Page 82 of Paper Thin Love

It’s a threat, not just towards me, but to Mila. I curl my fist, missing my crutch. I don’t need it since I have the portable cast, but I wish I kept it. It was a giant stress ball I could squeeze whenever I wanted. The world would be much happier if I were more relaxed.

I have two options: ignore him or take the bait. If I choose the first, he’ll only go after Mila directly.

I slow my pace.“Connor,” I greet him, glancing over my shoulder to see Dante and Cillian watching. They have my back if need be.

Connor turns to me with a smug look on his fucking face.

A bleak, gray void starts to seep out of my pumping heart. There it is, the monster inside waking, hungry and ready to fight. It’s always been a part of me; I feel the predator stretching his claws, ready to consume me.

The only instance where I don’t feel this is when I’m around Mila.

Connor shakes his head.“She’s fucking beautiful, isn’t she?” He grins slowly,“I’ll admit, her kind of beauty never interested me before. She’s too…” he glances at the studio right as Mila pushes up on her pointe shoes as if she were posing for us.“Good. Perfect.” Connor retorts.

Stay calm. He wants a reaction.

“I hate perfect.” Eyes lock onto me.“I like broken. Fucked up. It’s so much more fun in bed.” He snickers.

My smile causes Connor’s eyes to narrow. Instead of losing my composure like he anticipated, I’m still deep in thought about his words. Mila is everything Connor wants, so delicate and broken.

She’s mine.

“Have a good day, Connor,” I walk past him; right as our shoulders almost brush, I glance into his soon-to-be-dead eyes,“You won’t be having many more. Enjoy it.”

I grab the door to our studio.

“Maybe I’ll enjoy her.” He shouts in desperation.

“You do that and see what happens.” I shrug and see my words wipe the smugness off his face.“Death is beautiful when it’s quick.” I let out a frosty laugh.“But you and I don’t like pretty things. Isn’t that right, Connor?” I arch a brow. He goes pale.“Slowness is much more our style,” I smirk as I enter the training room. The door shuts behind me.

My smile drops, and I see red. Dante and Cillian sense it.“I’ll kill him.”

“You won’t have to,” Dante declares. He tosses me the tape so I can wrap my knuckles.“He was called for The Cleansing. He won’t make it. Rumor has it he’s due to fight Antonio Ferraro.” Dante smirks.“The Ferraros are indebted to my family, a fact Connor doesn’t know. I’ll tell Ferraro to make it slow.”

I glide my thumb over the texture of the tape.“I want to be the one to do it.”

“One day, you will be,” Dante replies coldly. He’s right. The threats will never cease.

“I think we need to start training without the brace on,” Cillian suggests.“You need to start working your muscles and reflexes again. We will take it slow until you get the doctor’s approval, but we can’t keep waiting.”

Quickly, I toss the tape to him.“You’re right. No more padding, bare knuckles, no cast. Just me.” And the monster inside.

***

I lean against the wall outside the girls’locker room. There is a tightness in my chest.

Why did Mila go inside? She usually leaves the studio and goes to the cafeteria. The last time she was inside the locker room, I found her with a needle in her finger.

Did she relapse?

Go inside.

No wait.

I run my sore fingers through my dirty hair. Like sun rays breaking through a thundercloud in my mind, Mila appears with dripping hair. Her fresh floral scent fills my nostrils, causing them to flare.

Rage fills me.

“You showered.”

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