Page 65 of Breaking the Sinner

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” Cobra was desperate to leave. “I’ve just, uh…” How to explain the decades of neglect, disappointment, and disasters? “I’m gonna take a closer look when I get home, is all. I’m not real good with paperwork.”

“Sure. Let me know if you need help.”

Cobra mustered a grin and pushed out of the office. It was almost the end of the day for him. Really, he could grab his stuff and go now. He hadn’t talked to or texted Gen since the day before, and he’d spent almost every hour going back to his words, reliving them, wishing he’d been softer, wishing he’d been harsher.

He couldn’t decide if he needed to push her away now or savor the last possible dregs of sweetness.

Cobra chose to leave. He stormed back into the weight room, which was boisterous at this time of day. He headed for the cubbies where he’d left a hoodie and his ear buds. His skin prickled, and he looked up. Gen had walked into the reception area, bent over the desk as she talked to Melanie.

His heart raced. He couldn’t rip his gaze away.

Until a guy in the weight room whistled low beside him.

“I’d fucking bang her until my dick fell off,” the guy said, wetting his bottom lip as he stared through the glass wall. His buddy at his side laughed his agreement. “Swear to god, the hottest girls work here.”

“You go for fire crotches, huh?”

Cobra ground his teeth, slowly turning toward the guys.

“You’d go for this one. Don’t act like you wouldn’t,” douche number one scoffed. “I bet she’d go for both of us together. Let’s find out.”

Cobra’s last sliver-thin shred of composure snapped. In the next moment he had Douchey McDumbhaircut by the collar of his sleeveless workout shirt, pressed up against the glass wall. Time shrank, everything shuddering to an intense, crystalline focus.

This was equal parts jealousy and self-destruction. He’d have this guy by the collar no matter what. But how far would he push it?

“What the fuck?” Douche’s stupid face contorted in confusion.

Cobra pressed his thumb into the sensitive hollow at the base of his neck. He knew how to turn the crazy on—he amped it up to full blast for this guy. “Don’t you fucking talk about her like that.”

“Who? The fucking red-head?”

Cobra slammed him against the wall, making a loudthud. Curious eyes from the reception area flitted his way. But at this point, he couldn’t give a fuck. Mindless anger had taken over. Cobra needed to make this point so these guys never wondered again. So Travis never wondered again.

“She’s. Off. Limits.” Cobra accented every word by slamming him against the glass. The buddy at his side tugged at his shoulder.

“Dude. He works here,” Douche’s friend said.

The weight room doors swung open, and a hand clamped down on Cobra’s shoulder. Cobra didn’t let go of the guy as Lex pulled him back.

“Cobra. Let’s work it out. Come on, man.”

“He fucking jumped me for no reason!” The douchebag glared at him and stumbled away once Cobra released the neckline of his shirt.

“We’re fine,” the friend said, guiding douchebag away. In a quieter voice, he said, “Come on. Let’s not get kicked out.”

“Your friend is smart,” Cobra spat, not breaking his gaze. He straightened his back, balling his fists, which were ready to slam into the side of the guy’s face. “Fuckin’ talking like that around here. Learn to shut your mouth.”

Lex guided Cobra away, toward the cubbies. He draped an arm around Cobra’s shoulders, keeping his voice low.

“What’d they do, bro? Everything cool?”

Clarity returned to him in shreds. Adrenaline still pulsed through him. “Dirty ass mouths. Talking about Gen like that.”

Lex smirked, but he didn’t say anything else. He looked through the glass wall out to the reception area. Cobra followed his gaze.

And there she was. His pretty red-head, big eyes full of curiosity and concern. Melanie stood at her side, mouth moving as she spoke.

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