Shadowboxer

by Cari Quinn

  ON THE ROPES, book 2 in the Tapped Out series

  Coming Summer 2014

  Carly

  I used to feel invisible. I was an ordinary girl with a sister with a not-so-ordinary background, and because of that, I’ve always lived in her shadow. I didn’t want her to worry about me, and I didn’t want to cause any trouble. But even the good girl eventually goes bad.

  At least this one did.

  The first time I got drunk I tasted the freedom I hadn’t realized I’d been missing. After awhile, you become so numb that it becomes easier to pretend it doesn’t hurt to deny who you are, down deep under the lies. You get used to breaking off pieces of yourself and tucking them away where they won’t cause any pain to someone else, someone you love more than life. Someone who would sacrifice anything to keep you safe. Claiming those real, true slices of yourself—even in secret—feels like a betrayal.

  I didn’t want to hurt Mia, my older sister. My hero. She’s the strongest, bravest, sweetest person I know. And she’s been suffocating me for years, trying to ensure that I never have to endure what she did.

  Now she’d become part of a set. Her boyfriend, Fox, was almost as bad as she was when it came to being protective of me. I love him like he’s my own brother, and I’m so happy he’s in Mia’s life, but my father is dead and buried. I threw the roses on his casket years ago and I never signed up for another one. My sister smothers me enough. She doesn’t need any help.

  We’re so different, Mia and me. Night and day. I used to think she was the night and I was the day. Not anymore. She’s fought her dark with every ounce of who she is. I chase mine. I have a big fat chip on my shoulder about making my mark. Wherever and however I can.

  Hey world, Carly Fucking Anderson is on this planet too, and she’s not here just to be the walk-on in someone else’s show.

  I want my own. My own existence. Even my own tragedy, if it comes to that.

  If Mia knew part of me wanted to be in the spotlight, no matter the cost, she’d never understand. She lived through a trauma. Survived it. But that’s the thing. As horrible as that experience was, she lived. She didn’t cling to the walls of her world like a paper doll, as thin and insubstantial as the wind.

  People passed by me and through me and few of them ever realized I’d suffered too. I was the one who had to pick up the pieces after my sister’s kidnapping. I took care of my dad as best as I could and I went through the motions. Even at eleven, I learned how to put on the mask. I was normal. I was okay. Nothing or no one would ever harm me because I was too strong.

  Not anymore. Now I wasn’t hiding from trouble. I was seeking it, eyes wide open. Hoping like hell it could find me where no one else ever had.

  That hot August night at The Pyramid Club, it did.

  Curious about Oblivion, the band Fox mentions in SHADOWBOXER?

  Read on for an excerpt of SEDUCED, the introductory book in the Lost in Oblivion NA rockstar series written by Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott, available now.

  http://cariquinn.com/seduced/

  SEDUCED

  Simon bounced off of Stacy’s curvy butt and into the cement wall. He crowded in again and stroked the indent of her spine. “What’s with the pause on the forward momentum?”

  “Demon stopped,” Stacy said with an obvious pout in her voice. She shimmied higher on Deacon’s back, rubbing said firm ass into Simon’s belly at the same time. “But still the best piggyback ride ever.”

  Simon groaned. He wasn’t quite sure how they’d managed to get through the Fluff and Fold with her clothes intact. His eyes were still rolled back in his head from round one at the skate park and round two on the industrial sized dryer. She was insatiable—exactly what he and Deak needed tonight.

  “Oh, shit.”

  “What?” Simon ducked down to see through the railing. “Why are you stopping?”

  “Sorry, man.” Deacon’s voice was barely contrite. There was too much laughter and volume for Deacon to be saying sorry to Simon.

  Furious whispers filtered out to them from downstairs. Mostly expletives. Inventive ones.

  Simon winced. Man, out of all of them, Nick definitely needed one-on-one time with a babe the most. Crappy timing. “Sorry, dude. There was nothing on the knob. Hell, you didn’t even throw the bolt. We didn’t know you had someone down here.” He backed up a step, but even blurry-eyed with beer, he saw a flash of pink that made him pause.

  Simon strained forward.

  No.

  He wouldn’t.

  But the distinctive purple and pink hair couldn’t be denied.

  Simon slid through the open railing and dropped down to the ground floor of the basement. He stumbled a bit but the haze of red had him tearing through the doorway into the living room. He gripped Nick by the throat and slammed him against the wall. “You dumb piece of shit.”

  He looked over his shoulder to make sure it was who he thought it was. Jazz backed into one of the crates, almost losing her balance, swiping the back of her hand over her mouth.

  Her well-used mouth. The kind of mouth a woman has when she’s sucked off a man well and truly.

  “What the fuck?” Simon couldn’t hold on to the rage. It flooded his beer-soaked brain, clearing out everything as effectively as ice water. He swung, his knuckles connecting with Nick’s mouth. “There was a bar room full of chicks that would have been on their knees in a nanosecond and you go for her?”

  “Her is right here,” Jazz tossed back, kicking the crate out of her way.

  Simon turned his gaze to her. “I’ll deal with you in a minute, Stevie Nicks.”

  Nick took the moment’s distraction to slam his fist into Simon’s ribs. Simon doubled over, a flash of stars rocking his vision as Nick brought up his knee and it glanced off his cheekbone. The pain was so intense he found himself on all fours on the floor, shaking off black spots.

  Nick stumbled to the side, his hands at his own throat. “You crazy drunk maniac. What is it to you?”

  Simon stared up at him. Well, he tried to. He was fairly sure his eye was going to explode out of his socket. “You’re going to ball the chick that just joined the band. The chick that Gray wants?”

  “That chick is right here, asshole.”

  “So? I was only doing my part for band relations,” Nick said with a cocky grin as he dabbed at his bleeding lip.

  Jazz and Gray were here to save them from obscurity and Nick had to screw it up on the first freaking night? Simon knew he didn’t want the new band lineup, but they were so close—so goddamn close to something real—and he was going to blow it all to hell and back for some tail?

  “Son of a selfish bitch.” Simon hauled himself to his feet and shoved his shoulder into Nick’s gut, driving him back onto the couch. Nick grunted when they both went down hard.

  Simon felt the couch give, but he didn’t care. He jammed his knee into Nick’s ribs to pin him down and swung at Nick’s face until he could feel blood slicking his fingers.

  Nick came up with an openhanded slap against Simon’s left ear. His already precarious balance shifted with the ringing in his ears and he crashed through the two crates that made up their coffee table. Flat on his back, Simon dragged a lungful of oxygen into his lungs.

  “C’mon, pussy, is that all you got?” Nick loomed over him, bent at the waist, hugging his ribs.

  Simon rolled onto his knees and used the only thing that didn’t hurt—his shoulder—as a battering ram. Nick darted out of the line of fire and he scraped his shoulder down the cement wall.

  “Do something!”

  Vaguely, Simon heard Jazz’s screech from across the room. But she was the least of his worries. He and Nick had gotten into it before, but the earlier hammer blow to Simon’s ribs was more than them just blowing off steam.

  Simon looked up. Blood streamed down Nick’s face and his eyes were wild with anger. But it was more than that. Wild didn’t even cover it. Simon threw up his hands, but they were beyond a time out.

 
Nick swung and Simon managed to duck. Again, he used his shoulder. He and Nick were evenly matched in weight and height, but Nick was a far better fighter than he was. He was also a lot more mean.

  They tore through the place like animals, leaping furniture to get at each other. Leaving one hell of a mess in their wake.

  “Not the amp!” Deacon took both of them by the shoulder and threw them across the room, but he didn’t try to break them up.

  Not good.

  If Deak wasn’t playing peacemaker Nick would pound the holy hell out of him for sure. But Simon couldn’t…wouldn’t back down.

  “Deacon, do something, dammit.”

  Jazz again. Simon snarled and brought a knee up into Nick’s ribs. The fight had started because of Jazz, but even he knew it was just the catalyst. He just hoped he survived the fight without a broken limb.

  “They’ve been on the edge of this for days. Obviously they need to get it out of their system.”

  No help coming there. Phenomenal.

  Nick grabbed Simon’s knee and upended him. They both landed hard on the floor. Simon swore and pushed at Nick, but it was like trying to shove a boulder. Fucker would not move.

  “Son of a bitch,” Jazz hissed, leaping back in a blur of pink.

  “Get out of the way, Jazz.”

  Simon dimly heard Deacon’s sharp command. He was too busy dying to check and see if anyone else got nailed from a flying fist or foot. Or debris. The carpet already looked like they’d been in a ticker tape parade, except their confetti was cigarette butts, a broken crystal ashtray and other assorted junk.

  Nick finally rolled off him, the sole of his boot giving him one last stomp before he stood. “Stay the fuck down.”

  Simon curled into a ball. Pride be damned. He didn’t want to end up in the hospital. “I give.”

  Nick flipped his hair back and wiped at his bleeding lip, then lowered his face to Simon’s. “Of all of us, you’re the one that’s going to give me a morality check? Give me a break.”

  Deacon moved in, grabbing Nick’s arm. “Back off.”

  With reflexes that would do any self-defense instructor proud, Nick rounded on Deacon, pulling his punch at the last second. Deacon reared back, but not before fist connected with bone.

  Deacon grabbed Nick at the back of the neck, his huge hand spanning the entire width, and shoved him at the couch. “Sit down.”

  Simon rolled to his knees, his ribs screaming. Hell, every part of his body was screaming. From what he could tell bruises, cuts, and possibly a busted rib or two were on his tally sheet. But all of that was fine—it was his goddamn face he was afraid to look at.

  “Jesus.” Stacy squatted in front of him. Her hand hovered just over his cheekbone. He craned his neck out of the way and she winced, curling her fingers into her palm. “Got any ice?” Her voice was soft. “I think you’re gonna need it.”

  “Fantastic.”

  Stacy looked over at Nick, then back to him. “You both need ice.”

  Simon closed his eyes. “You think?” The chances of them having ice were about as good as him marrying royalty.

  Deacon muttered something about idiots and broken skulls before disappearing into the kitchen. He came back out with three bags in one hand and peroxide and bandages in the other. He tossed the yellow one at him.

  Simon missed and the bag of bullets—aka corn—hit him square in the ribs. “Son of a—” He reached down for the bag and pressed it gingerly on his cheek. Definitely swollen. “Did you have to go for the goddamn face?”

  “I could ask you the same,” Nick said flatly.

  Simon dropped back on his butt, covering his entire face with the frozen veggies. “I’m the face and the voice, you fucker.”

  “Oh please, spare me the marketing speech. No one cares about you or your face.”

  “I do.”

  Simon pulled down the bag enough to smile at Stacy. “Thanks. We have a damn gig next weekend,” Simon added since no one seemed interested in talking but him. Nothing new there. “I bet I look like I went three rounds with Holyfield.”

  “Worse.”

  “Thank you, Stacy.” Simon leaned on the couch and placed the corn back over his eyes.

  “I’m not the one that came in swinging, Pretty Boy.”

  Simon aimed his middle finger at the ceiling.

  “Real mature.”

  Simon dragged the sweating bag off his face again and opened his good eye to stare down Jazz. “Really? You’re going to open your mouth now?” He smirked. “Think it’s already been at maximum capacity tonight anyway.”

  She gave him a look of pure malice. “You’re lucky I’m not prone to violence, or I’d clock you in your other eye.”

  Nick snorted out a laugh, but Simon ignored him and focused, sort of, on Jazz. “Go back home, little girl. You’ve caused enough trouble for one night.”

  “I’m not a little girl.”

  “Only little girls pull stupid stunts like trying to pit two men against each other.”

  Jazz clenched her fists. It made her look like a toddler having a tantrum. “I’m not with Gray. Why does everyone keep saying that?”

  Simon squinted at her. Was she that dumb, or really that much in denial? He didn’t have it in him to open that Pandora’s box.

  “All right, enough.” Deacon’s voice boomed. “Jazz, sit still.”

  She sat and stuffed her hands under her thighs. “Don’t fuss.”

  “Shut up and turn your head.”

  She lifted her cheek to Deacon, who dabbed at her cheek with a saturated cotton ball. Well, that was just great. They all looked like they’d taken a crash course in MMA training.

  Too tired and hurt to care, Simon put the bag back over his face with a groan. “Stacy, I think tonight’s officially a bust,” he muttered, corn still firmly in place.

  “I’ll take you home.” Deacon must’ve stood up. His voice sounded a lot higher above him.

  “You don’t have to,” Stacy replied, sounding pouty.

  If Stacy thought he was able to perform at this point, she was sorely mistaken.

  “It’s all right, Deacon. I’ll drop her off on my way out.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.”

  Jazz’s voice drifted around him in the haze of pain and leeching endorphins from the fight. Simon opened his mouth to say goodbye, but the cut on his lip pulled and blood slid along his tongue. Veto that.

  He really should drag his ass into the shower before he couldn’t move. He shifted against the lumpy arm of the couch and his side sang well into the eighth octave.

  Nope, that wasn’t happening.

  Maybe in a minute.

  Okay, maybe ten minutes.

  Book 1, ROCKED, coming February 2014.

  Titles by Cari Quinn

  Lost in Oblivion: Rocked (with Taryn Elliott)

  Guarding His Heart

  Protecting His Assets

  Bring On The Heat: Jingle Ball

  Lovers Unmasked: Tempted By His Best Friend

  No Romance Required

  A Taste of Decadence: Jingle Ball

  Lost in Oblivion: Seduced (with Taryn Elliott)

  Nailing His Target

  Dirty Distractions

  Love Bites

  Melt

  A Very Naughty Xmas: Jingle Ball

  Need Me

  Test Shot

  No Flowers Required

  Cowboy Lust: Riding Double

  Virgin Territory

  Heart Signs

  No Dress Required

  Unwrapped

  Hot Text

  Bad Kitty

  Provoke Me

  Insatiable

  Reveal Me

  Personal Research

  Ex Appeal

  Full Disclosure

  About Cari Quinn

  USA Today bestselling author Cari Quinn saves the world one Photoshop file at a time in her job as a graphic designer. At night, she writes sexy romance, drinks a l
ot of coffee and plays her music way too loud. When she’s not scribbling furiously, she’s watching men’s college basketball, reading excellent books and causing trouble. Sometimes simultaneously.

  Visit Cari at www.cariquinn.com to sign up for her brand new newsletter and visit the Word Wenches on Facebook, her fun, sexy reader group with Taryn Elliott!

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/346424552124487/