Beyond Promise Read Online Free PDF Page B

she’s nesting.” Brandy’s
brow arched, and I smiled, not taking the bait. I knew her brother
hadn’t told her, and I was eighty percent certain Mason hadn’t
mentioned it either.
    “I’m not a bird.”
    “No, you’re not and don’t let anyone tell
you otherwise,” Gabby assured me, and I chuckled. These two were
exactly what I needed to relax. I’d been wound so tightly since the
weekend I needed some comic relief.
    “Seriously, though, are you doing okay? I
feel like there’s something beyond the obvious you’re not telling
us.” Brandy took a seat on the couch, and Gabby sat in a wooden
rocker near the fireplace. Ayden and I’d just bought it at an
antique store in town. We both thought it would be perfect for when
the baby came.
    “You do seem nervous about something.” Gabby
nodded. “Is it the fight?”
    I sat down on the couch next to Brandy and
rested my head on the back cushion.
    “Yeah.” I looked at Gabby. “Has Jason told
you anything about it?”
    Gabby shook her head. “Nothing more than the
usual.”
    “I wouldn’t be mad if he did…”
    Gabby’s brows furrowed in confusion as she
slowly rocked in the chair, and I realized she actually didn’t
know. Jason hadn’t told her the details.
    I let out a sigh and turned my head back and
forth. “Turns out Ayden’s last fight is against someone who is also
undefeated in the circuit he fights in.”
    “He’s gone against other undefeated
fighters,” Brandy said, resting her hand on my knee in reassurance.
She wasn’t thrilled about her brother fighting either.
    If only that was where it ended.
    “True.” I sucked my lip in and blew out air,
trying to keep the worry at bay.
    “So that’s not all of it, is it?” Brandy
prodded.
    “Ayden is about to step into the ring
against a fighter who killed his last opponent.”
    Brandy and Gabby gasped before their
expressions turned to horror. Gabby’s gaze fell to my belly and she
shook her head. “Why is he still doing it?”
    “He’s gotta bail. You’ve got to make him
throw in the towel,” Brandy almost whispered. “If our parents found
out…”
    I shook my head. “I could never ask him to
do that.”
    “It’s not a question about what you want.
It’s about safety and Ayden’s life. This is ridiculous.” Gabby
stopped rocking. “Why in the world would he do this when you guys
are…” She didn’t continue.
    “Is it the money?” Brandy asked, but she
knew her brother better than anyone. It had nothing to do with
money.
    “Not at all. Granted, he’d lose a lot… More
than any other fight they’d promoted and managed, but that’s not
it. His company’s sales are skyrocketing, and besides the money
he’s already put away, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if one of the
big companies didn’t try to buy him out soon. So no. If it was
about money, it would be easy to get him to stop. With Ayden it’s
all about pride and proving to himself he’s the best.”
    “But he’s already proven that time and
again.” Brandy looked unnerved, exactly how I felt. “I can’t
believe he’d do this to you. To me. To our parents.”
    I let out a deep breath and looked around
the room. The usually cozy place felt completely chilling as the
thought of Ayden losing forced its way into my mind. I’d been
keeping positive, but when I saw the fear I was feeling reflected
on my best friends’ faces, it forced me to deal with the
alternative. What if Ayden was never here to enjoy this room, this
house, with me again? No. That wasn’t how it worked. Ayden won
every match he’d ever entered.
    “I’m not trying to cause a problem between
you two,” Brandy began. “But it only takes one second for a
person’s life to be changed forever. I know firsthand…” She chewed
on her cheek for a few seconds before continuing. “There isn’t a
day I don’t wake up with pain. And there are some days that I want
nothing more than to crawl under the covers and sleep my aches
away. But I