The Champion's Torment — M. Francis Lamont

The Champion's Torment, Book Two in The Champions Series.After claiming the greatest prize, can their love survive the torment of Vitus?Following the loss to Proximus, Cassian, the Celtic Champion Gladiator of the city of Velletri, feels the burn of challenge and the exhilaration of a man in love. His joy is short-lived when he discovers that the bargain made between his master and that of his lover, Violetta, means that any loss he suffers in contest results in a physical punishment for her. Unable to train due to the injury from the German Proximus, Cassian is brought to the market by his master, Tiberius Tertius. A bargain struck over a jug of wine sees the Champion's greatest dream and worst nightmare come true. Though Violetta chose pain over sharing a bed with Vitus, the cruel and devious son of her master, when faced with punishment for Cassian's loss in a test of gladiatory skills, she still must deal with his obsessive rage. When a simple trip to the market results in her lover being brought to the house of Census, she is faced with the joy of daily life beside the man she loves and the nightmare of her master's son. When the storm clears, will Cassian and Violetta still stand side by side or will Vitus' wrath destroy everything in its path, including love?