Another chapter is up, and in record time (compared to how few my updates have been this past year). For that, I apologize. I'm trying to get through this book as fast as I can so I can finally send it in and attempt to get a publication. Every one of your support means the world to me, so thank you!

This chapter's dedication goes to _TwoCupsofTea_ for being the first to vote! The song is Iron by Woodkid. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the perfect song for this one. There were a couple others I had in mind, but they didn't make the cut. Sabrina is in the gif section of the media, AKA Danielle Campbelle (Davina) from the Originals.

Anyways, enough of my ramblings... Enjoy this week's chapter, and always feel free to add some comments/opinions throughout. I always love knowing what you all think!

Sabrina's name pops up on my phone, but I turn it off instead of answering. I'll call her back later - at the moment there is too much on my plate.

    "Oh, Sabrina," Braxton says over my shoulder, accentuating her name with a Spanish twist. "That's your girl, right?"

    I quickly stuff my phone in my back pocket. "Y-yeah, that's her."

Braxton laughs out loud. "Dude, relax. You're still allowed to have a social life."

A nervous chuckle escapes me. I can never be too careful, especially with someone related to my worst enemy.

He smiles in return. "Listen, I might be the closest thing to a friend that you've got here.'' Shrugging, he continues. "We can really help each other out."

Looking around, I scan the area for Dax, but he's way out of hearing distance. He's on the other side of the warehouse, chatting with Eddie, who instantly looks this way - it's almost as if he can sense my gaze. Those dark eyes turn to slits as he glares at me, an eerie grin crosses over his face soon after.

My stomach drops and I feel like I'm going to hurl. Shuddering, I look back to Braxton.

"Don't be afraid of him," Braxton warns. "It won't gain you any sympathy."

His words are harsh, but he's right. I need to separate myself from my emotions, because they are a weakness I can't afford.

"I hope you know you don't stand a chance." Braxton says, adding to my anxiety.

"Thanks," I mutter, bitterly.

"Sorry-" His smirk holds the tiniest amount of pity. "-just don't want to give you any false hope."

At least he's honest. That's something I haven't seen much of around here. Considering I'm basically surrounded by a bunch of people most would consider criminals, it's not surprising. It's comforting to know there's one person I can somewhat count on.

"What did you mean by help each other out?" I ask, his words from earlier suddenly sinking in.

He's about to answer, but our conversation is cut short when his line of sight shifts behind me. A harsh slap bites into my back and I look to my left, seeing Dax at my side. The biggest grin is on his face, and I know I'm up.

Shaky hands form fists at my sides, but it doesn't help the nerves that make me break into a cold sweat. My whole body shivers from the anticipation, the fear of what will happen tonight eating away at me. I take a deep breath and let Dax lead me to the platform.

I've known who my opponent would be the whole time, but seeing Eddie standing on the other side as my rival makes it so much more real. I feel more dread now than any altercation I've ever had with my father. Unlike Andrew, Eddie doesn't know when to stop, and will relish greatly in every strike that causes me pain.

Heavy breaths pump my lungs as I look to my deadliest possible opponent. No doubt, Dax put me up against him as part of his revenge plot.

When my eyes meet Eddie's, there's a mixture of bloodlust and amusement, when all he probably can see in mine is fear. Braxton told me not to be afraid, but against him, that's almost impossible.

Letting out a deep breath, my eyes glass over and I replace the angst with a subdued rage. A little rage is okay, it makes me stronger, but I can't let it control me.

Dax finally leaves my side, and it's just Eddie and me. We're not the main event of the night, but still a huge crowd is formed around us. Their cheering only distracts me, so I zone them out completely. All my attention is aimed at Eddie's gaze, which sends a shudder down my spine.

Eddie now stands only a couple of feet away. Pulling his shirt over his head, he tosses it to the side. His toned chest is revealed and the bulging muscles weaken my hopes that this fight could go in my favor. I have plenty of muscle myself, but Eddie has years of experience built onto him.

"I might take it easy on you if you beg," he offers, a smirk rising on his lips as he stretches.

Fearing what I'd say if I opened my mouth, I only glare deeply into his overconfident eyes.

A chuckle escapes him. "Suit yourself."

The first bell rings and I'm immediately hit with a powerful force coming down on my right cheek, leaving an explosion behind. I stagger back, my jaw throbbing. Before Eddie can strike again, I duck and tackle, using all the power in my shoulder to knock the wind out of him.

We fall to the floor together, a groan springing from Eddie upon impact. An opening gives me the chance to throw a punch, but he deflects it right away, and hurls me to the side. I roll onto my side a couple feet away from him, but get up quickly. If he catches me on the ground while he's standing over me, I'm done for.

My fist finally hits its mark on Eddie's mouth after I block his strike. Another is aimed for his cheek, but he catches my arm before the blow connects. Sweat trickles down my forehead when he pulls me towards him. A gut wrenching shot to my stomach robs me of my breath and I fight myself to stay upright. Eddie's grip on my arm tightens, but as long as I still have my other arm, I will not go down easy.

I spin to the side, jabbing Eddie in the back with my elbow, then with the same amount of force, a blow to his face catches him off guard.

Eddie's hold on me is released as he clutches his nose. Blood drains from his nostrils, but it's not broken. When a growl belts from his mouth, my eyes widen. He grabs hold of my neck, and for a second, I feel my feet leave the ground before my body is being slammed down on the platform.

All the breath leaves my lungs and I gasp for air, but Eddie's hand is clenched too tightly around my throat. I use all my leg strength to my advantage, propelling him backwards after my right foot meets his chest.

He falls back and stumbles a little to keep his balance. I manage to get to my feet in record time, readying myself for his next blow. The momentum of his punch works against him as I dodge it, using the same tactic used against the victor of the fight I witnessed Friday night.

It has the same outcome. Eddie stumbles forward a few steps, and rages at his own mistake, but I'm thrilled. A few punches make it past his defenses, one of them splitting his lip. Red flows from his nose and mouth, dripping from his chin and onto his naked chest. Maybe I actually have a chance to win this.

Of course, the world has to prove me wrong when Eddie comes back twice as strong as before. His first swing makes me stagger back and the next comes without hesitation. The sting that follows fills my mouth with the all too familiar metallic taste that drowns my tongue.

When his forehead collides with my face, a sharp crackle erupts in my nose. My vision blurs and I can't focus on Eddie's next strike. Hot blood, mixed with sweat, flies from my mouth as my head veers to the side. The searing pain from the blow takes over most of my other senses, but I can hear a piercing ring blaring in my ears. With wobbly legs, I try to force myself forward, but I'm still in a daze from the impact. Needles erupt all over my scalp when he takes hold of my hair, using his free hand to jab me in the stomach.

An embarrassing whimper expels from my mouth and I can almost feel the satisfaction oozing from Eddie. I try to prevent him from gaining the advantage by throwing a punch at his ribs, but my coordination is still on the fritz.

He doesn't waste any time when he grabs my head with both hands and rams his knee against my face. My cry is barely stifled as the pain of my split lip sinks in. Before I can fully register what's happening, Eddie has already reared back. His blow connects with my jaw, throwing me onto my back. Groaning, I roll onto my side.

On my hands and knees, I try to crawl away when a kick connects with my stomach, sending me into a fit of coughs. Spit and blood drain from my mouth as I try to get up, but another jolt clashes with my ribs. My jaw clenches when I fight against the strain.

Two more hits and my arms grow weak, falling right out from under me.

My face connects with the cold floor, somewhat soothing my sweat-drenched body, but this small pro doesn't outweigh the agonizing cons. Every nerve in my body screams for this all to be over, the soreness becoming too much to bear.

I'm pulled up by my shirt collar and the shock of Eddie's next blow makes me fall back down. The floor breaks the drop, making my head bounce on impact. I grumble incoherently and I'm picked up again, but this time, he has a firm hold on my shirt. He keeps me in position as he blasts me with his right hook, again and again.

The blood that pools in my mouth combines with that of one more hit. When he lets go, I slump to the ground, left to choke on my own blood.

A cruel laugh comes from him as he towers over me from above, shaking the stress from his blood-stained hand - some of it being his own from torn knuckles. He always packs a severe punch, which often backfired.

When I try to get up, Eddie's laughter grows.

"Don't get up, Griff." His  glare darkens significantly after his warning, talking me down with his eyes.

I stubbornly get back up to my feet, my legs trembling as I do. After throwing my arm back, I put all my weight into the swing, but Eddie only catches my fist with barely any effort. A striking brute force attacks my abdomen and I clutch my stomach,  dropping to my knees.

"Classic Austin." He looks down at my weak form, judging me with amusement. "Never knowing when he's truly beaten."

My temper gets the best of me and in my outraged state, I make yet another attempt on the offensive. All my effort does is send me back to the ground, but this time, I don't get up. The world around me blurs, and the last thing I see is Eddie's malice one more time before everything around me fades.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

The warm towel makes me hiss through clenched teeth. Every small amount of pressure makes me flinch as Sabrina cleans my wounds. Since it was almost midnight when I got here, we are in her basement. Her parents wouldn't be happy to know I'm here this late, especially in the state I'm in.

"Who did this to you?" Her voice shakes, eyes clouded with worry.

As I told her what happened, she continued to dab my tender areas. Tears fill her eyes and spill over when they get too heavy. She has always been really empathetic when it comes to my pain, and I feel terrible for hurting her.

When all the blood is soaked up into the towel, she grabs the jar of vaseline next to her. She applies some to the small cut on my jaw before smearing a little on my split lip. It doesn't help, but I let her believe it does.

"Austin, you can't keep doing this," she sniffles. "We have to find a way to get you out of this."

I sigh. "It was just one fight."

Carefully, I pull my shirt back over my head, putting one arm through a sleeve at a time. I bite my tongue when an ache runs through my body, all my small injuries working together to create a bigger problem.

"What makes you think they won't make you do it again?"

Grabbing her hand, I run my thumb soothingly over her knuckles. "They won't. Trust me, it's just part of a sort of hazing ritual. It was a one time deal," I promise.

That seems to slightly calm her down, but it doesn't reassure her of anything.

"So, what are you going to do?" she asks. "I mean, we have to think of some kind of plan, or do something."

"Rina." I close my eyes as I let out the breath I've been holding. "There isn't going to be a 'we'."

"What do you mean?" The helpless confusion in her eyes is making this even harder. When I don't reply, she squeezes my hand. "Austin."

I shoot up from my seat, ignoring the migraine when I'm on my feet. "There is no plan, and there isn't going to be one. I have to stay with Dax, but I can't be selfish and risk you getting dragged down with me."

She looks up at me, shock dancing in her fearful eyes. "Wh-what are you saying?"

"You know exactly what I'm saying."

"No, Austin. You can't." Tears spring to her eyes as she stands. I want to push her away when her hands cup my face, but I just can't. "You don't have to say those words, because you're going to get through this, okay?"

"Please," I plead. "Don't make this any harder for me."

Shaking her head, she pulls me closer. "You are not leaving me. Not again."

"Can't you see I'm doing this to protect you?"

"You want to protect me?" Her determined eyes bore into mine, and I find myself nodding. "Then stay with me."

"It's not that simple, and you know it," I argue, averting my gaze. My right hand holds her cheek while the other rest comfortingly on her shoulder. "Plus, it wouldn't be forever - just until all this blows over."

"Promise me?"

The tears rolling down her face make my chest ache. Ignoring the soreness of my cuts and bruises, I crash my lips to hers, using all the strength I have left to pick her up and lay her down on the couch. Our mouths don't leave each other as my hand travels down her stomach. Her smooth legs wrap around my waist, pulling me closer. My hand runs over her thigh, gripping tightly when she lightly tugs on my lip.

I groan and she opens her mouth wider for me, my tongue following her lead when I'm allowed entrance. Her soft whimper is muffled by my lips as I grind my excitement against her. To my surprise, she doesn't shy away.

Her hand finds mine and we grip each other tightly while her other hand has a hold on the back of my neck. I tug on her T-shirt after pulling mine over my head. A small gasp comes from Sabrina's trembling lips as she sees the damage done to my torso.

Gentle fingers glide over my bruises, carefully tracing around the damage. When her eyes start to water, I release her hand and wipe her tears away. Sadness still holds her eyes captive, but I return with a smile.

"It's okay," I whisper, more bothered by her hurt than my own.

My naked chest presses down on hers. The warmth against my tender skin calms me greatly, but the rapid beating of my heart makes my hands still shake from nerves. Being separated now by only a pair of boxers and panties drives me crazy, my forehead erupting in an anxious sweat.

The soft skin on her neck breaks out in goosebumps when I pursue it, her back arching. A delicate moan leaves her and I can feel my lower region throbbing for more. Sabrina's mouth finds mine again as her hips rub against mine and I inhale a sharply.

"W-we have to stop," I pant.

If we continue, I won't be able to stop myself, and the last thing I want to do is take advantage. This is the last night we'll be spending with each other until this is all over, and I don't want to give her any false hope that this is forever.

"Stay," she breathes. "Please."

"You know I can't," I oppose, even though I want to - so badly.

"Please don't go," she begs. "I don't want to be alone."

"Okay," I give in. "But only until you fall asleep, alright?"

    She rolls onto her side, content with my answer, and I do the same. There's a blanket laying over the backrest of the couch and I pull it down over us. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pull her to me. With my free hand, I lace her fingers with mine and place a kiss on her hair.

    "I love you, Austin."

    When my vision blurs, I can't stop stray tears that fall. "I love you, too, Rina."

***

Sadly, the top ship of BMR is under siege - our beloved Aubrina seems to be caught in a hurricane that it can't sail out of. As painful as his decision may be, who thought he made the right one? Don't hate me... *dodges bullets* It might be for the best. His life is way too dangerous to be in a relationship right now, or do you think it's safer for Sabrina to be with Austin right now?

The fight with Eddie, as intense as it was, I'm sure most of you guessed the outcome. Eddie is a very powerful force to be reckoned with. Having grown up on the streets of a dangerous town in Mexico, he knew how to fight at a very young age. Even after his mother got him and his older brother into the states since that's where their father was, he didn't live in a good neighborhood - growing up in his father's gang also attributed. A little backstory for you there!

Anyways, leave a comment telling me what you thought, or a vote if you think the chapter was deserving of one! Thank you so much for reading (:

TheWriterD