Read On the Ropes 2: Insidious Obsession for Free Online Page B

match, they’re going to turn it into a six-man mixed tag match.”
    “Lexi is going to take my place?” Cole couldn’t quite believe his ears.
    “That’s the plan.”
    “Oh I am definitely going to watch tonight.” He turned back to check on Amber and froze.
    Instead of sleeping peacefully she now appeared unsettled, twisting, turning on the bed, her arms held out as if she were trying to fight off something.
    “Uh, Logan, I gotta go.”
    “Why? What’s wrong?” Logan asked, his voice filled with concern.
    “Something’s up with Amber. I need to tend to her.”
    “Go. We’ll check on you after the show tonight.” Logan clicked off, and Cole pushed through the door. He tossed his phone on the bed as he raced to her side.
    “Amber, baby, wake up.”
    She whimpered and raised a hand as if to protect her face. “Please don’t,” she mumbled, her words nearly incoherent.
    “Amber.” He shook her a little harder. “Wake up.”
    She screamed as her eyes flew open, and she scrambled up the bed in an attempt to get away. From what, he wasn’t sure. Her panicked gaze landed on him. He waited as recognition slowly registered in her eyes. “Cole?” She raked a hand through her hair, and as if trying to orient herself, she quickly glanced around the room. “I-I’m in a hotel room.” She turned her attention back to him. “I was sick earlier.” Her words sounded more akin to a question than a statement.
    “Yeah, baby. We’re in Charlotte. Conflict is tonight.“ She still looked frightened, so he didn’t dare try to move yet. “You’re suffering from exhaustion.”
    He knew the moment when coherent thought returned to her as the look in her eyes instantly changed and that sweet yet distant persona reappeared. “Thank you for staying with me, but I think I’ll be fine now. I wouldn’t want you missing your match tonight because of me.”
    If she thought for one second that he was going to let her crawl back into her shell and hide after what just happened, she was sorely mistaken. Whatever she was hiding was causing her unnecessary pain, and it needed to stop. If he could just convince her to trust him, maybe he could help. “Everything has already been handled. You don’t have to worry about anything. Now, how about you tell me what’s got you so spooked?”
    Her gaze shifted from him to the covers. “It was nothing. Just a bad dream.”
    He reached out, only to pause when she flinched in response. His stomach twisted at the thought that she might be afraid of him. Other than beating Sean within an inch of his life, he hadn’t given her any reason to fear him. Slowly he moved forward and curled a finger beneath her chin, forcing her to look at him. “That was more than just a bad dream, baby. Did I do something to cause your nightmare?” Please say no!
    Her eyes widened in horror, and she grabbed his hand and her fingers curled around his wrist. “God no. You’ve been nothing but wonderful.”
    “Then who or what caused your nightmare?”
    She pulled back. “I’d rather not talk about it.”
    He’d never been known for his patience, and right now what was left was running thin. Damn it, why couldn’t she see that he wanted to help? Knowing she didn’t trust him enough to share hurt him more than he expected. “Amber—”
    She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, Cole.”
    “It does to me. Especially when it’s obviously caused you to have nightmares. Tell me what it is that’s haunting you. I care about you, baby, and I want to help.”
    “You can’t do anything,” she yelled. “So why make me talk about it?”
    His heart ached with the realization that she didn’t trust him with whatever was causing her so much pain. Despite everything he’d done to prove himself to her over the past couple of weeks, he hadn’t broken down that invisible wall she’d erected.
    He couldn’t force her to confide in him, but he also didn’t have to stay and watch her suffer. He stood,