Page 45 of Tempted to Rebel

My face flushes bright pink as I hastily flick my gaze up to his face.

Unlike Rage, Thanatos isn’t smiling.

“Take off your shoes,” he orders, “and get on the mat, Princess.” He pulls his hoodie over his head, giving me a glimpse of washboard abs before his black tank top falls back into place. The vertical scar running through his upper lip deepens as he scowls. “Hurry up.”

I kick off my boots and meet him in the middle of the mat. “Thank you for breakfast?—”

The look he gives me would freeze fire. “Shut up and hit me.”

My eyes widen. “I’m sorry, what?”

He takes one step closer, then another when I don’t move. “Hit me.”

I gape up at him. “I’m not going to hit you!”

Thanatos narrows his eyes, looking eerily similar to Rage in his worst moments. “In this room, you’ll do exactly as I say, when I say, or you can walk away right now before you waste any more of my time. You asked me to train you, and that means following my rules. I don’t need you to question my methods or make small talk. I need you to pay attention to what I tell you to do and learn how your body reacts, or you won’t be able to control your movements when someone’s running at you with a knife.”

“How comforting,” I retort, but Thanatos still isn’t smiling. He’s grabbing my wrist and pulling it high over my head, then quickly spinning me around so that my back is pressed to his chest. He grabs my hip with his other hand, gripping tight enough to hurt, and hisses in my ear. “Pay attention.I’ve got you trapped, Princess. What are you going to do now?”

Hot panic surges through my limbs as my fight or flight response kicks in. I grit my teeth and follow the first instinct that kicks in—slamming the back of my head into his face. The collision rocks my brain, but Thanatos is the one cursing as he tosses me to the ground and jumps on top of me. Pinning me onto my back, he exhales hotly across my face. “Hit me again.”

This time, I don’t hesitate.

I hit the motherfucker as hard as I can, throat punching him and finally earning a crooked smile. It’s then that I see the greatest resemblance between Thanatos and his brothers. It’s not the dark hair or midnight eyes or endless tattoos covering his body—it’s the way his mouth goes slack as he glances down at my lips, a flicker of desire flashing in his eyes.

He catches himself and recovers instantly, exemplifying the lesson he’s trying to teach me.

Learn how your body reacts, then control your movements.

How hard can it be?

Chapter 16

Thanatos

Every heavy beatof my heart kicks like a bass drum, the cadence fast and hard, drowning out the thud of my feet on the pavement as I round the corner to Celia’s boutique. It’s midday but overcast, meaning that despite the hour, there shouldn’t be too many customers in the shop to notice my entrance. The bells jingle overhead as I swing open the front door, and not a single head turns my direction.

There’s no one here after all.

A giggle from the back of the shop catches my attention, and I make my way towards the sound. Hidden amidst rows and rows of neatly-organized boxes of supplies, a woman twirls a strand of her brunette hair in her finger while she talks to someone on the phone. “No, she isn’t here. It’s just me again. Yes, of course you can come hang out with m—” As my shadow falls over her, she turns and gasps. “Oh gosh, I gotta go.” Hanging up the call, she smiles up at me. “I’m sorry, sir, but this area is for employees only. Can I help you with something?”

This must be Sara, Celia’s employee. College student, undecided major, a sophomore. Originally from Kansas, but she moved in with her aunt to attend Harlin Heights’ community college at the outskirts of the city. Works part-time with Celia,although with how little Celia has been around, she may be working full-time hours.

None of that really matters, though it’s information I keep filed away for moments like these.

“Celia asked me to pick up a few things,” I lie easily, looking over Sara’s head to the decorative boxes lining the shelves. Leave it to Celia to avoid a simple metal rack and cardboard or plastic to store all of her materials—she had to go with professionally-labeled, floral print designs for every box on the custom, built-in wooden frame. Of course. I don’t actually know what Celia needs from here, but I make my best guess and reach for a box labeledcolor swatches—A-F.Do I need the entire alphabet?

“Oh, do you need the binder too?”

Sara turns around and grabs a thick binder. Inside, hundreds of fabric types and colors are neatly displayed with both a picture and a square of material. “Here you go! And her office is right over here.” She leads me to the room with a kind smile that tells me more than her portfolio ever could.

She’s way too trusting of strangers.

“So how do you know Celia?” Sara sticks around as I slide various items inside my backpack to bring back to the apartment. “Let me guess—” Sticking out her tongue, she hums while she looks me up and down. “Are you related to her boyfriend? A brother, or something? Maybe his dad?” She shakes her head with a laugh. “Man, you look familiar. Have you lived in the city for long, or are you visiting? Maybe we’ve met before.”

Damn, she’s talkative.

I open all four drawers in Celia’s desk, find little of interest, and look up to meet Sara’s curious stare. She’s got that lovestruck puppy look that shouldn’t be anywhere near me. I’m not interested in children half my age. But I understand that she’s infatuated with her boyfriend and likely seeing himeverywhere—even in men like me.Somethingis bound to bring her thoughts right back to the man she’s falling in love with.

---