His to Protect

I ran to escape my past.
He fought to forget his.
Neither of us expected to find something worth holding onto.

When I show up at Apex MMA, bruised, broken, and running from a man who once swore he loved me, the last thing I expect is Dominic Murphy—grumpy, growly, and built like sin in motion.

He doesn’t say much. But when he looks at me?
It’s with fire. Fury. And something dangerously close to forever.

He tells me I’m safe now. That no one will ever hurt me again.
And when my past comes back to finish what it started, Dominic unleashes the kind of rage that terrifies everyone else—but makes me feel seen. Protected. Wanted.

We’re a bad idea wrapped in bruised hearts and late-night touches.
He thinks he’s too rough.
But I don’t need soft.

I need real.
I need strong.
I need him.

Even if it costs us everything.