Page 18 of Coerced

After a couple of hours, they were ready to call it quits. Matt, his shirt soaked with sweat, ran up to me with a big grin.

“Thanks, Harker.”

He raised his hand like he was about to put it on my shoulder, but caught himself and held out a fist instead. With a half-smile, I knocked my knuckles against it.

“I think I could stop someone who’s attacking me or Joss now, so long as they don’t freeze me in time before I can do anything.”

“Confidence is good, but you need to practice or you’ll forget,” I told him. “Working out helps, too. The harder you make your body, the more pain you can take.”

“Is that why Hank drops medicine balls on your stomach while you’re doing sit-ups?” Jax grinned.

“That sounds like torture, not a workout.” Matt winced. “What are you training for? Do you box or something?”

“No,” Jax said before I could open my mouth. “He just trains to keep his rock-hard abs rock hard.”

“Yours could be too if you weren’t such a baby,” I smirked at him.

“I don’t need brutal workouts to look good.” He yanked his t-shirt up to show off his own abs.

“It ain’t about looking good. Yeah, you’re cut, but you’re soft.Gigicould punch you in the gut and you’d go down, but I’d still be on my feet if you punched me in mine.”

“Oh, yeah?” He let his shirt fall as his eyes narrowed. “You willing to put it to the test?”

Feeling pretty chill, I thought about it for a second, but shook my head. Even with John and Matt there to pitch in if I lost it, I didn’t want to risk hurting my best friend.

“Now who’s a baby?” he goaded me.

Guess I hurt his feelings, but it’s the truth.

“Not a good idea.” John looked from him to me and back to him. “You’re gonna make him mad, Jax.”

Jax ignored him.

“Do you evenhavea pair of balls anymore?” He danced around on his toes, like he was loosening up before a fight. “I know Gemma owns them. She carry them around with her, too?”

My temper kicked up. Yeah, I’d hurt his feelings, although I hadn’t meant to, but I wasn’t gonna let him say anything bad about Gemma.

“All right, jerk-off. Give me your best shot.” I spread my arms wide.

Grinning like a fool, he bunched up his hand and drew back his shoulder.

I rolled my eyes.

“Get your thumb out from behind your fingers, unless you want it broken.”

“I know how to throw a punch, numbnuts!”

His fist slammed into my stomach.

Other than letting out a little puff of air, my only reaction was to raise an eyebrow.

Pain darkened his eyes, and I had to clamp down on a laugh. The next second, he skipped back a few feet and shook out his hand.

“Ow, ow, ow! Owie!”

“I warned you about your thumb, dummy.” I shook my head. “Now stop hopping around so I can punch you back.”

“You saidGigicould punch me, not you.”

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