Quarterback Keeper (Fall Lake Ballers #1)

Chapter Twenty-Five

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

KYLIAN

“ D ayton, please.” Gia held out her palm, pleading. “You don’t have to do this.”

I remained seated—for the time being—and kept my gaze trained on Dayton, calculating everything about his posture, looking for an opening to rush him. He was big and muscular but probably not an athlete—more of a tool who kept himself in shape. From the corner of my eye, Gia—no, Aurora—trembled visibly. I would process who she really was and her connection to the abuser later. One thing was for sure—I wouldn’t let the fucker hurt her.

“I don’t care who you are. You need to get the fuck off my boat before I call the cops.” It was a ballsy thing to say with a gun pointed at us. At least it would get his focus off her and onto me.

My jaw clenched harder at Dayton’s laugh, and he swung the gun in my direction. I just needed an opening to attack. I’d been tackled by bigger and better than him on the field. He didn’t compare to the giant linemen I faced down every Saturday. The only issue was his weapon.

“Come on, Dayton. Stop this. Let him go. He doesn’t matter.” Gia scooted forward, one hand gripping the table, and she shook so hard, I felt the vibration in my arm where it rested on the solid surface. “He means nothing to me—I swear—just a meal ticket. I’ll go with you. I promise.”

I sprang into action when Dayton’s focus shifted, launching myself into him. Shoulder planted into his midsection, I drove him back. My hand curled around his wrist. As he stumbled from the force behind my tackle, I rammed his hand onto the edge of the sink. Once, twice, then the gun clattered to the floor.

“Get out, Gia!” I yelled over Dayton’s roar as we wrestled for control.

He slammed a cabinet door into my face then pulled open a drawer between us. Even with my attention divided between him and her, nothing would stop me from winning that fight.

He buried his fist in my stomach, and the corner of the counter bit into my hip. My attempt to get Gia out had been enough of a distraction for Dayton to take advantage. We traded punches. The guy was strong but didn’t have finesse. He missed more than he connected. The satisfying crunch beneath my fist resonated through me as his nose cracked.

Cabinet doors hung askew, drawer contents littering the floor. Dayton used what he could as a distraction. I pinned him against the counter, twisted, then locked my arm around his neck. He fumbled through the drawers, rooting for whatever weapon he could find while I shouted at Gia. She wasn’t moving fast enough.

“Go!”

She stumbled past us, and my attention wavered as pain pierced my side. My grip loosened at the flash of metal as he pulled a knife from me. He fucking stabbed me. My hand closed around his wrist, and I squeezed. The knife fell. In the back of my mind, I wondered what the hell Gia had been through at the hands of that monster.

I didn’t move for a beat, and he took advantage of the puncture wound. I should have planted my feet better. I hadn’t, and he got the upper hand, twisting my right arm hard behind me then slamming an elbow down on my shoulder. Blinding pain shot through my joint, traveling down my extremities and locking me in place. Blood poured from the wound at my side. I couldn’t process the damage he’d done with that second attack. Not yet. I had too much at stake.

He released my arm, and I stumbled back when he lunged for her. I kicked his ankle, and he went down. So did she. Her head cracked against the doorjamb. It happened so fast. I moved to help her, but Dayton got in my face, the gun in his hand once more. I jolted in front of Gia to block her, keeping a visual of him from the corner of my eye. He swung. I felt the blow to the back of my head, then everything went dark.