Page 12 of A Twisted Arrangement

He jolts back in shock. “What?”

I take a slow slip of my coffee. “I said go ahead and share it.”

“Do you think your lawyer buddies will let you work if you’re a felon?”

A muscle twitches in my neck. It’s not like I don’t know reputation is as important as education in this field, but I’ll never let anyone control me like that again.

I lean back, resting my hands in my lap demurely. He doesn’t realize he’s playing a game he can’t win. He picked a fight with me, but I’m the one who’s going to choose when to strike.

“Of course. I’ll start wedding planning right away,” I placate, donning my softest smile. The one that says I’m the docile, submissive girl he thinks I should be.

Appeased, he smiles at me. “I thought you’d see it my way.”

Little does he know, I’m planning his murder. After watching that video, he should’ve known better than to back me into a corner.

My biggest problem is getting all the copies erased. There’s only one person who’s capable of wiping all of the evidence from existence, and he’s the last person I want to owe.

The last real conversation I had with Matthias ended badly. I’d been a foolish girl with a naive crush, and his words tore me apart.

His cold eyes locked with mine as he said,“Let me make it easy for you. I don’t want to see you, hear your voice. I don’t want to be in the same room as you.”

The bond that felt tied between us, shaped by a world we barely survived, frayed with his words. His only response when I asked him why he was doing it was to say,“You may have helped us, but you’re still a Laurent.”

At the time, his words shredded through me, but I’m no longer a foolish girl anymore. Matthias Helios Everette isn’t ready for the woman I’ve become.

“What’s gotten into you?” Mark says as he ducks another one of my kicks. He’s been on the defensive since I landed my first one.

I like sparring with him. In his midforties, he’s more collected than some of the hotheads in here. Most men see me in the ring, and their first mistake is to underestimate me. It’s no fun if I win too easily.

The gym’s walls are made of concrete painted white, allowing each hit and grunt to echo around the room. The facility is pristine. Even the ring itself has new ropes that are changed at any sign of wear. Speed bags, weighted punching bags, pads, and weights are neatly arranged around the walls.

This place is designed to train the best in the city, which should make me feel out of place, but it’s one of the only places I feel like I can be myself. I’d been shocked they accepted me so quickly when I returned to town, but they’ve shown me nothing but respect.

The scent of sweat weighs in the air as I jab forward and duck to miss his answering swing.

Irritation grates at my nerves at Liam’s audacity to try to coerce me. I throw my fist forward, and he jumps back, dodging my blow.

“What can’t you take a punch?” I say, doing my best to keep my breath under control.

His deep brown hair drips with sweat as it falls into his eyes. He does his best to brush it back without letting his guard down, knowing I’m fast enough to take advantage of any mistakes he makes.

Mark’s not afraid to throw his weight around but also respects my ability, making him my perfect opponent. Unfortunately for him, I have a whole lot of frustration to work out today, and he’s currently my outlet.

He dodges my punch, catching my arm in a move that has me flipping onto my stomach. Normally, this is when he’d pin me down and make me tap out, but he just stands above me. “Next time, warn a guy before you take out your anger. At least then I could’ve come in prepared.”

I roll over onto my butt, and he reaches a hand down to me. “I’m sorry. I guess I got a little carried away.”

He wipes blood from the corner of his mouth. “It’s alright. I can take it. I’m just happy I’m not the person you’re really pissed off at.”

“Alright, you two, off the mat,” Coach calls from the side. He’s an older Black man who, even in his late fifties, still carries at least fifty pounds of muscle.

I’m grateful that he took me in; I needed a way to fix that helpless feeling that had been ingrained into me after years of living with my family. Even though I had the last laugh in the end, that kind of trauma sneaks up on me.

I’ve made it my mission to never be that helpless again. I’m not dependent on anyone anymore, more than capable of defending myself. I’ve learned to fight, to take advantage of mysmaller body and speed. Hours at the shooting range honed my aim so I’ll never miss.

I’m proud that I can take care of my own problems, which is why it pisses me off that I have to ask Matthias for help.

I’ll never admit to keeping tabs on him, but it’s impossible not to hear about the Everette brothers. Rumors have spread that Matthias is the head of their technical security, and he’s been scouted by the CIA. Not that he’d ever choose to work with them.

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