"You've got to be joking, right?" Redd, chief rep of Southern Brotherhood training facility on Alpha Island South, snorted with laughter.

His smile quickly faded at Desirous' steely look.

"Listen," Redd continued, "what you're asking is out of the question. I'll admit, six years ago you were a top gladiator, but that's ancient history."

"I've won the three fights I've had since returning to the games six months ago. I might not have competed over the past six years, but I've never stopped training."

"You've been a sex slave for a rich female who's now behind bars. In fact, your involvement in that scandal would be the only reason we'd even consider embarrassing ourselves to try getting you a match against Maximus."

"If you need to use that scandal to get me in the arena with him, then do it," Desirous ground out. The mere mention of his former mistress, Nipplonia, sickened him. He had risked his life to gather enough evidence against the sick bitch to put her behind bars for the torture, rape and murder of more men than he cared to think about.

For six years he'd suffered physically and emotionally while serving her. Still he had no one but himself to blame for that. He had willingly walked into her domain, surrendering his rights in the only place on Amazurn where men lived in relative freedom.

"Even if we negotiate using that kind of sensationalism, what makes you think Maximus will fight a has-been?"

"This has-been is about to become the best fucking gladiator on Alpha Island South," Desirous said.

Redd shrugged. His slanted brown eyes swept all six-feet-six inches of Desirous' rock-hard body. "I suppose it's possible. You're still young enough to make a comeback, but Maximus is arguably the greatest male gladiator on Amazurn. If he beats you in this early stage of your comeback, it won't be much of a win for him and if he loses to you it will make him look bad."

"And it will send me right to the top of the games."

Redd looked thoughtful. "You have a definite size advantage over him, but he has incomparable technique and I've seen him train. The guy has more stamina than a racing shuttle."

"He's also getting old. Thirty-three, right?"

"A gladiator of his quality could possibly last until his forties."

"Or he might get buried tomorrow," Desirous said softly.

He'd seen magnificent warriors crushed in their prime. That's how his career had ended six years ago. After his lover, Tempest, had been killed in the ring, Desirous lost his passion for everything, including the arena. If Tempest had seen how he'd given up...

Just thinking about it shamed and sickened Desirous. Rather than honor Tempest's memory, he had disgraced it and himself by becoming Nipplonia's puppet. Never again. From now on his life would be different. As Redd said, he was still young. It wasn't too late for him to reclaim his dignity. What better way to remind gladiatorial fans that he still existed than to challenge one of the greatest warriors on Amazurn?

Maximus might win, but if Desirous could stand with him for the full twenty minutes designated for single combatants in the arena, he would prove himself worthy of the sport.

Maximus hadn't lost a fight in sixteen years. All five losses of his career had occurred before his eighteenth year. He'd beaten bigger, stronger men and had worn down youths known for incredible stamina.

As a young gladiator, Desirous' goal had been to fight Maximus and surprisingly the urge still remained. Last year when he decided to return to the arena, his foremost thought had been he still had a chance to fulfill the dream of meeting Maximus in combat.

"You want to go for the kill?" Redd raised an eyebrow. "This might turn out to be interesting after all."

"I don't want to kill him. I just want to end his winning streak."

Redd laughed. "You and just about every gladiator on the island. I have to admit, Desirous, you have huge balls to want to tangle with him after you've been on a six-year vacation."

Desirous' gut clenched and he struggled against the urge to beat this little shit within an inch of his life. Yet during his years serving Nipplonia he had learned self-control.

"Can you or can you not get me the match?" Desirous demanded, his voice deadly calm.

The chief rep narrowed his eyes and sighed. "I can try, but if Maximus and his representatives agree, I doubt I'll be able to negotiate a decent fee for you. You might be a novelty, Desirous, but at this point you're not a worthy opponent for him. We'll be lucky if he doesn't take our challenge as an insult."

"Cut the bullshit, Redd. I'm not that bad."

"Well then let's see if we can give you a chance to prove you're more than a rich woman's toy."

Desirous' teeth clenched. He'd love to slap down this twerp, but the best way to make Redd eat his words would be to go the distance with Maximus.