Page 34 of The Venom We Bleed

Gio turns his head towards him before flipping back to me. “Is it ‘cause you don’t have a sparring partner ‘sides from Cory?”

“None of your freaking business!” I clench my hands into fists and punch at his side.

“Oof!” Gio grabs ahold of my arms and then suddenly, they, too, are pinned down—this time, beneath his legs. I freeze as his groin connects with mine. My eyes widen and I jerk my head down.

“You need to learn how to play nice with others,” Gio says with a slow smile.

I realize one thing that makes my stomach twist and my rage grow.His dick is hard.

“Are you fucking with me right now?” I seethe, struggling against the hold he has on me. I wait for Cory to call the sparring match since it’s obvious as shit that I lost, but surprisingly he doesn’t and I’ll be damned before I ask for an end to the fight.

Gio leans down further and puts his mouth as close to my ear as both of our headgear can manage. “You need a bit more practice before you take on the big boys, sweetheart.”

“Why don’t you let me up and I’ll take you on again?” I suggest. The second his legs aren’t pinning mine and my arms down, I’ll fucking slam my fist into his cock hard enough to break it. The damn snake in his pants rubs against me again.Just how fucking big is it?

His low, reverberating chuckle moves from his chest against mine. “You know, I bet I know someone who’d very much like to take you up on your body’s offer, Prep Girl.”

“There’s no fucking offer,” I insist. “Other than the one that lets me kick your ass.”

“Is that so?” Gio doesn’t seem particularly bothered as I move again, shifting my body to the side as I try to break his hold and wiggle out. My face is hot and I feel flushed with both humiliation and exertion. What the fuck is Cory thinking letting this continue?

I try to seek him out but I don’t get the chance. Gio grips my chin and tilts my face back to his. Dark brown eyes meet mine. “You think not?” His expression turns serious. “Tell me something, Juliet. If I slipped my hand into your panties right now, would you still say the same?”

“Yes,” I hiss back.

“Even if I found you wet and wanting?”

I stop moving and close my eyes.One.Breathe.Two.Nothing is going to happen here.Three.He won’t do it.Four.Even if he did, Cory would kick his ass out.Five.But not beforeI had my revenge in the way of either my fist or my knee in his crotch.

“You’re assuming,” I begin, reopening my eyes and staring up into his face, “that I want you. I hate to break your heart,Playboy,” I snarl my own nickname back at him, “but I don’t.”

A clapping sound breaks the tension and Gio finally pulls back and releases my face. “Alright, that’s enough. Time to give someone else a chance in the ring, you two,” Cory calls.

I debate punching Gio in the dick again when I get to my feet and he casts me a smug grin before adjusting his basketball shorts. If he’s concerned about sporting such a massive boner in a gym full of mostly older smelly men, he doesn’t show it. Unfortunately, I know that if I hit him after Cory’s called an end to the match, I’d have to find myself a new gym.

I’m grateful enough to Cory not to make him regret letting me use the place—especially when no other fucking gym in town would even consider my application. Small towns and even smaller businesses are shit when it comes to business, always letting community politics guide their decisions. Not Cory though. If it weren’t for him, I’d have nothing but a few childhood karate classes to support my self-preservation for the next year.

“Good spar, Prep Girl,” Gio says, holding his hand out.

I stare at it for a moment. Instead of taking it, I flip him off and grab the ropes, practically diving out of the ring as I rip the headgear off and begin to unwrap my knuckles.

“I take it you’re gonna head home?” Cory asks as I shove the gear at him.

“Yup. Thanks for the referee.” Fat lot of good it did me. I still lost.

Grabbing my tennis shoes and socks, I pull them back on and tighten the laces before heading for the door. I raise a hand in goodbye. “See ya later, Cory.”

“Be safe, girl!” he calls back.

Thirty seconds after I exit the old gym building, the glass door swings open behind me and the sound of footsteps trails out, crunching over the gravel parking lot. The footsteps at my back linger past the lot, however, and I glance back with a scowl to find Giovanni fucking Vargas with a phone to his ear as he trails me.

“Yeah, thanks, man. See ya soon.” He hangs up.

I stop and turn in a new direction. Guess it’s the long way home today. Behind me, Gio’s footsteps follow. I break into a jog, but five minutes later, I still fucking hear him.

Rounding an old bowling alley with a few cars stationed in the parking lot, I race for the chain link fence that lines the train tracks that run alongside the building. My legs burn as I pick up the pace, pushing more power into them.

“Shit.” Gio’s curse makes me grin.

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