Page 131 of Ruthless Legacy

A Conspiracy to Offer a Bond

That cannot be Severed, Forsaken, or Changed

“Good luck prospects. You’re dismissed.”

League security protocol has me paranoid as fuck. That feeling of being watched has returned. Nothing looks out of place, but it should be. Everything everywhere isn’t perfect all the time.

If I think I see a shadow, at some point there should be a shadow. If I think I hear footsteps behind me, there should be a person. A cat, a bird. A flag snapping around the flagpole.Something.But there’s never anything there to make me feel hilariously stupid about my paranoia.

If someone is trying to catch me breaking the rules, they’re wasting their time. The only thing I’m doing is going to classes and hanging out with LJ in her room or mine. I haven’t even been to Wolfe Pack lately because when Deacon’s not teaching at school, he’s busy training for the mentor challenge.

He has someone else covering his sessions, but I don’t like to flop between coaching styles. I’m feeling the break in training. Today, I’m restarting my workout routine. I hope it’ll alleviate some of the nervous energy I have.

Pax frowns when I walk into the gym. Did he distract me from my melt down at the LDR celebration? Yes. Has he changed his attitude towards me? No. It’s confusing as hell.

“Hi Pax.” I wave at him because I know it annoys him when I’m nice to him.

I step onto the treadmill to begin my warm up. I hum along to my music, my voice ramping up in intensity as I pick up speed.

“Can you please shut up?”

“Uh, no. This is a good playlist. I can’t help but sing along.”

“Nobody wants to hear that screeching when they’re trying to work out.” He huffs and lowers his weight. “This process should be making youlessannoying.”

“It’s not me. I’m trying to bond with you, in the spirit of brotherhood, and you keep pretending like you don’t want me to.”

“Who's pretending?”

I chuckle, not at all fazed that he’s told me for the millionth time how much he loathes me.

He says, “You may have snagged my friends by the dick, and got the Big Bad Wolfe walking around on a leash, but I’m never joining your little fan club. There’s nothing you can do or offer me to get me to change my mind.”

I step off the treadmill, do a wipe down and head to the mats. “You know why your friends and Wolfe are fans? Because I taste and feel delicious.” I smirk at him. “Of course, you already know that.”

“What I know is you were a body, and I needed to nut.”

“Sure.” I nod. “But it was agoodnut. Probably the best one you’ve ever had.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“I don’t have to. Finn and Holden do enough of that for me.” I point to the hand he used on me. “Did you lick me off before you washed that hand?”

“You wish.”

“Oh. I get it. You didn’t want to explain to your friends that you had your hand in my-”

He lunges for me, and I dart out to the side. “Pussy.” I get out before he dives for me again.

“Did you go back to your room and jerk off to thoughts of me?” He’s coming at me again, and I laugh as he misses. Just barely.

I’m trying to distract him, but he’s not falling for it. I can’t stay on the defensive. I’ll tire myself out running away from him.

“Was it in your bed or the shower? How loud did you scream my name?”

He drops down and dives for my right side. I dart left and realize it was a fake out. He grabs me by the waist, lifting me in the air. I chop the bend of his elbows, trying to break his hold. Then elbow him in the jaw. My back hits the mat as he slams me down, the air whooshing from my lungs.

He’s got my shoulders to the mat, and I know the count is coming. I wiggle my legs loose and wrap them around his thick neck, squeezing as hard as I can. I roll from side to side, finally getting enough momentum going to flip us, then scramble onto his back.

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