Page 15 of Of Blackened Blood (The Blackened Blade #3)

But I hold back ... for now.

“You’ve made a lot of errors with me.” A small scoff leaves my lips, throwing his stupid apology back at him.

“All the ones before, I brushed off. Heck, I even thought some of it was cute. But that night ...” I shake my head, remembering each word and hard expression from him.

“It bothered me more than it should have.”

His eyes meet mine, a strange look of surprise in them as his mouth slowly opens and closes again before I continue.

“We’re going to see a lot of each other from now on, whether either of us likes it or not.

You need to know that I’m here to stay, Creed.

Mallyn, Ezra, and Annex are important to me.

I won’t give them up or leave no matter what.

” My gaze narrows at the amber eyes watching me.

“I know you’re a big part of their lives; when they needed someone to help them, to drag them from the pain and darkness they bore, I know you were the one who brought them together .

.. and saved them. You’re their brother, Creed, and I’ll never ask them to choose between us.

So, me and you will have to learn to deal with each other, because where they go, I go.

” His eyes are slightly wider as he slowly nods, a strange look entering his gaze.

I take a step back from him and roll my shoulders, my gaze never leaving his.

“But me and you have shit to sort out, things that we need to squash before we can move back to being somewhat civil with each other.” I walk over to the rack at the end of the wall and take both my jumper and shoes off before discarding them to the floor.

I grab the smallest pair of grappling gloves from the rack and head to the middle of the room with its makeshift ring and gesture for him to follow.

“Let’s sort all of this out now. Just you and me.”

I enter the ring’s space and stretch out my shoulders, throwing a little jab forward.

It is time to release some of the built-up anger I’d been holding in toward the ass.

No more words, just action now. I’ll knock the bullshit from his lungs and punch every word he threw at me into those tight abs of his.

I’ll leave the dickhead black and blue and then finally move forward as a group.

Creed’s eyes widen a fraction in disbelief, but he doesn’t take a step closer.

“Micai, you don’t know what you’re asking for ...” He shakes his head. “I don’t go easy. I don’t hold back.” His pompous eyes look at me like I’m some frail mouse and he’s the big bad dick-headed wolf. “Even the boys can’t keep up when we’re in here. If you want to take a few hits, I’ll let?—”

“Shut the fuck up and get your ass over here now, Creed.” My brows pinch downward as I cut him off, my anger building. “Before I drag you here.”

This is exactly why we need this ... his ego needs a proper spanking.

I clench my fists, the grappling gloves stretching with my grip.

This asshole has had this beating coming since day one. He needs someone to beat the ego and bullshit out of him, making him maybe a little more tolerable for the world to withstand for longer than a millisecond.

And I’m the happy-fucking-volunteer.

“I don’t need your pity shots, Creed.” I gesture for him to get his ass over to the ring. “I’ll knock you out all by myself without that bullshit. Keep your mouth shut and your teeth clenched unless you want to lose a few of them.”

I raise my fists and take my stance as a strange look forms in his gaze. Then he takes a step closer and then another.

“Are you sure about this?” he asks, making his way over until he’s entering the blue mats and standing a few feet from me.

“Positive,” I reply as we begin to circle one another.

“I won’t go easy on you.” Creed’s eyes narrow in my direction, his gaze quickly sizing me up.

“I can say the same. Don’t underestimate me or think I’m some weak girl.”

It would be his downfall. Like many others to come.

“I know you’re not ...” Creed begins, and his words have my brows rising, a small feeling of surprise taking over my expression as we continue to move around the makeshift ring.

“But you’re still not as strong as me either.” And there’s the usual asshole.

Then he jabs out, trying to catch me off guard and starting our little session.

One where I plan to pummel him and vent all my frustrations over the past few months, every glare, every harsh word and snide insult.

I’ll throw them right back at him and hopefully bruise or break a few things along the way.

I dodge his attack and throw my own, aiming for that pretty face of his. Unfortunately, he side-steps the move and tries to elbow me, but I flip backward, evading the hit with more ease than he expects.

A slight look of surprise widens his eyes. But I’ve trained with Gadriel too many times to be caught off guard so easily and with such basic attacks.

We go back and forth for the next few minutes, throwing out hits and dodging attacks. The sandbags around us have been flipped, thrown or destroyed as we move back and forth, ignoring even the makeshift ring as we try to dominate and get the better of each other.

Creed manages to land two blows on me in that time: a surprise kick to my thigh that’s going to leave more than just a heavy bruise, and a sneaky uppercut to my ribs. I’m pretty sure that blow fractured something there. If the searing pain is anything to go by.

But I’ve had well worse and manage to get my own back on him.

I land a heavy hit to his lower back and another to his upper torso.

One that pulled a cute grunt and small wince from him.

I also heard a lovely little crack with it when I made contact.

It’s red and swelling already, and I can tell he feels the pain of it with the slight pinch of his brows and with his more rigid and tighter movements of that area then before.

We circle around each other again, waiting and watching, like two prowling tigers. The look of underestimation is gone from his gaze as he watches me, now seeing the predator within my moves.

A small grin tilts his lips. “Who knew you had it in you? I thought you were a cat or a mouse ... but now you seem more like a lioness.”

“And what does that make you?” I chuckle, my gaze scrutinizing his movements and anticipating his next attack. “A lion?”

Creed smirks. “I guess that would make us quite alike.”

A dark laugh breaks free from my lips. “Is that how you see it?”

“You don’t?” he asks, his amber eyes meeting mine, his movements never letting up or giving an opening.

“Male lions are domineering ...” I nod, my gaze never leaving him.

“You do have that in common. They leave the heavier work for the lionesses but still want to control everything. And they also have huge-ass egos, so two for two I guess.” I shrug before lifting my fists back toward my face, ready to go for another round.

The patronising smirk reappearing on his face again with my words was pissing me off.

And it’s about time I help him wipe it off.

“They take care of their pride. Protect it from intruders that could hurt their family. They lead them ...” He lifts his fists up, mirroring me. “But even leaders can make mistakes.”

“I thought it was an error ?” I quip before darting toward him and throwing a hard roundhouse kick toward his head, trying to catch him off guard. But he catches it, his grip bruising on my calf as he lifts it slowly higher in the air.

I kick off the ground with my free foot, twisting upward and aiming for his face while trying to dislodge his grip on me. But he side-steps the kick, pulling my leg with him and throwing me off balance. Before I know it, my back is hitting the mat and he’s standing above me smirking.

So, I do the only sensible thing a woman can do ... and kick his legs out from under him.

He wasn’t expecting it from the expression on his face as he goes down, and when he hits the floor, I’m there with him, my legs straddling his hips on both sides as I ready my fist.

But just as I’m about to pummel that pretty face into mince, he grabs my thighs, jerking his hips up from under me until we’re flipped and he’s on top of me .

He stares down at me, a look I can only think of as amusement and excitement glinting in his amber eyes. A smile that looks both boyish and genuine stretches his lips as they part.

“I didn’t think you’d be this good at fighting, Micai. Is it because of all the training you did at that abandoned building?” He quirks a brow, genuine curiosity filling his gaze.

But why should I tell him anything? He hasn’t earned my trust like the boys.

I try to shoulder him off me, but he traps my arms in his and places more of his weight on top of me, with each hard ab and muscle pressing further into me as I’m pinned to the floor.

But I don’t panic or become worried. A different feeling takes over me, a confidence that tells me I can take him. He may be large and strong, but I’m more agile and quick, with a strength even I can’t fully measure.

I’m also smarter.

I start to sway slightly, moving my lower half until Creed flinches. That split second of hesitation gives me just enough time to shoulder him harder and earn a heavy grunt. I free my arms during the distraction and knock him off me, twisting and flipping until I’m the one standing over him.

Creed’s eyes meet mine, a grin stretching his lips as he pulls himself slightly up and drags a hand through his hair. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“That’s your problem.” I shrug. “You should always expect the unexpected, especially in a fight. Never underestimate an opponent, even if you think you’ve got the better of them.”

Silence falls between us, his amber gaze boring into mine as a strangely soft look takes over his eyes. His lips finally part. “Micai ... I?—”

Suddenly, a loud clang rings out from the hallway, followed by Annex’s voice bellowing my name.

Creed sighs, dusting himself off before standing straighter, the softer look from a moment ago completely gone. “You better go before they come in and disturb more of my time.”

More? Was he referring to me being here with him?

I scoff. Same old dickhead. Guess he needs a heavier pummelling.

I grab my shoes and jumper, throwing them on quickly as Annex’s voice begins moving throughout the hallway.

I take the grappling gloves off and make my way over to Creed, handing them to him.

But just as he takes them, I throw a heavy uppercut to his torso, catching the same red and swollen spot from earlier.

He lets out a grunt, bending slightly forward as the air seeps from his lips in one quick breath.

I lean down closer to his ear. “This isn’t over between us. I don’t forgive shit so easily, Creed. I pay my debts back in full, and yours are overdue. Be prepared from now on.”

He looks up, a slight scowl pulling at his pretty features with his lips opening before I quickly cut him off.

“We’ll call this round one for me ...” I pull myself straighter, my grin widening. “But don’t worry, there will be plenty more in the future. Make sure you buy yourself a crate of ice packs, Creed ...” I begin to make my way toward the door, calling over my shoulder. “You’re gonna need them.”

A strange sound of chuckling rings out behind me as I leave the gym.

I’m glad he finds it amusing. Because I’ll take great pleasure in making sure he gets to use each and every one of those ice packs.