Page 45 of Ignite
Completely dazed, I was hardly aware of the moment the referee grasped my wrist and held my hand up in the air, declaring me the winner by knockout. Wrenching my arm away, I turned, searching for the angel who’d shown up at exactly the rightmoment.
Ali…
The world spun, my ears rang, and as the cage door opened and shadows moved forward to check Viper, I almost threw up. Wiping my forearm over my forehead, it came back smeared with red. That knock to the head had really done a number on me… Concussion?Likely.
Unable to hold my balance any longer, I fell to my knees, my head throbbing. Wheezing, I sucked in as much air as I could, trying to catch mybreath.
Hands cupped my face, and through the haze, honey colored eyes metmine.
“Liam,” Ali said, on her knees in the filth in front of me. “Liam, I’m here. You’re not alone.You’re notalone.”
“You…” I gasped, swaying. “You didn’tleave.”
Her honey eyes blazed. “Never.”
“But I hurt you,” I said in a grating voice. “I fucked it allup.”
“Listen to me,” she said, ignoring the crowd outside the cage and the chaos inside of it. “I’m never going to abandon you, and you’re never going to abandon me. From now on, it’s you and me. Gotit?”
“You and me,” Irepeated.
“You helped me at my darkest, you know. Whether you realize it or not, that’s what you did. A word of kindness meant the entire world to me. That’s when I fell for you, but it was only a small piece of why… I fell foryou,Liam, not what you did for me. I’ve fallen foryou.”
She saw me? She truly saw past the muscles, the tattoos, the money, the fighting—the blood, sweat, and filth—and sawmy heart? I believed her. She was always this quiet, thoughtful, little thing… If anyone knew, it would beAli.
“Ali?” I asked, burying my hands in her hair. “I think I might loveyou.”
She smiled like she’d known allalong.
“I know,” she said. “So doI.”
20
Alison
Iwould never forgetthe night I saw Liam lying bloody and bruised in thatcage.
When I stood on the other side of the chain link and saw Viper slam Liam’s head onto the concrete floor, I almost collapsed. Fearful I was too late, I’d lost control of my inhibitions and screamed at him to fight back. Nothing else had mattered.Nothing.
I was terrified that one more hit and he would begone.
Afterward, I’d taken him to the hospital and slept by his bedside. Faye came too, but she soon left us in peace. We had a great deal to talkabout.
That night, we’d laid everything out—the complete truth of our pasts, voiced our fears, confided our dreams—and made apact.
Together to theend.
We’d spent every moment we could together in the days after the fight, and while Liam recovered, I was glad to fawn over him and job hunt all at the same time. One of those things was going a great deal better than the other. Rent was due tomorrow,? and I was completelybroke. ?????
I’d just endured a night without Liam—he’d said he had some things to do, like the mundane task known as laundry—and was dreaming fitfully when furious knocking at my front door rousedme.
Sliding out of bed, I padded groggily through the apartment. Unlocking the deadbolt, I eased the door open and found Liam on the other side, bouncing from foot to foot, looking too energetic for myliking.
“What time is it?” I muttered, flipping the latch on the securitydoor.
“Six thirty,” he replied. “Did I wakeyou?”
Not waiting for an answer, he burst into my apartment, his eyes ablaze with excitement. He caught me around the waist and pulled me close, twirling me around once before setting medown.
