shiori a heads up and let her know she’s taking over Deacon’s classes"

Knox opened his ht better of it He asked, "What else can I do?"

"Call Clint He owes me a favor"

"Maybe this is obvious, but Clint is retired from the UFC because his body couldn’t take it anyed "One fight won’t kill me But I’m not an idiot I’ve no doubt I’ll feel every one of s"

"How long has it been since you’ve stepped foot in the ring?"

Hadn’t been that long ago, but he wasn’t sharing that inforihmy job if I didn’t question your decisions"

"Noted"

After Knox left, Ronin headed to the training roohts later

FIGHT night was a blur

Ronin re he was thelike he’d bring the pain Welco the physical punishment Blue Curacao would dish out

But somewhere in the ht back withof numbness after his opponent’s blows connected with his body Every drop of blood he lost cleansed hi around hiht cross headed for his jaw, he didn’t bother to block it

He hit the hts went out

People poked and prodded him He answered their questions by rote He’d been in this situation enough ti for Heon his own steam and promptly passed out in the locker room with only Shiori and Knox as his witnesses