Banging Reaper (Pounding Hearts 1)

Again, I shake my head. I am not going to deviate from my plans. I fight and then I make my announcement. That’s it. After that, I’m going to Avery's apartment and I’m going to camp out on her doorstep until she forgives me.

“Fuck!” I groan as I pull a broken cell phone from the pocket of my hoodie. The cell phone had Avery's number in it.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Avery

Today is the day of the big fight. The big rematch between Chase and Ethan. I can’t even stomach the thought of watching it.

It’s not that I’m bothered anymore that they’re out to cause each other intense, physical pain. I know they both want it. From watching them both train, I’ve come to realize they both get off on it in some way. And Ethan, he knows what he’s getting this time, so if he wants to get his ass kicked again, that’s all on him. He wants it so bad he’

s pretty much begged for a repeat.

It’s that I’m afraid to see Chase again.

I’m afraid to see his handsome face. Afraid of the urges I’ll feel and the need he brings out in me. The want, the surge of lust. There’s too much longing.

I can smell him still, he smelled musky and somehow sweet. I can feel his presence in my apartment even though it’s been six long lonely weeks since I last saw him. Sebastian meows at my door every night, reminding me. It’s been near torture not reaching out to him.

When I pushed him away, he took a little piece of me.

Every day I’m dying just a little bit. Dying without Chase. Dying while I work under Ethan. It’s as if my soul is withering away.

I’ve fucked up and I don’t know how to fix it. Or maybe I do know how to fix it, but now I’m just too damn afraid. I’m a coward.

I check my phone. It’s still early in the morning. The only work Ethan has for me is at the arena. He wants me with him just like before, dressed up as his lucky charm. Dressed up in a short skirt and a bra for a shirt so he can parade me around like I’m his arm candy. I can’t do it. I won’t do that to Chase.

I’ve got the outfit and the tickets but I plan on staying home today.

I’ve picked up groceries and now I’m wearing my favorite pair of soft, snuggly PJs. I drift into my kitchen and get ready to actually cook some breakfast for myself this morning.

There’s just a little twinge when I get out the bacon and eggs.

I pull up a website and check up on the information about tonight’s fight. I plan on refreshing the page all night to see the results. Even though I’m making triple what I was before, I still haven’t been able to bring myself to splurge on cable for my TV. The website with all the fight information thankfully though is running a live stream. I start up the live stream and rest my phone on the counter while I go about cooking.

There are two commentators talking about tonight’s matchup. They give the stats on both Ethan and Chase. And even though Chase won the last match, they can’t agree as they speculate who will win tonight’s fight. Then they start talking about something that happened last night to Chase. One of the commentators is convinced Chase will lose tonight because there’s been rumors he was injured after being attacked by four armed men last night.

Four armed men attacked him behind his gym. Fuck me.

Abandoning the pan on the stove, I run over to my phone, pick it up and immediately shoot a text off to Chase.

Me: Are you okay???

I wait and wait for a reply. The bacon starts burning. I have to toss my phone down as the smoke detector goes off.

Shit.

I grab the pan of burnt bacon off the stove and dump it in the sink. After opening all the windows and waving my broom at the smoke detector, it finally stops wailing. I check my phone again. Chase still hasn’t responded to me.

Maybe he blocked me.

I search the web for information about Chase. I scan the news articles about his attack. They arrested the four perpetrators last night and Chase escaped unscathed. Then it hits me. I’m reading all the details and one of the articles dates the attack at about six last night.

Four on one at six? Did Ethan set up Chase?

I shoot off a text to Ethan.

Me: We need to talk!