She gave me a blank stare.
“The night we first met,” I reminded her.
After a beat, her eyebrows lifted. “I have a vague memory of meeting him.” She let out a laugh.
“What was that about?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
I started to ask again, but that’s when Eli stepped out of the cage and approached us.
“Hey, boss man,” he greeted with a cocky grin on his face.
“How’s training going?” I asked.
“Great. Everything’s looking good.” Eli turned and squinted. “You look familiar,” he said to Lena.
I moved, positioning my body between Eli and Lena.
“I’ve been told I have a familiar face,” she joked.
“No, it’s something else.” Eli shook his head, a wrinkle appearing in his forehead as he did so. Then, he snapped his fingers, his eyes going wide. “Shit, you’re that crazy chick.”
Although I couldn’t see her, the tiny rush of air that blew past me and the tension I felt from behind me spoke of Lena’s surprise turned to embarrassment.
“Yeah, the singer that lit her boyfriend’s shit on fire.” Eli, obviously not having learned when he’d put his foot in his mouth, kept going. He guffawed like a fucking jackle. “Yo, boss, if you’re dating this chick, I’d watch the fuck out.”
One moment he was laughing, and the next, his expression read shocked from my grip around his throat, pinning him against the cage. As a client, Eli had already caused me enough of a headache, but I’d be damned if I let him talk shit about Lena in front of me.
“Gabe, stop,” Lena shouted while tugging on my elbow.
“What the hell are you doing, man?” Eli asked, sounding as confused as he was surprised.
“Don’t ever disrespect her like that again,” I growled. “Let me know we’re clear on that before I let your ass go.”
“Gabe.” Lena sounded concerned, but I couldn’t focus on her right then.
“Say it,” I demanded, tightening my hold around his neck.
Eli’s face began to redden, and I saw him contemplate what to do.
“Y-Yeah, fine,” he choked out. “We’re clear.”
“Apologize.”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Not to me,” I corrected. “To her.” I tossed my head back in Lena’s direction.
Eli's eyes shifted to peer over my shoulder. “I-I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Lena said. “Gabe, he apologized. Let him go.”
I loosened my hold and took a few steps back, readying myself in case Eli was ready to take a swing at me.
He didn’t.
“Get back to practice.” I took Lena’s hand in mine again. “We’ll finish this tour later.”
