Fighter

I screamed as my foot hit the log and my ankle went one way while I went the other. I crumpled to the ground.

Searing pain flared all over me, making my insides feel like they were burning up. I clutched my ankle and pressed down. My brothers always said to stop the swelling. I’d never read the bounty-hunting first aid manual to understand why swelling was bad, but I held my ankle like it was a life preserver. As I bit my lip and rocked back and forth, the rest of me tried not to let loose the water works. I was a girl, but fuck, I couldn’t act like a girl. No crying, or I’d hear about this moment twenty years from now.

“Doily.”

I glanced up. Jaxon had come back. He’d stopped a few feet away and watched me warily. Sweat ran down his chest, and he rested his hands on his hips. His pants slipped down, showing the V his muscles formed as they dipped beneath his waistband. As he knelt, his stomach muscles clenched even more tightly together.

I wanted to scream again. He looked so damn beautiful, and here I was. Sweaty. I felt my face and looked at the blood on my fingers. My hair was probably a mess, and I wore a pink tank top underneath my vest. It would’ve been hot, if the bottom wasn’t disintegrated into shattered ends. Looking down at my jeans, I saw a big hole had ripped, and horror filled me as I followed the rip from beginning to end. Yep. It began at my knee and ended at my crotch.

Jaxon hadn’t knelt to look at my ankle. He was staring right at my bright orange thong underwear.

“Stop.” I groaned. Bending down so my forehead pressed to my leg, I thought maybe he’d go away.

His low, smooth chuckle rippled over me, sending old sensations and tingles through me too. He stood and came closer. Stopping so he was out of reach, he asked, “No radio, huh?”

I snarled at him, “Go away.”

“You’re supposed to trick me into getting close. Then you put those handcuffs on me. Remember?” He nudged my leg with his foot. It was a gentle touch, but I gasped. This hurt.

He bent down so he could actually look at my ankle this time. “That’s how we used to have fun, remember? Hmmm…it doesn’t look broken. Ice it and you’ll be fine by tonight.”

“What’d you do, anyways?”

His light, flirty look disappeared. He grew serious and stepped away again. “I can’t tell you that, my little Doily.”

I hated that name.

“And since you’re not going to die, I’m going to complete my escape now.”

“Jaxon.” I looked at him, pleading now. “You can’t leave me like this. Carry me back. They’re probably still searching that house. They won’t even think to come look for me.”

He shrugged. “That’s your problem. And they’ll look for you.”

At that second, we heard shouts behind us, and a wide grin came over his face. “See? You’re the baby girl. They’ll always look out for you.”

“Jaxon, for real. What’d you do? I can help you.” I needed to stall. Shoving the pain down and out of my mind, I focused on him. Bringing him in would prevent a lot of the teasing I knew I was otherwise going to endure. Come closer, a little closer. I started to wedge out my handcuffs from my waist and opened them. One quick flick of my wrist and I might be able to get them on his foot. Maybe. Using my fingers, and holding my arm in place to shield them, I started to slide the handcuffs wider.

He laughed. “I don’t think so, sweet cheeks. Listen, I’ll turn myself in after this weekend. I promise.”

“Why not now? What’s so important—” But even as I spoke, I knew. “Oh no.”

He’d been watching me. As I connected the dots, his smirk grew. “Yeah. Sorry.”

“You’re fighting again?”

“I gotta make money somehow. I’m in the Boxing Day match this weekend.”

I groaned, rolling my eyes. “We’re not in Canada. We don’t have Boxing Day.”

He laughed, his top lip curved up in an adorable way, and began walking backward. He lifted a hand to wave. “Still. I’ll see you this weekend. I’ll even come to your bedroom so you can get the jump. How’s that?”

He had a wicked glint in his eyes, but I knew he would follow through as promised. I also knew that meant we wouldn’t be catching him until then. He was going underground, and we might not be able to find him until he was ready to be found.

“Dale!”

Dylan’s voice came from back down the path. I looked over my shoulder, but he wasn’t within view yet. “I’m here!” I yelled.

When I turned back, Jaxon was gone.