Page 104 of A Dark Duet

He smiles, getting a friendly dose of Brie.

“Good, now you can help me plan,” Giselle says, relieved.

The guys smile when I glance behind me and when I turn around, I catch her gaze again. She slowly walks over like a beautiful cover model.

“Yes?” she asks.

“Are you ready to go?”

Her lips form a grim line and then she looks at me. “I’m going to wait for Giselle. She agreed to give me a ride home. I saw that you were busy and didn’t want to interrupt.”

“It’s fine. I understand.”

I’m feeling deflated that she wants to go back to her apartment and not stay with me. I can’t blame her. What the fuck did I expect when she saw Janine touching me? I’m surprised she doesn’t tell me to go fuck myself. Because I deserve it for not running after her, but I didn’t and it’s too late now.

I’m about to leave after the guys start filing out of the studio but I turn back around and ask before I chicken out like a pussy. “I can take you home. If you want.”

“No, I’m good. Thank you.”

Jaden

The next day, Nate and Giselle leave for the night and it’s just us guys to lock up and leave. I overhear Crew, one of the new fighters that joined the gym, telling Nick that the bus for the kids has already left with Joey and the other teens.

Brie finally agrees to let me take her home but stops by Charles’s desk as he locks up and waits until I’m done. My eyes keep glancing at Crew because every so often he glances in Brie’s direction but then looks away. She doesn’t notice, her attention is on Charles as he shows her where the old man plans on going fishing.

I head to the office to make sure everything is locked up and to retrieve my gym bag. When I head out, turning off the lights, I see that Crew is too close to Brie, and she looks uncomfortable. Charles says something to him, but Crew looks down at the old man with a scowl.

Walking closer with a snarl on my face, I catch what Crew is saying to Charles. “Come on, Charles. There is no way he is interested in her. First of all, I’ve never seen her here and let’s not forget he was just fucking some random in the locker room after his last fight and let’s not forget some girl he used to bang works for him here at the gym giving him massage sessions.”

She stiffens when his last words leave his mouth and turns her back. Charles looks worriedly at her but in that moment, Crew steps up behind Brie and whispers something to her and I see red. She tries to move away, but he grabs her and pulls her close to his front and she struggles to free herself. I see red because that motherfucker is dead.

“Come here, sweetheart. I’m not going to hurt you,” he tells her as I run up to him.

“Leave me alone,” she snaps, trying to move away.

The guys all stop in the gym as I’m running toward them, now wishing the gym wasn’t so fucking big. They run quickly in the same direction, realizing Brie is in trouble.

“Get the fuck off her!” I roar.

She flinches when Crew grabs her arms tighter, holding her.

I’m coming, baby.When he sees me charging after him, he releases Brie. I quickly grab him in a choke hold and take him down. He struggles and tries to fight back but I’m quicker, bigger, and stronger.

“What the fuck, Jaden?” he sputters, trying to breathe.

“You touched my girl, asshole. She said to leave her alone, you piece of shit. You think you can touch her? I’m going to fucking kill you,” I say through clenched teeth, squeezing him tighter.

“Yo, Jaden. You’re going to kill him,” Jake says, his eyes wide, seeing I’m not going to let up.

“Yeah, dude. Let him up.” I end up letting him go because the fucker was turning blue.

He gasps for air and when he gets up after I stand, he lunges after me.

I step back and square up and land a single punch square in his jaw and its lights out. He drops to the floor like a sack of shit. Knocked the fuck out.

“Throw him the fuck out. He sets foot in my gym again and I’ll kill him,” I say through a fit of rage. “No one touches her. Got it?” I roar. My chest is heaving, the rage coming out of me in full force.

“We got it. We’ll take care of him,” Nick says.

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