Page 10 of Breaking Hudson

“I think I should just go turn myself in for what I did. There’s no way that guy survived,” I say.

“Come in and talk to everyone first, and we can go from there, okay?” he says. “I’m not telling you to not go to the police, but you saw them shoot someone in cold blood over owing money. I have a feeling it has something to do with a gang or the mafia. They are not people you want to go to the police about, because they probably have the police in their pockets.”

“They’re going to come after me, aren’t they?” I ask.

“Yeah,” he says sympathetically. “One step at a time, okay?”

“Okay,” I sigh.

Hudson comes around and helps me out, so I don’t have to jump. Right away, there are sounds of weights hitting the floor mixed with an occasional grunt.

“It’s sounds like a bunch of jocks are fucking on a weight bench,” I say, making Hudson laugh.

“Hey! Hudson!” Dallas says cheerfully. He racks his weights before coming over to us.

“Hey,” Hudson says, shaking his hand.

“I’m Dallas,” Dallas says, shaking my hand.

“I know,” I smile warmly. “We went to school together.”

“Didn’t figure you saw anything outside of your books,” he says with a wink.

“It’s been twenty seconds since she walked in, asshole,” Hudson says.

“Think I’m bad? Wait until they find out Cole is a girl,” Dallas grins. “Hey guys. Come meet Cole.”

“Cole?” a man asks. “That’s a lady.”

“Don’t assume, asshole,” another man says, punching him in the arm.

“Shit, my bad,” the first man says.

“My name is Colette,” I laugh. “Hudson has just always called me Cole.”

“Wait…” another man says. “Cole… The one you hang out with every Saturday?”

“That’s the one,” Hudson laughs. “We’ve been friends since she punched me in the third grade. We are dating now, though.”

“Since when?” another man asks.

“Can I get names?” I ask. “I think I know them, but I don’t know who they belong to.”

“That is Colton Smith, Jayden Ruiz, Andrew Slager and Doug Jones,” Hudson says. “All five are trainers.”

“Do you work out with Hudson?” Dallas asks innocently.

“Ha… I guess you could put it that way,” Hudson say with a grin, making the others laugh.

“No, I don’t,” I say with blushed cheeks.

“Why not?” Colton asks.

“Because I’ll get crushed by weights,” I say. “Also, do I look like someone who works out?”

“Oop. Don’t answer that, buddy,” Doug says.

“You could,” Colton shrugs.

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