Capital City MMA Series by Susan Fanetti

Thorin “Thunder” Vaduva is a journeyman MMA fighter—toiling in the shadows, a set of strong shoulders to lift other fighters toward stardom. After years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, he’s trying to get his life on track—be a good father to his teenage son, get his fights in, do his work, keep his head down, keep his demons at bay.Nina Rodriguez is trying to get her life started. Her days are filled with work and school, slowly climbing toward a meaningful career... moreThorin “Thunder” Vaduva is a journeyman MMA fighter—toiling in the shadows, a set of strong shoulders to lift other fighters toward stardom. After years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, he’s trying to get his life on track—be a good father to his teenage son, get his fights in, do his work, keep his head down, keep his demons at bay.Nina Rodriguez is trying to get her life started. Her days are filled with work and school, slowly climbing toward a meaningful career. Her aspirations aren’t flashy, but she wants a life with purpose.When Nina comes to the Capital City Fight Center so her brother, Thor’s teammate, can teach her to fight, she and Thor really notice each other for the first time. After that they fall hard and fast, even while they’re taking things slow.Their love comes easy. But life is hard, and full of storms.When one of those storms tears Thor’s life apart, only real love can bring the sun back. less

Camila “Crazy Cat” Castro is on the verge of MMA stardom, climbing the rankings, laser-focused on making a chance at the flyweight belt. After growing up in the system, she’s built a careful, mainly solitary life for herself, with nothing to distract her from her goal in the cage.And no one close enough to hurt her outside it.Hector “Hex” Lopez grew up in chronic homelessness with his mentally ill mom. Now he runs a shelter himself... moreCamila “Crazy Cat” Castro is on the verge of MMA stardom, climbing the rankings, laser-focused on making a chance at the flyweight belt. After growing up in the system, she’s built a careful, mainly solitary life for herself, with nothing to distract her from her goal in the cage.And no one close enough to hurt her outside it.Hector “Hex” Lopez grew up in chronic homelessness with his mentally ill mom. Now he runs a shelter himself. He was able to overcome the obstacles and mistakes of his past with the help of a few good people, and he’s devoted his life to holding his own hand out to others.He’s also got some atoning to do.When Mila and Hex meet, the mutual attraction sparks at once. When they finally get together, those sparks catch fire. But before they can build something together, they’ve got to deal with their pasts—including the past they didn’t know they shared.That shared past is painful, and it shaped them both forever. If they’re going to overcome it, they’ve got some hard work to do. less