Free Destroyed by the Bad Boy by Madison Collins Page A

Harry, knows who Lily is. Usually Tripp is my cornerman, and I do the same for his matches, but I sent him a message not to come tonight. I can’t deal with both Tripp and a fight right now.
    “Dunno,” Harry says. “Is she a ring girl?”
    “No. She’s not a ring girl.” I have to resist the urge to punch Harry. My anger is out of control lately. I need to resolve this situation with Lily so I can get back to normal. I’m not exactly an average guy. If my anger gets out of control I actually can hurt someone.
    I can barely hear the announcer over the bad PA system, but the referee is standing up so I assume it’s time to start the match. I walk into the ring to the cheering of the crowd and get a good look at my opponent. He has a couple pounds on me, but I’m nearly an inch taller. Reach makes a big difference in this game. I flex my muscles. The ref shouts for the match to begin and steps back.
    I step quickly in a circle and my opponent mirrors the action. I like making the first move. It forces the other guy to follow what I’m doing and react while I call the shots.
    I lunge for the first punch, but my opponent is fast. I barely graze him before he dances out of the way. Instead of counter attacking he holds his defensive position and quick steps away. Doesn’t he know this is a contact sport? I grin.
    I go at him hard, letting the punches fly. He’s so far on the defensive I don’t expect him to strike back. That’s why it surprises me when his fist slams into my jaw. I stagger back a step, my bells thoroughly rung. He follows up with a quick punch to my shoulder and a hard one to my ear.
    A scream distracts me for a split second longer than it should. I know that voice.
    Lily .
    She’s at the match and she’s terrified. For me.
    I charge back at my opponent hard, bearing down on him with everything I’ve got. I’m desperate to end this match fast now. My opponent gives under my flurry of blows. He hits the floor and doesn’t get back up. I barely comprehend the words when the ref screams that it’s a knock out.
    I search frantically for Lily in the crowd. She’s in the front row, her face washed out with fear. Her mascara streaks a black trail down one cheek.
    Fuck. I want to go to her, to comfort her, and promise her that everything will be okay. Explain why I left last night, tell her that I want her. 
    But as I watch her draw a shaky breath, I realize I can’t do this to her. She isn’t cut out to date a fighter. Every time I get in this ring she’ll worry that it’s going to be like her brother’s last match all over again.
    The only decent thing to do is let her go. We’ll both have memories from the one night we spent together. Those will have to be enough to sustain us as we part ways for good.

Chapter Seven
    Lily
     
    The heels I decided to wear tonight are already hurting my feet when I get to the bar. I stopped at my place before I came here to fix up my face. I made a mess of my makeup in my panic when I saw Cage take those hits.
    My hands have finally stopped shaking. He took that punch and it had looked exactly like the punch my brother took before he never fought again. My heart almost broke in that instant.
    I overreacted. I get that now that I’m calmer. Fighters take hits. They get injured. Mostly they don’t end up as bad off as my brother, especially when they’re only semi-pros like Cage and Tripp.
    Besides, Cage won the match. I need to be happy for him. That’s why I decided to head to the bar I know the fighters hang out at when they’re celebrating a victory. The place is a dive, but all the guys from the gym go there. I made the mistake of asking why they go to this bar once, and they all looked at me blankly. “Because it’s our bar,” they said.
    I smile to myself. Sometimes it really is just that simple. Things with Cage definitely aren’t simple, but I’m hoping some alcohol will cure that.
    When I walk in I see Cage sitting at the bar. He’s