Page 20 of Behind the Mask

I stiffened. My eyes drifted towards her stomach, trying to imagine a small baby living inside. "I lost the baby, Axel. I lost your baby."

My eyes returned to hers, looking for some truth. We had a baby?

She broke down in front of me, but I didn't dare go over to her. I couldn't.She was pregnant. She was raped. She lost the baby.My head was spinning, my heart ached. My jaw tensed and my hands curled into fists.

I watched her hug herself on the floor, rocking back and forth as the sobs escaped. I didn't move.She was pregnant before she was raped. She knew and she didn't tell me. How could she keep that from me?

"How long?" I asked through clenched teeth. I was unable to keep my anger in check. She flinched and met my gaze. "Fifteen weeks."

My heart lurched. I turned away from her and got dressed.

"Axel, I..."

I was cold, distant, and angry. I ignored her and threw on my clothes in a hurry. I couldn't look at her face. I slammed the door on my way out, not seeming to care that I left her naked on the floor. If I was around her any longer, I would have done something I'd regret. I got in my truck, grabbed my phone from the console and dialed Vanessa's number. "I'm on my way."

Not wanting to hear her nasally voice, I ended the call and pulled out of the driveway without looking back.

Chapter Sixteen

Axel

The world had shattered around me. Everything I knew, the good, the bad, all of it gone. With each hit I got angrier. Angry that someone raped my girl, angry that we had lost a baby and angry that Vanessa was pregnant. I left Olivia naked and on the floor, crying. She'd been through so much and I didn't deserve her love. I didn't deserve her at all.

She had always known the darkness that lingered inside of me, and she was able to tame it. But after everything had happened, I couldn't keep it together. I was afraid I'd hurt her. I was afraid I would do something I'd regret.Again.

"About damn time you came back here! I've missed my best fighter." I sighed and turned away from the bag to see Mason walking in with a casual grin on his face. Mason was a good friend of mine, one I could always count on, and when I was fighting he was my trainer. He was a couple years older than me, and when I was young he took me in and showed me the ropes. I wiped off some sweat that lingered on my forehead.

"What's eating you, man? You only ever come here when something's going on." His gray eyes were looking for the same anger that lingered within me years ago.

"Just a lot of shit going on," I paused thinking over my next words carefully. "When can you book me for a fight?" I ached to find someone's face to punch.

I took the water bottle on the chair and chugged as much as I could down my throat. Fighting was more of a workout than what I did during baseball practice. It was rough, gruesome and it helped most let out the darkness that consumed them. At least, it should. For me, it never did.

"How's tonight?" I turned to face him and nodded. I cracked my knuckles then re-wrapped my hands because the tape was falling off. I needed to punch something.

"Alright, I'll get it set up. There's supposed to be a lot of exposure there so I'm not sure what that will do for your baseball career, man. Previous MMA fighter royalty has finally come out of hiding to finish what he started. The headlines will go crazy."

I knew what was at stake, but I didn't care. Not when it came to her. Even though Galena was a small town, it was well known for MMA fighting. It had been my way to escape the darkness that consumed me all those years ago.

Like Olivia, I had secrets. Even though I was pissed, I couldn't hold it against her. She kept it hidden to keep me safe. But I also lost my one precious chance to have a family with her. If she would have told me before everything happened, I would have gotten down on one knee, taken her to the altar and taken care of her and the baby. I would have done everything to make sure my family was safe. It didn't work out that way.

Instead, she was raped and lost our baby.

I didn't know what to do. I knew I wanted to be with her, but I also had a responsibility. I had a baby on the way with Vanessa. Even thinking about it made my mouth sour. I promised Vanessa I would be there for the baby, but I didn't want her. I didn't want to make myself miserable by staying with her, and that's exactly what I told her. Maybe that made me a terrible person, but I sure as fuck didn't care.

I shrugged. "Nothing matters anymore." I turned away from him and set my sights on the target in front of me.

The large bag that hung from the ceiling taunted me. I drew a face on a piece of paper and taped it to the bag so I could imagine myself beating the fucker that raped Olivia into oblivion. Once I found out who did it, there would be no turning back. I didn't care if I sacrificed my career, and I sure as hell didn't care if I went to prison for it. No one takes what's mine.

Punch.

Who the fuck did this?

Punch.

Why did it hurt so bad knowing that I had a baby I didn't know about?

Punch.

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