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Thoughts raced in Everest’s eyes Finally, he glared "This isn’t the end of this, Fox You ht, but I’ll pay you back with a whole lot of interest Just remember ed off his large shirt, uncovering a torso full of e He used to be cut, but noas soft around the edges "I’ll make you pay, asshole"

I didn’t say a word I didn’t need to He’d dug his own grave

"Boy, pass loves" Everest held out his hand for the rookie to place a pair of blue boxing gloves in his grip

I snapped e"

Chapter 3

I’d always pridedlife threw at me I promised that no o, I lived that pros that sees that seemed un-survivable, but then life decided to teach htto weak My outlook on life went froative

But the moment I walked into Obsidian, the taste of violence rejuvenated hter, and I would win I just wished I could’ve avoided the catalyst that destroyed aveon?" I whisper-hissed into Clue’s ear We hadn’t budged froed froed I couldn’t tell what started the switch, but it built slowly until the roolued on Corkscrew He ducked and swung, looking part god as he easily overpowered his opponent His o, but it see a conversation by the boxing ring Steadily whispers wafted on the warm air; people shifted excitedly in their chairs

"I don’t knohat’s going on, but doesn’t Ben look delicious all glea like a warrior?" She s with an infatuation that’d doubled from interested into obsessed They’d only had a few dates, but she’d skipped right back into theafter a man ould no doubt claim her andht, I focused on the crowd crushing together, subtly drifting toward the boxing ring

My eyes flickered over to theof people I didn’t knoho he was So about hier he possessed I wanted to keep my distance, but was drawn to hio and the moment his eyes fell on me, I’d felt a shift A spark An awareness Call it fear or acknowledgeht me by surprise My entire body shot into hyper alert--heart racing, breath quickening My body prepared to either fight or flee I didn’t understand why he invoked such a reaction

When he prowled past, I had the opportunity to stare at his retreating back, and I wished I hadn’t He was tall,His back flexed beneath a tight fitting shirt while dark, bronze hair gleahts He carried an air of power, of discipline, and of certain unpredictability Everything about hi years had passed since I’d suffered the sickly prickle of physical attraction Sickly because when I last succued my life forever

I didn’t have time for attraction

Clara was the result of my last infatuation, and I’d been stupid So stupid

A wave of exciterabbed Clue’s hand as anxious energy unspooled into catch a glilanced at her hand in hts, Zelly I’m sure there are plenty of sexy men you could have fun with"

I rolleda bed- so tense" The hair on the back of my neck prickled I couldn’t stand there and not discover the source of the energy My instincts said to run but my mind said to stay I needed to understand it Had to see it, feel it, so I kne to defeat it

Danger

I’d always been able to taste when danger was near--when soe o ho Unwrapping ure out what’s going on"

Clue was so enthralled with Corkscrew that she only nodded Leaving her safe, Ithe Muay Thai area and headed toward the boxing ring

Weaving h the crohispered words ht"

"Whoever pissed hi to be happy when they ith a concussion"

I inched forith the crowd, steadily growing thicker as more people drifted down froh the swarm of people, I couldn’t understand arranted the crowd’s building excitement or my nervousness No threats or raised voices were heard My skin prickled again

You knohat’s causing it

It was all to do with him

The man who seee

My eyes zeroed in on hi everyone

He stood chest to chest with a huge brute who looked like he’d killed a few esture of violence, but he siy

My mouth went dry for no other reason than I sensed him as a terrible menace

The other man didn’t cower, but he lacked what the idity, a confidence--the sure knowledge he would win, and there was nothing the otherat the taller guy Their lips moved but I couldn’t hear as said

I ducked closer to the side of the ring as the wash of excitement from the spectators built into a crescendo People pressed closer; the atmosphere thickened with visible tension