Page 45 of Boys Who Taint

The exact amount of weight he guessed correctly.

“Why are you doing this?”

He grabs the dumbbell and lifts it with just one hand, a lopsided smile forming on his chiseled face as he glances at me while he easily plays with the bar right where his waist is. “Just so I know how it will feel when I carry you to my bed.”

My whole body begins to heat, and I’m sure my face looks like a tomato.

“Easy.”

Oh my God.

“What is?”

Levi’s voice makes all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and I drop the kettlebell on the floor. “Oh fuck!”

“Patience, Freckles,” Apollo says.

Why do I have the feeling he just meant something that has nothing to do with lifting this weight?

But Levi’s presence slowly drowns out my ability to speak.

I haven’t seen him since he threatened me in that classroom.

Since he tried to finger fuck me in a corner.

Goddammit, why can’t I get the image out of my mind?

“Apollo, weren’t we supposed to train today?”

“Oh shit.” Apollo swiftly drops the bar and rubs the back of his neck. “Forgot.”

Levi’s nostrils flare. “Figured.” He throws his towel over his shoulder and then throws me the most maddening of all glances without saying a single word.

And for some reason, I can’t decide whether to throw this kettlebell at his face or yell at him for being a prick.

We used to be friends.

Used to.

Because all I can think of right now is what items in my vicinity I can use as a weapon in case he tries to attack me. In case he wants to kill me just like he killed my sister.

My throat clamps up.

“What are you doing with her?” Levi asks.

“I’m training her,” he responds.

“Why?”

Apollo cracks his knuckles. “You think I answer to you?”

“We don’t need your permission,” I growl.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Levi growls.

My heart has never gone frigid so swiftly as it did the moment I saw his darkened eyes settle on mine.

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

---