Brawl
Kylie Hillman
Publication date: May 12th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance, Sports
Gabriella Mitchell is a fighter.
She fights to keep her family together after her parent’s divorce.
She fights to keep her siblings safe and in school.
She fights because it’s the only thing keeping her sane.
Stumbling across an underground MMA fight ring in Sydney, her blood roars as she watches the ruthless Hayden “Hooligan” Harvie with floor of the octagon with his latest opponent.
Gabriella decides she wants to fight professionally; to support her siblings with her fists…and she wants Hooligan to teach her.
Hooligan doesn’t think girls should fight. Especially young, pretty ones he’d love to have warming his bed for a night or two…if only he could silence his conscience long enough.
Every couple needs to fight for their love at some stage, however, with two stubborn hearts at stake, a happy ending for these two will require an all-out BRAWL.
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EXCERPT
HOOLIGAN
Jep doesn’t waste any time. He goes for the easy takedown, aiming at Gabbi’s waist and trying to wrestle her to the ground. It’s a good move, one that I don’t expect her to be able to counteract. He easily outweighs her—almost by double, I’d guess.
What I didn’t count on, and neither did Jep by the looks of things, is Gabbi swinging onto his back and locking her right arm under his chin. Using her left arm for leverage and locking her legs tight around his waist, she pulls tight using a rear-naked choke that’s going to have him tapping out swiftly if he can’t find a way out of it.
He swings around wildly in an attempt to dislodge her. It’s ineffectual. Gabbi clings to him like a backpack. I know what I would do in this situation but I’m not sure if Jep has the killer instinct needed to do it to a girl. If I was him, I’d throw myself on my back and use my superior weight against her. There’s little chance of her maintaining her chokehold while she deals with the weight of a fully-grown man crushing her.
“Yes.” Nate punches the air. “Choke him out, ninja girl.”
A feral growl can be heard coming from his best-friend in response to his cheering. Nate smiles at me when I glance his way, smug-satisfaction evident. Gabbi must sink her hooks in deeper because Jep’s face starts to change color. With pure desperation showing in his expression, he throws himself on his back, trapping Gabbi between his body and the canvas.
I expect her to let go of him so she can tap out. The crazy girl doesn’t; instead she absorbs the impact without making a sound and sustains her tight hold. My pulse pounds in my ears as my desperation for Jep to win increases. All hope of succeeding at this stupid game I’m playing leaves me, when I witness Jep’s hand frantically tapping on the arm Gabbi has locked under his chin seconds before his eye’s roll back in his head. He succumbs to his lack of air supply and loses consciousness.
“Time. Time.” I call, rushing forward to roll Jep’s unconscious form off Gabbi. Nate and two other members jump the ropes and make their way into the ring to assist me. They deal with Jep, rousing him and making him talk to them once he’s come to, while I grab Gabbi’s hands and pull her back on her feet.
She’s unhurt; a sheen of sweat that covers her smooth skin and a rapidly rising and falling chest the only outward signs that she’s just exerted herself. Well that, and the giant shit-eating grin that’s on her face.
“I won,” she breathes the words as if she can’t quite believe them herself.
I know I can’t. This isn’t how this was supposed to go down.
“So when do we start, Coach?”
The logical part of my brain wants to scream “never”, while the part that’s strangely turned on from watching this girl use a technique I’ve used on my opponents many times to subdue a man twice her size, is yelling at me to tell her “right fucking now” so I can take her in the locker room and bend her over in the shower, making my fantasy from the other night a reality.
Letting go of her hands in an attempt to resist the overwhelming urge I’m having to pull her closer, I take a step away from her.
My displeasure is evident on my face and in my voice when I answer her.
“Tomorrow. We’ll start tomorrow.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kylie Hillman is an Australian author who loves to chat. She can be contacted via email: authorkyliehillman@gmail.com, Facebook, or Facebook Group: Kylie Hillman's Book News & Updates.
Wife to a Harley riding, boating and fishing, four-wheel driving quintessential Aussie bloke.
Mum to two crazy, adorable, and original kids.
Crohn's Disease sufferer and awareness campaigner.
She’s also an avid tea drinker, a connoisseur of 80's/90's rock music, and is known for lacing everything she says with sarcasm and inappropriate innuendo.
Formerly working in finance, she was forced to reevaluate her plans for her life when severe Crohn's Disease brought her corporate career to a screeching halt. Restarting her childhood hobbies of writing and reading to alleviate the monotony of being sick and housebound, she found her calling and is enjoying life to the max. A typical day is spent in the "real" world where she hangs out with her awesome family and "book" world where she gets to chill with her fictional characters.
Kylie writes the books she wants to read. A lover of strong men who aren't perfect and aren't afraid to admit it, straight talking women who embrace their vulnerabilities, and real life gritty stories, she hopes these themes shine through her writing. An avid reader of all genres, Kylie hopes to release books that keep the reader on the edge of their seat- be it with suspense, romance, or laughter.
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