Page 50 of The Cult

“So when are we breaking out of here?” Two whispered.

“In a month. I plan to sneak out one more time to get the exact date,” I answered. “I need to ask you something—”

“Here they are,” Two said, interrupting my question.

I stood straight and faced the door. I’d ask them about getting Tobias involved later when we were alone.

Our murmurs halted when two of the trainers walked inside the gym. “Where’s Tobias?” Seven hissed.

I answered with a shrug, attempting to hide the disappointment in my expression. He hadn’t joined us for breakfast earlier either. My brain told me that I needed to forget about last night and focus on the bigger picture, but my heart had a mind of its own, placing Tobias up front and center in my thoughts.

Pacing across the matted gym floor, my dismay lingered. Why wasn’t Tobias here? He’d promised to help me get ready for something. I still didn’t know what for, but I was hoping to see him. There was so much about him I wanted to know. My heart broke when he told me about his wife. I wondered what happened to her. When did she die? That explained why the version of Tobias who showed up in The Creed was a different man from what I remembered. He was never a ray of sunshine, but he wasn’t cold and miserable as he was now. In my recollection of him, he’d always kept to himself, but the walls he had up these days were so high, no one could climb them.

“Hey, you!” one of the trainers called.

My eyes shot to him, watching his mouth move, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying.

“Pay attention!” he barked, pointing at Two and me. He cocked his head, appearing to expect a response. “Are you deaf?”

“Huh?” I asked, feeling lost because I hadn’t been paying attention. Had he been mumbling the whole time? My mind scrambled to catch up, grasping at pieces of conversation that slipped through my fingers like grains of sand.

“We got this,” Two said, giving me a reassuring smile.

The guard posing as a trainer snarled but moved on to Seven’s group.

“Are you okay?” Two asked. “You seem distracted.”

“Yeah, just a long night.” I wasn’t lying. “What did he want?”

“He wants us to spar.” Two handed me a pair of black gloves while he held two matching pads. He slid them on his hands and raised them up. “We’ll switch places afterward.”

As we grunted through our drills, a familiar scent, distinct and reassuring, encircled my space. I knew that scent. Excitement ignited within me; with a hopeful smile, I turned.

I wasn’t prepared for the sight that greeted me. Tobias was wearing a black baseball cap, a tight white T-shirt, and dark gray sweatpants. His black facial hair framed his square jaw, and he was staring at me like he wanted to swallow me whole. The dark circles around his eyes were noticeable even under the shades of his cap. I wondered if he’d spent the rest of the night reliving our hot encounter like I had.

Tobias stood in front of me, a silent yet powerful presence among the flurry of activity around us. My smile stretched, hoping to induce one of his own.

Nothing. “Let’s get going. We have to work on your form,” he said, and walked toward the corner of the room near the punching bags.

I was reduced to watching him strut. His ass flexed with each step. My cock perked up when my thoughts wandered to the night before. Dear Lord, please give me all the courage to complete today’s training without popping a boner.

“Now.” He snapped his fingers then pointed to the punching bag.

I followed his lead. Something was off. Tobias was a lot quieter—and he was already a man of very few words. He seemed distant, avoiding any physical contact between us. Did I repulse him? Was he disgusted about what we’d done? I’d take him angry, but disgusted? No fucking way.

“What’s wrong with you?” I asked. Tobias glared at me; I ignored his fury. “Are you fucking disgusted at what we did?” I whispered through gritted teeth.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

I glanced around to make sure we were still out of earshot. “Last night.”

He closed the distance between us, his face inches from mine. “Listen to me,” he ordered. “There’s nothing about last night I regret. I don’t do shit that I don’t like.”

So he liked it? “Then what’s up?”

Tobias blew out a breath of exasperation. “Fuck!” He rubbed his face with his veiny hands. “I need to get you and your family out of here, Abel.” He turned his back from the rest of the guys, pretending to guide me to the punching bag. “The sooner the better.”

“I told you, not yet.” I couldn’t leave now that the plan was in motion.

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