Page 32 of Frozen Hearts
Instead of prying further, I glance around the loud, bright, testosterone-pumped bar. “I never would have guessed a place like this existed in Halston.”
All traces of sorrow are gone as Tara throws her head back and laughs. “Oh, sweetie, we’re not in Halston anymore.” At my quizzical look, she explains. “We’re about five miles outside of Halston right now. Technically, this is Boxum County, where the rednecks and trailer trash live. We’re a dirty little secret that no one likes to talk about. The rich folk prefer to pretend we don’t exist. God forbid even mentioning the word Boxum might tarnish Halston’s good name.
“Wow. I had no idea.”
She shrugs, unbothered. “Why would you? Halston is the one on the map. The town people flock to to get themselves an education or follow in mommy and daddy’s footsteps.”
I nod, unsure what else to say. “And your brother works here?” I ask, once again changing the subject.
This time, Tara grins proudly. “Riley James, my pain-in-the-ass-but-equally-amazing brother owns this fine establishment.”
“Shit, seriously?” I look around the drabby interior with new eyes. It’s rough and ready, masculine and basic, but it’s filled to the brim with men and the occasional woman, all jeering, laughing, and screaming as another fight takes place in the ring.
“Yeah, he and Dax were really into fighting when they were teenagers. They set this place up together before Dax got noticed and took off to take part in the circuit.”
“Your brother didn’t get noticed?”
“Nah, he did. He was just as good as Dax, but I was only sixteen and he refused to leave me behind.” Her eyes are lowered in a wistful expression. “Anyway,” she says, shaking it off. “Enough chit-chat. Let’s go watch the fights. There’s this one guy who has been making a name for himself recently, and I am seriously hoping he is here tonight.”
With her beer bottle in one hand, she wraps her other around mine and yanks me away from the bar.
“Don’t you dare leave my sights, Tara,” Xander bellows after us.
Tara simply giggles, ignoring her brother as she pulls me closer to the large ring.
“Alright folks,” the referee shouts into a microphone. “We have a special fight for y’all up next!”
“Fuck yes,” Tara squeals, jumping up and down while tugging on my arm. “It’s him!”
“Who?” I shout into her ear.
“Ruthless.”
I don’t get the chance to ask any more questions. The crowd goes into an uproar as a large, muscular man easily five times my size steps into the ring dressed solely in a pair of loose black shorts. The pale skin of his back and arms is decorated in black ink, which moves as he flexes his muscles. He glances briefly out over the crowd, and I swallow a gasp as my eyes clash with bright blue ones.
Not seeing me, his gaze moves on, roaming over the crowd, but I see him… the man I crashed into on campus. The asshole who thought I was deliberately trying to get close to him.
I shouldn’t be surprised to see him here. While I imagine no other Halston student would be caught dead in a shithole like this, the dark, carnal energy that exudes from this asshole fits in perfectly with this place's tense, animalistic vibe. Truthfully, he looks more like he belongs here than on a college campus, with his swirling ink, tormented features, and shadowed eyes.
As he steps into the center of the ring to stand opposite his opponent, I know without a shadow of a doubt that he’sRuthless;the fighter Tara was referring to. He dominates the ring. Even though his opponent is no starved chicken, he lacks the feral nature that drips from the asshole like oil from a rusty car.
The next few minutes pass in a brutal, violent dance that steals my breath and tantalizes my senses. I feel each one of their punches as though it were my own fists doing the beating. I resonate with the hedonistic mood that hovers like a cloud over our heads. It’s erotic. Charged. Savage. It should spark fear in me, should send me running for the exit, but I can’t look away as blood-tinged spittle flies from the opponent’s mouth, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
All too soon, Ruthless sends his opponent tumbling to the mat with a final punch to his face, and the crowd goes wild, screaming, “Ruthless reign, no pain, no gain!”
Grinning, Tara turns to face me, laughing at the expression on my face.
“Yeah, I recognize that dazed, star-struck look. Come on, let’s get you another beer.”
She tucks her arm through mine and we push our way back toward the bar. “He’s incredible, isn’t he?” Tara says, sounding just as star-struck as I am.
I nod, needing another moment to find my voice. “I, uh… He’s a student at Halston.”
Gaping open-mouthed, Tara pulls me to a stop. “Are you shitting me right now?”
I shake my head. “No. I’ve accidentally run into him a couple of times.”
She laughs. “Girl, you’re lucky you don’t have a broken nose. His chest looks like it’s been carved from granite.”
