Page 83 of Made for Wilde

The punch connects with a sharp crack that sends lightning through my skull. My knees buckle, and I hit the canvas hard. Stars explode across my vision.

The gym erupts in shocked voices.

Through the ringing in my ears, I hear students calling out, someone asking if I’m okay. I shake my head, trying to clear the fog, and push myself up to sitting.

Adrian is already climbing out of the ring, ripping off his gloves and headgear. He doesn’t look back, doesn’t check if I’m injured, doesn’t acknowledge the concerned voices of his classmates. He just heads straight for the exit with rigid shoulders and clenched fists.

I accept a hand up from one of my students.

“You okay, Coach?” he asks, studying my face with concern.

I nod even though my temple throbs with each heartbeat.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Class dismissed for today. We’ll pick this up on Thursday.”

The students disperse reluctantly, still buzzing with confused energy about what they just witnessed. I wait until the last one leaves before following Adrian’s path toward the exit. I find him in the side hallway that leads to the parking garage, aggressively shoving his gear into a gym bag.

My voice echoes off the concrete walls. “Adrian, hold up.”

He freezes but doesn’t turn around.

“You want to tell me what the fuck that was about?” I bark at him.

Adrian straightens slowly, his back still to me. When he finally turns, his face is a mask of cold control.

“I don’t know what you mean.” His voice is flat. Then he shrugs. “Things got intense. It happens in boxing.”

“Bullshit.” I cross my arms. “You went from controlled technique to trying to knock me out in about ten seconds. So I’ll ask again. What’s your problem?”

Something flickers in Adrian’s dark eyes.

“There is no problem,” he says. But his hands are clenched into fists at his sides. “Maybe you just can’t handle someone who doesn’t treat you like you’re some kind of god.”

The disrespect in his tone makes my own temper flare.

“Watch your mouth, kid.”

“Or what?” Adrian steps closer, and I’m surprised by the lack of fear in his posture. Most people back down when I use that tone. “You’ll throw me out of your precious class?”

“As a matter of fact, yeah.” I meet his glare with one of my own. “You’re done here. Don’t come back.”

Adrian laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “Fine by me. This place was getting boring anyway.”

He turns to leave, but I’m not finished.

“And Adrian?” I wait until he looks back. “Stay the hell away from Charlotte.”

The mask slips for just a moment, and I see raw fury flash across his features before he gets it under control. But that brief glimpse tells me everything I need to know.

Charlotte is exactly what this is about.

“Charlotte and I are friends,” Adrian says carefully, “You don’t get to control who she spends time with.”

“Watch me.” I take a step forward, using my size advantage. “You come near her, you text her, you so much as look at her wrong, and we’re going to have a problem that makes today look like a love tap.”

“You know, Koda, I don’t think you understand who you’re dealing with.” Adrian’s voice drops. “My family owns half thistown. We have connections you can’t even imagine. So maybe you should be the one being careful.”

I snort.