AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That all you got, Thane?” Kenny growled, prowling around Morgan with his fists raised. Morgan’s focus honed in on the guy’s shoulders, looking for him to telegraph his next move.
“Not even.” Morgan laughed, though not in humor. “Your age is showing, old man.”
Kenny swung and Morgan managed to duck. But Kenny’s efforts weren’t a total waste. His other fist plowed into Morgan’s ribs, shoving the air out of his lungs. Morgan jerked back, sucking in air, trying to save his equilibrium. And stave off the pain. He moved slowly away. Shaking his head, he kept his eyes on Kenny. Looking away would be the end of it all.
* * *
SO MUCH FOR good intentions. Tara tried to watch the fight, but after Morgan’s first swing, she was behind DJ, hiding her face in her brother’s shoulder. She consoled herself that at least she hadn’t buried her face in her hands like a total wimp. DJ’s broad shoulders served as a block just fine.
She’d seen her brothers get into it as kids, and a few fights in bars, but she’d never seen anything like this.
It didn’t help that DJ’s muscles bunched and moved as if he was out there, swinging punches himself. The men from the ranch cried out encouragement and punched the air around them.
She couldn’t. She just couldn’t.
This was harsh and just plain cruel. How could Morgan hit someone with his bare fists, intending to hurt them? How could anyone tolerate that much pain, knowing it was coming?
“You want to leave?” DJ asked over his shoulder.
“No.” She might not be able to watch, but she was here for a reason and she wasn’t backing down from that. She didn’t have to watch the fight.
But listening became almost worse. The crowd was really into it, but even over their yelling, she heard the footfalls of Morgan and his opponent, heard the sickening sound of knuckles against skin. She shivered despite the heat of all the packed-in bodies.
Tentatively, she looked up. Morgan’s back was to her, so she couldn’t see how badly he was hurt. He stood straight and tall and moved easily, so seemingly not bad. The other guy hulked around the ring and seemed to avoid Morgan rather than come at him.
Finally, time must have run out and the air horn sounded once again. Had he won? Was it over? Tara took a step away from DJ, hoping to get out of here and know Morgan wasn’t at risk anymore.
But the men simply stepped back, opposite each other, taking deep breaths. It was only a break. Tara took her own deep breaths as she looked at Morgan.
There was a nasty cut above his eye from where blood dripped down the side of his face. Another dribble of red pooled at the corner of his lip. Just then, he reached up and wiped it with the back of his big, red-knuckled hand. She tore her gaze away.
“There’s three rounds,” DJ explained. Tara’s heart sank and she swallowed hard to release the pressure in her chest. Only a third of the way through?
Morgan didn’t look at her. He didn’t look around at all, simply stared at the man across from him—intense and watchful.
“What’s happening? Why aren’t they taking a break?”
“They’re both making sure the other one doesn’t pull anything,” DJ explained.
“Like what?”
“Like cheating.”
Just then, a pair of hands hit the center of Tara’s back, right between her shoulder blades, hard. She stumbled forward with a loud cry of surprise. She hit DJ’s solid shoulder before nearly falling on her face in the dirt. She barely caught herself at the last second.
“What the—” She turned to stare at the spot where she’d been standing, where Wyatt had hold of a woman’s arm. The woman was struggling hard to get away, but Wyatt was stronger than her.
Tara stared. Sylvie.
Morgan wasn’t far away. He hadn’t moved, but his focus was definitely still on the fight. Then, as if shaking out of the trance, he glanced over at the commotion just outside the ring.
“Sylvie!” He turned toward them. The big man he’d been fighting took that as a cue to move, and Tara barely scampered out of the way as he swung at Morgan.
Morgan easily shoved the man aside. But instead of coming over to her, Morgan headed toward Sylvie. The crowd followed, and Tara was soon engulfed by onlookers. She didn’t have any choice but to move. It was that or be trampled.
