T.K.O.: Total Knock Out Read online

  TKO

  Total Knock Out

  By: Ana Layne

  TKO ~ Total Knock Out

  Copyright © 2014 by Ana Layne. All rights reserved.

  First Print Edition: September 2014

  Limitless Publishing, LLC

  Kailua, HI 96734

  www.limitlesspublishing.com

  Formatting: Limitless Publishing

  ISBN-13: 978-1500236366

  ISBN-10: 1500236365

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  If you’re reading this book, it’s dedicated to you.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Prologue

  Raegan

  It began with a slap here, a punch there. I’ve kept things hidden deep down, refusing to tell anyone. I explain the bruises away, telling them it was just a mistake, that it’s only just begun. But the truth is, it’s been going on for too long. Every night, Dad broke a glass, or more than one, leading to more liquor spilt on the floor, and more beatings. I don’t think I will ever understand this.

  I sink down beside my bed, bury my head in my hands, and just cry. Was he really doing things like that to my stepmom all this time and I never knew it? Always on the go, I never stayed home, avoiding his rages. How could I have been blind to what he was doing to her right in front of my eyes?

  All of a sudden I don’t blame Nancy for leaving him. I wish she’d taken me with her, because right now, I am more than ready to get out of here.

  ***

  James pulls his phone out of his pocket and checks the time. “Oh shit.”

  “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “We’re going to be late. Come on, I have a surprise for you.”

  He grabs my hand, pulling me to my feet. He races out of the driveway still not telling me where we’re going. He pulls up at an old brick building located south of town. There are cars lined up and down the street and it takes a minute before James is able to find a spot.

  “Where are we?” I ask, dumbfounded.

  “Just follow me, babe.”

  We weave through the mass of people and my eyes widen when I spot the ring for first time. It’s the ring from the flier at my kickboxing class. The flier I’ve stared at day after day, wishing I could experience the fights, be a part of this world. Maybe even be a fighter—raise my fists, stand my ground, be what I need to be to protect myself. But I could never do that. Could I?

  “Seriously, James, how could you keep this a secret?”

  “I wanted to surprise you,” he smirks, leaning in to kiss me.

  He continues to push us closer to the front so we can have a good view. The lights are warm in the little room but I’m so pumped it’s not bothering me.

  The announcer speaks with a mesmerizing, smooth tone that captures everyone’s attention. He announces a lineup that has everyone going crazy. I don’t know who any of these people are but I’m anxious to learn. Two women get in the ring. One of them has a long jet black ponytail, and she’s ruthless; I’d be scared to go against her. I watch the swift movement of her feet and hands. She’s quick, and I catch myself trying to mimic her in my head. James just looks down at me and grins.

  She wins her match and the crowd erupts in cheers, people jump from their seats and pump their fists into the air. She steps out of the ring, walking off with confidence and a bounce to her step. A couple guys are next and the energy inside the arena is nothing short of pure exhilaration. One of the fighters is covered in tribal tattoos, his muscled limbs inked up and bronzed from the sun. The other has pale skin which is untainted, smooth and covered in a sheen of sweat. The fight is almost a total knock out. The tattooed fighter didn’t stand a chance. His movements weren’t fluid and his steps were way off compared to his opponent. The man without tattoos walks by me after the match, and I glance up to see piercing blue eyes; he seems to glance in my direction. He smirks, and I almost believe the flirting is meant for me—but how could it be?

  After several matches, we head back to the vehicle. “Oh my God, James, that was so exciting! I wonder how you get into that?”

  I’m positive I could do it; with my kickboxing classes, I’ve only gotten better and better. I enrolled in kickboxing when things with Dad started getting rough. I wanted to be able to think quickly and use the necessary skills if things intensified. I didn’t want to be the doormat who sat back and just let it happen.

  “Calm down there, Raegan. I’m glad you liked it but I don’t think so.”

  “Why not?” I pout. “I can be good, you know that.”

  “Or you could get hurt and I couldn’t live with that.”

  I frown as he leans in to kiss my lips. I can dream of being in there with those fighters, but I know I’ll never be able to. I’m more than a little bummed, because it looks too thrilling to pass up. If I just had the chance…

  Chapter 1

  I should have known to hang onto that happiness, because two days later my entire world crumbled. Dad has never put his hands on me like he did that day. Anger poured from him like I’ve never seen before. His eyes were blood red and every vein in his neck throbbed. I had done nothing wrong, but when I came home he unleashed his fury on me. After he pummeled me in the stomach, I was gasping for air. Part of me yearned to fight back, to show him I wasn’t a rag doll. But the other part of me believed I deserved it. I’m not one of those women in the fighting ring; I’m just Raegan. I’m pretty sure I have a cracked rib or something, it hurts so badly. Pain lances through my body like a heated knife blade.

  James is begging me to turn him in and leave but I refuse to listen. It can’t always be like this. Something has got to give. My real dad will come back to me. This man is nothing but a mere stranger.

  ***

  Two days. It’s been two days since James signed papers on our apartment. Two days since I started packing all my things in boxes. Two days since I witnessed my first fights in the ring and I’ve been secretly thinking of them since. Two days since I’ve avoided Dad at all costs. We’ve held conversation through text messages but we haven’t seen each other face to face. I keep waiting for some sort of apology, like maybe he had an out of body experience or something when he laid his hands on me, but there was nothing so I don�
��t bring it up. I’ll be gone soon and maybe one day we can figure out what happened, but until then I’m just getting by.

  As I look in the mirror, I realize I can no longer make out the fingerprints on my upper arm which makes me happy. James was starting to think I was crazy for wearing a jacket because it wasn’t cool outside at all. Even I was beginning to think I was crazy.

  I change into a pink tank top and throw on a pair of shorts ready to go help James pick out our new furniture. I don’t care what it looks like as long as it is comfortable and ours. I just want a couch I can relax on while I watch cheesy Lifetime movies when James is at work.

  It is quiet in the house which I am thankful for. Avoiding Dad has been fairly easy and if things continue to flow this smoothly until I leave for good, then I am perfectly okay with that.

  But as I cross the kitchen, his voice fills the quiet dense air. “You still got it in your head you’re moving out?”

  I turn slowly after taking a deep breath before facing the man who now seems like a complete stranger to me. He’s not in uniform which means he must be off work today. “I am, Dad.” My voice is firm, not quavering, which surprises me. “James signed the lease two days ago. I already told you this.” I regret adding that last sentence; yes, I told him, but he wouldn’t remember. He’d been drunk at the time.

  He takes a single step toward me and I take one back, trying to distance myself from him. His eyes still look bloodshot from the night before; either it was the liquor, or he hasn’t been sleeping. I can’t recall when he got this bad, and it’s scaring the shit out of me.

  For my step back, he matches with another step forward and suddenly I’m against the wall with nowhere to go. He reeks of liquor and smells like he hasn’t bathed in a few days.

  “You aren’t going anywhere, Raegan, do you hear me? You aren’t leaving.” He’s screaming in my ears and I wince, trying to keep my composure and my guard up.

  Before I know it, I’m lying on the ground and I feel his foot jab into my ribs, hard. Something cracks, and I curl up in pain, trying not to let him see me cry, but it’s hard as hell to stop the tears from flowing.

  He mumbles something then disappears from view. Is he gone? God I hope so. I can feel my phone going off in my pocket and I manage to pull it out. My body feels like a thousand sharp knives are piercing it. James has texted to ask if I was on my way. I can’t even type out an answer because my hands are shaking too much. Right now I wish I were dead because it would sure as hell feel a lot better than this.

  After almost five minutes of crying and just sitting there, I try to get up. I sink back down to my knees clinching my stomach for dear life. My God, it hurts to breathe. I’m sobbing and I can’t stop.

  James sends another text saying he’s starting to worry about me. I don’t need him showing up here; that would ruin everything. I manage to text back.

  Sorry, I’m running behind. On my way.

  Once I manage to get back on my feet, I have to grip the wall to keep from falling back down. With every breath I take, the pain slices through my body. I manage to get to the medicine cabinet. Other than the pain from my ribs, my head is now throbbing as if someone struck it with a hammer. Lying there on the counter is the picture of Mom from a few days ago. Quickly I scoop it up, folding it in half to put in my pocket. I wish I knew her. I wish I could hug her. After a couple of ibuprofen later and a glass of water, I bolt out the door as quick as my legs can carry me and sit in my truck.

  Tears aren’t real anymore, or they didn’t seem to be. I am so numb from everything and the pain is so unreal, I can’t react anymore. The ibuprofen takes a small fraction of the pain away but doesn’t really put a dent in it.

  The smart Raegan should have gone to the hospital and had it looked at to be safe, but this Raegan is terrified and just wants to get away from it all. Strategically I place the picture of Mom on my dashboard. She is smiling at me, telling me everything is going to be all right. As I pull up at James’s house, I pray he won’t be waiting outside for me. But there he is grinning, until he sees my tear-stained face.

  I never thought to stop in the parking lot and fix my face because of the pain inside me. My red, splotchy skin is the least of my worries when I’m trying hard as hell to breathe and not have it hurt.

  Just think of Mom, everything is going to be okay.

  Before I can think straight, my truck door swings open and James stands there, looking frantic, trying to figure out why I’ve been crying. I’m terrified to move because I’m worried I’ll fall.

  “Raegan, what’s wrong, baby?” His brown eyes are full of concern as I fight my tears back.

  “Just had a rough morning. Probably hormones. I’m fine.” I wince, trying to not let him see something is wrong as the pain lances through me.

  He lightly kisses my head. “Come inside, I have the website pulled up for the furniture store so we can get an idea of what we want and the prices before we go. I don’t want this to take long, I know you have your kickboxing this afternoon.” He reaches his hand out to me and confidently I take it. I can do this. Stepping out of the truck is my first mistake and the pain does what I fear the most, my legs buckle from under me and I cry out as I fall.

  “Holy shit, Raegan, are you all right?” James scoops me into his arms with the hurt rib against his chest. I want so badly to cry out but hold it in.

  As he lays me on his bed, I finally have the breath to be able to answer him. “I’m ok James.”

  “If you’re okay, then what the hell was that Raegan? I’m freaking out here. Your legs just gave out under you. If I hadn’t been there, you could have hurt yourself.”

  He positions himself next to me, wrapping his arms around my stomach out of habit. As soon as his hand hits the spot, I practically fly a few feet off the bed. A stray tear escapes and James eyes me more suspiciously. Crap. I tried my best to hide it, but it’s not working.

  James grabs the hem of my shirt before I can try to stop him and pulls it up to reveal a bruise over my ribcage. “What the fuck, Raegan? What happened?”

  Ashamed, I throw my hands over my face and pray to be somewhere else. Anywhere but here with him finding out. Ignoring him seems to be the easiest thing I can come up with, and I try like hell until he lets out an agitated sigh. I can’t blame him; at least he cares about me.

  “It was just an accident, I’m fine.”

  “What happened, Raegan?” He’s persistent, but I’m up for an argument right now. For some reason, I feel the need to stand my ground as long as possible.

  Except, the ground falls from under me when I burst out in ugly sobs. As I cry uncontrollably, he cradles my head in his lap. I close my eyes and let the whole world go black for a split second trying to find the right words to explain it. There are no right words to say. I mean, how do you just come right out and say, my dad won’t stop abusing me and I have no idea what to do about it?

  “James, I, I don’t know what happened.”

  “Baby, what do you mean you don’t know what happened?”

  I draw in a deep breath. “I, I, I don’t know why he’s still do-o-o-ing this to me. Wh-hat did I do?”

  I glance up at him, ashamed. What if he’s pissed at me? Who could blame him? He was livid the first time this happened but I assured him it wasn’t going to happen again. He isn’t mad though. Tears glisten in his eyes and I hate that he’s crying because of me.

  “Your dad did this to you again?” His voice is so soft it’s barely audible.

  I can’t lie my way out of this one.

  “Yes.”

  I’ve never seen James this livid, so furious he might’ve been able to light a fire with his eyes. Until now. He jumps off the bed and every vein in his neck throbs. His warm brown eyes are brimming with fury and rage; I’m scared to move.

  “You aren’t going home,” he barks at me.

  I flinch at his words, but all I can do is acquiesce. He knows my Dad is a cop and he will find me, so I don’t know w
hat James is thinking.

  “James, I have to go home. He’ll come looking for me. You know that. He knows where to find me.”

  “No!” When he yells, he seems like a different person, someone who won’t take no for an answer.

  “You can’t tell me what to do. It’s only a few more days, okay? He probably didn’t mean to do it.” I’m so full of shit right now it’s horrible. How do you accidentally kick your own flesh and blood when she’s helpless on the ground and just walk away from it like nothing happened? Unless he was meaning to aim for my face or something—God, I don’t even want to think about that.

  James drops to his knees in front of me but his expression is stone cold and when he touches my arm, he may as well have been standing in Antarctica. “Raegan, you can’t go back. Stay here with me. Please, I’m begging you. I can’t let you walk out this house. Not knowing he’s done that to you again. I’ll talk to my parents, they’ll understand.”

  I jerk my arm away as the tears spill down my face. This is so hard for me and I am not sure why. Two more days won’t kill me and I need James to understand this more than anything right now.

  “James, this is the first time it’s been this bad. Let me talk to him. He’s the only parent I have left, I have no one else.”

  “Dammit, Raegan, don’t go back to that house.” His face is soaked from his own tears, and I feel horrible for causing it. Why was he making me choose?

  “Stop it, James. Just stop. I know I have you, but you have to let me make this decision. I want to talk to him. I know he’s sorry and didn’t mean to do this.”

  James grabs my wrist and makes sure he has my attention. His face is so close to mine, I can feel the moisture from his tears. “Raegan, I fucking love you more than anything in this world. You aren’t going back, do you hear me? I’m not letting you leave. He won’t hurt you anymore. He’s a monster, do you hear me?”