“You think I need MMA training?”
“Let’s just say that Razor fought MMA, so you need to be prepared for anything.”
I wanted to ask when he’d arranged this, but I’d spent enough time in several dressing rooms for him to make a few texts or calls.
“Does Tex know who I am?”
“Yep,” he said in a flat tone, keeping his gaze on the road.
“It’s killing you that you can’t fight me,” I said with a smirk.
“If you’re suggestin’ I wish I could get physical with you on a mat, no doubt.” He turned his head to give me a wicked grin, but the strain in his eyes told me his head was throbbing.
“But I think Tex will actually be a better fit for our purposes today.”
“Great,” I grumbled. “Let me guess—Tex is bigger and badder than you.”
His grin spread wider. “Guess you’ll find out for yourself.”
After a few minutes, he pulled into the parking lot of a beat-up looking building. The sign, which read Bernie’s Gym, was faded and hung over the single, frosted door entrance.
“Is this place even open?” I asked in surprise. “It looks abandoned.”
The parking lot was empty with the exception of an older red pickup truck.
“It’s a working gym, but it’s closed for us for the next hour or so.”
“You paid to have the gym closed?” I asked in astonishment.
“Let’s just say Tex owed me a favor.”
James got out and walked to the back of the car, opening the trunk. While I was nervous about facing Tex, I wasn’t scared of a challenge. I got out of the car.
He closed the trunk and handed me a bag with leggings, a workout bra, and a loose-fitting T-shirt, items we’d purchased on our shopping trip.
The door was unlocked, and we walked straight into a dark interior. It took me a second for my eyes to adjust to see mats on the floor in the center of the room.
“Glad to see you could finally make it, Skeeter,” a deep voice called out from the back of the space, echoing around us.
My gaze shifted and I was surprised to see a woman at the far edge of the mats, wrapping her left hand.
She shot me a look full of contempt. “Don’t just stand there, princess. Get changed.”
Chapter 18
I glanced over at James, who was wearing a shit-eating grin.
“Tex is a woman?” I asked, my eyebrows raised.
“She’ll probably kick your ass,” he said, “but she’ll also show you a few things you don’t know.”
I lifted a shoulder in acknowledgement, pretending like this was no big deal, but I was even more nervous than I had been before. When I’d thought Tex was a man, I’d suspected he’d hold back for fear of pissing off James. I doubted Tex would show that same restraint. This woman had fought MMA, and she looked the part.
We walked closer, and James said, “Harper, this is Tessa Morales, but if you call her Tessa or Tess, she’ll knock your ass flat on the ground.” He grinned. “Ask me how I know.”
I shot him a look of surprise. “She took you out?”
“Only because he wasn’t payin’ attention,” she said dryly. “And I’d like the chance to even the odds to prove I could do it when you are payin’ attention.”
