KAGE (KAGE Trilogy #1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

and googled Michael Kage on a whim. There were a couple of social media profiles, a headshot of some unknown actor, and several unrelated results that made me scratch my head that they’d even shown up in the first place. Apparently, Michael Kage was not a household name in the world of mixed martial arts, and learning that left me inexplicably disappointed. Guess I thought I’d met a celebrity.
    I leaned against a wall and studied a couple of fighters who were in my line of sight, looking the worse for wear after having recently beaten someone senseless, or having been beaten senseless themselves. Davi Matos came near, and I just stared.
    Like Kage, he had an undeniable presence. He passed so close to me, I felt the air stir, but his eyes never lighted on me. Thank goodness. That guy made me nervous. Up close, his face looked like it had been through a meat grinder. Apparently his opponent had gotten off a few damaging shots before he got submitted.
    The two lady reporters who had snubbed me at the beginning of the night stood in the group inside the room. One of them kept yelling questions out of turn, like she thought she was in the movies or something. I rolled my eyes.
    I turned my attention back to my cell phone, getting ready to call Braden.
    “Learning anything?” said a voice from behind me, and I spun around to come face to face with Michael Kage.
    I startled, looking guiltily up at him and shoving my cell phone behind my back before he could see that I’d been researching him. “What are you doing?” I said, for lack of anything better. My heart had sped up again. Something about this guy really had my ticker going wild, like his very presence caused an adrenaline dump in my system.
    “Getting ready to go eat. I’m starving. Any nice places around here without a long wait?”
    “Lou’s is only a few blocks away. They’ve got a killer cheeseburger, and they’re quick.”
    “Cheeseburger.” Kage laughed, showing those rampant dimples. “You’re funny, college boy. I meant something a real man would eat.”
    He took a step closer. One step closer than propriety dictated.
    “What’s the matter, you don’t like cheeseburgers? That’s downright unpatriotic.”
    Instinctively, I took one step back, reclaiming my personal space. But Kage stepped forward again and gave me what could only be described as a look of challenge. This time, I stood my ground.
    “You don’t get a body like this by eating fast food.” He said, patting his belly. There was so little give, he might as well have been hitting a suit of armor. “How’s your project coming? You got everything you need?”
    I shrugged. “I wish I could have gotten better photos. The action shots are blurry. I need a new camera if I’m gonna be doing this kind of stuff.”
    “Wanna take one of me?” He grinned and crossed his arms over his chest, plumping up his biceps. I fumbled for my phone, quickly switched to camera mode, and took a picture. Then he struck another pose, this time with his usual face that looked like he was ready to whip some ass. It was shocking to see him change like that, as if he’d slipped into another personality and back again.
    “I appreciate you helping me out,” I told him. “If you want to know the truth, I’m a little starstruck right now. I’ve never met a real fighter before.” I bit my lip nervously. “Would you mind taking a selfie with me? It would make my roommates so jealous.”
    “Yeah?” He raised a brow. “Well, I’m all for making people jealous.”
    We leaned in close to each other, and I held the phone out as far as I could to capture the image. The two well-dressed thugs who had been flanking Kage all night chose that moment to step out of the shadows. “We need to go, Kage,” one of them said. “Plane’s leaving in less than two hours, and we still have to stop for food.”
    “Fuck.” Kage rubbed a hand irritatedly over his eyes. “Alright, let’s go. Catch you on the flip side,