Page 52 of Ravaged From Fate

“I can’t believe it,” the Samoan says, his breath knocked out of him.

“No one ever beats him,” Juniper adds, as a way of explanation for me. “You must be pretty humbled, right? Can’t have your gym patrons beating the gym owner…”

Cyrus growls at her and I see Caspian unleash a tiny little smirk on his rough, handsome face behind the Samoan.

As Juniper and Cyrus trade mocking insults, Caspian strolls towards me. I look up at him, towering above me, as his sweat drips down off his brow and onto the boxing ring mat.

“Hi,” he greets in his deep, booming voice.

I gulp. I can’t control myself around him. “Hello.”

“Let’s leave you two alone,” Juniper whispers into my ear before she shoos Cyrus away out of the boxing ring.

I need to be on equal footing with him.

“Can I join you in the ring?” I ask Caspian. He shrugs. I slide through the ropes and stand beside the giant.

“What are you doing here?” he asks me. “Aren’t you meant to be at the clinic?”

“Work’s over. I came straight here.”

“How’s that baby and mother you were going to check up on?”

Simone and the baby are going well. It was great to see her again today when she came into the clinic. Holding her baby was the cutest thing. I asked her if she was going to name her after me. Apparently not.

“All good.”

“Good.”

I might as well say it. Escalate, like I had planned in my head when I walked over here from the clinic.

“I think I owe you a drink at your place,” I say to Caspian.

He purses his lips.

“I think you do,” he replies.

24

CASPIAN

Yeah, I can go to Elsa’s place. I know I really shouldn’t. I should be growing more and more anxious that my cover is getting more and more exposed every minute I spend with this girl, but my feelings for Elsa are too much for me to ignore.

Fuck.

Falling for someone was not part of the plan when moving to East Springs. Far from it.

I might hurt her. That’s the scary truth.

I always seem to hurt the people I love.

She can never find out about my real identity, and I can never be violent around her, but both of those things are ticking time bombs ready to explode at a moment’s notice. I will never physically hurt her, but what if she gets caught up in a brawl I’m involved in? Violence always follows me. She doesn’t need that to come barging into her life.

But I still follow her out of the gym and back to her place. Against my better judgment. I’m a selfish man, that’s for sure.

The truth is, I’ve been wanting to see her again since she left my place this morning.

The way she makes me feel…