We never talked about it, he doesn’t need words and never has.
My chest seizes, not with weakness but with purpose.
I survived, and that was their first mistake.
They created me, they should fear what I’ve become.
Alpha Chi thought they broke me. They didn’t. They built something far worse that they’ll never be able to stop.
What they really did was create their own downfall.
I let myself take Tyler in for one last second, then I bury it, compelling myself back into the zone.
My hair slips loose; I tuck it behind my ear, wincing as my fingers graze the damaged cartilage.
A reminder.
Returning to the bag, my fists connect in rapid succession, a fresh surge of anger fueling every hit.
I stop containing my rage and let it burn through me.
The time to collect has come.
CHAPTER SIX
I grunt as the bar hits the rack with a solid clang.
Three hundred, up and back effortlessly.
I sit up, dragging a towel across my forehead, wiping the sweat at my hairline. My breathing evens out, falling into rhythm.
The gym used to just be about my appearance; now it is preparation.
A place to work it out of my system before it tears through me.
On the other side of the gym, Leonardo is back to helping Cassidy adjust her stance, his voice confident and precise as he corrects her form.
I stay where I am, not missing a single move.
I know she didn’t become this; she unleashed it.
That thought still weighs on me more than anything I lift.
For a fleeting moment, my mind goes there, what could’ve happened if I hadn’t found her.
The thought squeezes painfully at my chest.
“Tyler!” Leonardo barks out my name, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I’m on my feet before I can think, advancing directly to the mat.
He gestures between us. “Alright. No showing off. Nothingdirty. You both rely too much on weapons. Close range. You need to end it with your hands.”
Cassidy turns to me, that look already there. Eager, bloodthirsty, like she already knows how this is going to end.
A wolfish grin tugs at the corner of my mouth.
“Try not to cry when I take you down.” Rolling my shoulders loose.
