“He’s got this!” Jimmy cheered, smacking Kane on the back.

“They’re calling you, son,” Seamus informed him as Clare spotted Kane’s opponent climbing into the ring.

“Kavanagh! Kavanagh! Kavanagh!” Casey started cheering and was quickly joined by Dee and Quinn. Quinn motioned for Clare to join them in chanting, pulling her against his side in a platonic embrace, and Clare was more than happy to get caught up in the festivities and join the chant.

Rory raised an eyebrow at her and Quinn, clearly fighting an urge to get between them, but she ignored him. Seamus ushered him and Kane up toward the cage, and Rory turned his attention back to his brother. The rest of the family and Clare stood at their seats, like most of the crowd, and continued to cheer as the announcer began naming the fighters and going over the rules.

“New York City Regional Qualifiers is starting with two of the best up-and-coming fighters out there, men you are guaranteed to hear about again and again over the next few years as they are sure to dominate the field. First up, Justin ‘Justice’ McCraig!”

The crowd cheered exuberantly for a tall, ripped fighter with short, light brown hair and a grisly scar across his jaw who stood across from Kane in the ring.

“And going up against McCraig is the one and only Kane ‘Killer’ Kavanagh!”

The crowd erupted into a much louder roar at this introduction, and Clare gawked in bewilderment. It had been a long time since she had even been to any large gathering like this.

This was her first fight, and the spirit in the air was electrifying for her. It was exciting and pulsing, making her want to jump up and down with the screaming fans. If this was just a qualifying fight, she couldn’t imagine what a championship would be like.

“How pissed is Kieran going to be when he finds out Kane took his nickname?” Casey spoke across Clare to Quinn, who was on her other side.

“The fucker’s in jail—what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Quinn retorted.

“Special treat for you tonight, folks—we have Rory ‘Knockout’ Kavanagh in the audience tonight! First time back in the championship circuit since the Santiago versus Kavanagh incident. Knockout is now training his younger brother, Killer!” At the announcer’s words, Clare saw a scowl cross Rory’s face as he stood at the edge of the cage with his father.

The crowd cheered, happy to see him, but it was clear from his expression that he had not wanted the mention. Clare felt a pang of sympathy in her heart, wishing she could erase the painful moment from his past for him. Rory didn’t say anything, just nodded and waved to the crowd before turning his attention back to Kane. The crowd was soon refocused on the fight as the bell sounded and the fighters began squaring off.

Clare cheered with the rest of the family, hoping for Kane to come out without an injury, as well as be the victor. She loved being surrounded by all of them, all treating her like she belonged there. They didn’t question her presence even though none of them knew her well, with the exception of Casey, who’d formed a fast friendship with Clare. But it was as if they had chosen to make her part of them, and nothing she said or did was going to change that.

Family was all about unconditional love, and she was enjoying seeing that again, for the first time since her own parents had died. Tears crept up in her eyes as she allowed herself to stand there with the Kavanaghs and feel accepted.

To feel loved.

Chapter 18

“I knew you could do it, kid.” Rory congratulated his brother.

“Was there ever any doubt?” Kane played it cool, but he was clearly proud, as everyone in his family congratulated him and hugged him outside the convention center after he had changed.

Rory had expected to feel happy if his brother won, obviously, but he was caught off guard by how much pride he felt for Kane. It almost rivaled the pride he used to feel after winning a match during his own career. Kane’s win qualified him to enter the regional fight in six months, which, Rory knew, meant a lot of extra training.

While Kane had won, it hadn’t been a landslide by any means. He definitely needed more time and practice to get to where he would need to be for the regional fight. When Rory drifted back a bit to let the rest of his family get their moment with the winner, he instantly spotted Clare standing off to the side.

She had her arms hugged around herself, smiling as she watched the family’s exchange. She seemed like she was only partly there; the rest of her was off in a memory that she was trying to hold close and not let go. Rory stepped back to take in his family, seeing the same thing she was and wondering how he had gotten so lucky as to have a family like them.

Clare was right: He hadn’t appreciated what he had.

He could see from the twinkle in her emerald eyes that she was taking it all in, enjoying every moment of it she could, because she didn’t have the luxury of a family anymore. His heart hurt for her right then, but the guilt loomed the heaviest. He had been so focused on his own selfish needs and wants, on his own failures in fighting, on his own life, that he hadn’t ever appreciated all he had been blessed with.

Sure, his knee hurt and continued to throb even then, but the itch of withdrawal from not taking pills hurt more. He felt confident that his knee would heal and that he would be able to handle it, something he had never actually thought himself capable of before. His assuredness and his confidence in himself were new feelings for him, and he had only Clare to thank for the change.

As Rory continued to observe Clare, he realized she had turned her attention from his family to him. When she saw he had caught her staring, she blushed, her crimson cheeks sending a pulse straight through him. He couldn’t wait any longer to talk to her.

Rory said good-bye to his brother. “Kane, I’ll catch up with you at Legends on Monday. Take the weekend off and celebrate.”

“Thanks for all your help, Rory. I mean it.”

“Same here, son. You did a great thing today,” Seamus told him.

“I didn’t do anything—it was all ‘Killer’ Kane here.” Rory kissed his mother good-bye and then Casey, before hustling over to where Clare stood.

He closed the distance between them quickly, confidently taking her hand and pulling her down the sidewalk, away from his family. She didn’t say anything, but let him lead her away, speeding up her small steps to match his large ones.

The moment they disappeared from view around the corner, Rory turned and slid a hand around her waist, pressing her firmly between himself and the brick side of a building. Her eyes widened, causing his breath to catch at the deep green pools staring into him.

“Rory—” she began in a whisper, but he cut her off.

“A few days ago I was asking you out on a second date. Then I went almost two days without seeing you, only to fuck it all up.” His voice was low, rumbling in his chest, and he knew it was the cause of the small bumps suddenly covering Clare’s skin.

“You saw me yesterday,” she said, her voice wavering.

“If I could go back and make yesterday never happen, I would in a second. It’s been the worst forty-eight hours of my life without you, Clare.”

“Rory, don’t do this.” One overwhelming tear treacherously made its way over her eyelashes and dashed down her cheek.

He paused to watch it fall, then erased its path with his thumb, kissing her cheek gently where the tear had once been.

“That’s not me, Clare, not anymore. I gave it all up a while ago—I was getting clean. And I will be again. It’s over and I’m done with it. I thought you were gone; I thought you left. I didn’t know what to do.” His body sagged into hers as her arms twisted around the back of his neck, her fingers sliding through his wavy hair.