Page 38 of Revenge & Ruin

I freeze.

Stop it, Isabella.

“Um…no, it’s fine.” I find myself fumbling for flirtatious things to say. All Iwant is for him to leave me alone.

“I just wanted to say, if you’re looking to work on your glutes, you might want to try an incline first,” he smirks, eyes drifting down my body to the relevant muscle. “Although I don’t think you need it.”

I feel my jaw twitch. “I’m sorry, do you work here?”

He shrugs. “Just a good samaritan, really. Can’t help myself when there’s a gorgeous woman in need of my assistance.”

I glance around the room, suddenly feeling quite uncomfortable that there aren’t that many people around.

“I don’t need your help,” I reply cooly and go to put my headphones back on.

Only he doesn’t like that.

His arm snaps out of nowhere, grabbing my wrist to stop me.

“Let. Me. Go,” I seethe.

“Come on, I was just being nice!”

I can’t stand it, the way his eyes roam over me like I’m some kind of prize he has a hideous claim over. The only small satisfaction is seeing him linger on the mark on my neck.

Someone has claimed me already.

Ignoring my traitorous brain, I take action instead, twisting suddenly out of his grip to knock him off balance, before grabbing his hair to quickly slam his head onto the console.

“What the fuck—” he gasps as he reels back in shock.

I hum a little patronizingly, really. “Seems all those muscles are just for show.”

Without letting him reply, I storm away, resigning myself to swimming lengths in the pool instead.

Though not as taxing as running, the water does its job, washing away my sinful thoughts as I allow the steady movements of my strokes to occupy my mind entirely.

By the time I get out and take a moment in the steam room, I’m almost entirely convinced that I will be absolutely fine.

That is until I leave.

And find an ambulance waiting outside.

It shouldn’t hold my attention. It’s New York, for God’s sake. I must have seen a fire truck or a cop car or an ambulance every hour on the hour since the moment I was born.

But I suppose it’s not really the ambulance that grabs my attention. It’s the man being wheeled into the back of it. A mess of sandy hair poking out of the giant, white neck brace.

For a moment, I stupidly wonder if maybe I accidentally hit him too hard.

But then the girl from reception is at my side, arms wrapped around her torso, looking nervously at the scene.

I swallow a little nervously before asking. “What happened?”

She seems a little startled at the question, as if she hadn’t quite realized I was standing there. “Oh. Um. Well, I’m not sure if I should say,” her voice quivers slightly.

“Are you okay?” I ask gently.

“He just…landed right in front of me.”

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