Page 109 of Tangled in Knots

“It’s been awhile,” Gabriel greets me as he leans against the table at the front. There isn’t typically anyone manning the door, which means he saw me coming.

Interesting.

“Got caught up working,” I explain with a grunt. “I need to knock around a bag, maybe do some sparring if anyone is game.”

“Your footwork isn’t bad for a newbie,” Gabriel says. “You have time to discuss something?”

I hope I’m not about to get kicked out.I know my pack’s name means something in a lot of circles, and the last few times I’ve been here I’ve wondered if this place has mafia ties.

They don’t take many new people, though they offer afternoon and night classes for kids and women’s self defense. A few of the fighters are women, and they’re really good. Gender means nothing to me when there’s skill behind it.

If you’re good at something, then the respect will follow.

“Yeah,” I agree, following him to his office. I haven’t done anything to warrant an ass kicking today, so I doubt that’s what this is about.

“My pack runs an underground fighting ring and club,” Gabriel says, getting right to the point. “There’s an amateur night they’re starting, and we’re down a fighter. There’s a lot of aggression you could work out. You’d also get a cut of the winnings, but it doesn’t appear as if you’re hurting for money.”

“I’m not,” I admit. “I mean, I’ll try anything once. It all depends on if I’m busy or not. When is it?”

“It’s on Wednesday,” he says. “You in?”

It’s enough of a heads up for me to tell Jed. I nod.

“Yeah, I am. Text me the info?” I ask.

“I will. Let’s get you training then. I refuse to throw someone in that’s not ready,” Gabriel says.

I guess we’re doing this then.At least I’ll have an outlet for my crazy, since I haven’t been able to torture anyone or blow anything up lately.

ADIRA

“You want me to go where?” I ask Duncan, leaning back in my bed as we talk on the phone. I’ve been attending school for a week, and I was looking forward to a nap before I started doing schoolwork.

“A boxing night,” he says. “Come on, you need some fun.”

“I don’t know if watching people beat the shit out of each other counts as ‘fun’,” I say. “I have school stuff to do, Duncan. It’s a Wednesday.”

“Please,” he begs. “If Callum and I don’t go with a girl, we’ll spend the whole time fending off people.”

The guys are gorgeous, even if I don’t see them that way.

“So I’m your omega for the night?” I ask with a sigh.

“Pretty please,”he whines.

“God, fine. You can tell people to fuck off. You’re a big boy,” I remind him.

“Oooh, I love it when you talk dirty. Now get your ass out of bed and get ready. Make an effort, Adira. I want people to buy that you’re with us,”he says seriously.

“You’re such a pain in my ass,” I complain. “I have no idea what I’m going to wear for this.”

“You just went shopping,” he says. “Do you have a mini skirt?”

Getting out of bed, I walk to my closet to look at what I have.

“I have a short brown skirt that I’m going to freeze my ass off in,” I grumble. “I don’t know why I bought this. I have a black mesh crop top, I can wear a tube top under it.”

“Why do you have to wear something under it?”he asks curiously.

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