Xavier crashes his lips to mine quickly before pulling away and heading for the black curtain to give the fans the showdown they crave. The moment he steps into the spotlight the roof on the building nearly blows off with the force of the crowd’s screams. I turn toward the monitor and stare, mesmerized by the pure determination on his face. I swallow hard as nervous energy flows through my body.
It’s like a train wreck—I shouldn’t watch, but I can’t tear my eyes away.
He marches down the ramp and jumps up onto the platform before slipping through the ropes and into the ring. The rumble of the crowd pumps even more energy into the air. So much so even I can taste it. Xavier and Rex stare at each other from opposite corners. A chill runs down my spine as I take in Xavier’s cold expression. It’s murderous, and I really don’t like what that might mean.
They circle each other for a moment before wrapping each other up in holds. They fall to the mat grappling, and Rex says something into Xavier’s ear, but only loud enough for Xavier to hear. Xavier’s eyes grow wild, and he slips out of Rex’s hold with ease and rolls him onto his back. Xavier straddles Rex and lands a hard right punch to the side of Rex’s face.
I cover my mouth. Shit just got very real. I’ve seen enough matches to know that they never really hit each other like that in the ring. Xavier is losing it—and on national television.
I have to stop him.
Before he destroys everything he’s worked so hard for.
22
Xavier
On the mat, putting on a show for the crowd, is really fucking hard. All I want to do is pound the ever-loving shit out of Rex. He’s run his mouth for far too long but fucking with Anna is the last fucking straw. I want nothing more than to end him. Holding back for the sake of my job is testing my sanity.
Rex wraps his arms around my neck and jerks my head toward his face and growls in my ear, “I can’t wait to find out what Anna’s sweet little pussy tastes like.”
A cloak of red covers my vision, and that’s all I can see.
I grab his shoulders and flip him onto his back, and the only thing I want to do is inflict pain. I draw my fist back and slam it into the side of Rex’s face, and he grunts in pain.
I pull back my left and hit him just as hard and follow it up with another right hook.
Rex bucks his hips, and I fall off him. Crimson flows from Rex’s nose and I stare down at my hands covered in the same slick liquid. I’ve hurt him, but it’s not enough.
I roll off the ring and force a man sitting ringside off the metal chair he’s sitting on. I grab the cold steel and toss it into the ring.
Rex pulls himself up the ropes so he can stand as I slip back into the ring. I grab the chair and as Rex turns to face me I smack him across the face with it as hard as I can. An audible crack echoes around the arena.
Rex falls down to the mat. He rolls side-to-side, groaning and clutching his face.
If he’s still moving, he hasn’t had enough.
I throw the chair down and grab him by the hair of his head and yank, forcing him back to his feet. Rex wobbles in front of me, and I’m tempted to ask him where the fuck his cocky-ass smirk is now, but I resist. I’d rather just focus on showing him who the king of this fucking ring is.
I draw back and land a hard right square into his nose. The bone breaks easily against my knuckles, and the delight is such that I actually smile.
It feels good to release all the anger I’ve been keeping bottled up inside. The animal inside me has been caged for far too long. Being under contract gave me something to lose if I lost my head and fought against the world. That’s probably one of the reasons why the nightmares have been coming so frequently.
My mind flashes with visions of Rex’s constant taunts…Grandmother beating me…Mom, dying in my arms.
The last one stings the most. I couldn’t save her, but I can surely save Anna. I’ll never allow anything bad to happen to her. No one will ever hurt her, including me.
Never again will anyone mess with my Anna, least of all this fuckin’ cockroach. I’ll see to that by breaking his fucking jaw.
I slam my fist into his jaw and Rex’s mouth snaps open awkwardly as he falls to his knees before me. He stares up at me with hazed eyes, and I draw back one more time.
A large arm hooks around my elbow, and I find myself being yanked back. A roar that rivals an angry lion’s rips from my throat. I’m still hungry to finish what I’ve started and it pisses me off someone that is preventing that.
I yank and pull and scream, “Get the fuck off me!”
“Chill, man. You’ve got to chill. They’ll arrest your ass if you don’t.”
Freddy’s voice cuts through the haze in my brain.
My vision swirls and when my eyes finally focus, I’m brought back to the harsh reality of what I’ve done. I stare down at Rex’s uncharacteristically still body on the mat, surrounded by a medical team.
Oh God. I fucking did that.
Shit.
My legs give out below me, and Freddy, along with two other members of the security team, allow me sink to my knees. I grab my hair in my fists and squeeze.
This isn’t happening. All I’ve ever wanted is to leave all my violence in the past, but no matter how fucking hard I try, I can’t always contain my rage.
I press my hands against the mat and drop my head.
I fucked up. I’m going to lose everything.
I close my eyes and just focus on breathing. The fans in the arena mumble as the doctors work on Rex. Everyone’s waiting to see if he’s going to be okay.
“Brian, let me go!”
Anna’s voice cuts though the noise, and I glance up just in time to watch her push away from Brian and dash across the ring, sinking down to her knees beside me. She wraps her arms around my shoulders and kisses my cheek.
“Are you okay?”
I peer into her concerned eyes. Tears flow down her cheeks, and I know that I don’t want to live without her. I need her by my side always.
She needs to know how I feel about her.
I cradle her face in my hands and wish so badly we were alone in a room somewhere—anywhere—rather than being watched by millions of people while I’m still covered in another man’s blood, but this might be my only chance.
“I love you, Anna, no matter what happens next,” I whisper. “And I always will.”
Tears continue to flow from her beautiful green eyes, but she gives a slight smile. “I’ll love you forever.”
I press my lips to hers in a soft kiss. Anna means the world to me and I’ll do anything to protect her.
Police officers begin to circle me, and I know I’ve royally fucked up. I close my eyes and tighten my arms around Anna, trying to memorize the way this moment feels.
“On your feet. Xavier Cold, you’re under arrest,” an authoritative voice says.
I glance up at the officer in front of me as he pulls handcuffs from his waistband. My eyes drift back to Anna’s face, and she shakes her head.
“No! You are not taking him!” she yells at the officer.
“Ma’am, I’m going to need you to step away from him,” the cop orders.
Anna clings even tighter to me, and as much as it pains me, she needs to do as he asks.
I kiss her forehead. “You’re going to have to let me go, baby. I don’t want them putting their hands on you. I’ll lose my shit.”
She swallows hard and sniffs. “I don’t want to be without you.”
I cup her face in my hands, and I fight back all the emotion from my face. I can’t let her see how this is breaking me.
“You have to be strong.” I don’t know if this is more for her benefit or my own.