the side of my face, but I keep my eyes trained ahead. “I’m sorry people lied about you and tried to ruin your reputation.”
“Been doing some digging on me, have you, Lia?”
I hate that she knows, but I guess she was bound to find out sooner or later.
“A little,” she admits. “I found out yesterday you were a fighter. I didn’t know much about the EFC so I Googled it, and that’s when I saw what that girl said about you.”
My jaw locks down at the thought of that bitch Nikki. I wonder what else she saw, because I’m sure Annihilation showed up in that search, too.
Fuck!
“I never believed it,” she whispers. “Even before I found out you were cleared of the charges, I knew it wasn’t true.”
“How?” I ask, my eyes finding hers. “How could you know that when you don’t even know me?”
“What kind of rapist teaches a girl how to defend herself?”
I shift my gaze away, her response evoking a storm of emotions I’m not prepared to feel.
“I don’t need to have known you a long time, Kolan, to know you aren’t capable of that.”
“Some of the people who believed it knew me a hell of a lot longer than you.”
“Then they never really knew you.”
My eyes meet hers again, and I see so much trust reflecting back at me, something I can’t understand. The only person who’s ever had that much faith in me is my sister. “Don’t put too much stock in me. I’m far from perfect.”
That’s a major understatement.
“None of us are,” she says quietly, so much hidden in those few words.
Reaching my SUV, I place her feet on the ground and cage her against the passenger door, bracing both my hands on either side of her head. “And what about you, Lia?” I ask, dipping my head in close to hers. “Hmm? You know my secrets. What about yours?”
She might not know all of mine but she knows enough.
“What is it you want to know?” she asks, a slight tremble in her voice.
“I want to know who you are and where you came from. But more than anything, I want to know what you’re hiding under that scarf.”
The stark pain that enters her eyes strikes me to my fucking core. “Trust me, you don’t want to see what’s under there. I can’t even bear to look at it myself.”
“Nothing scares me.”
It’s a complete lie. She scares the hell out of me.
A heavy silence descends upon us, her pretty eyes wide and fearful.
“What are you so afraid of?” I ask.
Her breath hitches, emotion shining bright in her gaze. “Everything.”
There’s so much despair in that one word that I want to fucking kill whoever put it there. Unable to resist, I gently drop my forehead on hers, my jaw locking as I restrain myself from doing what I really want to do.
“I’m going to respect your privacy…for now. But one day, you’re going to tell me who made you so afraid. And if they’re still breathing—they won’t be for much longer.”
Her eyes fall closed, lip trembling as she tries to shield her pain from me. “Some secrets, Kolan, are best left unknown.”
“Not between us. The day will come when there will be no more secrets between us.”
Her eyes open, locking with mine, but she remains silent. I press my lips to her forehead then reach for the door handle. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Sophie
I walk into the gym Monday evening to see Kolan headed toward the change room in nothing but gym shorts and a towel slung around his neck, his hard, bare body slick with sweat. The moment his eyes lock with mine, my heart skips a beat.
“Hey,” he greets me, his deep, smooth baritone making my knees weak.
“Hey.”
“Sorry, I lost track of time. I’m just going to have a quick shower. I’ll be out in five.”
All I can manage is a nod, my throat dry from images of him under the hot spray.
Don’t go there, Sophie.
As he disappears into the locker room, I put my gym bag down and climb into the ring to stretch, hoping it will distract me from my dangerous
“Been doing some digging on me, have you, Lia?”
I hate that she knows, but I guess she was bound to find out sooner or later.
“A little,” she admits. “I found out yesterday you were a fighter. I didn’t know much about the EFC so I Googled it, and that’s when I saw what that girl said about you.”
My jaw locks down at the thought of that bitch Nikki. I wonder what else she saw, because I’m sure Annihilation showed up in that search, too.
Fuck!
“I never believed it,” she whispers. “Even before I found out you were cleared of the charges, I knew it wasn’t true.”
“How?” I ask, my eyes finding hers. “How could you know that when you don’t even know me?”
“What kind of rapist teaches a girl how to defend herself?”
I shift my gaze away, her response evoking a storm of emotions I’m not prepared to feel.
“I don’t need to have known you a long time, Kolan, to know you aren’t capable of that.”
“Some of the people who believed it knew me a hell of a lot longer than you.”
“Then they never really knew you.”
My eyes meet hers again, and I see so much trust reflecting back at me, something I can’t understand. The only person who’s ever had that much faith in me is my sister. “Don’t put too much stock in me. I’m far from perfect.”
That’s a major understatement.
“None of us are,” she says quietly, so much hidden in those few words.
Reaching my SUV, I place her feet on the ground and cage her against the passenger door, bracing both my hands on either side of her head. “And what about you, Lia?” I ask, dipping my head in close to hers. “Hmm? You know my secrets. What about yours?”
She might not know all of mine but she knows enough.
“What is it you want to know?” she asks, a slight tremble in her voice.
“I want to know who you are and where you came from. But more than anything, I want to know what you’re hiding under that scarf.”
The stark pain that enters her eyes strikes me to my fucking core. “Trust me, you don’t want to see what’s under there. I can’t even bear to look at it myself.”
“Nothing scares me.”
It’s a complete lie. She scares the hell out of me.
A heavy silence descends upon us, her pretty eyes wide and fearful.
“What are you so afraid of?” I ask.
Her breath hitches, emotion shining bright in her gaze. “Everything.”
There’s so much despair in that one word that I want to fucking kill whoever put it there. Unable to resist, I gently drop my forehead on hers, my jaw locking as I restrain myself from doing what I really want to do.
“I’m going to respect your privacy…for now. But one day, you’re going to tell me who made you so afraid. And if they’re still breathing—they won’t be for much longer.”
Her eyes fall closed, lip trembling as she tries to shield her pain from me. “Some secrets, Kolan, are best left unknown.”
“Not between us. The day will come when there will be no more secrets between us.”
Her eyes open, locking with mine, but she remains silent. I press my lips to her forehead then reach for the door handle. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Sophie
I walk into the gym Monday evening to see Kolan headed toward the change room in nothing but gym shorts and a towel slung around his neck, his hard, bare body slick with sweat. The moment his eyes lock with mine, my heart skips a beat.
“Hey,” he greets me, his deep, smooth baritone making my knees weak.
“Hey.”
“Sorry, I lost track of time. I’m just going to have a quick shower. I’ll be out in five.”
All I can manage is a nod, my throat dry from images of him under the hot spray.
Don’t go there, Sophie.
As he disappears into the locker room, I put my gym bag down and climb into the ring to stretch, hoping it will distract me from my dangerous
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