Page 14 of The Way We Are

She continues screaming, but with my pulse thumping in my ears, I can’t hear a word she's yelling. The terrified look on her face is telling enough, though. She’s begging Axel to stop.

Alarm flickers in her tear-filled eyes when Axel fails to acknowledge her request. I track her race across the room when she suddenly pushes off her feet. She’s hindered by the crowd pushing in close to the ring for a bird’s eye view of my demise, but she reaches Col at a record-breaking pace. Her lips move at a million miles an hour as she pleads to Col and the two suit-clad men seated beside him.

Within seconds, the wetness on her cheeks burns off, her anger so white-hot it dries her tears in an instant. I don’t know what she roars when she stomps her feet, but it's vicious enough for Col to propel from his chair.

A guttural groan rolls up my chest when Col backhands Savannah with so much force, her head slings sideways before she plummets to the ground. I crawl across the mat on my hands and knees, taking Axel with me. My quest to reach Savannah increases Axel’s clutch on my throat, but nothing can stop me. My desire to get to Savannah is so urgent, I’m blessed with inhuman strength.

“Don’t worry, Ryan,” Axel grunts, his words strained through clenched teeth as he tightens his grip around my throat. “That won’t be the first time she’ll be smacked around.” He brings his lips to the shell of my ear before whispering, “I saw the way she looked at you tonight. She’ll pay for her stupidity.”

“You said you’d walk away.” My words are barely heard over the hammering of my heart.

As I rapidly blink through the wooziness consuming me, Axel chuckles, “I lied. Savannah isn’t just mine. Iownher. She goes where I go. That’s our deal.”

The possessiveness in his voice causes me to snap.

Gnashing my teeth together, I stand to my feet. My knees wobble, strained by our combined weight, but I continue on, more determined than ever. The roar of the crowd triples as they mimic my attempts to stand. They swell toward the fraying ropes, encouraging my resurgence of power with ear-piercing claps.

“Come on, Ryan. Show them your heart!” Isaac shouts, his voice loud enough to break through the mental qualm attempting to swallow me whole.

Savannah watches me with wide eyes when I finalize the last two inches. Not a word spills from her lips, but the silent encouragement streaming from her eyes bolsters my grit more than the spectators’ cheers.

Tears topple down her white cheeks when I stand to my full height, which has gained three inches from having Axel curled on my back. Knowing there's no better way to release Axel’s hold on my neck, I fall backward, hoping my body weight landing on his will weaken his grip.

Axel hisses out a winded grunt when we land on the mat with a sickening thud. Our impact has the effect I am aiming for: Axel’s arm is wrenched away from my neck.

Recognizing agility always trumps skill, we both scramble, vying to get the upper hand on the other. Thankfully, even depleted of oxygen, my movements are nimbler than Axel’s. I crawl onto his back before wrapping my forearm around his throat. Happy I’ve got his top half locked down, I curl my legs around his hips to get my hooks in. I hold him in the same rear naked chokehold he attempted to use on me earlier, but I put everything I have into my grip, pretending it's Col’s neck I’m strangling.

The crowd roars, loving the switch in dynamic. It isn’t very often you witness a change in power after a death choke is implemented.

Seconds away from passing out, Axel’s hand darts out to tap the mat. He does the same gesture another three times before Cormack races into the ring to pull me away from him. With more endorphins gushing through my veins than sense, I throw off Cormack before making a beeline for Axel. I’m not even halfway through issuing my punishment for double-crossing me.

I’m mere inches from Axel when the quickest glimpse of a pair of red-rimmed green eyes enters my peripheral vision. Savannah is standing at the side of the ring, silently begging for me to stop as she had pleaded with Axel earlier.

I return her stare in silence, unsure if I am coming or going. I’m not usually a violent man, but I have so much anger blackening my veins right now, I’m having a hard time recognizing myself.

“Come with me,” I request a short time later when clarity finally forms. Her agreement to leave with me will be theonlyway Axel will leave this ring still breathing.

After slinging her eyes to Axel’s slumped form writhing on the mat, she returns them to me. I feel like all my Christmases have come at once when she briefly nods. I’m at her side not even five seconds later, ignoring the two dozen plus men congratulating me with pats on the back. I don’t even stop to accept the wad of cash from Isaac. All I want to do is get Savannah out of here—protecting her from this craziness is more valuable than any amount of money.

With Savannah sheltered under the crook of my arm, I make a beeline for the door. My heart is racing more now than it was in the boxing ring. I honestly feel like I’m a moment away from coronary failure.

“Savannah!” Axel screams, his husky voice projecting over the flurry of men scrambling to organize the next set of contenders. “You promised you’d never leave!”

Savannah’s stiffens for the quickest second, but her steps don’t falter in the slightest. She stays huddled under my arm, only pulling away when we reach her car parked at the side of the warehouse.

After sliding into the driver’s seat, she seeks something from the back seat of her coupe. I slip into the passenger seat and fasten my seat belt before accepting the shirt she's holding out for me.

“Do you need to go to the hospital?” she asks me, her tone low with worry.

I tug a Ravenshoe High School shirt over my head before locking my eyes with hers. The worry hampering her beautiful face adds to the adrenaline thickening my blood. I shouldn’t enjoy her discomfort, but I do. It shows she still cares about me. Even if it's from circumstances beyond her control, I can’t ignore it.

Unable to speak through the lump in my throat, I shake my head.

Savannah’s unexpected smile makes quick work of the havoc brewing in my gut. It makes me forget the circumstances of our gathering, and why we are fleeing a derelict warehouse in her car instead of mine.

She makes me forget everything... everything but her.

5

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