Page 520 of Dark Love

I could spar with Payne.

Me: Wanna go a few rounds before our meet?

Payne: Sure.

Payne: Let me ask Imogene

Women. They change our lives so much. A month ago, Payne wouldn’t have hesitated to say yes to a round or two of sparring. Now he has to clear it with Imogene, and I wouldn’t even think of sparring if Dahlia was in my library.

Payne: Sounds good. My place or yours?

We both have well-equipped gyms.

Me: Yours.

No need to put Imogene out.

***

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I wrap my hands and nod towards where Imogene sits with a tablet in hand.

“She said she’ll be fine. That our training won’t bother her at all.” Payne doesn’t seem to believe the words even as he says them.

“We don’t pull our punches. What if I give you a black eye or something?” What I don’t need is a crying woman, glaring at me for the rest of my life.

“Imogene is stronger than you think. She’s got this.”

Hopefully, he’s right. I pull on my gloves and secure them.

Payne and I have done this so many times before, the dance takes longer as we search for a weak spot. Just to test the waters, I let Payne land the first blow. I’m going to feel that in the morning.

Imogene doesn’t even blink.

Good. I can relax and enjoy the fight.

***

“You guys do that a lot, don’t you?” Imogene sets down the tablet.

“Vex likes to beat me up on a regular basis.” Payne grins.

Payne hasn’t won a sparring match once, but he’s tied a few times. He just doesn’t have the heart of a killer. “I like to keep you in shape. Want to hit the mat?”

He looks at Imogene for a long moment.

She’s all smiles in a body that still looks skeletal from starvation.

“Sure.”

We pull off our gloves and shoes and move to the mat.

Payne has a bit of an advantage on the floor since he’s lighter than me.

He flips me onto the ground in no time. I let him get comfortable as I wait for an opening to turn the tide.

There it is, a small opening. I hook a leg around him and we swap places.

Payne grins as I drive a fist into his side.

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