15. Chapter 10
Marcus
Present Day
I jump into the elevator as fast as I can, heading down to the gym.
I rub my thumb over my torn up knuckles, then crack them.
I try to wiggle each finger and get some sense of calm, but all I want to do is punch someone in the throat.
How dare she come back into our fuckin’ territory!
She left us, she's the one that ran. My long hair flows over my shoulders tickling my neck. I use the sensation to ground myself. I desperately need to stay here, stay present and not escape to the past. I turn and punch the glass, letting the vibration surge through my body. The door to the elevator dings, leaving me just outside the gym. I walk out like nothing happened, someone else can fix that mess. Pushing through the gym doors, the smell of sweat and blood already has my shoulders dropping. This is my area and it brings me calm, my home, my sense of self. When your parents abandon you on purpose at a young age to live off the streets, you learn quickly how to play dirty. My father works with Damions’.
He’s a fuckin bastard, but I love fighting, it's what I do.
I crack my neck, needing to fuck some shit up.
The mention of her has me raging. It’s been too long since I’ve seen her.
I wanted to completely control her life.
She should have had a tracker and we should have put a watch on her at all times.
There is so much I wish I would have done, but I respected Evie enough to back off and let her handle things when she told us she could.
We all did, and for her to turn around and leave, it crushed my fuckin soul.
I never knew what love was. No one ever showed me that kind of affection, but Evie.
She was different. She tamed me in the best way.
When she was around, my mind would clear and everything else around me no longer mattered.
She fuckin’ shattered that. Tore my heart out while she spat and stomped on it.
I’ll save her, but that’s as far as it will go.
I won’t let her get that close again. I need to keep my heart guarded.
I have too much shit riding on me anyway.
The fights are starting up. I need to collect my money and get the cages ready.
I decide to wrap my hands only, my knuckles keep bleeding before I even hit the mats.
I prefer to spar with a partner, but I can manage without one.
Turning up the music, it blares through the speakers, I step to the side and go over stretches.
I get lost in the workout. Trying my best not to think of her. Fuckin’ Evie.
Marcus
14 years ago
“Come on Evie it will be fun,” I say, pulling her gently by the arm.
Her hair flows around her face, as the sun shines behind her, giving her the glow of an angel.
My angel. “I want you to be able to fight. You need to be able to defend yourself if me or one of the guys aren’t able to be there.
” I take her hand in mine and bring it up to my lips.
“Angel, you need to do this for you. You will feel so much better about yourself,” I try to persuade her.
“Fine,” she says on an exhale. “We will teach you everything we know.
You're our girl and we will never let anything happen to you.” I take a strand of hair, tuck it behind her ear, and tilt up her chin. “Take back your strength, Evie.”
She shakes just a little. “You know we will kill him,” I whisper.
Her skin forms goosebumps as I glide my fingers up her arms. “Angel, you deserve everything good in this world. You don’t deserve the cards that life has dealt you, but we will do all we can to make it the best from now on.
” With that, I place a single kiss on her lips.
“Let’s go change into some training clothes.
” I swat her ass as she turns to the lockers.
She blushes and I let her go change. I don’t think I’ll ever let Evie go; she haunts me awake and asleep.
She's my angel of light and my angel of darkness.