Connor's Claim (Body Count, #2)

by Jolie Vines

“When we were bratty kids, taking money from brawls with rich boys who wanted to slum it with us for an evening, you had a pre-fight ritual you’d do every night.” I scowled, not liking where this was going. Arran continued. “You dedicated each match to a girl. You never told me her name, but ever since we read Natasha’s post-mortem report and you ran out of my apartment like your ass was on fire, you’ve worn the same expression.” “Quit examining at me so closely, ye fucking psycho.” His gaze stayed on mine. “It was Everly you fought for, wasn’t it?” Him attaching her name to that memory brought a bolt of pain that threatened to double me in two. I’d left the mayor’s house—left her behind—and spent years bloodying my knuckles to thoughts of her rejection. I’d hoped she’d come after me. I’d waited. She broke my heart. I’d bled out endlessly, nothing calming the pain of first love being over and of losing the one person I felt safe with. My dedications went from fighting for her to every hit reinforcing what she’d done. How it killed a part of me and continued breaking bones.