Page 95 of Last Round

“He put his hands on you. Do I need more of a reason than that?”

Tears continue to fall as she remains silent. She knows I’m right.

“I need you to do something for me right now.”

“What’s that?” She sniffles.

“I need you to smile, kiss me, and wish me luck. I know you’re afraid. But right now, I need you in my corner. I hate to put this pressure on you, but I’m not going to be able to focus on kicking his ass if I’m worried about you.”

Molly swallows hard and forces a smile. “I can do that.”

She presses her lips to mine. At first, the gesture’s soft, tentative. But then she pulls me deeper into her. She devours me, lets me consume all her negative emotions. I’ll use them to fuel every blow I deliver to the asshole. When we break apart, I almost believe she’s not afraid. Except I know her and that twinkle in her eyes is missing.

Taking a deep breath, she centers herself, looks me in the eye, and smiles. “Kick his ass.”

“Consider it done.”

“Seriously?” Declan asks as the distinctive keys of “Eye of the Tiger” play.

“If this song doesn’t get you pumped for a fight, then there’s something wrong with you.” This place is nothing like the octagon. It’s a fucking gym, not a sports arena. Still, a couple of the guys decided to take advantage of our speakers to play some intro tunes. Get everyone in the mood.

As I walk out of the hallway, on to the main floor, Tony’s already standing in the ring. He smiles at me as Sean whispers in his ear, likely giving the bastard tips and reminders on how to handle me.

Before Molly breaks off from our little pack, I grab her wrist and pull her to me. “I love you.”

She looks up at me and beams. “I love you too.”

I kiss her. And not a sweet little peck on the lips. No, I devour her. Fuck her with my tongue for everyone to see. We’ve kept our shit on the down low out of respect for her brother. But I’m done with that now. Especially after the little bit of gossip Luke shared with me today. Apparently, he was in the gym this morning, overheard the little talk Sean had with Molly. When I’m done with this asshole, I’m going to deal with my business partner next.

Molly’s face is red, her legs wobbly. Her euphoric expression is enough to help dampen my lingering anxiety. Bex fans herself as she gathers up her best friend and walks her over to their spot. Then I crack my neck and step into our little ring. Declan does as he’s supposed to. Gives me a final pep talk, pointers, reminds me of our plan.

“You both know the rules?” the ref asks. I was able to use my connections to get someone official to oversee the match—one of my assurances thatwhen I win, Tony doesn’t have a leg to stand on. We both nod. “Good, let’s keep this fight clean. No unsportsmanlike conduct. You have three, three-minute rounds.”

“I just need one,” Tony interrupts arrogantly.

“That’s a point. This might not be an official fight, but it’s my duty to ensure this match is clean. I know all about the bullshit surrounding today’s event. I have zero tolerance. You understand?” He looks at me.

“Yes,” I say.

He looks at Tony.

“Sure.” Tony rolls his eyes.

The second the ref says “fight,” Tony and I begin circling each other. As predicted, he comes out the gate swinging, a couple heavy throws that I block easily.

Keep to the plan. Wait for him to gas out. Strike hard, strike fast.

Tony raises his fist. I prepare to block another blow. He smiles. And before I know what’s happening, he drops, rams his head into my sternum, and knocks me back to the mat. The wind is knocked out of me. Kneeling between my legs, Tony strikes. And as though he’s aiming perfectly, his fist connects with my left eye socket. For a second, everything goes black and all I can hear is Molly’s bloodcurdling scream.

Fight of His Life

Molly

I’mgoingtobesick.

Bex holds me back as I watch Tony pose, ready to throw another punch. Luckily Killian raises his fists and blocks the next blow.

That fucking bastard, I’m going to kill him.

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