Killer

“What?”

“Nothing.” Gabriel shrugs and turns away, effectively dismissing me.

I curl my fingers into tight fists and storm out of the room. “Fucking people can’t stay out of my goddamn business,” I mutter to myself. Halfway to the locker room to grab my shit and leave, I remember I have to meet with Britt.

Son of a bitch.

I storm outside to get ahold of myself. I can’t meet with Britt while I’m wound up and pissed off. I had no choice but to toss her aside without any explanation, and I’m okay with her thinking I’m a douchebag, but she definitely doesn’t deserve me acting like a hostile dickhead right to her face.

I pace in front of the door, clenching and unclenching my hands. An engine starts nearby and I look up, my hood shading my eyes from the bright sun. I catch a glimpse of a beat-up silver car peeling out of the lot and my entire body goes rigid.

That little fucker, Max. What is he doing here?

Before I can chase him down, he’s gone.

I growl in frustration. Today just gets better and better. This. This right here is why I don’t get involved. This messy, complicated bullshit. Max, Gabriel, Britt… all it does is make my life more difficult.

Except I was happy for the first time in ten years, because of Britt.

I want to punch the little voice inside my head for reminding me of that fact, but when I barge into Britt’s office and see those big blue eyes staring up at me with a look of longing, I know the voice is right. I was happy. I felt something.

Then I remember my dad and the upcoming anniversary and shut down. I keep it quick and to the point. “Let’s watch the tapes.”

The hope in Britt’s eyes melts away, replaced by sorrow. She swallows, nodding her head, and pushes play on the computer.

If Killer doesn’t feel anything, why does the look on Britt’s face cause actual physical pain?

I focus on the tiny laptop screen, unwilling to delve any further into my reaction to Britt.

Britt

The fact that Keller’s next fight is in Atlanta is both a blessing and a curse. I’m glad we don’t have to travel together, share a flight, cars to and from the airport, hotels where we’d see each other around all the time. But with the anniversary less than a week away, getting out of the city would do me a world of good. My nerves are completely frayed.

Plus, my mother won’t stop texting and leaving messages on my phone. She’s run the gamut from demanding I at least go to the anniversary as a guest and not a speaker, to threatening me that I better show up “or else.” With everything else falling to pieces around me, the last thing I need is a guilt trip from my mom. But if there’s one thing I can definitively say about Rose Shelton-Reeves, it’s that she’s a bulldog—she knows what she wants and clamps her strong jaws on it, not letting go without a fight.

Exhausted, I take a deep breath and open the door to Sousa MMA, unprepared for another long day of training with Keller, touching and manipulating his body while pretending it doesn’t affect me. Trying not to cringe at the way he ignores me, refusing to make eye contact and hiding under that damn hood of his.

“Britt, you look awful!”

My gaze flicks over to Roxie, standing behind the front desk slash juice bar with her mouth hanging open.

“Thanks a lot,” I say, twisting my lips into a pout.

“No, hon. I mean, you look so tired. Are you sleeping at all?”

I give her a small smile, appreciating her concern, but honestly, no one can stop the nightmares and panic attack

s.

No one but Keller.

My smile falters and embarrassing tears well up in my eyes when I think of the man who so coldly turned me away without any explanation.

“I’m fine, Roxie.” When the tall woman gives me a look of disbelief, I reassure her. “Really, I’m okay. Just a lot of late nights and early mornings. Once this fight is over, I’ll get more rest.”

And once the anniversary passes.

The gym is fairly quiet, and why wouldn’t it be? I’m an hour earlier than usual because the only thing worse than not being able to sleep is sitting awake in my apartment, freaking out. At least here, I feel more safe than I do at home alone. One of our new fighters is chatting with Jack near cage three and there’s someone else on one of the cardio machines. Other than that, the place is deserted.