I grinned flashing a small strip of yellow where the plastic showed protecting my pearly whites. Linc took a defensive stance like he wanted me to attack, but I knew better. I’d bide my time; when I was ready, I’d strike. Mike compared me to a snake when we spared. He said I had this way of looking innocent, and then striking out when my opponent least expected it. He’d upped our training after he’d researched me. I was honestly surprised that he’d stuck around, but he’d made some comment about second chances, and I’d left it at that.
Linc shook his head as if someone was talking to him before bull rushing me, and making a few quick jabs to my ribs. I shook him off as I spun and delivered a kick square to his chest. He stumbled back as anger flared in his eyes. “That’s right buddy. I know what I’m doing,” I thought to myself. “Your little piece of arm candy didn’t tell you I was about to fight for a title when she took me out, did she?” I murmured as I danced around him. He looked at me, confused, as if he didn’t understand what I was talking about before he spun, landed a hit to my shoulder, and swept his foot under me taking me down. “Fuckin A,” I hissed when I hit the hard mat.
He smirked as he bounced and gave me a come hither movement with his fingers. He wanted me up, and after him. What was this fucker’s game? He was taunting me like he wanted the ass kicking I was sure to deliver. I growled as I shoved up, and charged him. A few good jabs, and one hell of a cross, and I had him retreating.
I could see it. The moment he knew I wasn’t going down. His eyes flared as I got the upper hand and spun to take him out from behind. I grabbed his shoulders as my legs wrapped around his torso hooking into his sides, and causing him to drop to the floor. He rolled as he tried to free himself, but I managed to keep him right where I wanted him and get him in the perfect submission hold. This was my strength, the floor. I tightened my grip, and as my arm closed around his neck I saw the defeat flash in his eyes. His free arm flew out beside him as he slapped at the mat tapping out.
The crowd roared as I released him and stood while the ref lifted my arm in victory. After shaking hands, I turned and smiled at Mike. He’d earned a permanent position working for me if he wanted it. I was back, and I had no intention of quitting now.
“Congratulations!” he slapped my shoulder as I climbed down and began heading back to the locker room.
“Thanks, man,” I huffed as I squeezed some water into my mouth. I was a sweaty mess, and now, I just wanted to shower and get back to my girls. I had no interest in all off the photographers and sports anchors that were flooding the participant’s entrance.
“Well, well, well,” her voice grated on my nerves as it sounded from behind me.
I turned to glare at her. “Vicki.”
“Pop any pills today?” she sneered as she scanned me. Her eyes held contempt, and her face was red with anger.
“I don’t have to defend myself to you,” I scoffed. “I just proved myself out there,” I pointed in the direction of the cage, and noticed Linc making his way toward us.
“Nice fight,” he nodded as he reached us. “Let’s go, Vic.”
“Yeah Vicki. Hurry along. Go find someone else to ruin,” I brushed her off as I turned to enter the locker rooms.
As I stood in the shower, I couldn’t quite explain the feeling that washed over me. Peace? Happiness? Whatever it was, it felt as if things in my life were finally where they should be. I had the girl I always wanted, the career I deserved was right within reach, the friends that had been there all my life were here tonight, and a sweet little baby that was soon going to call me Daddy, I hoped. Angel didn’t know it yet, but before we left the city, I planned on asking her to be my wife. I didn’t want wait any longer. We’d spent all our life dodging bad timing. Now the timing seemed just right. My broken angel wasn’t so broken anymore, and neither was I.
Epilogue
1 Year Later…
Angela
As morning began to seep into my subconscious, I couldn’t help but fight to get back to that peaceful moment I’d just had in my dreams. Wes and I were on a beach, making love under the warm sun, as the waves lapped up around us. I was just getting to the point of release when babbling had sounded in the distance. He’d pulled away, and given me a look silently asking what the sound was.
“Angel, you gonna get her?” Wes’s sleepy voice sounded behind me as he shifted in the bed.
“Hmm?” I yawned as I rubbed my eyes. I was beyond tired, but not from Riley. Wes had kept me up most of the night celebrating his win. He’d won a title fight on Saturday, and finally come back home last night. I would have gone with him, but Riley had been fighting a bad cold and I didn’t think flying across the country was a good idea.
“She’s calling you,” he mumbled as he rolled to the side, and covered his head with his pillow.
“You understand baby talk, now?” I muttered as I shoved the covers back, and slowly climbed out of bed.
“Uh huh,” his voice was muffled from under the pillow.
I shuffled across the room as I slowly made my way across the hall to Riley’s room. When I opened the door, there she was, hanging on to the side of the crib. She was bouncing in excitement as she gripped the rail waiting for me to pick her up. I couldn’t believe how much she’d grown over the past several months. It was as if one minute she was rolling around, and the next she was trying to walk. Wes and I felt like we couldn’t blink without her becoming a teenager.
“Good morning, Princess,” I smiled as I yawned. Her hands lifted requesting that I pick her up as she cooed and giggled. She wasn’t really talking yet, and Wes had been begging her for weeks to say Dada. “Wanna go wake up Daddy?” I smiled as I lifted her into my arms.
After changing her diaper, I grabbed her bear, her favorite, and the two of us headed back to my bed. “Oh, Daddy,” I called in a cheerful voice. “Someone wants to see you.” I climbed on the bed with Riley before setting her down between us. Wes still had his head buried, and by the look of his shoulders rising and falling, he was now asleep again. “Who’s under there?” I whispered to Riley as I pointed at the pillow. She grinned as she started crawling across the covers. “Is that Daddy?” I prodded.
“Da da da da da,” Riley babbled as she made her way over to the pillow concealing him, and began tugging at it. I was so surprised that she was finally saying it that I sat there in shock.
“Wes?” I sniffled as I shoved at his back. “Do you hear her?”
He rolled to his back just as Riley lifted the pillow. She grinned even wider when she saw his face before squealing, “Da da!” and flopping onto his chest.
“Did you? Did she?” he stuttered as he looked to me for confirmation.
“Yeah,” I cried as I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. She’d finally said it. After all the coaxing and prodding, it finally came out.
“Hey, Princess,” Wes smiled at her as he wrapped his arms around her holding her to his chest. She snuggled in and buried her face in the crook of his neck as a soft sigh escaped her. She hadn’t been sleeping well, and now that he was back, I was hoping it would get better. Riley and Wes had a special bond. It was odd since he wasn’t really her father, but since before she was born he’s played the role of Dad.
“I’m going to get breakfast started,” I mumbled as I stood from the bed.
“We’ll be down in a minute,” he continued to stare at her as she clung to him. I nodded one final time before disappearing downstairs.
As I began pulling out all the things I needed to make omelets, I could hear Wes upstairs having a one-sided conversation with Riley. He’d talk about his trip and how much he missed her, and she’d respond with some baby talk. I couldn’t help but feel giddy when I thought about how in just two more weeks we’d be making things official. The diamond on my finger sparkled in the sunlight as I began mixing the eggs. Wes had asked me to marry him last fall after he’d won his first fight back. He’d taken me out to dinner and then on a carriage ride through the park. I
t wasn’t hard to say yes, but the actual planning was. With both of our lives so busy, it became easy to put the wedding off. After all, we already lived together, and he was helping me raise my daughter. Last Christmas though, Wes’s parents came to visit and insisted that we set a date. So, here we were, only two weeks away from finally getting our happily ever after.
“Whatcha thinkin about?” Wes’s voice startled me causing me to spin around. He was standing about two feet behind me with a wiggling Riley in his arms.
“Just wedding stuff,” I shrugged as I poured the eggs into the hot pan.
“Not having second thoughts, are you?” he winked as he moved to slip Riley into her highchair.
“I don’t know,” I teased. “Benny down at the hardware store seems to have a thing for me.”
“Benny’s like sixteen,” Wes scoffed.
“And?” I smirked.
“And I’m sure that while he’d follow you around, he wouldn’t be able to satisfy you nearly the way I can,” his eyes darkened as he rounded the corner to stand in front of me. His arms wrapped around my waist as his head tipped down. “I’m the only one who can give you what you need, Angel. Time and experience has proven that over and over again,” his voice lowered as he inched closer to my face.
“She’s watching,” my eyes darted to where Riley had gotten quiet and was staring at us with wide eyes.
“When’s nap time?” he whispered before pressing a kiss to my lips. When I started to pull back and answer, his hands flew to my head, holding it in place. His tongue forced its way in as his grip tightened on my hair. When he finally pulled back, leaving me breathless, he smirked before stepping away. “She needs to know how a man should treat a woman,” he shrugged as he sauntered out of the room, leaving me so wound up I thought I might snap. “I’ll show you what I mean when it’s nap time.”
“You know two can play this game, right?” I yelled as I tried to calm myself.
“That’s what I’m counting on, Angel. That’s what I’m counting on,” he laughed from where he was folding himself onto the couch.
How did I get here? I ask myself this every day. How does someone who comes from such a rough start in life end up with everything she ever wanted? Fairy tales didn’t come true in the Walker house. They never had, yet here I am. I look around every day and see the love that lives here. My daughter, a man who’d die for me, and friends who have stuck by through everything life has thrown at us, and I feel blessed. In two short weeks, I’ll become Mrs. Weston McKay, and I can’t help but think back to all those notebooks that bore that name. All those times I dreamed about being her, and being here. Only now it’s not a dream, it’s reality; it’s my reality, and I’ll never be broken again.
The End
Coming Soon
Broken Pieces (Broken #4) Ally’s story
My Broken Angel- Playlist
Wanna know what was playing in the background during certain scenes in the book? All of my books have a playlist that goes along with the story. You can find all of these on Spotify.
Prologue
Leave Your Mark by Stars in Stereo
Chapter 1
Pretty Tragedy by Nikki Flores
Lean on Me by J2 featuring Sizzy Rocket
Chapter 2
Sledgehammer by Fifth Harmony
Chapter 3
Open Your Eyes by Stars in Stereo
Chapter 4
Nobody Love by Tori Kelly
Chapter 5
Lights Out by Haerts
Chapter 6
Beautiful by Ben Rector
Chapter 7
Constant Craving by J2 featuring Lesley Roy
Chapter 8
Can’t Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon
Chapter 9
Chains by Nick Jonas
Chapter 10
Broken Over You by Vertical Horizon
Chapter 11
Man on a Wire by The Script
Chapter 12
Fall Forward by Stars in Stereo
Chapter 13
Here in My Heart by Jimmy Rankin
Chapter 14
Feels Like Coming Home by Jetta
Chapter 15
Trying Not to Love You by Nickelback
Chapter 16
Don’t Wake Me by Skillet
Chapter 17
Love Me Like You Do by Ellie Goulding
Chapter 18
She Keeps Me Up by Nickelback
Chapter 19
Hope by Haerts
Chapter 20
Make Me Believe Again by Nickelback
Chapter 21
Consolation by Vertcal Horizon
Chapter 22
Song For Someone by Vertical Horizon
Chapter 23
Undone by Haley Reinhart
Chapter 24
Miss You by Nickelback
Chapter 25
Fight by All Good Things
Chapter 26
Call My Name by Haerts
Chapter 27
You’ll be in My Heart by Phil Collins
Chapter 28
Superheroes by The Script
Epilogue
Satellite by Nickelback
Other Works by H. D’Agostino
The Second Chances Series
Unbreak Me- book 1
The Boy Next Door- book 2
The One That Got Away- book 3
Inside Out- A Second Chances Novella- book 3.5
Fallen From Grace- book 4
The Family Next Door- book 5
The Shattered Series
Destined (Shattered #0.5)
Shattered (Shattered #1)
Restored (Shattered #2)
Renewed (Shattered #3)
Fated (Shattered #4) - Coming September 2015
The Witness Series
Being Nobody- book 1
Becoming Somebody- book 2
Promise Me Tomorrow- book 3 – Coming early 2016
The Broken Series
Irreparably Broken- book 1
Saving Us- book 2
My Broken Angel- book 3
Broken Pieces- book 4- Coming Spring 2016
Standalones
Privileged
Acknowledgements
I’m always worried that I’m going to leave someone out one of these times so if I miss anyone, I’m truly sorry.
There are so many people to thank, and as I continue on in this journey of becoming a writer, the list keeps growing. I’ve met so many wonderful readers, authors, and bloggers over the course of the past year that I can’t even begin to name you all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Meeting you at signings and hearing from you on the various social media out there is just the boost my heart needs. I appreciate all of you, and I don’t have the words to truly express that.
Thank you Angie!!! You are the sister I never had, and thanks just doesn’t seem like enough. I can’t put into words what your friendship means to me, and I’m eternally grateful to the universe for bringing us together. I know I sound like a sap, but you truly are a lifesaver. Your words of encouragement, late night PMs, funny memes, and open ear to my complaining have helped and comforted me in a way that you will never know. They say that there are people out there that you just click with, and you’re that person for me. So thank you from the bottom of my heart.
A special thank you goes out to Twinsie Talk Book Reviews. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for setting up a kickass release blitz. I love you guys, and I love how much you love my books.
Thank you to all the bloggers who have supported me and pimped this book out. Posting teasers, joining blog tours, and spreading the word about Wes and Angela. Sweet and Naughty Book Blog, M&D’s Have You Read Book Blog, Eye Candy Bookstore, Book Boyfriend Hangover, Author Groupies, United Indie Book Blog, and so many others just to name a few.
Thank you Kellie for all your hard work pimping this book all over social media. Eye Candy Bookstore rocks, and I can’t even
put into words what all your help means to me. You go above and beyond anything I could have ever imagined, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you to Kelsey, you are an amazing photographer and thanks to you I now have a one of kind cover for this book. You were able to capture exactly what I was going to for with Wes.
Thank you Shaun for being my Wes. I feel honored to be your first cover in this crazy world of indie publishing. I hope this is the beginning of something great for you, and wish you luck with your future cover. I know I’ll be back for more.
Thank you Kari for doing an amazing job on this cover and all the swag that goes with it. You are awesome, and your speed and attention to detail is astounding.
Thank you Rebecca for your awesomeness and editing ninja skills. Yes, I think I made up a new word. I’m good at that, and you know it. LOL Your speed behind a computer amazes me, and I love reading your comments. Thank you for helping me get out of my own way and write a blurb for this book. You will never understand how much that helped.
And finally…
Thank you to all the readers out there for loving my books and wanting to meet Wes and Angela. I hope their story lived up to all your wildest fantasies. I know it’s taken me some time to get this series back out there, but I appreciate your patience and can’t wait to share Ally’s story with you guys.
About the Author
H. D’Agostino currently resides in Syracuse, NY with her husband, two children, two dogs, and three cats. Originally from Harrisburg, NC, she attended UNC Charlotte and received a BA in Elementary Education with a concentration in Math. Heather loves hearing from her fans.
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