• Funerals are never fun. People dressed in black mourning someone they didn't truly care about. Then there are the people who care. Unfortunately, no one at my funeral cared about me.
    My only true friend had died two years ago in a brutal car accident, and my family had always been wrapped up in their own individual hells. Mom had turned into a bitter alcoholic who couldn't bear to look at her drug addicted son or her remaining daughter after my twin had died when we were seven. My father was always out of town on "business" visiting his girlfriend in New York. No one had even cared what happened to me.
    The other attendees consisted of my classmates and a few faculty members. Even they looked bored out of their minds as the priest droned about how I had been a good daughter with a bright future. Total bullshit. It wasn't as if I had anything planned for my future aside from getting out of the hell I'd called home. Just months before, I'd been on the fast road for completely ruining my life forever. At least until the man beside me had shown up and turned my life upside down.

    Chapter One

    Summer. Hot, sticky, sweaty and a total waste of three months. Everyone insisted on wearing clothes designed for women with perfect bodies even if they were less than perfect. Men walked around without shirts on, flaunting what they thought passed for a desirable body. I hated the season with a passion because it left me with nothing to do but avoid my family. Even now I could hear my mother arguing drunkenly with my father, who was heading to New York again. From the smells coming through the wall, I knew my brother was on another bender, though on what, I had no clue.
    "Prudence! Come say goodbye to your b*****d of a father who is on his way to New York again." I flinched and reluctantly slid a bare cotton sheath on over my skimpy underwear. It wouldn't do for my parents to see just how scarred my body had become after all the abuse I'd put it through. Not that I thought it would do anything other than make them curse the day I was born yet again.
    Dad stood by the door in an immaculate suit, though his lip was slightly split where Mom must have slapped him. She was sprawled on the sofa, a bottle of Jack raised to her lips. Her strawberry blonde hair was even more frazzled than normal and the stench of booze choked the air.
    "Bye Dad." I gave him a half hug and turned to disappear into the kitchen to get myself a bottle of water and look wistfully out at the pool. I had always loved swimming even if I didn't like the heat.
    Sighing, I went back to my room and tore the sheath off, hating the cloistering feel of it against my battered skin. My last fight had been against a giant woman with a devastating punch. I'd eventually bested her, though I didn't escape unscathed.
    "Hey Prudence, wanna come smoke with me?" Daniel poked his head in and I could clearly see the fresh scabs where he'd been clawing at his face. Bile rose in my throat at the sight. He had once been a straight A student and a star athlete with a bright future, but that had changed after he and his girlfriend-my best friend-had been in an accident. To kill the pain of losing her and losing his future, he'd turned to drugs. My grief had blinded me to what he was doing until it was already too late.
    "No thanks, Dan. I'm just going to watch some movies for a little while then go out. Go enjoy yourself." Only a cold resignation filled me when I looked at my brother. I wasn't able to fight his addiction without him being willing. And I had tried until I had very nearly killed myself from the effort.
    A long few hours of boredom stretched in front of me. Though I’d told Dan I was going to watch movies, there was nothing I wanted to watch, nothing that would distract me from my own personal hell. Finally, I put my music on shuffle and trained for the fight I would be in later this evening. No one had ever questioned why I wanted a room full of exercise equipment and it kept me fit and toned, though I still had pronounced Irish curves.
    "Prudence shut that s**t off and get out here for dinner!" I had just put my body through a rigorous workout and decided food and a bit of rest would do me good before I had to fight tonight. Vinny wouldn't like it if I was weak from starving myself.
    After a quick cold shower, I slid the sheath back on and joined Mom and Daniel at the table. He had freshly dried blood on his arms and a blank expression on his face. Mom had a bottle of vodka next to her plate and a cigarette dangling from her lips. Mom slurped at her drink. I scarfed down the tasteless food, not even looking at what I was eating. A glass of water chased the food and settled everything down in my stomach.
    "Thanks for dinner." I bolted back to my room and bent over my toilet, shoving my fingers down my throat. It was disgusting but if I didn’t get the food out of my system quickly, I would end up sick; Mom had a tendency to undercook everything and a few nasty bouts of food poisoning had taught me to get rid of the food. But if I didn’t eat, she would get angry and yell at me for being unappreciative of her efforts. Either way, I was on the losing end.
    After my stomach was emptied, I brushed my teeth and choked down a couple protein bars. A glance at the clock had me cursing; I only had an hour to get to the other side of town and be ready for my fights. I slid on my fighting clothes, a pair of well worn jeans and a scarlet tank top. My backpack was sitting by the sliding glass door, ready to go like always. From the living room came the distinct sound of my mother drunkenly yelling at the TV. Dan was so out of his mind on drugs that it wouldn’t matter how much noise I made. Sighing, I left the house and stalked towards the modified tool shed.
    My rebuilt motorcycle sat pristinely inside, still glistening from the intense cleaning I’d given her earlier. As I revved the engine and tore down the street, an unrestrained joy built in my chest. Riding was the only time I felt carefree, and it was a godsend that my parents didn’t care what I drove.
    The drive seemed shorter than normal, the sun just barely sinking over the surrounding mountains. I reluctantly parked in the alley behind the warehouse, only to find Caspar waiting.
    Caspar was a short man with perfect caramel skin and eyes so blue they could win prizes. He also had a tendency to wear women’s clothing. And he looked better in women’s clothing than I did, and he flaunted it. I had met him when I first started working with Vinny three years ago. He had been such a refreshing change of pace that I had immediately befriended him. Now he was my closest friend and an angel in disguise. Right now though, a stormy expression was carved into his features. A group of rednecks hovered nearby chugging beers and hollering rude things at Cas.
    Pissed, I turned to the guys and glared. “Ya’ll got something to say to my friend?”
    One stepped forward. He lifted his beer and gestured behind me. “That f** over there is bugging me. I pay to see fights, not look at some queer.”
    “That man is worth more than you will ever be you sadistic pig. Now I think ya’ll better leave something quick before I decide to kick your asses.”
    They laughed. “And what could you do to us little girl? Ain’t nothing a bonnie lass like you could do to fend off us big fellas,” the first guy sneered. He stepped forward and bent so that I could smell his alcohol laced breath. I gagged. “Aw now you look like all you’d be good for is a quick tup. Maybe right now?” Fury burned inside me and I took his balls in my hand and twisted until he was whining in pain.
    “I ain’t a little girl. And if I see ya’ll inside, I’m going to tell Vinny to kick ya’lls asses for soliciting his fighter. Now, be a good boy and have your pals take you home.” I released him and he fell to his knees, cupping his injured nuts. “Might need to get some ice.” Without another look at them, I walked over to Cas.
    "Goddamn animals. Thank you Snow. I appreciate your help. But Vinny's been waiting ever so patiently for you to arrive. Best not to keep the boss man waiting too long." Cas fluttered his fan at me. He was wearing a silk kimono tonight that fit his petite body like a glove.
    "When are you going to start wearing men's clothes Cas?" I teased as I followed him inside.
    "I will wear them when you get married." I flinched but Cas didn't notice. My one serious relationship and my family had left me way too damaged to even dare look for a man. "Here you go chére. Vinny's inside there. I’m going to get something to drink and I’ll be back to walk you out." Cas danced away.
    Hitching my bag higher, I entered the tiny office at the back of the locker room. Vinny sat holding a wad of cash in his cushy office chair. Dressed in an impeccable gray suit with a blue silk tie, he looked every inch a business man. No one outside would believe his business was brokering fights and gambling.
    "On time today Snow. That's good. I won't have to dock your pay." His words still carried the remnants of his New Jersey upbringing. Before I could say anything, he smoothly continued. "You've got three fights tonight against three fighters from out of town. You don't win, I don't pay."
    "Vin, are you telling me I don't get paid if I don't win all three fights?" I tossed my bag onto the desk angrily.
    Vinny moved quickly around the desk and wrapped his hand around my neck tightly. I glared at him though I was struggling to breathe. "You are my fighter Snow. Don't ******** talk back to me. And I meant exactly what I said. You don't win, I don't pay. Now get ready." He released me and I choked in an unrestricted breath, one hand rubbing my throat. Vin turned and left the room.
    "b*****d," I hissed as I pulled the roll of tape from my bag. My neck burned from his grasp but I knew I couldn't back out. Vinny was dangerous and I'd seen him brutally attack fighters who refused to do what he said. Besides, I needed the money.
    "Time to go dahlin'!" Cas danced in with a bottle of water. I was still struggling to wrap my hands so he took the tape and began to wind it expertly around my knuckles. "You look like you're going to be sick. What did Vin say to you?"
    "Did you know I had three fights lined up today?" Cas finished my hands and weaved my thick red hair into a tight French braid.
    "Three fights is insane even for Vinny! How many do you have to win?" I didn't respond. Cas knew Vinny. He could figure it out. "Oh that insane idiot!" Cas punched the wall beside him and instantly jumped back, waving his hand around and yelping. “Bad idea! Really bad idea! Don’t ever let me do something that stupid again Snow!”
    I couldn’t contain my laughter. Cas glared at me for a long moment before sighing and helping me up. Immediately sobered, I started to stretch my arms and shoulders, following Cas down the hall to the growing babble of an audience. The familiar fury settled into my heart and I rolled my shoulders, loosening the growing tension knotting the muscles of my back.
    “And now welcome to the stage the fierce hometown girl, Red Snow!” The crowd cheered at Vin’s amplified words. The sound grew louder as I danced my way to the arena. Vin continued after I’d taken a seat in my corner of the ring. “And here’s her opponent, the giant from North, Lorna!”
    I barely kept my mouth from dropping as a huge woman pounded towards the stage. Her body was at least double the size of mine and she had an unnatural amount of hair on her beefy forearms. She’d obviously shaved her head and tattoos vied for attention on her exposed skin. I gulped but kept the tight knot of fear from showing.
    “You can do this chére! She’s too big to move quickly. Use your speed and go for face blows or kidney punches. Don’t let her hit you too many times.” He pushed my mouth guard into place and grinned. “Good luck!”
    “Front and center ladies.” Vin beckoned us over. I took my place opposite Lorna and met her steely stare with one of my own. “Alright, I want a fair fight. No hair grabbing and no kicking. Anything else goes. First one to drop loses. Touch gloves.” He waited until we had and backed up. Distantly, I heard the bell ding. A grin split Lorna’s face, reminding me eerily of a leering baboon. She blurred into movement.
    My body moved quickly to the side and I felt what would have been a nasty knockout punch whiz by my face. I responded with a quick kidney jab, causing Lorna to step back a pace. Before she regained herself, I jabbed again then darted to the side. She growled and tried to corner me. She almost had me but at the last second she dropped her guard, letting me get in a good face punch. I started feeling a little cocky and tripped over my toes right into her oncoming punch.
    It hit me square in the jaw, knocking me back to the ropes. Stars momentarily blinded me. My jaw ached unmercifully and blood filled my mouth, but I had enough sense to dart to the side. It was a good thing too, because Lorna had decided to take advantage of my weakness and rush me. I landed a combo punch on her exposed torso and danced away before she could catch me. Dizziness threatened to overwhelm me and I knew I needed to finish the fight quickly. Lorna rushed me again, dropping her guard at the last second. I lashed out with a solid punch to her jaw even as her fist connected with my stomach. I grunted in pain as Lorna tilted backwards and fell. The bell dinged and the crowd went wild.
    “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present your winner, Red Snow!” Vin lifted my arm into the air for a long moment then pushed me towards the corner. “Get ready for the next fight.”
    Cas had a stool all set up for me, a water bottle in his hand. I spat my guard out and drank deeply, breathing still slightly ragged.
    “How long was the fight Cas?” It couldn’t have been that long, though it had felt like an eternity.
    “Only about a minute. You did good but those punches looked devastating.” Cas ran a wet rag over my jaw. I winced but kept up a good face. “Some light damage but it doesn’t look like it’s broken. Unfortunately, you’re going to have a nasty black eye obscuring those beautiful green eyes of yours.” He rubbed a bit of ointment over the area. I managed a tight grimace in appreciation.
    "Next to take on our champion is the newbie Junebug!" An emaciated Mexican girl clambered onto the stage. I frowned as she trembled slightly. "Same rules ladies. Good luck." We tapped gloves and the bell chirped.
    Junebug came out swinging, though her punches had no more effect than an infants. Her breathing was harsh though the fight had barely started. Genuine concern filled me as I met Cas' tight gaze. He gave me a slight nod and I reluctantly pushed the girl. I barely used any force but she dropped like a stone. The ring bounced when she hit and I saw tears fill her eyes. Feeling guilty, I helped her to her feet.
    "Sorry about that." I kept my voice low as Vin reentered the ring, his eyes cold yet pleased. I shuddered as he lifted my arm back into the air. Junebug left without a backwards glance.
    “Too short Snow. One more fight and you're done for the night. I'll give you a five minute break." He pushed me towards the edge of the ring. As I departed the room, I saw a strange man sitting at the very edge of the crowd.
    Normally I wouldn't have noticed him, but his reserved posture was a stark contrast to the rowdy crowd. A plain black hoodie obscured his face. I frowned, my curiosity piqued. But I only had a short amount of time to use the bathroom and rest.
    When I came back out, the man was standing as if to leave. I almost wanted to go talk to him, but I knew Vinny would get pissed. Vinny was outside the ring, a phone pressed to his ear. I cocked my head at the strangely blank look on his face. After a few more seconds, he ended the call and disappeared towards the hall. Cas met my searching glance with one of his own.
    “What do you think is going on Snow? It’s not like Vinny to delay a fight. I wonder who was talking to him.” Cas looped his arm with mine. I leaned my head against his shoulder and tried to relax my body. It wouldn’t help to have over-tensed muscles in my last fight. After a few minutes, Vinny returned with a tall figure following close on his heels. He jumped into the ring, a smug look on his face.
    “Unfortunately, our final girl isn’t going to be here tonight. Her manager just called to let me know that she was found comatose in her hotel room this evening. Thankfully this gentleman decided to step up. Another rookie, Rayne has decided to test his strength against our champion. Please give him a round of applause.”
    A man stepped into the ring wearing a pair of jeans that hung low on his hips. At first all I could see was an attractive display of masculine strength. His shoulders were broad. His torso was all muscle and the skin was the most mouth-watering shade of tawny. A fine dusting of dark hairs started on his pecs, skipped his molded abs, and started a trail of hairs leading into the waistband of his pants. My cheeks warmed as I finally looked at his face. His face was rugged and a day’s growth of beard shadowed his chin. Eyes of a rich gray met mine and i saw humor in their depths. Shoulder length brown hair completed his look.
    “Holy smokes that man is fiiiiiiine!” Cas’ appreciative murmur broke my spell and I glanced at Vinny. A dark expression crossed his face and any lust I had felt vanished and was replaced by my fighting spirit. I snapped my fingers in front of Cas’ face and he blinked rapidly at me.
    “Appreciate later,” I hissed with a subtle jerk towards Vinny. Cas paled and pressed my mouth guard into place. I bounced over to the center of the ring.
    “Alright. Same rules apply. First one down loses. Touch gloves.” I caught Rayne’s mysterious gaze again and tapped my fist to his. A crooked grin cracked his face and he winked.
    The bell dinged and I darted to the side, trying to find any weakness. Rayne echoed my movements and we began to circle each other, neither willing to make the first move. I finally popped my left hand out and watched him bring his arm up to block nearly instantaneously. A second blow followed the first and I landed a solid blow on his abs. They felt like steel and feeling disappeared in my hand. I backed away, shaking my hand to get some sort of feeling back
    Rayne’s fist snapped out and connected with my arm. I bit back a yelp and responded with a surprisingly powerful uppercut. He stumbled back and I landed a few more hits in rapid succession. He grunted but spun away, nearly making me fall flat on my face. It took a second to regain my balance. By the time I had, another blow landed on my shoulder. This time I couldn’t contain my gasp of pain. I turned on my heel and aimed a punch at his face with all the force of my body behind it. Shock crossed his face and he tilted back but caught himself just in time. A soft curse fell from my lips and I danced out of reach.
    Rayne pursued me around the ring. We traded a few more hits, but none were as damaging as the ones we’d traded so far. He did manage to hit my nose, almost certainly breaking it. Blood poured down my lips and congealed on my shirt. Before I could gather my strength for another power hit, the bell rang. It was the first time in my career that the fight had gone on for more than one round.
    Cas started wiping the blood away the second I got to him. His dexterous fingers set my nose, though it burned fiercely. “You’re doing pretty good chére but you need to finish the fight. If you keep at this pace, you’re going to lose. Don’t hesitate to take a shot when you have it.” I nodded and slurped down some water. The bell dinged again and I heard Cas say good luck as I turned back to face Rayne.
    He started with a kidney jab. I grunted and darted back. We circled each other again and I saw an opening. Taking a chance, I leapt forward and my fist met his jaw with resounding thud. He fell backwards, unable to keep his feet under him. I grinned until I realized that I was falling as well. I landed on top of Rayne with a grunt.
    Our gazes met, and I felt like something zapped me. The roaring of the crowd had faded into the background as I panted on top of him. Desire for this man I’d just fought warmed my stomach and it took all of my control to keep from kissing him until I couldn’t think. Thankfully Vinny’s voice reached me and I pushed myself to a standing position. My arm was thrown into the air and I grinned widely at the crowd with my mouth guard still in. Cas was cheering on the side of the ring.
    “Congratulations to our champion! Now unfortunately folks, that was the last fight of the evening. Thank you for coming out!” I bowed to the crowd and Cas came over to lead me away. I glanced back at Rayne to see him donning a black hoodie. My mind raced as I realized that the man from the crowd was Rayne. Funny how things work out.