Ground & Pound

by Emily Minton

  Instead, I tell him what’s on my mind. “I plan on carrying my woman out of here, celebrating in our suite. Then, I’m gonna do my best to convince her to marry me.”

  With those words, I rush to the edge of the octagon and climb the cage. Within seconds, Emmy is in my arms, and I am walking us to the locker room. Carrying her through the crowd, I ignore them and whisper in her ear, “You gonna be my wife, Sunshine?”

  A huge smile covers her face as her eyes lock on mine. She stretches her body, placing a kiss on my lips. “Yes.”

  I stop in my tracks and deepen the kiss. “I love you. I really do.”

  She opens her mouth to respond, but before she can, her face distorts in fear and she screams, “No!”

  Suddenly, I feel something hit my back, and I have to struggle to stay on my legs. I tighten my grip on Emmy, not wanting to drop her. Pain shoots down my spine, so extreme it nearly makes me double over. What the fuck just happened?

  Before I know what’s going on, Ozzy is pulling Emmy out of my arms, while Coach is holding me up. She looks back at me, and her face is a ghostly white. Tears are streaming down her cheeks, and she is yelling something that I can’t quite make out. In fact, everyone is yelling, but it all seems so muffled. Coach slowly lowers me to the floor as security guards push the crowd back into their seats.

  Emmy’s face is hovering above mine. I can see her lips moving, but I still can’t make out what she is saying. Everyone else is standing over me, too, their faces looking as if they have been punched in the gut. I want to ask what’s wrong, but I can’t get my mouth to work.

  Emmy rests her head on my chest, and her mouth is close to my ear. “Hold on, please. I can’t lose you, too.”

  My eyes start to flutter closed; I just don’t have the strength to hold them open. It’s as if I’m sinking, and no matter how hard I try, I just can’t kick my way to the surface. When the darkness comes, I pray that it isn’t permanent. I pray that I get to see my girl again.

  Chapter Twenty Nine

  Emmy

  Beep.

  Please wake up.

  Beep.

  You can’t leave me here.

  Beep.

  I love you.

  Kane’s mom, Mona, puts a hand on my shoulder, drawing my attention away from him. “You need to go home and get a little rest. There’s no way you’re getting any sleep in the place.”

  I shake my head. “I can’t leave him.”

  I haven’t moved from Kane’s bedside since he came out of surgery two days ago. When Jason stabbed him, the knife punctured his lung, causing him to bleed internally. He nearly died before arriving at the hospital, and did die once while in the operating room, but he ended up making it out. The doctor says he has a fifty-fifty chance of living through this. I refuse to even think of those odds.

  “When he wakes up and realizes you haven’t been taking care of yourself, he’s going to be angry,” she says, pushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “He’ll be mad at me for not taking care of his girl.”

  “He wouldn’t leave me, and I’m not leaving him.” Instead, I just sit here reliving what happened. I still can’t believe Jason did this. He made it clear that he was furious with Kane and me, but no one would have guessed he would have done something this drastic. I knew he was a cruel man, but never thought he was a murderer. Just thinking about what happened sends a chill down my spine.

  Mona looks at me with concern. “If you’re sure you’re staying then I’m gonna run home and take a shower. Do you want me to bring you back some clothes or something to eat?”

  “I’m okay, but thank you,” I mumble before going back to my thoughts.

  She places a kiss on the top of my head before saying, “Call me if there is any change.”

  I nod in agreement, staring down at Kane’s still form. “I promise.”

  I grab Kane’s hand, unable to stand not touching him. It’s like a horror movie that replays in my mind over and over again. Jason’s cruel smile as he emerged from the crowd will be a constant sight in my nightmares for years to come.

  My phone ringing brings me out of my thoughts. I pull it out and look, seeing my brother’s name flash across the screen. “Hey, Trey.”

  Trey went crazy when Jason went after Kane. From what I’ve heard, he jumped on top of him and didn’t stop hitting him until security pulled him off. The cops arrested him that night for assault. He was released earlier, with no charges filed against him. I’m not sure why, because his lawyer said with the severity of Jason’s injuries, Trey could possibly be arraigned for attempted murder. Ozzy said some of the higher ups in the MMA community talked with the Chief of Police. Maybe they swayed him in Trey’s favor.

  “Any news?” he asks, sounding just as worried as I am.

  “He’s breathing on his own, so that’s good,” I say, trying to grasp at any good news. “He hasn’t woken up yet, but he was moving his hand a bit earlier.”

  “The officer that arrested Jason called earlier,” Trey says before taking a deep breath.

  “What did he say?” I ask, worried he will get off on some technicality. He needs to pay for what he tried to do to us.

  “He said Jason was in the hospital for two days before they were able to question him. He claimed to have been in the arena just to watch the fight. Seeing Kane win flipped some sort of switch in his head, and he just couldn’t stop himself from going after him.” I can hear the anger in his voice. I need to get my brother some help.

  “That’s not true,” I shout into the phone. “Jason’s never missed fight night at the club. It was one of our biggest money makers.”

  “The cops agree with you. They think he came to the fight, hoping to have a chance to hurt Kane. The fact that he was carrying a knife showed that.”

  Blowing out a relived breath, I say, “Thank goodness. Hopefully, he will spend the rest of his life in prison.” Trey goes silent for a second, sending a wave of weirdness through me. “What’s wrong?”

  Finally, he answers. “He’s dead, Em.”

  “What? How?” I ask, not knowing whether I should feel sadness at the loss of life or happiness that he will never be able to hurt any of us again.

  “After he was released from the hospital, they took him right to the precinct. He took the coward’s way out. The officers found him hanging in the jail cell.”

  “Oh my God,” I whisper. I’m just about to ask another question, when I see Kane’s hand wiggle. Needing to be at his side, I say, “I’ve gotta go. Love you.”

  As soon as my phone is back in my pocket, I grab Kane’s hand and run my free hand through his dark hair. “Wake up, baby.”

  Of course, he doesn’t respond. He keeps sleeping, as if I never said a word. Not able to handle it any longer, I sit on the edge of his bed and lay my head down next to his as a tear slips down my cheek. I squeeze his hand. “You have to wake up, you know. I can’t marry you while you’re in this bed.”

  “Then get me out of it,” a strangled voice whispers.

  I freeze, hoping to hear the words again. Everything is silent, and I start to think it was just my imagination. Then, one of his hands comes up to grab mine. When I look up, his blue eyes are open and he is staring down at me. I reach over, pressing the call button for the nurse, before standing up and brushing my mouth over his, careful not to hurt him.

  “God, you have no idea how much I missed you.” I rest my forehead on his and let the tears fall. “I was so scared, baby.”

  We stay there quietly until his nurse comes in smiling. When she sees he is awake, she takes his vitals, noting all his stats, and lets us know that she will tell the doctor he is awake.

  When she leaves, Kane is staring at me with a questioning look on his face. “What the hell happened to me?”

  A tear slips down my cheek as I think back to that night, a night that we should have all spent celebrating. I grab his hand and place a gentle kiss on it. “It was Jason. When you were carrying me, I saw him coming wi
th a knife. It all happened so fast.” I shiver as it plays in my head again. His cruel smile will be a constant sight in my nightmares for years to come. He had this pure look of joy on his face when he realized that no one could stop him.

  “I wish I had seen him sooner. Even a second might have given you enough time to move. But, by the time I saw him, it was too late to do anything but scream.” I close my eyes and dip my head. I have been carrying so much guilt for not being able to stop him in time. For being the one to bring Jason into our lives in the first place.

  I can still see Kane’s face contorted in pain, while the knife sank into his back. I can feel the way he held me securely, making sure I wasn’t hurt, even as his body was filled with agony. The sight is etched into my memory, along with the look of shock and complete confusion that filled his eyes seconds later.

  “When Ozzy grabbed me from your arms, I went insane. I was kicking and thrashing trying to get back to you. For some reason, I thought I could fix you. I thought, if I could have touched you, it would be okay. When I saw the blood pooling under your body, those thoughts flew away, and I started to scream in pure agony.” My shoulders shake as the tears stream faster down my cheeks. The pain that’s been a constant presence in my chest aches harder. I lay my head on Kane’s chest. The beat of his heart is so comforting when, for a while, I thought I’d never hear it again.

  “I stayed by your side until the paramedics came over. Considering the frantic crowd, it took them forever to even get to you. It took them a while to get you stabilized, before they finally loaded you on the gurney and rushed to the ambulance. I was so focused on what was going on with you that I hadn’t even noticed that Trey went after Jason until the paramedics started rolling you away.”

  His eyes grow wide. He knows how bad Trey’s temper can be. “Did he kill him?”

  “Jason was hurt but not dead. I looked up just in time to see security pulling Trey away in cuffs. Apparently, they didn’t stop it right away, but had to pull him off once Jason hit the floor and was unconscious. By the time he was done, Jason couldn’t stand. He was pouring blood, and his head was flopping to the side.”

  I tell him about what Trey just told me. It’s such a relief knowing that neither of us needs to worry about Jason ever again. He is out of our lives for good.

  “How is your brother?” I can see the worry on his face.

  Of course, my man is worried about my brother when he’s lying in the hospital himself. “He’s fine. Somehow, no charges were filled. He’ll probably be here this afternoon.”

  “Good,” he mumbles through a pain-filled moan.

  Leaning down, I place a kiss on the edge of his lips and whisper, “Everything is going to be perfect.”

  Epilogue

  Kane

  My eyes search the ocean, taking in the rolling waves. The sun’s rays glisten against the water, causing it to look like diamonds. The sparkles catch my eyes. Other than my woman, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful. I take a moment to say a quick thank you to God for allowing me to live to see this day. It was close going there for a bit, but six months later, I’m about to marry the woman I love.

  It hasn’t been an easy road for us. My recovery wasn’t the best, and I was a horrible patient. I’m sure, by the time I was released, the nurses were ready to kill me. That hospital bed was like a damn jail cell for me, though. I’ve never been someone who could stay in one place for too long. I hated feeling helpless or like people had to take care of me.

  Once we were home, I was constantly getting questions about whether I would fight again or not. Emmy heard me tell my agent that I was going to work my damnedest to get back into the ring. She didn’t give me shit for it, but I found her later that night crying in the bedroom. She said the idea of me fighting, of seeing me in the ring, terrified her. Her entire body was shaking. I had never seen her like that, and it really made an impact on me.

  I decided that night that I had reached my goal in the fighting world. I won my title. For my girl, I would agree not to step back into the ring. I couldn’t step away from the sport completely, though. It’s a part of me; it’s like it runs in my veins. I started training fighters, and I have to say it makes me just as happy. Molding these guys and harnessing their talent the way Nico did for me is a great feeling.

  Ozzy nudges me, nodding to the far end of the beach. My heart picks up speed as soon I see Trey leading Emmy over the sand. She is wearing a simple white sundress, and her feet are bare. Her long blonde hair is hanging in waves down her back. Even from here, I can see flowers woven like a crown around her head. She is absolutely breathtaking.

  As she walks closer, I see a huge smile on her face, and mine grows to match hers. Even though I know I should wait here, I can’t. I need to touch her now. Rushing to Emmy, I reach her and Trey before they even get to our guests. She laughs, releasing his arm and grabbing my hand. “Couldn’t wait, huh?”

  “No,” I say simply with a shake of my head.

  My lips descend, meeting hers with a heated kiss. “Let’s get hitched, babe.”

  I lead her to the preacher, with Trey a step behind us. He takes his place beside Ozzy as Emmy hands her bouquet to my mom, who is standing by her side as Emmy’s maid of honor. Leaning down, she whispers something into Mom’s ear that draws a laugh from her, then turns back and grabs my hand again.

  Everyone goes quiet as the preacher begins to speak. “We are gathered here to witness the beginning of Kane and Emmy’s life together, to be part of their story.”

  I release Emmy’s hand, hooking my arm around her waist and pulling her closer to me. The preacher looks between us, a smile of understanding on his lips, before he continues. “Each and every one of us here today has a story of our own. Some are happy, while some are sad. Some are long, and some are short. A few are full of excitement. Others are filled with pain. The most important are stories of love, and that is the story we are here to celebrate, the story of Kane and Emmy’s love. It’s a story of hope, happiness, and devotion.”

  Leaning down, I place a kiss on Emmy’s temple, unable to keep from touching her. The preacher covers his laugh with a cough and asks, “Who gives this woman to be wed?”

  Trey smiles at the preacher and says, “I do.”

  Emmy grins, tears pooling in her gorgeous green eyes. She smiles at her brother before saying, “Thank you.”

  When Emmy finally looks back to the preacher, tears are trickling down her face. The preacher smiles at her before opening his bible and pulling out a piece of paper. “I thought long and hard about what to say to Emmy and Kane. I wanted something poignant, something that they would be able to remember for the rest of their lives, but nothing seemed to feel right. Then, I remembered a note my wife wrote me many years ago. I feel it fits these two perfectly.”

  Unfolding the paper, he starts to read. “If I didn’t believe in miracles, all I would have to do is look at you standing beside me, look at the love in your eyes when you stare at me, and know that miracles do truly exist.”

  Raising his eyes to look at us, he finishes. “Looking at the love you two share, there is no doubt in my mind miracles exist.”

  Emmy lets out a broken sob as I place a kiss on the top of her head and whisper, “You, baby, are a miracle.”

  Clearing his throat, the preacher looks at Emmy. “Do you, Emmy Sanders, take Kane Travis to be your husband, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death do you part?”

  “I do,” she says breathlessly.

  The preacher nods at me and asks, “Do you, Kane Travis, take Emmy Sanders to be your wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death do you part.”

  “I do,” I reply, excitement easily heard in my voice.

  “Now, it’s time to exchange the rings and seal the bon
d of your love,” the preacher says, and I turn to Ozzy and take the ring from his hand.

  Turning back, Emmy smiles up at me, filling me with pure happiness. She then takes my left hand and slides the band on my finger, marking me as hers for life. "I give you this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you."

  I say the same as I slide hers into place, feeling complete for the first time in my life. My eyes stay locked on her as the preacher says, "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you Emmy and Kane Travis, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

  Looking into my woman’s eyes, I whisper, “Gladly.”

  I take her lips in a deep kiss. When I finally pull back, I say, “I love you, Mrs. Travis.”

  Looking up at me with pure happiness, she replies, “I love you, too.”

  The End

  Turn the page for sneak peeks of Emily and Alexis’s other books

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks so much to all of our beta readers.

  A special thanks to Kendra Gaither, Emmy Hamilton, and Marisa Shor.

  Corrupted

  Deathstalkers MC #1

  Alexis Noelle

  Get it on Amazon!

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  Chapter One

  Run.

  They’re coming.

  I can hear the engines rumble.

  I’m being hunted.

  Prey left defenseless.

  I need to hide.

  They can’t find me.

  They’ll kill me if they do.

  One hour earlier

  “I won’t do it!” I scream at my mother. “I don’t want this. I’m only fourteen; please don’t make me do it, Mama!” I plead with my mother to understand, that this life isn’t for me.

  “Lucy, you will stop this foolishness right now. This is what’s right, and come tomorrow, it is what you will do.” Her hard face stares back at me. She can’t really expect this of me. It’s disgusting.