Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
“I want him to fuck me!” Harlow screams.
“Me too!” The girl in front of us turns around and gives Harlow a high five.
Travis takes to his corner, and I can’t force myself to look away.
“Alright, you both know the rules,” the announcer says. “Three two-minute rounds, anything goes unless there’s a TKO. Prize is five thousand even. Approach the referee and touch gloves if you want to.”
Travis and the blond oblige, sending the crowd into another lust-filled frenzy. The announcer slips away, and a loud bell rings above the cage.
Without hesitation, Travis approaches the blond and punches him square in the face. As if he’s possessed, his eyes darken and he throws two jabs against the blond’s cheek.
His opponent throws a punch in return, but it doesn’t land.
Taking advantage, Travis lifts his leg and kicks the left side of the blond’s head, sending him to the ground.
For some strange reason, the referee doesn’t intervene.
Travis bends over and attacks the grounded guy viciously, feeding him blow after blow, drawing blood and applause from the crowd all at once. He throws four more blood-soaked punches before the referee finally pushes him away.
Travis stands to his feet, holding his fists in the air while the bleachers shake even harder.
Stunned at whatever the hell that was, I feel the sudden need to cool off.
“Where are the bathrooms, Harlow?” I ask.
“Now is not the time to go to the bathroom.” She scoffs. “We’re not losing these seats when there’s way more of him to see.”
“He’s fighting again?”
“No, but he always picks a girl to go home with at the end. I need it to be me.” She pulls down the top of her dress, exposing the swell of her D-cup breasts.
I look around and notice the other girls following suit. They’re reapplying lip gloss, standing on the heels of their stilettos, and smoothing their hair into place.
My messy curls and light grey Sailor Moon Fan Forever sweatshirt stand out now more than ever.
Travis steps out of the cage and shakes hands with his cult members in the front row. Girls press their hands against his glistening chest as he walks by.
“Seeing him at my SportsPlex makes a lot more sense now,” I say.
“You’ve met him before?” Harlow is practically salivating. “Can you introduce him to me?”
“I’ve met him once, Harlow. I don’t know anything about him except his name.”
While he’s shaking another set of hands, Travis’s eyes meet mine.
My stomach betrays me with a bout of fluttering butterflies.
A slow smile crosses Travis’s lips, and he whispers something to a suit before walking toward me.
I try to look unfazed as he cuts through the crowd and jumps onto the bleachers but it’s impossible.
“Hello, Tatiana Brave.” He steps right in front of me, his voice low.
“Hello, Person I Have No Desire to Talk to Ever Again in My Life.”
“Cute.” He laughs. “Did you decide to come after getting my voicemail?”
“What voicemail?”
“The one left the morning,” he says. “I had to call you from an old gas station payphone to get my call to go through, by the way.”
“I had no idea you invited me to this.” I make a mental note to check my messages later, then I gesture to Harlow. “This is my stepsister, Harlow. Us coming here was her idea.”
“Hello, Harlow.” He smiles at her, and she damn near melts onto the floor, but not before she presses her hand against his chest.
Ugh. Get a grip on yourself.
“I think you’re totally going to be a star in the MMA world someday.” Harlow grins. “Your last five fights have been amazing.”
“Thank you for watching them.” He returns his attention to me. “I like your sweatshirt. I think you’re missing the other characters, though.”
“You watch Sailor Moon?”
“I will if you invite me over.”
I roll my eyes. “I’ll pass.”
“There’s a private afterparty after the final fight,” he says, undaunted. “You should come dance on me.”
“On you?”
“With me.” He smirks. “Same thing.”
“Have you somehow missed why I’ll always hate you and your sister? Like, forever?” I ask. “How long will it take you to accept that fact?”
“I’ve never been good at accepting rejection.”
“Did you say afterparty?” Harlow’s eyes bulge out of her skull. “Where is it and what time does it start?”
“I’ll put the address in your phone,” he says, taking it from her hands.
Keeping his eyes on mine, he types in some place I won’t be going, and then he returns Harlow’s phone.
“Tell the guy at the door to call me so you won’t have to pay to get in,” he says. Then he lowers his voice and leans closer to me. “You can ride there with me, if you like. Just let me know.”
“Ay, Humble Kid!” some guy below yells before I can respond. “We need you down here! Hurry up!”
“See you at the party,” he says, looking me up and down before disappearing into the crowd.