Page 143 of Edge of Unbroken

And I succeeded. At first, that is.

Maybe I shouldn’t have walked to school to meet up with Tori this afternoon. Maybe I should’ve waited for Ronan to pick me up at home after he and Shane had a chance to get Tori, but I can’t stay cooped up in the house forever. I won’t always have a bodyguard for protection. And it was a short walk, after all.

I met up with Tori and Vada right as practice let out, and the three of us waited for Shane and Ronan as the field emptied and my teammates—well, former teammates—headed home. In the end, it was just Vada, Tori, and me with a couple of stragglers several feet back as we walked across the lawn to the sidewalk to wait for the guys.

And then I noticed him. Adam. His hulking figure strode toward me, Vada, and Tori. How he even knew where I was is beyond me. He obviously stalked me, had watched me for who knows how long, and the thought made my skin crawl. But I didn’t have time to overthink it. I forced myself to remain as calm as possible. It was still jarring to see him approach, his resolute steps and aggressive posture fear-inducing.

“What’s…” Tori asked, then gasped at the sight of Adam a mere thirty feet from us, his large steps rapidly reducing the distance. Even from here I could see the sinister smile on his lips.

“That asshole,” Vada huffed next to me. She started toward Adam.

He reached her a fraction of a second later and shoved Vada aside like she was nothing more than a pesky fly. Her tiny frame was no match for the hundred additional pounds Adam has on her, and she was flung to the side, tumbling to the ground with a pained grunt. Tori was by her side in a second.

That’s when something miraculous happens. Adam’s violent attack on one of my best friends snaps me out of my usual paralysis, and I’m more clear-headed than I’ve ever been with Adam.

The damn grin on Adam’s unshaven face is sickening. “Well, hello there sexy—”

Instead of freezing or retreating, I do what I did to Drew only weeks ago. I jerk my knee up fiercely, determined to bring him to his knees. I will not be a victim any longer.

But to my dismay, I miss his most vulnerable parts and collide with his thigh.

Adam looks at me with surprise. He didn’t expect me to play the role of the aggressor. He probably expected me to freeze or fawn like I had in the past.

I take the chance, making use of his confusion to swing my fist into Adam’s face, connecting it with his jaw. It doesn’t make that satisfactory crunch as when Ronan punched Adam last year, but it’s a solid hit. “I’m done with this shit, Adam. Leave me the fuck alone!”

I pull my knee back, then jerk it upward, aiming for his groin again. I’m determined not to miss this time.

But Adam shifts and his hand flies down, acting as a buffer between my knee and his body. The jab is hard enough to force Adam’s hand back and connect with his prized manhood, but not hard enough to incapacitate him. And though Adam briefly balks, he straightens up quickly, his wide body casting a cold shadow as anger darkens his face. It’s immediately obvious that the only thing I managed to do was piss him off, making this whole thing a thousand times worse.

Adam expels a loud huff through his flared nostrils, then yanks his brown leather belt from its loops with his right hand while the left closes around my throat. “You’re awfully ballsy for someone who’s about to be dominated, you little cunt. I hope your friends don’t mind watching, because this time your little boy toy isn’t here to stop me.”

I grab at Adam’s hand, trying to speak, to beg him to let me go, to swallow, but I can’t even manage a breath as Adam squeezes my windpipe shut.

I hear a deep, ferocious growl from behind Adam before he’s hauled backward, his grip torn from my throat.

“Wrong, asshole,” Ronan roars.

I only catch a glimpse of Ronan’s face, but the expression carved into his features is one I’ve seen before. There’s a cold darkness in his usually bright-green eyes, a rigidness in the masculine angles of his jaw, and a terrifying snarl on his lips reminiscent of a lion ready to tear the flesh off his prey. It’s as though unadulterated hatred for Adam has taken up residence inside Ronan’s body, wholly consuming him just like it did last August.

Adam’s eyes widen with shock, but before he can say or do anything, he crashes to the ground, landing so hard on his back a rush of air escapes him. Already Ronan is on top of him, fists raining down on Adam’s face.

Adam doesn’t surrender without a fight. It takes mere seconds before the two are a blurry tangle of sturdy bodies, of knees and fists, the sounds of skin tearing and bones crushing in a brutal symphony of violence. All I can think about is Ronan, my worry for his safety, the realization that he’s putting himself in harm’s way yet again to protect me, even after everything he’s been through.

I can’t stand by helplessly, can’t just remain on the sidelines. I move in, ignoring the shouts from Vada and Tori some feet to my right. I vaguely register Shane running in our direction, his phone to his ear as my feet carry me forward. I don’t even know what exactly I think I’m going to do; I’m no match for either Adam or Ronan, who are at each other’s throats.

“Please, stop!” I yell, trying to insert myself, to separate them somehow, to protect Ronan, but I’m silenced when knuckles collide forcefully with my nose. Blinding pain makes my eyes water, and I stumble.

Strong arms catch me.

“Baby, keep Cat away from this,” I hear Shane say to Tori. “Vada, take my damn phone! It’s the cops.”

I resist Tori’s hold on me, wishing to break free and get to Ronan. He’s my only thought. “Cat, stop, you’re bleeding,” Tori says, her voice full of panic.

I wipe my hand over my nose, suddenly aware of the painful throbbing and the taste of iron in my mouth. My nose is dripping blood, the crimson substance running over my lips and down my chin, splattering onto my sweater and jeans. I sink to my knees.

Vada rushes to my side. “The police are almost here,” she says, sounding winded as she dials a number on Shane’s phone with shaky fingers.

I can’t pay attention, can’t focus on who she’s talking to. My hands are trembling, my breathing is rapid and shallow, and I’m dizzy with pain and fear and adrenaline. My eyes move to find Ronan only feet away from me, and I feel a semblance of relief at seeing him astride Adam’s torso. He’s viciously punching Adam’s face.

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