Free Fight for Her #4: MMA New Adult Contemporary Romantic Suspense by JJ Knight Page A

possible.
    I’m taller than Lani and while she’s probably in better shape, I can outrun her just on leg length. I come up to a flagpole and decide to reverse my path back toward the fence with a view of the cemetery.
    My hand connects with the smooth steel of the pole, and I use it as leverage to make the tight turn.
    Lani is close on my heels but can’t stop fast enough to switch directions as quickly. So I keep my lead and head for the part of the fence that has the least amount of vines obscuring the view.
    Halfway across, though, I start to slow down. I’m not in good enough shape for this. There’s a slight roll to the hill here and I try to keep my pace, but Lani catches up to me while we’re still fairly hidden from the fence. I should have started screaming the minute she came up on me, while we were close to the jogging path. Maybe then someone would have heard and called for help right off.
    She leaps for me, grasping me around the waist to bring me down. I hit the ground with a hard crunch.
    I have to get closer to that fence. I writhe and struggle, pushing at her, kicking at her legs to get her away. Her grip is fierce. I’m exhausted and angry. Why is she doing this to me? What does her problem with her brother and Parker have to do with me?
    I can’t stop to think about this. I have to survive it. I give it everything I’ve got, wildly throwing elbows and kicking with my legs and wrenching around with twists of my body.
    I get free again and I’m off like a shot, adrenaline giving me a second wind now that I have a goal — the fence.
    I’m close enough for screams to be heard when she catches me again. But as I go down, I see something that makes my blood go cold. Another figure dressed in dark clothes, jumping over the fence.
    If Lani has help, I’m a goner.

Chapter 15: Parker

    I can see the two of them rolling in the dirt. The fence is nothing. I scale it and jump over in a flash.
    They’re far off, though, and as I run toward their struggling figures, someone else is also heading for them. This one is a man, and he’s dressed in black. Lani must have backup.
    He reaches the girls first and snatches Maddie up. At first I think he’s breaking up the fight, but then he holds her arms back so Lani can get a clean punch.
    I bust into a full-tilt sprint.
    Lani lands a hard jab to Maddie’s face. Her head snaps to one side.
    I see nothing but red.
    The man notices me coming and lets Maddie drop to the ground. Instead of falling, though, Maddie surprises me. She jumps on Lani and pins her with her legs. Then she pounds her face with a ferociousness I’ve only seen inside the cage. Jesus, she’s going to break her hands.
    When I get to them, I’m not sure what to do. The other man is just watching, probably as much in surprise as me. Lani is caught beneath Maddie, trying to get her arms up. But Maddie has either gotten lucky or knows to brace her knees on Lani’s arms. It’s a very effective submission hold.
    I move to lift Maddie away, but she growls, “Don’t even think about it.”
    I’m not totally sure she knows it’s me, but I pull my hands back.
    This seems to jolt the other guy out of his shock and he reaches for her instead. I knock him backward.
    He takes a punch at me, and another fight is on.
    I land three fast jabs and turn for a sweeping roundhouse that takes him to the ground. He lands one elbow to my ribs, then backs away, hands out.
    “I don’t want to fight you, man,” he says. “That’s not why I’m here.”
    When he moves into the light, I recognize him. Rough Ride. I’ve gone up against him at least three times in the cage. I drop my hands. “What the hell?” I ask.
    “Lani just asked me to watch out for her, be backup in case a fight went south.” He turns to the fence. “She didn’t say nothing about a pro fighter being here.”
    He scales the fence and takes off.
    I turn around. Maddie is still sitting on Lani, hitting her like she’s a punching bag.