"Saoirse lent me these. They don't fit very well." I plucked at my top, feeling self-conscious. The bra was way too tight, and the yoga pants were not my style, but they were better than thejoggers I'd found in the closet from my last visit three years ago. I’d tried them on, only to discover they didn’t fit my ass, as I'd filled out since then.
I needed my own clothes, but since I'd been so rudely kidnapped, there was zero chance of that happening.
"Take a breather, then we'll find out how much you remember from your self-defense lessons," Conal said after hopping off his treadmill. Unlike me, he still looked fresh as a daisy. Life truly was a bitch.
A grumpy Conal pinned me to the floor for the millionth time, apparently unhappy I couldn't even break a simple hold. As he’d just reminded me, if some low life attacked me from behind, rape and murder awaited.
"I thought Dario had showed you this shit?"
"He did. I forgot."
With a deep sigh, Conal extended a hand to help me up. My eyes drifted over to the weights, where Ronan was busy benching something ridiculous. He grunted under the strain, every muscle bulging.
A hot flush seared my skin, and for a moment, I struggled to suck in a breath. When I looked back at Conal, he handed me a water bottle.
"Here. Looks like you need to cool down for a minute." Now I flushed even more, embarrassed about being caught ogling Ronan. Did the twins know I still had a crush on them like a stupid teenage girl?
Of course they did. Even Saoirse knew, and she rarely noticed anything unless it smacked her in the face like a wet haddock.
I flopped down on a bench and closed my eyes. Pretending not to care seemed like a good move. Knowing Conan had caughtme eye-fucking his twin brother was not the highlight of my day, week, or even life. Although, on the list of my ten most embarrassing moments, it barely rated a mention.
"Here, put these on." Conal threw a pair of boxing gloves at me. I stared up at him through damp tendrils of hair. "Learning to throw a decent punch might help, so let's switch things up and do some work on the bag before you try hitting me."
I picked up the gloves while muttering obscenities under my breath and trailed after him.
Ronan and Conal were both accomplished fighters. I'd watched them in the ring many times. To my knowledge, Thea's husband, Kyril, was the only guy who'd ever beaten the twins. Hardly surprising given his size and aggressive personality. Thea had once described him as a honey badger on steroids, while laughing.
I'd concluded my sister needed a lot of therapy to explore why she'd agreed to have a kid with an unhinged lunatic like Kyril. Thank God the other four guys in her life didn't rank so high on the Dark Triad. And also, that his kid, Clemmie, was not a diagnosed psychopath.
"I'm not punching you."
Conal rolled his eyes. "No, you're punching the bag for now. We'll build up to you trying to hit me."
It took energy I didn't have not to roll my eyes in return.
"You're taking the piss. We both know there's zero chance of me landing a punch on you."
"Your sister managed it."
Of course she did. My sister was stronger, smarter, sassier, and unlikely to end up dead if someone attacked her. I remained the weak link in our fucked-up family. Like always.
"Fine." Would a few more bruises really matter?
An hour later, I collapsed, legitimately dead. The guys now knew I had zero self-defense skills.
"Are you sure you and Thea are sisters?" Conal stared down at me, his brow furrowed in concern.
I didn’t bother answering, hoping he might assume I'd died and leave me the fuck alone. Finally, a plan worth embracing.
"Just say it." My stomach hurt.Allof me hurt. A mix of hunger and anxiety sent cramps rippling through my belly. Hunger, because I'd not eaten anything since a few mouthfuls of cheese sandwich last night, and anxiety because the longer Conal stood staring down at my pathetic self, the more useless I felt.
"Say what?" When I reluctantly opened my eyes, he seemed more amused than exasperated.
"That I'm pathetic."
He kneeled on the mat. "You're not pathetic at all. Nobody's expecting you to turn into a ninja after one lesson, sweetheart." His grin made my panties melt and my cheeks turn even redder. Not that he'd be interested in a sweaty mess like me. Not with a harem of supermodels and influencers queued up for the party in two days.
"Good job as hell will freeze over first. I'm not built for fitness." Conal chuckled at the angry sound my stomach made.
