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His tone shifted, turning cold and demanding. The casual laughter of our teammates faded into the background as adrenaline surged through me. I felt my pulse spike—not with fear, but with fury.

Because I knew what this was.

I had seen it before—men taking because they thought they could. I swore I’d never let that happen again. Knox taught me better than that. He taught me to fight back.

“Chris, stop,” I said through gritted teeth, attempting to pull my wrist free from his grasp. The weight of his eyes bore down on me, a predatory gaze that set my heart racing for all the wrong reasons.

“I’ve held up my end. You hold up yours.”

The words hung in the air between us like a noose tightening around my neck. My stomach twisted as realization dawned; he was using our supposed relationship as leverage to keep me in line, to mold me into something convenient for him.

I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to scream at him—to unleash the pent-up rage boiling beneath the surface. But instead of fear or submission, what burned within me was defiance.

“No,” I replied sharply, trying to break free from his hold once more. “This isn’t what we agreed on.”

His grip only tightened further, and he leaned in closer—his voice low and menacing. “You’re making this harder than it needs to be.”

Chris leaned in—his breath hot against my skin, fingers sliding back up my thigh. “Relax. This is what you signed up for.”

The words slithered through the air, igniting something inside me that felt like fire and ice all at once. I shoved him—hard.

He stumbled back, eyes wide with shock, and for a moment, I thought maybe I had gotten through to him. But then his face twisted with anger, dark and ugly.

“You think he’s better than me?” he snapped, the venom dripping from his voice. “You’re nothing without me protecting you.”

His hand shot out, grabbing my wrist. It was tight—too tight—and a gasp caught in my throat as panic clawed its way up from my gut.

People were watching but pretending not to—looking away like they were engrossed in their conversations or the game across the yard. Because that was how this shit worked; no one wanted to get involved in someone else’s drama.

But this wasn’t just drama; it felt dangerous and real as Chris held me captive in this moment—a moment I had never signed up for.

I pulled against his grip, trying to shake free, but it only made him tighten his hold further. My pulse thundered in my ears.

Chris yanked me toward him, his voice low and sharp, slicing through the air. “We had a fucking deal.”

I felt the heat radiating off him as he tightened his grip, and for a moment, fear prickled at my skin. But then his hand snagged the hem of my dress—fingers curling around the fabric and pulling.

The sudden rip echoed in the quiet tension between us—a harsh sound that shattered the fragile calm of the night.

That sound—it flipped a switch inside me. I could almost hear Knox’s voice in my head, clear as day.Take the hit. Get back up. Don’t let anyone own you.

Every lesson he taught me rushed back—the weight room fights where I’d pushed through pain, the board drills where I’d fought for every inch, every ounce of respect. And now? Now it was time to fight again.

With a quick jerk, I freed my wrist from his grasp and stepped back, squaring my shoulders as adrenaline surged through me. My voice cut through the humid night air like a blade.

“Get your hands off me, Chris.”

His eyes widened—surprise flickering across his face because he thought he had me under control. But he didn’t. Not anymore.

I could feel power surging through me as I held his gaze, refusing to look away this time. The knot of fear that had coiled tightly in my stomach began to unravel with each breath I took. The fabric of my dress hung precariously from where he had ripped it; it felt like a metaphor for everything unraveling around us.

Chris’s bravado faltered for just a moment—a flash of uncertainty crossed his features—but it was quickly replaced by anger.

“Who do you think you are?” he spat out, taking a step toward me.

“Someone who won’t let you bully her,” I shot back, heart racing but unwavering. “You don’t get to control me.”

As those words left my mouth, I could feel Knox's presence wrapping around me like armor—strong and unwavering—and it made all the difference in this moment.