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

group. “I’d go with Sam over Levi.”
    “Really?” I ask.
    “He did really well in the last tournament before Pike destroyed him,” she says. “You remember? He tapped out your first night.”
    “That was him?” I ask. I look him up and down from across the room. “He looks…”
    “Leaner and meaner,” she finishes. “I think he’s worth giving a second shot.”
    “Let’s do it,” I nod.
    “One more.”
    I look up and find Tobias in the crowd again. I’d love so much to say his name, to bring him back into the fray as Lillian wants me to, but he’s made up his mind. I chew on my lip. “Well, the rest of them seem awfully inexperienced…”
    “So was Tobias,” she reminds me.
    “What about Mike?” I ask.
    She glances over her shoulder. “Every time I look at him, I picture his face slamming against the floor after Tobias punched him,” she chuckles.
    “But tonight…” I say, “he held his own.”
    “Yeah, against Trevor ,” she says. “Not that difficult a task.”
    “I have a good feeling about him.”
    “A rookie mistake,” she smiles, “but everybody gets one. Devlin, Sam, and Mike it is then.”
    “Not a bad line-up,” I say. “I wish we knew who the other districts are bringing in…”
    “That’s part of the game. That’s what makes the first fight of the season so important. A trained eye will know exactly who’s in it to win it after that. Hell, I’ve had fighters bow out completely after seeing who they’re up against.”
    I blink. “Damn. Really?” I look at my chosen three again and wonder if any of them seem like the type to stray.
    “We have some really tough standards here,” she continues. “Many other tournaments last months . Ours is weeks . With a fight a week, our boys aren’t given a lot of time to recuperate between matches.”
    I flinch slightly, remembering how beaten up Tobias was by the end of it all last time. “Yeah, why is that?” I ask.
    She smiles and looks over her shoulder until her eyes find Tobias. “Because only a true Alpha makes it to the end. It’s why our tournament is so highly respected. That title doesn’t go to just anybody. The last man standing fucking deserves it.”
    My body quivers, once again imagining Tobias in that ring covered with sweat and a little bit of blood. My Alpha . “Guess we should tell them, then…” I mutter.
    “After you, madame.” She makes a pushing motion with her fingers and we walk back over to the expecting crowd, each one of them pretending not to look as nervous as they do.
    “Gentlemen,” I say after a quick, but deep, breath, “we’ve made our decision.”
    “I want you all to know that this wasn’t an easy choice,” Amy interjects, her voice kind and professional. “If we didn’t choose you, do not be discouraged. Rejection is not a sign of weakness; it’s a challenge to get better and try again. I expect to see many of you again next year.”
    My lips curl, somewhat taken back by her inspirational words. “If we call your name, please step forward,” I say. I glance at the clipboard. “Devlin Marx, Sam Evans, and Mike Sinclair.”
    There’s a shuffle of feet and a few audible groans behind them as they each step up.
    “This is bullshit, ” a voice, distinctly Trevor’s, calls out from the back.
    We look at him as he bolts forward, bumping elbows with Devlin. His dark eyes catch mine and it’s clear that he’s coming for me.
    In the blink of an eye, Tobias moves between us and reaches out to grip Trevor’s neck, halting the man in his tracks with a single squeeze. The others step back, their eyes full of shock and surprise as Tobias raises him an inch off the ground.
    “You’re dismissed,” Tobias growls, letting him hang for several more seconds before dropping him back down. Devlin steps forward, Sam and Mike following closely behind him, and blocks us completely from Trevor’s view.
    I remember what Amy told me last year, just moments after Pike submitted to