An Act of Obsession

She’s beautiful yet scarred beyond repair.
 

He’s powerful and lethal, in and out of the ring.

One act of kindness brought Sophie Parish far more danger than she could have ever imagined. Now she’s on the run, leaving behind her family and the only dream she’s ever had.

Retired EFC fighter Kolan Slade’s life has been one endless battle after another. He has a dark past with an even darker desire—the only one he’s ever known.

Until he meets her.

Intrigued by her raw beauty and the secrets she’s trying to hide, Kolan craves to know who she is and what she’s running from.

Protecting her becomes his obsession and he’ll sacrifice it all to save her. But in the end her love will have him questioning himself and everything he thought he knew.

EXCERPT

My hand moves to her shoulder, eyes falling to her scarf. “Do you trust me enough to show me what’s under here?”

Her face turns ashen, body trembling once more. “You’ll never look at me the same way again.”

Those bleeding words fuel the storm of emotions already tearing inside of me. “There’s nothing under there that could change the way I look at you.”

 It’s clear by her solemn expression she doesn’t believe me.

“We all have scars, Sophie, in one form or another.”

Her gaze snaps to mine as I bring my hand to her cheek.

“I just want to know all of you.”

She relents with a shaky sigh, giving me a single nod of permission. 

The moment my hand moves to the pink scarf, her eyes fall shut, chin quivering. I gently brush a kiss across her lips, wanting to ease her fear.

Her hands move to my side, twisting the fabric of my shirt, silently begging me to not reveal what scares her the most.

“Don’t be scared, baby. I got you.” The fabric whispers across her skin as I pull the material gently from her neck, revealing the mangled skin beneath. My chest tightens; air passing back and forth as it becomes trapped in my lungs. The angry red scars run crisscross around her throat, proving the evil blade left no inch of flesh untouched.  Vengeance burns in my blood, thrumming viciously through my veins, but it becomes overshadowed when a strangled noise penetrates the air.

I look up to see Sophie’s eyes still shut, face pinched tight as if this physically pains her. Instinct takes over and my lips move to her wounded flesh. The contact is powerful. Like a bolt of lightning to my chest. Air pushes past her throat on a sharp breath when I explore more; desperate to know every scar she bears. Fisting my shirt further, she finally submits to my touch.

“Sophie Parish,” I murmur, dragging my lips across her mutilated skin. “Not a victim but a survivor.”

A sob tumbles past her lips. “How can you say that?”

I grasp her face between my hands, forcing her eyes to mine. “Because that’s who you are. He did not win and he’s not fucking going to. You survived and you’re going to continue to survive.”

“I don’t think I can beat him,” she cries, sounding both exhausted and defeated.

“You won't need to because I will."