Tyler's Undoing (Gloves Off #1)(76)

I gripped his arm tighter and he hissed, sweat breaking out over his skin. It was time he knew the truth. “You want me to break your arm? Fine, I honestly don’t give a f*ck. However, first, I want you to take a look at my seats. Who do you see over there?”

Loosening up my hold, I gave Kyle the mobility he needed to see. His eyes went wide when he saw Kacey, getting to her feet with the bandages clearly visible on her wrists. “What the f*ck?” he hissed, grimacing in pain.

“I went and got her, *. You see those bandages on her wrists? Those are from Liam, when he tried to rape her. Now give me one good reason why I shouldn’t rip your f*cking arms out. Because, believe me, if it wasn’t for her, I’d have already done it.”

“You lie!” he shouted. “You’re just trying to distract me.”

Letting him go, I pushed him away and kicked him in the face. I could’ve broken his arm and ended the fight, but I wasn’t like him. “I don’t have to distract you, Kyle. It’s the truth. You’re headed nowhere fast and you know it.”

His features darkening, Kyle rushed me, anger and desperation consuming him. He moved fast and I reacted, but it was like our bodies moved in slow motion before slamming down on the mat. It all happened so quickly. I heard the crack and the screams that followed right after.

It was over.





WHEN TYLER HAD Kyle’s arm locked down, I knew my brother wouldn’t tap out. Deep down, I wanted Tyler to break his arm and get it over with, but he was too admirable to do that—even if he wanted my brother’s blood. What I didn’t expect was for him to let go.

Afterward, everything moved in slow motion. I heard my brother yell that Tyler was a liar before recklessly charging at him. Tyler’s dad shouted something, but then both my brother and Tyler fell down to the mat hard. When only one of them got up, I froze and everything went silent. The paramedics rushed into the ring and knelt down by the motionless fighter.

The only thing going through my mind at that moment was . . . thank God it wasn’t Tyler. I did, however, breathe a sigh of relief when I could see Kyle’s chest rising and falling with his breaths.

“Kacey,” Bree shouted, clinging onto my arm. “Tyler needs you. Go!”

By the time I rushed into the ring, all of Tyler’s friends were in there, including his father. My brother had already been taken away on the gurney and Tyler’s arm was lifted in the air by the announcer. “And your Heavyweight title champion, by TKO, is none other than Las Vegas’ own, Tyler . . . The Terror . . . Russsshhhhiiiinnnngggg!”

Tyler smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. His friends lifted him in the air and paraded him around the ring, while the crowd went wild, chanting his name. When they set him down, he immediately came to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, burying his face in my neck. He was covered in spatters of blood, but I didn’t care; I held onto him.

“Kacey,” he pleaded. “I’m so sorry.”

“Tyler, stop. You did amazing. There’s nothing to be sorry about.” I lifted his head from my neck and smiled up at him. “You deserved to win.”

He nodded, his face uncertain. “I know, but I think he’s really hurt. We might need to follow the paramedics to the hospital.”

“No,” I snapped. “If my brother’s hurt that’s what he gets. It’s what I call karma.”

“That may be true, but when I told him what happened to you, I could see the anger in his eyes, Kacey. He didn’t want to believe it, but deep down he knew it was true when he looked at you. You need to talk to him.”

He put his arm around me. “And unfortunately, after that we have to go to the police station. We need to put Liam away.”

Sighing, I walked with Tyler by his side while he waved to his fans and signed autographs in passing. The night wasn’t exactly what we’d anticipated, but at least he won the title and I was safe. Things could have been a lot worse.

Tyler had put everything on the line for me, and for that I would do anything he asked me to. Even if it meant talking to my brother.





After Tyler washed up and changed clothes, we went straight to the hospital and were told to wait in the waiting room while they finished up the tests. What didn’t surprise me was that Tyler and I were the only ones in the waiting room. None of Kyle’s friends were there.

“I never got the chance to say thank you,” I whispered, laying my head on Tyler’s shoulder.

“For what, beautiful?”

“For the check. I had no idea you’d been looking at properties for us.”

A mischievous smile lit up his face when I glanced up at him. “You’re welcome. I know you two are ready. I had a lot of time on my hands in California to think about you. That’s when I started looking for places. When we get back home there’s something I . . .”

“Miss Andrews?”

“Yes,” I turned, getting to my feet. A short woman, probably in her mid-forties with really short brown hair approached, carrying a folder. I looked down at her nametag and it said Dr. Carol Peters.

She held out her hand, her face grim. “Miss Andrews, I’m Dr. Peters. I’m the one looking after your brother.”

I shook her hand and nodded. “Yes, how is he?”