Free Unleashed (A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance) by Emilia Kincade

bike. “You’re here now, aren’t you?”
    Another bell dings, and Chance and I turn to watch the second round of the small tournament being held tonight.
    “Do you get paid for this?”
    “No,” he says, eyes on the cage. “We set this up for Coach to help him raise some money and attract new students. Get the word out about MMA fight training, and physical training in general.”
    “You mean all of you?”
    “Yeah. The guy who’s fighting now?” Chance nods his head toward the cage. “The taller one? He came down all the way from Portland to spend a week training with Coach, and to do this fight.”
    “That’s Marshall, right?” I ask, remembering the signage.
    “Yeah. He’s going to win this round, and then I’m going to face him.”
    “He’s much taller than you,” I say, frowning. Chance is a solid six-one or six-two, but this Marshall guy looks like he has a few inches over him.
    “He’s got reach, yes. But see his legs? See how long they are?”
    Now that he mentions it, I notice it. Chance hops off the bike and stands next to me, panting. I can feel the heat from his body shooting into mine. “His center of gravity is high. That means he has less balance.”
    “So you’ll try and take him down?”
    “Yes,” he tells me. “I know the way he fights, he likes to get close real fast, and that negates his reach. But with his high center, Judo would be a good way to counter him.”
    “Why Judo in particular?”
    “It’s a whole fighting art dedicated to getting your opponent on the mat,” he tells me. “Not much striking involved.”
    My phone vibrates in my bag, and I pull it out. “Shit, I have to go.”
    “Why?”
    “Seems my dad wants to do a video chat with me over Skype tonight. He told me to call him as soon as I get this message.”
    “Just tell him you’re busy.”
    “No,” I say, shaking my head. “It could be important.”
    “If it was important, he’d call you.”
    “No, I have to go,” I tell him. “He’ll worry about me if I don’t call back.”
    “I thought you were pissed off at him for not being here for graduation?”
    “I am,” I tell him truthfully. “But he doesn’t know I’m out of the house, and so he’ll worry if I don’t get online.” I shrug, grin. “Fighting’s pretty boring anyway.”
    “Stay. Break a rule. Be a little bad.”
    I look into Chance’s hazel eyes, feel like he’s testing me. “No,” I tell him. “It’ll just mean more trouble for me later.”
    “Fair enough. You take the bus here?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Come on,” Chance says. “I’ll drive you.”
    “No, really, it’s fine, you still got a fight.”
    “There’s a twenty minute break before the final round. It’s fine,” he says, shaking his head. “Let me get changed. I’ll meet you back here in a bit.”
    To his credit, he really does just drive me home. He doesn’t try to rile me up or get under my skin. I feel comfortable in the car with him.
    “Thanks,” I say as he pulls to a stop and I get out.
    “When’s your dad getting back?”
    “Not for a few days.”
    “You here all alone?”
    “Well, me and the cat.”
    Chance nods slowly. Our eyes meet, and we share a smile. Only, his is infinitely more comfortable than mine.
    I eye Chance for a moment. Sweat still drips down his neck. He still hasn’t cooled down.
    “You were pretty good, from what I saw tonight,” I tell him.
    “I’m good every night.”
    I don’t reply to that, instead walk up the driveway and slip inside the front door.
    When I open my laptop, I see three blinking notifications, three missed-video-calls from Dad, and sigh.



Chapter Twelve

“I’m the last.”
    I look at Jess, my best friend. She’s sitting at my computer table tapping away on chat. “What’s that?” she asks, but she doesn’t turn around to look at me.
    “I’m the last of our group.”
    Now she turns, eyebrow cocked, and a look of curiosity on her face. “Are you talking about sex?”
    “Yeah,”