Synopsis: “Please, you’re hurting her. She’s only 8years old.” my mother pleaded for her drunken boyfriend to stop hitting me only because I didn’t wash the dishes properly.

“Joe, she can’t survive another hit, please stop!” she yells again, but he kept hitting me, telling me how useless I am.

“You will never be able to stand up for yourself. Just like your father, you are useless. You will never find a man that will love you, only abuse you,” he shouts. I can’t even lift my head with blood surging out of my mouth. My ribs were full of bruises and my mother was crying for her useless abusive boyfriend to stop hurting me.

“You want more? I can go all-new night, little girl,” he yells while he gulps on a bottle of whiskey. My mother is sitting at the table, crying, but she’s not stopping him. I guess she’s just as weak as I.

I can’t open my eyes, my jaws feel like it’s broken and my small tiny body is curled up on the floor in the small kitchen. My mother works as a server and earns little to nothing, and her jackass of a boyfriend spends most of the little money she earns on booze and drugs.

“What women? What? Do you want to lie next to your daughter? You’re both useless.” he yells at my mother, who is crying none stop.

I’m 8years old, and can’t defend myself, but my mother can defend me, but she’s choosing to stay with this abusive man. For what reason, I will never know.

My father loved her. Why she turned to a man like this, I will never understand.

“Get up you little brat, clean this kitchen, and you stop crying.” he shows his finger towards my mother who is still sitting on the broken chair in the small kitchen.

“One day, when you're old enough, you will find out that no one will ever love you. Stand up!” he yells so hard that my ears are buzzing with pain. I struggle to stand up, ribs bruised and my legs can barely hold me with the pain and trembling I’m feeling.

I could actually finally stand tall till he whacks me again to the floor.

Mother is still just sitting there, crying, not saying anything to him anymore, probably too scared she will get beaten as well.

I glared at him and decided that one day I will come back for you and you will pay for what you did to me.

............

Blurb: “if you can’t handle the punches, how will you ever stop them from abusing you?”

“Hit me?” Blake yells. Making my eyes watery and angry.

“Hit me, or I will hit you,” he said again. I picked up my fist to punch him as hard as I can, but he grabbed me and picked me up before my fist could connect with his jaw. Our eyes melted together, and I’m slowly disappearing into a dark place the more I stare.

Emily Dawson was walking home one night from a small restaurant In Virginia where she works to pay for her doctor’s degree when she got jumped by three-man. they beat her and took all of her belongings.

Her stepfather abused Emily when she was a child, so she never learned how to defend herself until Blake, the most popular and successful kickboxer in town, came to her rescue. At first, it was only about training and helping Emily get over her fears and learn how to defend herself until she fell in love with him, but that was a dark place she had to go in. Blake has a past of mistreating women, not abusing them but using them.

Will he fall in love with her as well? Or will he keep their relationship with no strings attached?