UNBROKEN: A Bad Boy MMA Romance (Midwest Alphas) (Book 2) by Tabatha Kiss

“Trevor, correct?” I ask.
    “That’s me,” he confirms. “Trevor the Terror.”
    I grin. “So, you’ve competed before?”
    “Yes, I have. This’ll be my third tournament.”
    “I like the name,” I say, throwing every bit of caution into the wind. “It’s… cute .”
    He flexes his jaw, unamused by my comment and angered by the quick snickers coming from his fellow men. “Look, lady ,” he seethes. “I don’t have to stand here and—”
    “I’m gonna stop you right there,” I say, my heart racing in my chest, fueling my words with a warm fire. “Because, you see… you actually do have to stand here and listen to me because if you don’t, you don’t have a chance in hell of setting foot in the ring ever again — not that anyone would miss you since I’ve never even heard of you before despite your claim to fighting in two previous tournaments.” He opens his lips, just aching to speak up, but I quickly raise my voice to cut him off. “Tell me something, Trev — If you were in my shoes, would you waste your time on a fighter that’s already failed to make an impression? I mean, you’ve been eliminated from this tournament twice by your own admission. Are you a third times the charm kind of guy? Give me one good reason why I should expect a different outcome from you this time.”
    Hot air fumes through his nose. “You’ve got some brass balls, lady,” he mutters, amusement crossing his eyes.
    “Two brass balls, zero patience, and a ballpoint pen,” I add, clicking the pen with my thumb. “I can mark you off right now. Just say the word.” I lay the pen point against his name on the paper and let the threat linger in thick air between us. My entire body screams with agonizing anticipation. I will my nerves to chill, forcing every bit of fear I have into them to keep me frozen solid beneath him. It’s a confidence I’ve never in my life experienced before, even if it’s just a clever ruse to display what little dominance I have inside of me.
    Finally, Trevor’s eyes break away from mine and he takes a step back. “I’m sorry, ma’am,” he says. “I was out of line.”
    I smile, holding back my sigh of relief. “Thank you,” I say. I glance at the other men, making sure to make eye contact with each of them as I scan the line. “If anyone else has a problem with me, the door is right behind us. If not, I think we’ve wasted enough time.” I turn away and walk back to my place beside Amy. “Trevor here has volunteered to go first. Mike, you’ll be joining him.”
    The two of them step towards the arena and I turn around to hide my face from them. I squeeze my eyes shut and fill my lungs with stale, can-scented air. Blood and adrenaline rush through my body, charging every system to the next level. I’m pumped, wild, and incredibly turned on.
    I open my eyes and look at Tobias to see his own super-charged passions filling his eyes. He smiles at me, holding himself back as the rest of them circle the arena.
    “Okay,” I say, gripping the metal whistle around my neck and bringing it to my lips. “Let’s get started.”
     
    ***
     
    “So, what do you think?” Amy asks with her arms cross about her chest. We break away from the crowd and let the fighters chat among themselves while we ponder our options.
    “Well, I know he’s your friend, but I think Trevor’s out,” I say.
    Amy rolls her eyes. “I know. I never would have given him a second chance last time if I didn’t have Tobias to fall back on for the district.”
    “Noticeable lack of Tobias’ out there,” I point out.
    “Yeah, I miss Tobias,” she whines.
    “I’m standing right here,” he says, lingering over our shoulders.
    “Are you rejoining the tournament?”
    “No.”
    “Then you’re dead to me,” she snaps.
    He sighs and takes a step back. I smile at him with an apologetic glance, but I think he knows he walked into that one. Tobias was truly a one of a kind fighter, someone that’s not