Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Scrolling, I find my daily playlist and hit shuffle.
I scan the room, looking for an empty section.
The shadowed leg press catches my eye. I walk over and settle into the seat, adjusting the weight, then start off at a measured pace.
I blend my breaths with each press, closing my eyes to let the rhythm of my own song guide me.
The third song rolls by, when a finger suddenly taps my shoulder, I crack an eye open, and Nina stands motioning me to remove my headphones.
“What?” I ask.
She swings her leg over the twin press seat, leaning in close. “Jasper didn’t seem too keen about you and Nyx giving us that power couple-speech.”
I scrunch my nose. “We’re lead not a couple and everyone knows that. What do you mean, though? Did he say something?”
Nina props her chin on the barrier between us.
“Did you not see his face when you were talking? Or were you just seeing red at the thought of being around your own species?” She sticks her tongue out at me before continuing, “I’m surprised Nyx’s back wasn’t hurting from the holes Jasper was burning into him with his jealous laser eyes.
” Nina wiggles her fingers, mockingly shooting lasers.
Then she snickers, jerking her chin behind me.
I turn to find Jasper watching me from the bench press, Jett pumping weights beneath him. Scowling, I blow out a breath and turn back to focus on my own workout. “What are you expecting me to say?” I ask as Nina sets her own preferred weight in place.
“C’mon, Florence, the man has been down bad for you forever. I heard what happened last night. Put the pup out of his misery and give him a chance.”
I add another weight, sinking farther into my seat. Maybe I’ll sink so far, I can disappear.
One, two, three... “You know I thought as time went by, you’d finally open up a bit, blow off some steam.” Eight, nine, ten. “Florence, it’s okay to feel something new in life, it’s okay to give somebody another chance.”
My set slams with a bang. The gym silences, but I remain solemn, eyes locked on Nina. “Thank you, Dr. Phil, for your concern, but if I was looking for Cupid, I’d shoot him out of a tree myself. I have no steam to blow off, and I don’t need this from you right now.”
Nina jumps up, waving her hand in dismissal and disappears behind me.
I cringe. That came out harsher than intended, but Nina is relentless and she knows me well enough to know what my priorities have been since starting T.A.L.O.N.
I’m not the weak, freshly ditched bride I once was wishing for a knight in shining armor.
Blonde curls blur past me as Jasper slips into Nina’s empty spot. “You okay?” he asks.
I release the handle, focusing on the machine and continue my set without meeting the worry I know is in his eyes. “Fine and dandy. You okay? Get tired of Jett already?”
“Yeah, I’m good, and no. I gave Greer my spot; she said he needed a prettier partner. I wasn’t going to argue with that one.”
My legs burn as I thrust the weight faster.
Jasper clears his throat, shifting in the seat. “Do you need a partner?”
“Does she look like she needs one?” Nyx steps up to my left, wiping the sweat from his brow with a towel. He tosses it over his shoulder and eyes Jasper. “Less mouth more muscle—why don’t you go take a lap.”
It wasn’t a question. Jasper stands, the two men now eye to eye over the machinery.
“I was just checking on her, but if you think I need more muscle, you’re welcome to test that.”
“Stop it,” I snap.
Nyx grinds his teeth with an eerie grin, the towel slipping from his shoulder to the floor as he rounds the leg press, shoving Jasper backward.
“Oh, I’m more than happy to test it.” He takes a step forward.
“And if you have to keep asking what she needs, then you’re already out of your depth over here. ”
“Enough!” I jolt to my feet, squeezing between the two. Their heartbeats thunder beneath my fingers tips so violently it almost catches me off guard. “I said stop it, assholes.”
Nyx only grins down at me while Jasper’s deathly stare stays locked onto him over me. “You heard the woman,” Jasper drawls.
“That’s it.” I shove Nyx backward just enough as I swiftly strike his feet out from underneath him with a low roundhouse kick and send him to the floor with an oomph.
Jasper chokes out a laugh. I spin around snatching his wrist and pull him downward, gripping the back of his neck.
I shove him lower before he can process what’s happening and slam him flat out next to Nyx.
“Shewwweee!” Bear calls from the treadmill, slowing to a trot, his foxlike grin reaching his eyes.
Tugging at the front of my hoodie, I gaze down at the men sprawled before me. “If one falls, we all fall,” I bark out. I don’t give either of them the chance to speak as I spin sharply on my heels and walk to the open Stair Master beside Cici. “Don’t,” I snap, cutting my eyes to her.
She lifts her hands quickly in defense, fighting her grin. “I wasn’t going to say anything!” The machine hums to life as I finally put my headphones back on, drowning out the atmosphere and begin to climb my way out of this embarrassment.
It’s ridiculous. Two grown men acting like teenagers because of what? Me? I’ve done nothing but keep my head down, protect my children and keep pushing to make it to tomorrow.
Somewhere along the way, Jasper started smiling at me like I hung the moon.
Nyx started looking at me like he’d burn the world down if it looked at me the wrong way.
And I still don’t know how I feel. I hate it. Yet I don’t.
“All I’m saying is I would’ve put a bug in Ana’s ear a long time ago if I knew we’d get an alpha standoff between Nyx and Jasper.
Florence, you’re insane for not giving us a minute longer before squashing their egos like that.
” Nina laughs, leaning back to stretch her toes far into the steam surrounding us.
I reach for the tie in my bun sliding it to my wrist with one hand still holding the white towel securely around my chest with the other. My hair falls across my bare back as I step over Nina’s broad legs to my spot in the sauna.
Cici giggles beside me. “I can’t believe she even let it get that far, Florence what happened?”
I shrug. “Beats me. I was trying to mind my own business.”
Nina groans. “Ughh, Florence, save it. You have two of the most dangerous men in this unit fighting for you and you want to mind your business. You’re insufferable.”
I gape at my friend. “You do realize this is a legitimate job, not high school, right? And they’re not fighting for me; there’s nothing to fight for.”
“Florence!” Nina and Cici fuss in union.
“Sometimes I just want to take your head and—" Cici aggressively shakes my invisible skull in her lap, while Nina leans over pretending to smack the top of it repeatedly.
Throwing my hands up, I respond, “Okay, okay real talk. I can admit, they’re both attractive,” I trail off, pulling my lip between my teeth.
“I think I know how Jasper feels, but I just don’t know if I’m ready to open that door yet.
Or if I’m even meant to open it. As far as Nyx goes, he’s my partner.
The man acts like it’s a pain to work with me.
I think he just believes Jasper is a distraction. That’s all.”
The women exchange a look of annoyance. “I literally just opened up to y’all and that’s what I get?”
Nina scoffs. “You call that opening up?”
“This is like pulling teeth I swear,” Cici chimes in.
I wipe my sweaty palms on my towel and pleadingly look to her for grace. Cici grants me a shy smile, reading the hint, then she tilts her head. “Matt asked me out last night.”
Nina shrieks with joy, bursting from the bench as she spins in circles, allowing her towel to flap over her shoulders like a cape.
“My eyes, my eyes!” I scream, leaning over for safety into Cici, onto who is buckled over laughing.
“Are you kidding? This is the most action we’ve gotten around here in ages! Tell us everything,” Nina shouts, nakedly prancing on her toes.
The laugher dies suddenly as Greer opens the door entering the steam, her bob tucked tightly behind her ears. “What are we telling?”
Nina wraps her cape around the bridge of her nose, only revealing her eyes. “Grown folks’ business little girl.”
Greer raises her chin, taking up the vacant spot next to me. “Easy Batman, are you sure you qualify as grown?” She says, eyeing our exposed friend up and down. “I do have to admit; I hope I look that good when I’m that old.”
Nina drops her facade. “Old!” she shrieks, voice deathly alarming.
Oh boy. “That’s our cue.” Cici’s eyes bulge as she pushes off the bench, clearing her throat. She wraps her towel tightly around herself.
Nina clicks her tongue following Cici to the door, only stopping to add, “I’m vintage, you bargain bin.”
“OK! Let’s go.” Cici quickly swings the door open, ushering her out.
I keep my seat, leaning back into the wall and close my eyes as they exit.
I’m grateful for the change of subject. We aren’t necessarily allowed to have relations inside of our teams. It’s frowned upon, and they don’t take you seriously if you do it; most often, those who break the rules lose their ranks or get transferred.
Which is exactly how Greer was thrown into the random pick of the hat.
An affair with her lead. Her married lead. She’s well aware of our policies.
It’s not like it hasn’t been done before; a relationship within the unit.
An affair though, is crossing the line. We just keep things quiet around here, and Greer is quite the opposite of that.
Being her age, I guess that’s a given, but I thought she would learn by now the concept of “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” We obviously might not all be the best of friends but we’re a team when it counts.
Cici and Matt have been on the down low for a while now. They spend lots of time together in the van on the field. It was inevitable. But unfortunately, if Scott and Talia get a whiff of anything, they could be separated since their titles require them to stay close together.
“Tough crowd?” Greer asks.
I don’t respond. She sighs dramatically, but again, I ignore her. My eyes remain closed as I try to enjoy a moment of silence.
My lips curve as I think of Cici and how giddy she was over Matt.
I remember those feelings, long ago, before the butterflies were brutally murdered in my stomach.
Ignoring the hollow hole forming in my chest over the memory, I start to feel the hair on my arm sticking up at a growing presence—I snatch Greer’s hand before it reaches my wrist.
“Keep your hands to yourself or next time I’ll snap it,” I growl, irritated by her audacity.
“Chill, Florence, I was just admiring your tattoos.”
I glance down at the sleeves of floral and geometric designs. “You can look but don’t touch.”
She smirks. “Is that also your motto for Nyx and Jasper?”
I stiffen but keep my expression bored. “Not you too.”
The black bob falls forward from around her ears as she laughs richly, crossing her legs in my direction. “Quite a show you put on earlier.”
My eyes narrow as I turn to face her, not backing down from whatever she thinks this is. “Funny, you watched but clearly learned nothing.” I flash my teeth, propping one arm against the wall to support my head.
“Oh, I learned something.” She grins devilishly.
“Enlighten me.” I say, holding her gaze.
Stretching a hand to examine her ruby-red claws, she hums a minute before meeting my eyes again. “Just like you said… if one falls we all fall.”
Something inside me stills. The steam presses against my skin, but a familiar cold crawls through my veins anyway. Greer’s smile only sharpens, as if she can see it happening.
Slowly, I stand from the bench. “Is that a threat?” I ask, taking a step forward. Then another. Until she is the one looking up.
Greer’s chin dips just a fraction. “Of course not.”
I stand there, my eyes locked on hers and grip my towel with all my might.
I need to ground myself. I take a deep breath, my chest rising and falling once.
“I don’t take kindly to threats Greer.” My lashes flutter as the adrenaline soars through me.
“Because my entire career is built around eliminating them.”
Her smile finally falters. “We’ll see about that,” she mutters.
I don’t hesitate. Greer’s words fall over my eyes like a blanket, blocking any common sense screaming in my brain. Snatching her elbow in my grip, I jerk Greer up to her feet and pull her into me. “You should find someone else to pursue.”
Greer grunts, pulling hers arm free, but remains completely still in place.
I flash my teeth. “Worry about your own balance girl, because if someone falls, it won’t be me.” My smile remains humorless as I spin on my heels and exit.