Page 90 of Twisted Legacy

I thought it was the usual tension that comes from the new, thinking it’s time to get rid of the old. It’s the same dynamic I expect to have with my father when it’s time for me to take over. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable to be around them, but even as hard as Malcolm Senior is on his son, he was always kind to me.

That is, until I started the process of joining The League. He’s never been overly affection, but at least I don’t feel like I’m walking on eggshells around him either.

It might be because I haven’t given him a reason to direct his hostility towards me, but I’m not in the mood to test that theory. Which is why I know I fucked up this afternoon. I shouldn’t have been antagonizing the troublemaker. She just makes it so damn hard to be cordial to her. Why can’t she just accept this change and be grateful like anyone else would?

I know Finn thinks she’s the one who broke in and bronzed his knife, and I guess he could be right. But there’s no way she’s the one who was stealing my bike or breaking into Holden’s room and messing with his computers.

One of his security cameras would have definitely alerted him to the intrusion, and the cameras never even flickered. So unless she can teleport, she’s not the person who messed with our stuff.

And if she is, that just proves that winning her over is an impossible task. Hell, shouldn’t she be more compliant since Finn and I helped her at the party? I was trying to get a rise out of her. I had no business saying Finn didn’t enjoy it, because I know he did. I just didn’t want her to get a big head about it.

Thea’s in the gym, swinging on the punching bag again, ignoring the limitation of her wrist and shoulder. I’m a little impressed as I watch her. I know grown men who would wimp out from the pain, but she just grits her teeth and keeps punching.

I stand in the doorway and watch her form. She’s good. Despite what Eloise said, I know for a fact that Thea’s better than most of the girls I’ve seen take Coach Wolfe’s class, but she’s nowhere near ready to take me on. She freezes up whenever anyone moves too fast, or like today with unexpected loud noises. Plus, she’s skipped out on the last few weeks of Wolfe’s class. If she were healed, I’d be happy to knock her down a few pegs, literally.

“Are you just gonna stand there staring at my ass or do you plan to do something about that beer belly you spend every weekend working on?”

I wasn’t even looking at her ass, but now that she’s brought it up, I do and say, “It needs some squat work.”

I pull my shirt over my head with one hand, watching her in the mirror as I go through my warm up. She doesn’t say anything else, and barely acknowledges me as she settles into her routine. I like that she’s focused and not chatty when we work out. It lets me concentrate on what I’m doing.

An hour later, I’m moving to my cool down and she’s in the ring still working on combos. Her feet trip up on the third one. I recognize the pattern and offer a suggestion. “You’re shuffling too soon. Plant your back foot, pivot, then shuffle.”

“Who the hell asked you?”

“You look like a newborn giraffe stumbling on your feet. If you don’t set your balance correctly, you’re gonna fall flat on your face.”

I climb into the ring and move to reset her feet. Her fist darts out, but I duck out of the way. “I’m trying to help your crazy ass.”

“I didn’t ask for your help.”

“And I’m not in the mood to call in a clean-up crew when you split your face open. You just recovered from a bunch of bruises. Do you want to go back to having to wear all that cover up shit again?”

“Didn’t you hear? I’m alegacy.Extra caked on face paint is part of the uniform.”

“They need that shit, you don’t.”

She goes back to what she was doing and when she gets to that third combo; I strike out, sending her off balance and catch her by the back of her sports bra before she collides with the floor. When she regains her footing, she swings. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Nothing. I told you if you didn’t plant your feet correctly, you’d hit the floor.”

“You pushed me, you ass.”

“Do you think if you were in a real fight, they’d play fair? That they’d say ‘oh, she doesn’t have her feet planted correctly. Let me wait’, or do you think they’re going to take advantage of you being off balance? And before you answer, did the people who attacked you wait and be fair?”

“The more you talk, the more you convince me that you’re one of those attackers.”

“If I were, I’d own up to it. If I wanted to kick your ass, I’d do it in broad daylight with everyone watching.”

“Is that a confession that you beat women?”

“What it is, is me telling you again that I’ll give you a chance to go toe-to-toe with me just as soon as you’re healed.”

She stands taller and puts on a brave face. “I’m ready now.”

I climb out of the ring, shaking my head, and grab my stuff off the floor. “No, Nemesis, you’re not. As long as you’re out here reacting to Eloise’s snipes at you, and swinging at windmills, you’ll never be ready for me.”

Chapter53

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