Page 45 of Scarlett and the Kiss Thief

Axel didn’t respond.

“Axel?”

No response.

“Axel, do something!”

No response.

“He’s your best friend! Stop this!”

The crowd cheered.

I looked up just in time to see Jacob make the first contact, his glove hitting O’Reilly’s stomach hard.

O’Reilly bent over gasping for air.

I grabbed Sophie’s leg. I just wanted it to be over.

Jacob said something to O’Reilly, but I couldn’t hear what. Maybe he was asking O’Reilly if he wanted to stop? Jacob took another step toward him. It looked like he wanted to check on him.

But O’Reilly stood up at the last second and landed a hard punch across Jacob’s cheek.

“Cheap shot,” Sophie said. “Boo!” she yelled at the top of her lungs before turning to me. “Scar, you’re cutting off my circulation.”

I looked down at my hand on her thigh. I was holding on to her so tightly that my knuckles were turning white. I moved my hands to cover my mouth when O’Reilly landed another blow.

Jacob.

Sophie’s “boo” had made the crowd erupt with chants of Miller and O’Reilly. It seemed pretty even with people yelling who they thought would win. Or maybe just who they favored to win.

Jacob got two swift jabs at O’Reilly’s stomach again.

“Go Miller!” I yelled at the top of my lungs and jumped to my feet.

Jacob turned to look at the stands. For just a second, our eyes locked. Right before O’Reilly slugged him hard across the jaw.

Jacob pushed O’Reilly away from him. But all I could see was the line of blood on Jacob’s jawline. Was that Jacob’s blood? Or O’Reilly’s?

Jacob wiped his face with the back of his glove, smearing the blood down his neck. It was definitely his. There was a gash on his skin.

God, that was all my fault. I’d distracted him when I’d yelled his name. I felt tears pooling in my eyes as I watched the blood from his jaw drop to his chest.

Why wasn’t someone calling the match? Who the hell was in charge here? And why did O’Reilly keep taking such dirty shots?

The bell rang and Jacob and O’Reilly went to opposite sides of the ring. Someone handed Jacob a towel but it didn’t seem to help stop the bleeding. Gigi walked across the ring holding a sign for round two.

The bell rang again and Jacob and O’Reilly stepped back toward center ring. The smiles they were wearing earlier were gone. It looked like they were going to kill each other.

O’Reilly swung again, but this time Jacob was paying attention. He dodged out of the way.

I cringed as O’Reilly threw another punch. But his fist missed again.

Jacob jumped up and down. He hit his gloves together and cracked his neck to the side. It looked like he was only just about to take this seriously.

O’Reilly lunged again but Jacob danced out of the way. And then Jacob landed a hard punch across O’Reilly’s ear. Before O’Reilly could react, Jacob threw an uppercut, his glove colliding with O’Reilly’s chin.

O’Reilly stumbled backward and fell off the side of the ring.

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