Carlos’s brows rose. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Get the fuck out of my gym,now.”
Stetson rushed over. “Zane, this is my uncle. He asked if he could hit a bag this morning, and he paid…”
Zane laughed. “Why the hell would you want to come here?” Then it hit him. “It’s because of Bonnie, isn’t it? You want to go where she goes so she doesn’t feel welcome.”
“This ismytown.” Carlos scowled. “And if I want to go to my local gym, I will.”
“Mygym. And I choose who can and can’t come here—and you can’t.”
This time Carlos laughed. The fucker actuallylaughed. “You’re serious? You’re throwing me out because of her?”
The words had barely left the asshole’s mouth when Zane grabbed him by the arm and pulled him toward the door.
Carlos tried to shake him off. “Hey! Get your hands off me!”
Zane didn’t stop or pause. He kept dragging the guy, not caring that Stetson and everyone working out had all stopped to stare at him. When he reached the door, he threw Carlos out, watching him stumble.
“You try to come in here again, and things will get a lot less friendly.” Zane slammed the door.
“If he brought a bag, throw it out with him,” he said to an open-mouthed Stetson. “And don’teverlet him in here again.”
Bonnie grinnedas she read the participation feedback forms from the self-defense session. They were good. Better than any other program she’d run.
I didn’t know I could feel strong again.
I felt so empowered.
And Sarah’s—I felt like I could breathe again.
Bonnie closed her eyes and just let the words sit inside her for a moment. This was why she did what she did. To help. To empower. To bring safety back to women’s lives.
She’d intentionally ended her day with these forms because all she’d thought about for hours was the fact that she had to return to her empty apartment tonight.
It was fine. She’d be fine. Yes, she’d been attacked outside her building, and no they hadn’t caught the perpetrator, but that didn’t mean she had to be scared to sleep alone.
The memory of Zane’s arms around her last night made heat slip through her belly.
Of course, when she’d woken up, he’d been gone. Which was kind of disappointing. Okay, not kind of. Very.
Sure, he’d left a note telling her he’d had to get to work early, but that had done nothing to dull the disappointment. She’d wanted to wake up in his arms. To see his day-old stubble and feel the warmth of his body around her.
Gah.
She needed to stop. She was lucky he let her sleep in his bed last night.
She logged off her computer and grabbed the box of sports clothing from the storage cabinet. There were leggings and bras and tops and socks. It was amazing what some companies were willing to donate if you asked.
She also lifted a small bag, then moved to the shelter living room. About ten women filled the space. Some in front of the TV, some in the kitchen.
“Hi, everyone. Can I have your attention for a moment?”
They all stopped at her words. Even Chett and another child paused from playing with blocks.
“I have a box of donated workout clothes. Feel free to come and see if anything’s your size. I thought these pieces would come in handy for our next session at The Pit.”
Smiles curved the women’s faces, and they moved toward the box. All but one. Sarah stood to the side of the room, frowning at her. But before Bonnie could go to her, a small hand tugged at her sweatshirt.
