UNDYING: A Bad Boy MMA Romance (Midwest Alphas) (Book 3) by Tabatha Kiss Page A

don’t remember the last time I felt my heart beat. I feel nothing but the cold darkness surrounding me. The abyss smells like freshly mixed tar. It covers my skin in black ash. I can’t seem to wipe the stickiness off my fingers.
    “Tobias!”
    His name travels back at me in soft echoes.
    “Claire!”
    I stand up off the ground. My heart finally springs back to life, pumping blood through my veins. I sprint quickly towards his voice, pushing against the shaking earth. Black hands grab at my limbs to hold me back, but I jerk myself free of them, refusing to falter.
    “Tobias!”
    I see him, standing with his back turned beneath a stunning red and orange spotlight. I fill my lungs with fresh air, hoping to expel the thick tar clinging against my lungs, but they fill with smoke instead.
    “Tob—” I cough it out, choking between breaths as I stumble and fall to my knees in front of him.
    He turns around slowly and I realize that it’s not Tobias at all.
    I stare up into his green eyes and scream as he erupts into a wall of fire.
     
    ***
     
    “Hey, Charlie,” I say into my phone. “Is everything okay?”
    I listen for his response as I stare up at the hotel ceiling, squinting at the morning light seeping in through cracks in the curtains. Amy breathes softly in the bed next to mine, completely lost to the world, or at least she will be for another ten minutes until her alarm goes off. I’ve been up for hours, tossing and turning outside of sleep’s grip.
    The nightmares have returned. I can still smell the smoke attached to the inside of my nostrils.
    “As good as can be expected, I guess,” Charlie answers. “You were right, your mother has a tail on her and it won’t be easy to lose them.”
    “Do you think you can?”
    “I’m honestly not sure. They seem well-trained.”
    I bite my lip. “Thanks for trying, Charlie.”
    “Luckily, they haven’t noticed that they themselves are being watched. So, while trained, they are not too bright.”
    I chuckle. “Pretty much sums up the Kings, I think.”
    “My guys in Kansas City will find a window of opportunity and we’ll get her out,” he says. “Don’t worry, Claire.”
    I lean back against the headboard. “Have you ever dealt with something like this before?” I ask.
    “Once.”
    “How did it end?”
    He pauses. “Try and stay positive, Claire.”
    I close my eyes, refusing to imagine why he chose that response above all others. “Is it all right if I call her?”
    “Sure,” he says. “But first… how are you doing?”
    “Oh, same old, I guess…”
    “Claire… same old with you isn’t exactly reassuring.”
    “I’m fine, Charlie,” I say. “The last few days have been a little rough, but I’m keeping it together.”
    “Well, if that changes, you call me. We’ll have one of our chats.”
    A laugh breaks through me. “I kind of missed those…”
    “Me, too, kid.” He sighs. “Go ahead and call your mother. She’s been wanting to hear from you.”
    “Okay. Thanks, Charlie.”
    “Take care of yourself, Claire.”
    I hang up and immediately dial the number for our not-so-secret apartment. It rings twice before she answers with a stiff yawn. “Mom? Sorry if I woke you.”
    “Oh, honey,” she says. “Who the hell could sleep at a time like this?”
    “I know what you mean…” I lean down against my pillows, finding comfort in her voice. “Are you okay? It’s a dumb question, but…”
    “I’m okay ,” she answers. “I was doing awful but then Charlie brought me a gun. I used to hate these things, but now I’m quite the fan.”
    I chuckle. “They won’t hurt you, Mom. As long as I keep my promise, they won’t touch you.”
    “Well, I’m not taking any chances. Did Charlie tell you about the secret knock? We have a secret knock for the door. Isn’t that cool?”
    “Wouldn’t be much of a secret knock if he did tell me about, Mom.”
    “Oh, right.”
    Amy’s phone beeps loudly, instantly stirring her awake.