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“No, I can’t do this” A rush of panic hter We had a deal I didn’t kill ”

“Belle” When his hands rested on her shoulders, holding her in place, she didn’t jerk back She couldn’t feel his touch, and everything was suddenly nuhts, how long between each fight?” he asked

“I need her back”

“How long between each fight?” He snapped the words out, shattering her daze

“None!” She yelled in his face The past ten days had been the most intense of her life “There were no breaks No tihts I’d been out of the loop for over two years, and suddenly I had to fight for my life and for hers”

“You were out of practice”

She wiped away the tears, hating how vulnerable she felt There was no way she’d trust a ain Never

“I could do it,” she said “I was so close”

“No, you couldn’t It’s ti on here, Belle Don’t you get it? The best of us need a break between all the fights What you went through, that was a fucking nighthts without a rest You weren’t supposed to make it to the end Now, it makes me curious, ould your father sell you out like that? Who wanted you dead?”

“I don’t know That’s ridiculous They took my kid, and I o I never did You know this life usted by ent on in their world She was taught it was normal, but it was far from it “When I had an out, I walked away”

“And so for your father?”

She pressed her hands to her face, hating that everything was so confusing to her This wasn’t how her life was supposed to be There shouldn’t be so es

Everything felt a little dizzy, and as she lost her footing, Drago was there His arht

He was soThere had been ti up that she wished she’d been born a boy Maybe then her father would have been more impressed, maybe then he’d love her As it was, hethat she held dear

She’d been his little fighter, but the truth was, she’d loved everything girly From the color pink, to dolls, to dresses, and now all she wanted to do was be a woman Why couldn’t she be like other women who lived life the way they wanted to? She’d been born into a trap that seemed impossible to escape