Chapter 31
Live footage from the grand arena filled the television's high-definition screen on the wall, bringing rising anticipation to the three occupants of the casita. Ryan's guards were the same two who had transported him, gagged and bound, from Malibu the day before. With each increasing weight class, the guard with the British accent inched closer to the screen. As the middleweight class fighters, one of whom was Zachary Fellini, completed their weigh-in and stand-off, the woman bodyguard flicked the remote control repeatedly, increasing the volume and flooding the room with heightened tension.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the challenger," the announcer blared, punching each word with grandiosity and pausing for theatrical effect.
The camera followed Nathaniel Bald
