Come Out Swinging (Reach for the Moon Book 2) by Sam Hall (sight word readers TXT) 📕

her eyes drop down, saw her take a step backwards as if that would protect her, right as his hand rose. I cocked an eyebrow, my focus finally registering with him as he dropped it hastily, his big hand clenching into a fist.

“Whoever did that to you, love? You tell me. I’m Gavin, by the way,” he said, introducing himself belatedly. “I’m a local MMA fighter, but I’ve won enough bouts to be able to put whoever did that to you into the fucking ground.”

Her eyes darted up, and it seemed like she saw Gav for the first time.

“I’m…” She straightened, her chin lifting, her eyes flashing with a familiar fire. “I’m Bridget, Paige’s cousin, and thanks. Some of them already are, and we intend to take down the rest, but we might need some extra help.”

“Well, count me in, love.” He settled down on the counter, resting on his elbows. “Can you make me up one of those fruit smoothies? Double protein powder for me.”

“Sure, I’ll show Bridget how to run the machine,” I replied, turning around and winking at my cousin as I walked her through the process.

“So, what was that?” Bridge asked me as he sauntered away. I noted she watched every move of that finely wrought arse in his shorts as he did so.

“The shifters here? They are death on domestic violence,” I replied. “Zack won’t tolerate roid heads or power trippers. They’re strong, powerful warriors, but they know better than to direct that violence towards women.”

“And hot. You neglected to say hot.” Her eyes scanned the floor, taking in all the many, many displays of well muscled flesh on display. “I’m starting to get pissed that you didn’t call me and invite me up to stay, Paige. You were holding out on me.”

“Well, nothing to say you can’t enjoy yourself now. Some of the guys have mates, but most don’t. The whole nix thing kinda drew in more single men than mated.”

“I take it all back. What Mum did fucking sucked so hard…” I watched her jaw lock down hard before she forced herself to take a breath. “But I can feel my face again and the Engels are dead. Maybe that was a fair trade for all of this…”

“Why choose?” I said with a smirk, something deep inside me warming at the slow but steady return of my cousin. “Now, do you reckon you can hold down the fort for a bit? I need to start working with the guys.”

“Working?” She grinned impishly. “OK, sure, I can serve customers while you have group sex with your polycule.”

I stuck my finger up at her as I sailed past, leaving her to it.

Chapter 29

I could see some of Bridget’s point of view as I approached the ring. The guys had dressed in athletic shorts, which was just obscene. The silky breathable fabric fell against their bodies, providing tantalising glimpses of what lay beneath. But it was the fact that they were only wearing them and nothing else—well, except for the wraps across their hands—that had my feet slowing.

I couldn’t do this. Bridge has been joking, but I saw it, felt it now. Declan stood there, every muscle tensed under that pale freckled skin, as he sparred, sending powerful punches in Lorcan’s direction as the other man jerked himself out of the way, swinging under and away from his hits and then striking out himself with a sharp kick, that Dec neatly dodged.

Zack saw me first, ducking under the ropes and approaching, but he slowed when he scented me, his smile pure satisfied male. He could smell my response, and he liked it.

“Your boys, they’re good. Mason trained them well. We’ve got a lot to work with here,” he said.

“So what are we going to focus on?”

“Everyone here’s a fighter, but can they fight together?” His eyes slid over me. “What happens when you get in the mix? Is the power only sexual? We took down the Engels, and it felt like the power rose then as well.”

“So what do you want me to do?” I asked. “Strip down and give the boys a show while they spar?”

His smile twisted slightly, his eyes staring, as if he imagined me doing just that.

“You have no idea how much I want that.” His low growl sent shivers through me. “But no, I don’t think we can get away with that, not without dragging every shifter in the gym into the mix. Just come into the ring at first, see what your proximity does. Then we might get you to try and distract them a bit, see if you throw them off their game. How’s that sound?”

My eyes slid to where Lorcan and Dec were taking a break, just standing there panting, looking like an ad for boxing porn. Shit, I thought. It sounds bloody unbearable. But of course, I walked up to the ring, feeling all their eyes on me as I climbed in, Dec and Lorcan moving in a step before they’d even thought about it.

“All right, who wants to swap in?” Zack asked, using enough dominance to drag the attention back to him.

“Looks like Mase and me,” Micah said, hitting his palm with his fist.

“Sounds good.” Mase strolled towards the centre of the ring, fists at the ready, and my eyes raked down his form. He knew what he was doing, making me wonder how the boys were raised. Did their dad—no, their dads train them? Micah stretched his neck out on each side, making a horrible cracking sound, and then grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“We pulling our punches?” Micah asked.

“Yes,” Zack said at the same time his brother said, “Maybe.” The two men looked at each other, and Zack just shook his head.

“You wanna bust each other’s heads? Go for it. But I’m gonna get our girl to try and throw you as much off your game as she can.”

I smiled at that, rubbing my hands together before tugging down the tank