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“You take this one, big guy,” I say, nudging Connor.

Connor chuckles and shrugs. “I’ve always wanted to return him.”

I nod. “Okay, it’s settled. We’re only keeping Rafe and Luke. Z squared can go to Alice. She’s always wanted a pet.”

Zane’s brows furrow, obviously deep in thought. “I think I’d probably make myself a sandwich.”

We all turn our attention to Zane and burst out laughing.

I gulp the rest of my coffee. “Okay, I’m going to the gym to try to work off the rest of this hangover.”

Connor lifts an eyebrow. “On an empty stomach?”

I roll my eyes and take a bite of his sandwich. My stomach protests, but I feel confident I’ll be able to keep it down. At least until I get to the gym, and I can hurl it up over that dick trainer. That thought makes me smile.

“I’ll come round later?”

Connor nods. “Please.”

I lean in and kiss him deeply. Connor slides his fingers into my hair, and his brothers groan at our public display.

I bite his lip. “Later, big guy. It’s been too long.”

“It’s Mom and Dad 2.0,” Luke groans, and my lips twitch.

“Look who’s back.” Max zeroes in on me the second I step into the gym. He is spotting someone in the weights section again, but his stupid voice carries through the busy space.

I ignore him and keep walking, going to the locker room to change into my shorts and sports bra. Unfortunately, Max is waiting for me when I come out, an eyebrow raised as if in question. I walk right past him, happy that the treadmill I used last time is free.

“Still not wanting to fight?” he asks, falling into step next to me.

I sigh and step onto the treadmill. I try to push away the feeling of defencelessness from last night. My memories are hazy, but I remember the feeling of the adrenaline coursing through me. I remember the hopeless feeling. I remember accepting that I was going to die. Should I learn to fight? Probably. But should Max the Ass be the one to teach me? Fuck no.

I turn on the treadmill, and the second it starts, I can feel the effects of last night in how my limbs are sluggish and my head pounds. Even my lungs feel bruised.

“You should join the class. I’ll go easy on you since I heard you had a wild night.” Max smirks, leaning against the treadmill next to me.

I glare and increase the speed. “Gods. Do you harass everyone who enters the gym or just me?”

Max snickers. “Just you. Feel special?”

I flip him off, pushing myself harder, and fuck, this is kicking my ass. Max laughs again and struts away to start his class. Listening to my body, I slam my hand down on the stop button and head to the mats for some easy stretches. I sit down and glance into the sparring room, watching for a few moments as Max demonstrates a few defensive movements. Max meets my gaze, his arrogance making my blood boil. I flip him off and start my stretches.

Trying to find my center, I take deep breaths and stretch out my aching limbs. My peace is disrupted when booming music blasts from the sparring room, and my head throbs in pain. I straighten and look through the window. Fucking Max is smirking at me. He knows exactly what he’s doing. Fucking asshole.

I stand up and grab my bag and water bottle. On my way out, I spot the electric box. A wicked smile curves my lips as I slice my finger with my rune dagger and start to draw on my palm. The dark red blood is stark against my skin until the rune takes shape. As I near the end, it becomes iridescent and glows faintly. I press my runed palm to the door of the electric box. There is a loud pop, and then the power cuts. The music stops, and the gym is plunged into blissful darkness. There are yelps of surprise and then grumbles of annoyance as everyone’s workouts are interrupted. I glance over my shoulder at Max, who glares at me with narrowed eyes. I wink at him and smile sweetly before walking out the door.

60

Summer

“So, that’s four cheeseburgers, four hamburgers, three triples, eight doubles, and sixteen fries?” the server recites back to me.

I confirm I got everything on the list Connor texted me when I told him I’d bring in dinner. “Oh, and five chocolate shakes.”

The server nods and hurries away with the order.

Alice snorts beside me. “Fuck, how does their mother manage?”