Breaking Beast (Pounding Hearts)

by Izzy Sweet

  “And?”

  “He figured it wasn’t a good fit for him.”

  “Aw, that sucks. Well, I hope he finds a good one for himself.”

  “Oh, I’m sure he will.”

  Epilogue

  Christy

  “Keep your eyes closed,” Alex breathes into my ear and leads me with a firm hand on my arm.

  I know we’ve stepped outside the house. I can feel the sun warm on my face even though I can’t see anything.

  “Alex, really, you didn’t have to…” I protest half-heartedly.

  He shushes me and Nicole giggles beside me.

  If I’m being completely honest, I’m very excited to see whatever surprise he has in store for me. It’s been about a month since I won my match against Brianna and so many good things have been happening.

  I was offered my first professional fight on Night of Fights, five months from now, and will start training intensely again in a few weeks.

  Nicole and I finally managed to hook up, and we’ve been hanging out every other day. Sometimes she even works out in the gym with me.

  Alex and I have been becoming closer and closer. Seriously, I never thought I could feel like this—truly, madly and deeply in love with someone. It’s even got me thinking about perhaps retiring sooner rather than later and starting a family.

  The best thing though is that Travis is gone.

  He called and texted me quite a bit during my fight against Brianna but I didn’t have my phone on me at the time. Alex was holding it for me.

  I’m not sure if Alex talked to Travis or something, but the calls and texts just stopped abruptly. It was like Travis just suddenly gave up.

  Alex never said anything about talking to Travis but I’ve got this nagging feeling that he must have scared him off without telling me…

  Honestly, I’m not mad or anything if he did. No, if anything I’m extremely grateful. Not having to worry about Travis coming after me is a huge relief. I can finally live my life in peace. And I can stop looking over my shoulder.

  The last I heard of Travis someone said he headed out east, far away from here.

  “Oh my god!” Nicole gasps.

  “Zip it,” Alex growls.

  Nicole giggles and now I’m seriously dying from curiosity. What on earth did he get me that he has to bring me outside to show me?

  “Just a few more feet,” Alex murmurs while leading me then he stops. His hands fall away. “Okay, you can open your eyes, Christy.”

  I open my eyes and then blink furiously. “No…” I say in disbelief and turn back to him. “You didn’t!”

  Alex grins and crosses his massive arms over his chest, looking incredibly pleased. “I did.”

  “Oh my god!” I gasp then squeal. “You shouldn’t have! My very own baby!”

  Running forward, I throw myself over the hood of my new car and hug her. She’s a Dodge Hellcat, just like Alex’s, except she’s painted a beautiful fuchsia pink.

  “You would have had it sooner, but I had to special order it from the dealer, and the paint job is custom.”

  “I love her!” I screech and kiss the hood. “I’m going to take real good care of you, baby,” I say then see something moving in the front seat through the windshield.

  “Is there something in front seat?” I ask Alex.

  “Yeah,” he says, and he and Nicole walk up to the car. “Why don’t you check it out?”

  Sliding off the hood of the car, I pull open the driver’s side door hesitantly.

  A high-pitched little bark greets me.

  Peeking my head inside the car, I gasp again in surprise then pick up the little grey Cane Corso puppy on the seat.

  “Alex?” I ask, my voice cracking as I hug the puppy tightly.

  “Do you like him, baby?” he asks, coming up to wrap his arms around me.

  “I freakin’ love him,” I sob honestly as the dam holding my tears back breaks.

  “Why are you crying?” Alex asks, aghast.

  “Because she’s happy!” Nicole answers for me.

  “Is that true?” Alex asks, tipping my chin up and wiping some of my tears away for me.

  “Yes,” I say and suck in a breath, holding it, until the tears stop flowing.

  How could I not be happy? He’s given me so much… Not just a roof over my head or safe place to be, but he’s given me himself. His love. His affection. His protection.

  But most of all he’s given me my dreams.

  Pressing against Alex, I kiss him until the little puppy between us starts barking.

  Laughing, I lean back and give the little guy some breathing space. “I love you, Alex.”

  Alex grins at me and his arms tighten around me. “I love you too, baby.”

  The End

  Playlists

  Alex’s Playlist

  Available on Spotify - http://spoti.fi/2o9mnqI

  New World- Breakdown of Sanity

  Alpha Seed - Erra

  Destroyer - Parkway Drive

  Square Hammer - Ghost

  Memento Mori - Architects

  Hear Me Now - Framing Hanley

  4 8 15 16 23 42 - Breakdowns At Tiffany’s

  Rise Up - Secrets

  A New Breed - My Ticket Home

  Come And Get It - I Prevail

  Christy’s Playlist

  Available on Spotify - http://spoti.fi/2nkju2O

  Break Free - Cliver

  Intention - Kiiara

  Guys My Age - Hey Violet

  Oh My God - The Pretty Reckless

  I Get Off - Halestorm

  True Disaster - Tove Lo

  Side to Side - Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj

  Life Worth Living - Laurel

  Not Afraid Anymore - Halsey

  Selfish - Future & Rihanna

  Rise - Katy Perry

  Monster - Stitched Up Heart

  Big Bad Wolf - In This Moment

  Royals - Otep

  Also by Izzy and Sean

  The Pounding Hearts Series

  Banging Reaper (Chase & Avery)

  Slamming Demon (Brett & Mandy)

  Bucking Bear (Max & Grace)

  Dark Romance

  Keeping Lily

  By Sean Moriarty

  Gettin’ Lucky

  Gettin’ Dirty

  By Izzy Sweet

  Letting Him In

  Stepbrother Catfish

  Newsletter

  Sign up for our newsletter - no spam- and download a Izzy Sweet book for free

  Banging Reaper

  Also by Sean Moriarty and Izzy Sweet

  Two men. Only one can be the best in the ring.

  Only one can make her completely his.

  Avery

  Life isn't easy when your mother abandons you and the grandmother who raised you is gone. Ethan has been my best friend since middle school. He helped me out with college when I was flat broke, and now I feel like I owe him. So when he starts treating me like his MMA lucky charm, it's hard to say no. But when he finally loses, he blames me--and Reaper, the guy who beat the crap out of him, is the one who rescues me.

  I want to forgive Ethan ... but I can't resist Reaper.

  Chase

  Yeah, they call me Reaper, because I make anyone who fights me wish he was dead. I'm large and in charge with a big house, two cars, and enough money to party for the rest of my days. Life is great--but meeting Avery changes everything. She's nothing like the ring girls I usually hook up with. There's just something about her that brings out the protective beast inside me. She needs to be mine, but that cheating asshole Ethan is in the way.

  I'll do whatever it takes to claim her ... even if that means destroying her best friend.

  Chase

  I like to hurt. I fucking love to cause pain.

  Punching someone hard in the face isn't much better than sticking my hard cock into some tight little cunt, but it sure comes damn close.

  I love the feel of my body slamming into another body as hard a
s I can. I like locking them up in an unmovable position and making them submit to my will. Hell, I like doing that with women just as much as I do an opponent.

  Although I don't hit women, and I’ll fuck up any piece of shit I catch doing it.

  I dodge quickly to the left as I stick out a couple of jabs at the shadow on the wall in front of me. I can already feel my skin slightly sweating, my body slowly loosening up from all the tension that’s built up from the last week or so. Instead of tensing up I loosen up and feel the energy that flows into me. It’s a heady mix of anticipation and adrenaline. If I could bottle up this feeling and sell it I would be the world’s wealthiest person.

  I've never tried drugs, but I wonder if they can even come close to the feeling right before and during a fight.

  “Remember Chase, this guy has had pushovers to get to this point. He's never had a straight ground and pounder coming at him,” Dale, my trainer says. He’s as close to a brother as I can imagine having. I don’t exactly come from a big family. It’s me and Dad and maybe some cousins off in the distance.

  Dale's right though, this Ethan guy had the easy road to my title. He hasn't had the long drawn-out battles where you spill more than a little blood to the gods of war.

  Ethan Bennett, what a mouthy little bitch. Fuck him and that hot piece of ass he brought to this fight.

  “Chase, you're in the zone already aren't ya?” Dale laughs quietly. He’s fully aware of my hatred of Ethan. He knows the anger that has slowly been building up over the last couple of months. I may be an asshole but I don't talk a bunch of shit. I keep my mouth shut and let my skills as a fighter do the talking. I've earned my stripes, and he isn't the first mouthy little shit to come at me mistaking my quiet calm as a weakness.

  And he won't be the last.

  Hell, I am the fucking Reaper. Chase the Reaper Winters. That’s the title given to me, not some fucking name I picked because I wanted to be cool like Ethan Lightning Bennett, which is just some cheesy ass name he thought up after his first couple of fights because he hadn't earned a name yet.

  “You see that girl who was with him tonight, Dale?” I ask with a small laugh of my own. She’s one hot fucking woman. I don't usually go for girls who don't fit my cheerleader bimbo stereotype, but there is something about her that is absolutely fucking hot.

  “Yeah, I did. What the fuck was he thinking parading her around the building?” Dale mutters. It’s not that he doesn't like women, it’s that it was a bit unprofessional to bring a girl who wasn't part of your team into the fighter’s area.

  “I haven't seen her before. He may have just paid some hooker off the strip to be his arm candy tonight. Hope he doesn't think she’s going to be a good luck charm for him.”

  I hear a sharp rap at the door and the head of a security guard pokes in. “Hey Chase, refs here. Wants to go over your taping and a quick rundown of the rules?”

  “Send him in, Preston,” I say calmly, pulling my hood back off my head. I stand up straight and jump a couple of times on my toes.

  “Chase, good to see you again. How’s your dad doing?” says Harry, the guy who will be the ref over the fight tonight. Trailing behind him is a state sanctioned official to make sure everything is done by the book.

  Raising my taped hands up for inspection, I smile at Harry. “Doing good. Just had the knee replacement a couple of weeks ago and he's already trying to climb the walls. That man puts me to shame when it comes to how hard he is pushing his workouts. He wants to set the record for a full recovery in the rehab facility.”

  Harry laughs loudly, “I don't doubt it.”

  Frank, the official from Nevada Athletic Commission, stands behind Harry stoically and remains quiet. The official guys usually do. They make sure it’s all by the book and have absolutely no sense of humor.

  Tilting my head to the side, I hear a nice pop and smile, it's going to be a good fight tonight. I can feel it in my bones. And when I’m done fighting, I’m breaking my celibacy or diet after this, probably both. A hot little blonde and a pizza sounds just about perfect. I don't care in which order either, though if the blonde comes first I might try to eat her too.

  Harry makes his mark on the tape showing he finds nothing of concern and then the state official does the same thing. They both leave quietly as I turn back to the wall and watch my shadow stand there barely moving. I can feel my body starting its pre-fight buildup of adrenaline and anticipation.

  This is it, I've been officially and completely cleared. It’s time for the fight.

  Harry and the state official are going to be in Ethan’s room next, doing the same thing they just did with me. It’s on now. As loud and as mouthy as that bitch Ethan is, he’s probably foaming at the mouth at the thought of tearing into me.

  “Want to go over any strategies or plans?” Dale asks me with a wink. He knows I don't, but that doesn't stop him from asking.

  “Nope,” I say. “I'm good.” It’s our ritual we do before every fight, every single one of them. It’s the last thing I usually hear from Dale before we walk out. I want my silence. I want my time to get ready. And to be honest, this is the time I get giddy and start to smile. I feel like I always know how the fight will go right about this time. This small time before the violence.

  I like to fight, and I like to hurt people when I fight. I don't tend to admit it to many people though. Dale knows, Dad knows, and that’s about it. I'm not a sadist or a masochist. Or fuck, maybe I am? I don’t know. But if I have to take a little pain in order to cause some, I'm all for it. This is one of the best ways I know how to spend a Saturday night. And when I win, I make a shit ton of money.

  This is the twenty-fifth time I have fought, and it’s going to be the twenty-third time I win.

  Twenty-five isn't that big of a number. I mean, I’m older than that number by three years. It’s small in most respects except for one: How many times you have willing to put yourself and your life in jeopardy. The number two though is much larger to me. Two, as in I have lost to two other combatants. I went up against them and I faltered.

  “Five minutes!” comes the loud announcement.

  I pull out my phone and slip my ear buds in. I like the way the loud heavy metal drowns out all other noise. It keeps me calm, centered and focused. It's time to blare some Amity Affliction.

  A few minutes later Dale waves a hand in front of my face to get my attention.

  I pull my buds from my ears and hear the music for Ethan playing loudly in the arena. He’s going out to the cage before me and from the sound of it, his entrance music is close to ending. I’m not sure how long I’ve been closed off with my ear buds in but it was long enough. I stop moving around and stand still for a few seconds, hearing the crowd noise and getting pumped up.

  It’s go time.

  Dale steps out of the door first and holds it open for me. Everything is a ritual just before a fight. It helps me stay calm and focused. I need to know what’s about to happen. No surprises. No sucker punches.

  Walking out from under the stands, the chords of my heavy metal song thrums loud enough to vibrate my chest. This is it, the time to fight. Fuck yeah.

  I walk with a purpose towards the cage, I don't saunter or swagger down the aisle like I think I’m hot shit. I’m calm and confident, wearing only my Reaper grin.

  “Reaper! Reaper!” some of my fans scream and chant.

  Tonight is going to be so fucking good. I walk a little faster, I can’t wait to get started.

  I glance into the ring and climb up the stairs to the ref and cutman. They are awaiting me just outside the ring. The cutman smears some petroleum jelly across my brows, to help prevent cuts early in the fight.

  Inside the ring, I can see Ethan already waiting for me. He’s dancing around his corner of the cage. He’s definitely pumped up for this fight. As soon as he sees me, his jaw starts moving and he taunts me from across the cage.

  Like I said, he’s a mouthy little cuss.

  I feel a slap
against my back and I step into the cage. The ref calls us up to the middle and I finally get to stand in front of Ethan, face to face. I have him by an inch. I grin as I look down on him.

  Being pointed back to my side and him to his, I bring my fists up and tilt my neck to the side to pop it again. The smile on my face becomes bigger, I feel it already, I’m going to cause some motherfucking pain. I’m going to mess up his pretty boy face.

  “Are you ready?” Harry shouts to me.

  I nod, more than eager to get started.

  “Are you ready?” Harry asks Ethan and gets a similar nod.

  Ethan isn't smiling like I am, he’s stone-faced. Oh well, I just hope he doesn’t have as much fun as I plan to.

  Avery

  “Man, I’d like to take a bite out of that,” some guy whispers loudly and then there’s a bunch of snickering.

  My head turns and my eyes scan the room, searching for the source. There are too many bodies though, and male bodies at that, crowding this small space. Half of the guys in the room have their eyes on me as I stand next to my best friend Ethan. There’s no way I can tell which one of them made the remark.

  I hate it. I can’t stand all the eyes crawling over me. I much rather slink into the back of the room and disappear against the wall. But Ethan loves attention, he thrives on attention. He needs it like the rest of us need air.

  This is Ethan’s moment of glory. He’s finally got his shot at the title he’s had his eyes on for more than a year. He’s worked so hard to get here and now it’s about to pay off. The room is packed, the noise level is deafening. Everyone is here to see Ethan, to show support for him. It’s a pre-celebration as if no one expects him to lose.