Page 100 of The Catalyst

“Calm down, little rabbit. If I can support your weight while fucking you, I can damn sure do it while walking.”

Smart ass.

“Fine.” I sigh. “You’re lucky I like you or I’d kick your ass.”

Then, I feel his teeth dig into my hip as if to warn me to behave. “I already knew you liked me, but thanks for the confirmation.”

I thin my lips. Goddamn it. I thought I was hiding that fact pretty well.

Martin walks out of the locker room with me over his shoulder and my eyes scan the crowd, my heart racing with every step he takes.

I’m not worried that he’ll drop me. I’m worried that Nigel will see him flashing my nearly bare ass due to the thong I’m wearing under this skirt and lose his shit.

Then, I see Oliver as Martin passes him, but the fucker is grinning, slowly shaking his head as if he thinks this is funny.

Fucking prick.

The people on Martin’s side of the warehouse cheer as Martin shows me off like I’m his prize before he has even entered the ring.

Then, I hear it, Nigel’s fucking voice. And he sounds pissed.

However, when Martin smacks my ass hard, I can’t help laughing.

“Hey! You’re flashing my ass to everyone!”

“Good. They can see you’re mine and there’ll be no need for an explanation.”

That’s why he did this with Casey when I first saw them together. He walked through the warehouse with her and I thought it was some toxic show of her like a lamb to the slaughter, but that’s not it at all. He’s showing me off so everyone knows only he can touch me. I belong to him, for now at least.

“Put her down, Gray!” Nigel’s voice overpowers any positive feelings I had for Martin’s public claim on me.

Buzz kill.

Martin stops and allows me to slowly slip down his body, but once I’m eye-level with him, I steal a kiss and my entire body feels light. He leads me down to my feet and only then do I let him go.

I was scared before, but for some reason, now I’m not.

“Shouldn’t you be on your side of the ring, O’Reilly?” Martin taunts as I turn my head and look at Nigel for the first time since I ran away from him.

There’s a mixture of rage and betrayal on his face as he looks between me and Martin.

“Come on, butterfly,” Nigel extends his hand out to me and I just stare at it like he’s lost his damn mind. Does he seriously think I’ll go with him just because he demands it? He’s clearly forgotten who I am.

“No.”

His eyes widen as if my defiance surprises him.

“No?”

“Yeah. I said no. Do you need it in German, too? Nein.” I take Martin’s hand in mine before I continue. “No is a complete sentence so, go away. I thought my actions were clear on that front. I don’t wantanythingto do with you. You treated me like a commodity, like I was your property instead of a person. What sane woman would ever want to go back to that? After all, Martin treats me with the respect and care you refused to. Leave me alone, Nigel. I’m not yours and I never will be.”

Suddenly, a hand comes down on Nigel’s shoulder and I look up as Oliver walks over. “Get moving, man. You’re not going to hurt him before you’re in the ring and we don’t need to rehash what will happen if you lay a finger on her. Go.”

What did Oliver mean by that?

Nigel keeps staring at me, but I don’t back down. I hold his gaze so he knows how serious I am.

Just let me go, please.

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