My eyes shot open at the sensation of someone stirring, allowing my senses to awake in time to see Drew leaning up to get out of bed. I felt my hand reach out a grab hers, startling her because she hadn't expected me to be awake. Those silver eyes took me in, a tiny smile growing on her lips as she faced me again.

"Don't get up," I managed, still feeling the sleep falling off of me.

She leaned back down, pulling me into her and allowing me to take in the warmth that had left me when she had started getting up. I sighed in relief, wondering why she wanted to get up anyway. We didn't have anything to do today, at least until tonight when she would have her last fight. Just the thought sent shivers down my spine.

I whispered, "Did you sleep good?"

I felt Drew's chest vibrate when she answered, "I did, actually. Thank God. I haven't slept like that ever since..."

She trailed off, me already knowing she was referring to Evan. I didn't want to mention him, and neither did she, so I just let the subject fall. I glanced at the clock to see it was actually already ten in the morning. There were a bunch of things running through my mind, Jordi getting back to me, Drew's fight, Evan's coming confrontation tonight...

It was just a lot to handle.

Then I heard Drew's voice asking, "You think Jordi's gonna get back to you today?"

I pulled back and looked at her, shrugging, "I'm praying for something. Something that's going to pull the pieces together for us... but I don't know."

She just nodded, understanding that Jordi's dad could only do so much, and if Evan wasn't in the system we were back at a dead end. For some reason I had a feeling he had gotten himself into trouble way before a week ago when he showed up in New York, and I still had a feeling we would find something. At this point I would accept anything on the guy.

Drew changed the subject, "Breakfast?"

I gave her a tiny smile, "Sure."

~ ~ ~ ~

A few hours passed after Drew and I had climbed out of bed, still no sign of contact from Jordi, which inevitably led me to believe that we were stuck. Drew and I had discussed the money thing again, her still believing it was best to keep it in the bank, protected and well away from Evan's hands. I had agreed with her of course, knowing the last thing I wanted was for Evan to get a hold of that large amount of money. She had even shredded all the information concerning the account just in case, memorizing the information beforehand.

Demarcus had called us up as well, letting us know he would drive tonight and would pick us up at the usual time. I was nervous, I could say that much, but I was more nervous about seeing Evan tonight rather than Drew fighting. Don't get me wrong, there were still a lot of nerves concerning Drew winning tonight, but that was up to Drew. I had a feeling it would be tough tonight, but I had faith everything would work out tonight. Even if it did get messy.

Then around one o' clock my phone rang, and to my complete surprise it was Jordi.

I answered eagerly, hearing him on the other end immediately.

"Bree, hey. I finally got word back from my dad and we need to meet. This Evan kid... he's serious shit."

His words made me nervous, but I knew he was right. Drew and I needed details, and the only way to find them out was through Jordi.

I answered nervously, "Okay, Drew and I will be there in a bit."

I heard him inhale before replying, "Okay."

I hung up, seeing Drew's eyes focused on me like I was the only thing in this room. I nodded, "It was Jordi, he told us to meet him. His dad finally got back to him."

I could see Drew tense, but she stood, "Let's go then."

We left her place in a hurry, hailing a cab and making our way through the traffic towards Jordi's place of work. I was nervous of course, for multiple reasons, but just thinking about the way her had sounded over the phone gave me chills, which was really anxious.

We pulled up in front of the building and left the cab, walking quickly into the doors to see Jordi sitting at the front desk. His eyes snapped up to me and then Drew, standing and making his way around the desk towards us.

He sighed, "Follow me."

And we did, to a back room that held a table and a few chairs. Drew leaned next to me against the table as Jordi stood near the door. I decided to break the ice, "It was bad?"

He pulled out a paper from his pocket, "Yea, I had to write some of it down because my dad couldn't send me any information but... I think I have enough information in my head."

He handed it to me and Drew then, Drew unfolding the paper and reading over Jordi's scrambled words. Aggravated assault: dropped. OWI: bailed.

I looked up at Jordi, "His charges were dropped for assault?"

Jordi just nodded, "My dad explained it to me, which pissed him off because he knew it was bullshit. My dad recognized this kid just by his name, I didn't even have to give him anything else, that's how often he's in there. But you know what, the guy has relatives in the department, not to mention his dad basically bailed him out every time he needed. Those are just the things he was charged with, the other things weren't listed cause he got out of it somehow."

Drew just stared at the paper while I continued to ask.

"Things like...?"

Jordi sucked in a breath, "Uh let's see, drug possession was a big one, more assault cases, mostly in bars... but this guy..."

I didn't want to explain anything about Evan to Jordi, but somehow felt kind of obligated since he had helped us out. Although it most definitely wasn't my place, so I just continued to talk to him, hoping Drew would explain rather than stay quiet.

I nodded, "Yea I know, but thank you. I was starting to get nervous when I didn't hear from you."

He shook his head, "Yea I know, I'm sorry it took so long but my dad's busy at the station. Did you get what you needed or...?"

"Yes, more than enough information, actually," Drew chimed, sounding nervous but grateful at the same time.

Jordi just watched her, "Good, glad I could help." He shifted his weight back and forth before opening the door to let himself out, "I have to get back to work but, if you need anything else just let me know."

I nodded, Drew and I following him out the room and back towards the front of the building. We thanked him once more before stepping back out onto the street and Drew sighed, "Well, that was..."

"Shocking," I finished, but I felt good now because the pieces were starting to fit together. I looked up at Drew, "Remember when you told me you couldn't just up and leave the league because there were seriously dangerous people there?"

Drew hailed a cab and we climbed in, answering me at the same time, "Yea, why?"

"Well, the only way I see Evan fitting into this puzzle is drugs or something. Maybe now that Ronnie's gone and he's obviously gotten himself into trouble he's run out of money, putting him in this situation. That inevitably led to him ending up in New York in hopes to gain some money back, and now that he's lost what he has he's after you. You're kind of his last option."

Drew just contemplated silently, and I had to admit that it actually kind of made sense. The newly found information on Evan just solidified the fact that he was in trouble and basically reaching for anyone to help him. He still felt the need to threaten Drew even when I didn't believe he would do a damn thing regardless. Of course I didn't know him or what he was capable of.

But it was obvious he was in trouble and looking to Drew for help, or rather threatening her, which had turned into the wrong move.

Drew sighed, "He still makes me nervous, Bree..."

I grabbed her hand, shaking my head at the sound of that. She had no reason to be, Evan was useless and had nothing against her anymore. Nothing but me really, and I didn't buy his craziness one bit. He was sick for what he had done to Drew but I wasn't afraid of him. He wouldn't be able to take me away from her.

"There's no reason to be."

"But there is," she watched me, a protective expression on her face, "He was sick five years ago. No telling what he's turned into now. If he hurts you... I won't be able to deal with it."

I could tell she was worried, and she knew him better than I did. Should I be worried about him is she was? She was right about Evan being sick, and he seemed to be completely out of his mind a week ago. Was he willing to take drastic measures against us if we didn't go with his plan?

I tried to reassure her, "Let's not think about him okay? Just focus on winning tonight."

I could tell she didn't want to bother me with constantly pressing the subject so she complied. I tried not to worry too, for different reasons, but i knew we had to take one step at a time. Tonight she needed to win, that was the most important thing, and then we would figure out the rest.

~ ~ ~ ~

I was convinced I had never felt this nervous in my life, and just the thought of stepping foot in that place sent chills through me. It was hopefully going to be the last time for Drew and I, and even though I wanted to remain positive, things went wrong here all the time. Then on top of the fact that it was Drew's last fight Evan would also be there, which made me more nervous than the actual fight.

It was just me, Demarcus, and Drew this go round, and I was glad Maria decided not to come. I was expecting a confrontation that I did not want her there for.

We pulled up and I hugged Drew close to me, a sense of protection overtaking me as we walked into the downstairs arena. I could feel my heart beating in my head as Drew guided me through the people and to the back room where she would get ready.

The only thing I found my eyes scanning for was Evan.

We disappeared from the crowd and Demarcus stayed at the front of the room, making sure Evan didn't attempt to get to Drew moments before she fought. The tension was high, and it was hard to keep a level head but I was trying my best.

I could only imagine how hard it was for Drew.

She began stripping into her spandex shorts and sports bra, wrapping her hands quickly after that. She had a look in her eyes that let me know she was nervous but was attempting to get her mind right. I placed my hand on her thigh out of comfort and fear, needing to feel her but also needing her to know I was here.

She mumbled, "Just my luck my evil step-brother would try and force me to lose my last fight, huh?"

I knew she was trying to make light of the situation to calm herself down when I replied, "Yea, he obviously hasn't gotten any smarter in five years."

I listened to her release a tiny laugh as she finished up wrapping her hands, those worried eyes switching up to me. She was still torn, those horrible memories reminding her why she had run away all those years ago. She still had fear from Evan, but she was different now. She was stronger and older, and she didn't have to be afraid of him anymore. It would take her time to realize that.

Her hands laced through mine, a sad expression on her face, "I'm going to win, but I promise... I'm gonna do everything in my power to protect you. He can fuck with me all he wants, but not you..."

My heart clenched at her words and the pain that was evident in her tone, but the last thing I wanted was to let Evan hurt her anymore. At least we were on the same page.

"I trust you," my voice trembled but I had meant it whole-heartedly.

She leaned in and took my lips between hers, my eyes closing softly at the sensation. I held her face just a little longer to prolong it before pulling away. I would have to leave in a bit, she needed to focus more than ever right now.

She whispered, "I love you."

I smiled at the words, nodding my head to prevent me from actually bursting with nerves, "I love you too."

I stood, walking out of the back room quickly because the last thing I wanted Drew to see was how anxious I actually was. She didn't need to worry about me, at least not now before she walked into that ring. This was the most important fight of her career, the fight to finally end all of the pain and suffering.

Demarcus saw me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, already understanding the look I had on my face. Luckily he knew about the whole Evan situation as well, so I wasn't alone if Evan decided to approach me. Although I hadn't seen him since we had gotten here, which only made me more nervous.

He had to be here somewhere right?

"So if that guy approaches us I'm positive I'll punch his face in," Demarcus defended, and I felt a hundred times better having him here with me. Drew was safe in the back till she fought, no one could go back there. It was the during and after part I was nervous about.

"I wouldn't stop you," I admitted.

The place was packed tonight for reasons I had no idea why. I tried to listen to some of the guys discussing who they bet for and why, and supposedly the girl Drew was going up against was pretty good. Although it still seemed Drew had a lot more support than the other fighter. It still didn't dim my nerves.

"She's good but Drew's a lot more experienced. Don't worry," Dee encouraged, guiding me over to the barricade in front of the ring. I could feel my hands shaking as I let them rest against the metal, feeling my breathing deepen at the thought of this fight starting.

Then the announcer came over the speakers, introducing the fighters.

By the time both of them were standing in the ring I was sure I was having a heart-attack. I hadn't spotted Evan either, which I found weird, but I had a feeling he was here, hiding away in the shadows. I tried not to think about him as my eyes focused on Drew, who was standing face to face with her opponent.

Then the fight began.

They danced as usual, getting a feel for each other as Drew's laser-focused eyes locked onto the other girl. Her hands guarded her pretty face, those feet shuffling timidly, not wanting to overstep and make a mistake.

That's when her opponent jabbed, Drew leaning back to avoid it as she blocked her face but threw her elbow into the girls jaw. She recoiled, Drew moving in to attack but her opponent seemed to be a step ahead of her, throwing her knee into Drew's stomach. They both seemed to be desperate to win, and I had a horrible feeling this fight could be the nastiest one yet.

Instead of letting her opponent get another hit in Drew charged, too winded from the last blow to stand up and throw fists. She and the other girl stumbled to the ground, Drew attempting her to get a few punches in but the other girl was strong. She twisted, wrapping her arms around Drew and pulling her close to her face. She was trying her best to defend herself while Drew held her place on top, and Drew couldn't get any punches in.

Then the bell rang, pulling the two girls apart.

I allowed my eyes to travel away from Drew for a split second only to see Evan's menacing glare on me, a look of evil laced in his features. I felt my heart squeeze in fear but the last thing I would show him was what he wanted to see.

I returned a hard glare before returning my attention to Drew.

The next round started up and this time neither one of the girls wasted any time. I could tell Drew wanted to get this over with, she was desperate to end this once and for all, no matter what Evan had said to her.

She bobbed and weaved her way around her opponents punches, avoiding them with ease as she swung, coming into contact with the girl. I heard the solid smack of Drew's fist against the other girls face, sending her stumbling backwards into the fence surrounding them.

That's when Drew caught sight of Evan, and it was detrimental.

She hesitated, lost focus and this gave her opponent the perfect opportunity to hit her right in the face. Drew fell backwards, stunned on the ground as the other girl climbed on top, bringing her fist high in the air and bringing it down.

Drew moved her head just in time, rolling away as she wrapped her arms around her face for protection. I couldn't tell if I was screaming from fear or not because the crowd was too loud, and my hands were trembling more than ever. I was terrified and I wasn't even in the ring. I was desperate to see Drew come out of this, praying silently that she didn't lose. She just couldn't lose.

But when I came to terms that I was screaming I realized my voice was cutting through the rest of them. Drew must've heard me because she forced her elbow into her opponents face, sending her off of her and back to her feet.

Drew was back in it.

She was tired, I could see it in her features, but so was her opponent. They were both hurt and exhausted, and inevitably this came down to who wanted to win more. I prayed Drew found her second wind before the other girl did.

Her opponent moved in again, this time Drew had the opportunity to read where she was going before reacting. She dodged, swung and connected, harder this time as her fist collided with the girl. I knew that had finished the fight, there was just no way in hell her opponent could survive that hit.

She fell then, her knees shaking as her legs gave out from under her. I could see a look of regret flash across Drew's face, a look i hadn't seen any other time she had fought, but it let me know she wasn't completely zoned out.

She had won but the fight was far from over.

I scanned for Evan but he was gone, disappearing through the crowd which put me even more on edge. Where had he gone? I couldn't let him get to Drew, not whenever she was hurt like she was.

I felt Demarcus tugging me to the back where Drew was, seeing her icing her face while unwrapping one of her hands. I could tell she was hurt, all from seeing Evan, but she had won and the look of relief was flooding her features.

Demarcus sat in front of her, smiling, "You did it. You're done."

It looked as if Drew was going to cry out of happiness when she answered, "I fucking did it..."

I stood at a distance, studying her to make sure everything else was okay. She looked fine, a little beat up and tired but for the most part she as still in one piece, and I was extremely relieved to see that she as okay.

But when I saw Evan storming through the hall towards us I immediately went into defense mode, refusing to let him near her. I walked towards him, hearing him threaten Drew, which evoked a response from both Drew and Demarcus. I could hear Drew tell me to stop, not to go after him but it was all just fuzz in my brain. My instincts had taken over, but when I met up with Evan face to face I swore I had come face to face with the devil himself.

But when my hands connected with his chest his strong arms shoved me off of him and to the side, throwing me into the concrete wall. I felt a splitting pain run all through my body, my vision going a little blurry before I saw Demarcus grab him by his neck, Evan's hands wrapping around Dee's arms.

Drew had a look in her eyes that scared the living shit out of me, one of her hands connecting with Evan's jaw. It didn't knock him out, but if Demarcus wouldn't be in between them I was positive Drew would've killed him.

That's when the body-guards appeared, tearing all of them apart as Evan struggled against them. The sight was terrifying, and the pain was ripping through me as my senses came back just in time to hear Evan's threat echo through the hallway.

"You fucking owe me Drew! I'll kill you if you don't!"

The threats faded away when Drew's arms wrapped around me, helping me up as she carried me to the bench. I could hear her talking but I couldn't understand what she was saying. Had I hit my head on the wall? Everything fucking hurt and I couldn't focus on anything that was going on. My head was throbbing and going in and out of spasms.

Then I finally heard Drew's panicked voice, "Bree? God, can you hear me? What were you thinking?"

Finally my senses were back to normal, the pain fading into the distance. I shook my head, "I wasn't, obviously..."

She studied me, refusing to touch me in hesitation of hurting me, "You hit your head really hard. God I'm fucking sorry..."

She was at a loss for words, shock, fear, and pain overtaking her. She was angry and scared all at the same time, and I could see the devil in her eyes. It was taking her everything she had not to chase after Evan and strangle him to death. At this point I wouldn't have stopped her if she had tried.

I shook my head, finding it painful when I did so, "We need to go."

She just watched me intently, slowly bring her hands to my face as she studied my head. The pain was gone but the worry was still obvious in her eyes. Hesitating she answered, "I have to talk to the coordinators."

"I thought you were done?"

I watched a nervous smile, "I am, but I'm gonna have to tell them I'm out. For good."

For some reason her reaction made me cringe but I didn't have time to process it because Drew helped me up, Demarcus guiding us out of the backroom and into the crowded arena. Currently two guys were going at it, one of them bloody beyond recognition as I quickly tore my eyes away. Drew hugged me closer to her as we made it to a back room, Drew releasing me and walking into the room alone.

I wanted to follow her, I didn't want her to be alone but Demarcus had given me a look telling me she would be okay. Tonight had honestly been one of the worst of my life, and I was more than ready to disappear from this place and never return. I also felt that Drew and Demarcus felt the same.

Demarcus interrupted the silence, "How's your head? I swear I was about to murder him Bree..."

I just looked at the door Drew had disappeared behind, "I'm fine... and yea, Drew looked about ready to too."

"She's changed, she's not afraid of him anymore like she used to be... She's stronger. I've never seen her react so quick like she did just now, not even in the ring..."

I felt myself smile at how he was right, "She is stronger."

He glanced at me, "Because of you."

"She did a lot herself," I admitted, "But I did help."

That's when Drew emerged, a purple bruise forming on her jaw as she held her envelope tightly in her hand. I figured it was her last compensation for her last fight, and then she exhaled heavily, "Let's get the hell out of here."

I smiled, Demarcus wrapping his arm around her shoulder and tugging her out of the room. I was relieved to know she was done, relieved that I never had to worry about her stepping foot in this place again. But it seemed as soon as one problem was solved another one emerged .

Because now Evan was back and ready to make our lives hell.