UNBROKEN: A Bad Boy MMA Romance (Midwest Alphas) (Book 2) (16 page)

The crowd deflates, most of them disappointed that they’ll have to wait yet another week to see if they’ll ever see a rematch between Rick and Tobias, but I breathe a sigh of relief at the thought. I’m honestly not ready for that rematch just yet — especially since losing my freedom is a very possible outcome.

I bite my tongue behind my lips, watching as Rick and Devlin take opposite corners of the stage, knowing with prophetic eyes how this match will end. I know Devlin, he’s one of my own fighters. I know his style. He’s strong and fast, but not nearly as strong or fast as Rick. I curse under my breath. Rick will win this fight and he’ll be locked into the tournament for another week. Amy brings the metal whistle to her lips and quickly blows, signaling the start of the match.

“Hang in there, Claire,” I hear Ryan say as his hand squeezes my shoulder.

I peek up at him out of the corner of my eye, wondering just how much Amy has whispered into his ear during late night pillow talk. I say nothing, but I give him an understanding nod. He winks back at me, his hand slipping off my shoulder, and flicks his hood over his head to cover his eyes before walking off into the crowd.

He bumps arms with Tobias as he passes by, but he leaves him with an apologetic pat on his bare shoulder. Tobias does a quick double take before finally stopping near me. “Was that…?”

“Ryan,” I answer with a nod.

He sighs, shaking his head. “What is she thinking?” he asks, his eyes darting towards Amy as she steps out of the ring and falls into Ryan’s secret arms.

“She’s
thinking
about the incredibly handsome and dangerous boy that’s obviously head over heels for her.” My lips curl. “I can relate.”

His eyes narrow. “He’s not
that
good-looking…”

I raise an eyebrow. “I don’t think he’s a danger,
yet
. And Amy’s smart. She won’t let it become a problem.”

“It’s already a problem…”

“Feel free to bring it up,” I joke, “I’m sure she’ll take it well.”

Tobias stares at them for a moment, his eyes shifting beneath his forehead. Finally, he gives up and looks back at the ring as Devlin knocks Rick backward with a fierce kick to the chest.

I watch them spar back and forth, Devlin putting everything he has into each kick and punch. Rick blocks each time, following it up with his own powerful hits, but I can tell he’s holding back. He’s toying with Devlin like an alley cat, letting his prey believe he has a chance to walk away before sinking his teeth in. “He’s the last of our district,” I say, “other than you.”

“As if I wasn’t under enough pressure…” Tobias mutters.

I open my mouth to speak, to inform him of what Rick told me about my mother, but I bite my lip instead. He stares at the fight in front of us, his eyes darting around with quick concentration, studying Rick as much as Rick studies him. I can’t tell him about my mother yet. It’d only serve as a distraction, one he doesn’t need right now.

The crowd winces and I look up to see Rick on his knees with Devlin behind him, his arms locked around his throat in a fierce headlock. A jolt of excitement stirs in my breast. My feet carry my forward, enticed by the fantasy of Rick losing this battle.

Rick squirms, his limbs flailing around, trying to get loose from Devlin’s iron grip. I hold my breath, watching what I can see of Rick’s face. My fantasy turns to horror as Rick’s lips curl in a devilish grin. I sigh with disappointment as he easily flips forward, casting Devlin over his shoulders to the floor in front of him. Of course he was in no real danger of losing. He’s playing with his audience just as much as he’s playing with Devlin.

His gaze finds mine in the crowd and his deep blue eyes turn my senses to stone. He presses his knee against Devlin’s neck and Rick holds him there, staring back at me the entire time, until Devlin’s skin turns purple and his hand taps hard against Rick’s shin.

Rick’s adoring fans go wild, screaming his name, calling out to their
Alpha
in triumph.

“Claire…” Tobias pulls me away, shifting his body between myself and the cage.

I push myself onto my toes and steal a hard kiss from his lips. “Go,” I tell him.

His mouth splits, but he holds back any words he has for me. With a quick nod, he pushes away and makes his way back towards the cage.

Amy climbs back inside the ring as Devlin pulls himself off the floor. “Well,
shit
!” she cries. “He was one of mine…” Her whimpering lips bring a series of adorable
aww’s
from the crowd around her. “But I guess that’s another win for
Rick the Unbreakable
! He’s the
Alpha
, after all…” Her audience screams as her words fall for a moment and her eyes dance with amusement.
“For now.”

Rick looks at her through the narrow slits of his eyes, but he does nothing in response to her joke. He can’t anyway. She’s a Dame and even more, he’s in her district. She can say whatever the hell she wants and he can’t touch her, but it certainly won’t stop him from thinking about it. I can tell by the darkness in his eyes that he is. He steps out of the arena, right into the open arms of his public while the remaining fighters take the stage.

“Tobias the Untouchable!”
Amy calls out his name with pride. “Let’s see what you’ve got against
Peter the Phantom
from St. Louis!”

Tobias moves into his corner, his eyes locked on Peter with every step he takes. I smile, feeling the rush of heat through my body as he takes his fighting stance. He pauses and looks at me, taking the few seconds he has before Amy blows the whistle to remind himself of why he’s up there in the first place. I lick my lips and smile at him, my warm cheeks flooding my senses.

The whistle calls and Peter charges forward before it even falls from Amy’s lips. It takes Tobias by surprise, but he slips away from him in the knick of time to avoid a crushing blow to the face. Peter punches wide, Tobias blocking each one, but with every strike, he falls backward another step.

I bite my lip so hard, I taste blood on my tongue as Tobias falls back more and more with each blow. He’s still too slow, not nearly as fast as he once was. I throw all the negative thoughts away, eager to keep an optimistic outlook, but the crushing weight won’t fall off my shoulders.

Peter juts forward, shoving his shoulders against Tobias to knock him back against the cage. He holds him there with his thick arms and slams his knee into Tobias’ kidneys to keep him off balance. The edges of the metal cage bite at Tobias’ skin, tearing at his flesh until blood seeps from the wounds. I flinch, unwilling to turn away from him until I see Rick’s familiar face flood my vision.

“One last chance, Claire,” he says, blocking my view. “Where’s your mother?”

I lick my lips, tasting the subtle heat and rage upon them. “Go to hell, Rick,” I say, letting my eyes fall back to the cage. I ignore his towering form above me, sensing his own anger. Finally, he walks away and I let a shiver of fear take control of me for a long second.

“Come on, Tobias…” I whisper through bared teeth.

Tobias kicks forward and wraps his foot around Peter’s knee, sweeping his leg out from under him. Peter topples backward, his back slamming against the floor, giving Tobias the leverage he needs to push off the cage. Fresh blood falls out of his wounds, staining down his white skin like spilled, red ink. The crowd screams, once again getting a taste of
Tobias the Untouchable’s
blood.

Tobias throws another kick, this one connecting hard against Peter’s face. It’s a surprising blow, one that shocks me as much as anyone else. Tobias usually doesn’t take the easy shot while his opponent is down, but I see the determination in his eyes. He can’t lose this fight. He
won’t
lose this fight.

No matter what.

He pounces on Peter with white-knuckle fists, turning them red with each fresh blow to his face, striking him again and again until Peter falls limply to the floor. My eyes scan the room until I find Rick standing below the cage, frozen solid as the rest of the crowd jumps around him in excitement. I can see it in his eyes; that look of surprise. He wasn’t expecting Tobias to get his hands dirty, and truthfully, neither was I.

One last kick from Tobias and Peter goes cold.

“That’s my boy!” Amy screams as she steps inside the cage. She plants a kiss on Tobias’ sweaty cheek, but I won’t bust her on it. I’d do the same thing in her position. He’s the last of our fighters. Our district’s last chance at retaking
Alpha
. He’s too valuable, especially to me.

I have far more to lose here than a bonus check.

***

“Hold still,” I mutter as I soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol.

Tobias looks up at me from his bed. “You don’t have to—”

“Shut it,” I say. “Lift up your arm.”

He sighs, but does as he’s told, gritting his teeth as the painful motion twinges his ribs. His entire side is wrecked with scratches, left behind by the jagged edges of the cage, many of which have yet to stop bleeding.

“Should probably look into getting a tetanus shot,” I point out, although I already know what his response will be. I pull the temporary adhesive bandage free and dab the soaked cotton against the seeping wound.

“I’m fine,” he says.

I roll my eyes, too tired to fight him. “I was hoping Rick would have been knocked out by now,” I say, changing the subject.

“I get the feeling Lillian would much rather drag this feud out,” he says. “The crowd is getting larger with every fight…”

“But the fights are chosen at random,” I say.

“Are they?” he grins, then immediately hisses from fresh pain as I move on to another set of scratches. “No, she’d never risk losing those numbers by taking either of us out too soon. It’ll be him versus me in the end, she’ll make sure of that.”

“I hate this,” I mutter. I press a fresh, white bandage against a very stubborn scratch. “Hold on to this...”

Tobias lays his hands against his ribs and presses the bandage hard against it, flexing his jaw. “No, you don’t,” he says. “Admit it.”

“I don’t enjoy watching you get hurt, Tobias,” I whisper, wiping blood off my fingers with a moist towel.

“No…” he says, “but you enjoy watching me win.”

I sigh. “I’m not exactly proud of it.”

“Claire…” He leans forward, pushing his hand against his wound a little harder. “It’s all right. I knew what I was getting into here…” My eyes fall from his and I shift my focus back to his wounds. “Did you see anything tonight?”

I pause. “Nothing suspicious,” I say. “But Rick did say something…”

“You talked to Rick?” he asks quickly. “When?”

“Just before his fight…” I say. I flash a smile, unable to contain my real feelings on the subject. “Apparently, my mother took off.”

“She did? To where?”

“I don’t know,” I answer. “I haven’t heard from her, but Rick was convinced I knew something…”

“Do you know where she’d go?” he asks.

“No,” I answer. “We don’t exactly have much family, never did. I was going to try and call her, but…”

He shifts slightly. “But what?”

“If she wanted me to know, she would have called me herself.”

Tobias reaches for my hand. “She will,” he says. “I’m sure she’s just waiting until things calm down.”

I nod. “I hope you’re right.”

He lies back against his headboard, his hands shaking with adrenaline still locked away in his system. “Anything else?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No.”

“No sign of Pike in the crowd?”

“No.”

“You’re sure?”

“Tobias,” I say, leaning forward. “I’m sure.” He falls silent again. I touch his hand, still pressed against his broken skin. “Let me see…” He drops his fingers and I pull the bandage away to inspect the wound. “Looks like it stopped bleeding…
finally…
”

“Good,” he breathes.

I grab a cotton ball, fresh and white from the package. “This’ll sting a little…”

Tobias sits still with his eyes shut tight as I soak the wound with alcohol. “Claire…”

“What?” I ask, pulling back.

“When you watch Rick fight…” he pauses, “do you feel the same way about him as you do about me?”

I furrow my brow, confused by his question. “What?
No
, Tobias. Why would you even think that?”

“I watched you watching him tonight,” he says.

“It’s my job to watch him.”

“You looked scared,” he notes. “Like you didn’t want him to get hurt.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“He was your first love, Claire.”

My jaw sags open as words get stuck on the tip of my tongue. “Tobias, I…” I stutter. “Do you
really
think, after everything he’s done, that I’m even
capable
of feeling anything like that for him
ever
again?”