She hits me again, this time harder. My legs go out from beneath me, and I crumple to my feet as she lets me go. Pain unlike anything I’ve ever felt rips through my belly and tears burst to my eyes. Missy leans down and yells, “Stay away from him, or it’ll be worse!”

Then she rallies up her friends and disappears into the school.

Great. Just great.

~*~*~*~

I can’t stand, because it hurts way too much. The bell has already gone, and everyone has cleared out, so it’s just me, pressed against a stranger’s car, gasping for air. My stomach hurts, and I think there’s a bruise or two forming. Maybe one of my ribs is broken. That girl can punch. I need to get up, go home and rest this one out. It’ll teach me for opening my big mouth.

The sound of a rumbling truck catches my attention, and I jerk my head up to see Rainer pulling into the parking lot. Late, as always. Of course he would choose today, a day when I really don’t need him to see me. I try to shift, but the pain really is too much. Maybe I’ll just act casual, as if I’m sitting here being a rebel and skipping class.

I watch as he jumps out of his car, a few of his friends getting out behind him. They’re laughing and smoking, completely oblivious to me. Hopefully it stays that way. They start to walk off, when one of his friends, Jimmy I think his name is, says, “Isn’t that your friend, Rainer?”

Rainer turns and fixes his eyes on me, and I watch as they narrow. Great. Really. Great. He waves his friends on and then tosses his pack on the back of his truck before jogging over to my side. When he stops in front of me, his brown eyes scan over me, before he asks, “What’re you doin’ here, Emy? Class has started.”

“Ah,” I say and my voice comes out pained. “I’m, just . . . chilling.”

I’m a bad liar.

He narrows his eyes. “Chilling? I don’t think so. I know you better than that. What’re you really doing?”

Shit.

“I, ah, just fell. Hurt my ankle.”

“Shit,” he says, kneeling. “You should have called me.”

He lifts my ankle and inspects it, frowning because there’s not any swelling. He puts it back down and lifts the other, causing my body to jerk a little. A pained groan leaves my throat and I press a hand to my stomach without even thinking. He drops my ankle and reaches over, grabbing my shirt. I try to slap his hand away, but he’s too quick. He lifts it and his eyes flare with rage as he sees the dark bruises starting to form.

“What the fuck happened to you?”

I wave a hand. “I fell.”

“Bullshit. Do you think I’m stupid? My dad has knocked me around enough for me to know when something is there from a fist and not a simple trip. Who did this?”

“Rainer, come on, it’s fine.”

His eyes flash with rage and he barks, “Who did this, Emalie?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re lying!”

“Rainer please,” I say and much to my horror, a tear slides down my cheek.

“Fuck,” he says, leaning over and scooping me into his arms. “Sorry.”

“Why are you carrying me?” I manage through choked tears.

“Because you’re hurt. I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“I don’t need the hospital,” I protest. “I just need sleep.”

He frowns. “You could have internal damage.”

“I’m fine. Please, Rainer. Just take me home.”

He stares down at my face and his jaw tics. “You’re not going to tell me who did this, are you?”

I shake my head, looking away.

“I don’t like it, Emy. Don’t fuckin’ like it at all.”

“I know,” I say softly.

He places me in his truck gently, and I wince in pain as I’m forced to move.

Neither of us say anything more, but I know how much this is bothering him.

I just can’t tell him who did it.

CHAPTER NINE

NOW – MALI

I can’t take my eyes off him, no matter how hard I try—and believe me, I’m trying. There’s an air about him that just can’t be unseen. He moves across the ring with grace, his big body flexing and pulling. Max moves with a more determined, fierce aggression, but Rainer? It’s as if he was born for it. The two of them dance around each other like lions, sizing each other up. I honestly don’t know how they can bring themselves to fight when they’re good friends outside of the ring.

“How hot are they?” Belle asks, leaning in so she can talk in my ear over the roaring of the crowd.

I nod. “Hot. I can’t believe they are so at ease in there.”

“Would you believe that Rainer and Max hated each other only weeks ago? They got into a massive fight one night, because Max thought I was sleeping with Rainer, which I obviously wasn’t. Anyway, after the fight, Max decided to take Rainer on, because he fought so well.”

I raise my brows. “Seriously?”

“Yep.”

“I never thought Rainer would be much of a fighter. Not that I don’t think he can’t do it, because he can, he just usually tries so hard to keep his cool.”

She smiles. “I think it’s his way of expelling pent-up energy. Rainer is calm only because he doesn’t know any other way to be.”

“Do you know him well then?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “Not well. All I know is he and Pippa have a long past that’s ugly. Pippa hasn’t gone into detail with me, but the two of them grew close due to a life experience together. I think she’ll tell me about it one day when she’s ready.”

So I was right. Pippa and Rainer have connected over something. I just want to know what that something is. I’m not sure Pippa is going to offer that information up easily. I mean, if she hasn’t told Belle, there’s a good chance she’s not going to tell anyone. Which could make things difficult. She holds the answers, all of them, but I have no idea how to get them out of her.

I focus back on the ring just in time to see Rainer drive a swift punch into Max’s face. I gasp, pressing a hand over my mouth, horrified but fascinated all at the same time. Max returns the favor, ducking and slamming a fist into Rainer’s belly. The two of them fight hard then, fists flying, legs swinging, bodies dodging.

And it’s mesmerizing.

As I watch Rainer’s big body move, I get hotter and hotter. He’s so beautiful, so graceful and yet so deadly. His face is a hard mask and his muscles flex and pull as he moves around the ring as if he was born ready for it. I press a hand over my heart as the fight comes to a close, with Rainer taking the win. The crowd erupts in screams and the sound is deafening.

“Holy shit, if I didn’t love my husband so much, I’d wish I was the lucky girl getting to take all that energy tonight,” Belle says staring at Rainer.

Yes, I wonder what it would be like to fuck him right now, while he’s hot and bothered like that.

“She’ll be very lucky indeed,” I agree, keeping my eyes on him.

He spits some blood from his mouth and his eyes scan the crowd. My heart flutters. Is he looking for me? His eyes move straight past me, and focus on Pippa, and that’s when I see it. There’s a softness there, a deep, intense softness that can only mean one thing. Rainer is in love with her. I can’t believe I didn’t see it earlier, and at the realization, something breaks inside me.