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Boden grabs the neck of my sweatshirt with one fist and cocks the other for another smash Okay, I just need to survive this punch, then sorab the pinkie of the hand onit all the way over

It’s a little known fact that where the pinkie goes, so goes the hand, wrist, ar the way He jerks with it, gritting his teeth and twisting his body to follow the pinkie

That’s when I catch a gli to think this ca A surprising nuht in record ti like kids in a schoolyard--running to watch the fight rather than to break it up

My surprise costs ht breast

The intense pain just about kills me I curl as best I can with two hundred pounds of muscle on top of me, but that doesn’t protect me from the bitch-slap he whips acrossinsult to injury because if I had been a man, he would have hit me with a closed fist Great If he just slaps et beaten, then I’ll only prove that I’m someone everyone can push around

Where’s Raffe when I need hi a blur of faces, his expression utterly griuy who’s collecting them from everyone around hi They’re taking bets!

Worse, the feho are cheering forfor me to last just onethat I’ll win, only on how long I’ll last

So much for chivalry

CHAPTER 19

While I’ in the scene, I block twoon top of etting bruises

With no rescue in sight, it’s tis off the ground like a gys down

Boden’s eyes widen as he’s yanked backward

Entwined, ing like a rocking chair He lands on his back, legs spread around ht with my ankles wrapped around his throat

The instant we land, I slaroin

Now it’s his turn to curl

The cheering crowd instantlySounds like he’s having trouble breathing

Just to make sure he stays that way, I jump up and kick him in the face I kick him so hard his body spins halfway on the dirt

I wind up for another kick, this tih to have to look up at everyone around you, there’s no such thing as a dirty fight That’s a new motto for me I think I’ll keep it

Before I can co my arms My heart thunders fro in my need for blood I kick and scream at whoever holds h" His voice is like velvet brushing against my ears, his arms like steel bands across uides h the crowd as he soothes lare lare at Raffe as I catch his eye I could have been beaten to a pulp, and all he would have done was lost a bet He still looks grih all the blood had drained fros?" asks Raffe I realize he’s not talking toatwith everyone else

"You didn’t win," says a guy near hileeful He’s the one who collected all the bets

"What do you rowls Raffe His hands are fisted as he turns to the guy, and he looks ready for a fight himself

"Hey buddy, you didn’t bet she’d win Close doesn’t count…"

Their voices drift into the wind as Obi practically drags me to the mess hall I don’t knohich is worse--that Raffe didn’t jump in to defend me, or that he bet that I would lose

Theopen cabin with rows of fold-up tables and chairs I’ it would take less than a half an hour to fold up all the tables and chairs to pack for ned to be packed up and moved in less than an hour

The place is deserted even though there are half-eaten food trays on the tables I guess a fight is a not-to-be-rip on uides me to a table closest to the kitchen in the back

"Sit I’ll be right back"