Hurt: A Bad Boy MMA Romantic Suspense Novel by London Casey, Ana W. Fawkes Page B

The way she reacted to me being there. Almost passing the hell out. Being goddamn beautiful and having that aura of total innocence and desperate need. The way her body tasted. The smell of her desire.
    She cracked the shell around my heart a year ago. I thought that crack had hardened in jail. But I guess not. Then again, I had no idea what Ashlynn was. Other than the fact that she gave birth to my son. My only child. A healthy son.
    “And I walked away,” I whispered.
    I’d make that situation right. At least for the sake of Jude. The baby deserved me in his life and would have me in his life. I had survived enough fights and jail… nothing could take me down now.
    Before I could finish the goddamn thought, tires squealed. I looked to my left and saw a black van barreling around the bend in the road. Then it crossed the yellow lines.
    And it was aimed right at me.
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    I jumped to the left and saw the van getting closer by the second. The side door slid open and two men, dressed in black, with guns, tried to grab at me. I managed to throw a punch and then I lost my balance. When I tumbled back, I hit the ground and started to flip over. I was going down into a ravine, rolling and bouncing hard with each flip of my body. The only way I could protect myself was to tuck my chin into my chest and cover my head.
    When I stopped rolling, the inside of my body felt like it was still going. I uncovered my face and saw one of the masked men already climbing to his feet, the gun in his hand waving around. I jumped up to my knees and shook my head, trying to get rid of the dizzy feeling.
    Fight or flight was never an option with me. It was fight… fight until fucking death… always. Forever.
    I lunged forward and tackled the guy to the ground. I grabbed his wrist and slammed his hand off the ground. It took three hard slams to get him to let the gun go. He came across with a left that rocked my jaw. I fell off him and scrambled for the gun. From the corner of my eye I saw him pull out a knife. I had to abandon the idea of grabbing the gun for the moment. I jumped at the guy again, getting him with the same tackle. I was bigger and stronger than him, even though he had weapons.
    “Yo! John! You alive?”
    The voice echoed.
    I brought my fist down and hit John in the mouth. I then covered his mouth.
    I looked up the ravine and saw the faint outline of someone standing there. It was his crew, checking on him.
    That’s when a plan developed in my mind.
    I grabbed John’s throat and made it so he couldn’t scream. I dragged him along the ground and got the gun. I put the gun right to his head.
    “Listen to me, asshole,” I growled. “You’re going to do what I say. Get on your knees, hands behind your back. You’re going to look up to your boys and tell them I’m gone. That you got me. Tell them to leave so nobody sees them and gets nervous. Tell them you’ll take the motorcycle and meet up later. Got that?”
    The guy shook his head. I jammed the gun to his head. He took a shaky breath.
    “I’ll put a bullet in your head if you don’t,” I said.
    He nodded.
    I lessened my grip on his throat.
    “Understand?” I asked.
    “Yes,” John said. “Yes.”
    “Good.”
    I stepped back and watched as John listened to me. I put the gun to the back of his head and ripped his mask off. I looked at him. I had no fucking clue who he was.
    “Say it,” I said. “Hurry.”
    “I’m down here!” John yelled. “I got him!”
    “Are you hurt?” the voice yelled down.
    “I’m okay! You guys go! I’ll take his motorcycle.”
    I waited and listened.
    My plan had worked.
    “Who are you working for?” I asked.
    “Go fuck yourself, man,” John said. “I don’t even know your name. I just have my orders.”
    “I’m the one with a gun to your head. You take my orders now, bitch.”
    John turned his head and spit. “You said you weren’t going to shoot me.”
    “I never said that,” I said. “I just gave you