Page 151 of Beautiful Fiend

The bell rings at the end of the five minutes, and I step away from the bag, panting. I wipe my forehead with my forearm before letting my gloved hands hang by my sides.

“Fuck, I’m exhausted,” I huff as Xi comes over with water.

“No water!” Dickie barks as he slaps the bottle away. He doesn’t allow water between rounds during training. That way, it’ll feel like a real help during the competitive fight when I do get water. “How long will you keep coming to my gym?”

“Until she feels safe going out on her own,” Xi snaps back.

“I can pick her up from your house and drive her back after training.”

My stepbrother crosses his arms and juts his chin at Dickie. “The fight is in two days. You lasted almost two months, you can last another forty-eight hours.”

“Please, can we focus,” I intervene, putting myself between the two.

They silently stare at each other before Dickie finally turns to me. “Alright, get in the ring. Let’s spar.”

I remove the boxing gloves and put my MMA mittens on, but Xi’s words stick in my exhausted mind.

It’s already been two months since I broke up with Caden. Two months of ignoring his constant calls and messages. Of sending Xi or Dad to the door every time he comes to the house.

Everyone has grown so protective around me I don’t do anything on my own anymore. And Xi has become my personal bodyguard. The worst thing is, I’m so grateful for it I don’t know how to thank him.

After what happened with the Kings, I’m terrified for them to come back for me. They were going to end me, I know it. Jade and Sawyer’s hatred for me knows no boundaries. I was ashamed to admit it to Xi. When I finally opened up to him about my fear of being alone on the streets, he swore he’d be glued to me until I was ready to be on my own again.

Nothing, and I meannothing, stops me from thinking of Caden. Not when I’m with my loving family. Not when I’m fighting. Not even when I’m asleep.

My dreams are too often his body against mine, his wicked smile, his magic kisses. I’ve woken up too often from touching myself while moaning his name. He’s cursed me to love him forever, to a broken heart and an aching need to be near him. He’s put his mark on me, more than literally.

No one has seen the tattoo saying he owns me under my right breast. Practically everyone has seen the crown that’s been added to my NSC dagger because it’s glaringly visible when I wear my tank tops or sports bra. While most people stayed silent, Xi lost his shit. I couldn’t tell him I didn’t even want it on top of everything. I just stayed quiet and took his wrath about how I was the worst decision-maker, that I couldn’t have gone for a worse boyfriend, a worse person to fall in love with.

Thankfully, he didn’t add that he would have been a much better choice. He knows where we stand on that, but he only stopped scolding me when I exploded into sobs.

He apologized many times for going too hard on me, saying that he was just furious on my behalf and couldn’t stand to see me heartbroken. I let him spoil me with food for upsetting me. Even though it had to fit within my diet.

When my round of sparring is over, I’m bent in half, wheezing, while Dickie talks harshly to me. “Two days, and you’re dead after a few rounds? I hope for your sake you’re planning on knocking out Killer Clover in two.”

After the Kings beat me up, it took me three weeks to get back in the ring. And even then, I couldn’t spar and risk being hit in the face. I fully healed two weeks ago since nothing was broken. I’m fucking tough; that was my only luck. That and Ethan getting me out before they could do more damage.

I’ve only had two weeks of actual training. Dickie doesn’t say it, but I can see he thinks it’s not enough. He thinks I’m going to get crushed in that cage.

What he doesn’t understand is I need this more than I’ve ever needed anything in my life. This is not about escaping the North Shore anymore. It’s about leaving Caden behind. If I ever want a normal life again, I have to.

We train for another two hours. Until I’m so exhausted my legs are shaking. After a shower, Xi drives me home.

We settle for dinner in the living room together because Dad and Aisha are out, and Emma is dealing with whatever shit she needs to deal with for NSC. She no longer shares anything with me, keeping me away from any news on the Kings.

We’re eating some leftovers and watching TV, but I can feel the way his eyes keep coming to my neck, so I finally turn to him.

“Will you fucking stop?” I snap. “I know it’s there. I don’t need your eyes on it all the time. Fuck, I can feel you seething silently, and it’s a constant reminder.”

The Kings’ crown that Jade left on me doesn’t hurt anymore unless I’m showering with hot water, or if I scratch it by accident. The scars are still an ugly red. They’ll turn white with time, leaving me with their mark forever. As if the tattoos Caden had given me weren’t enough.

“You know I tried to find Sawyer,” he says low. “The motherfucker has been hiding, knowing we’ll end him as soon as we find him. Fucking coward.”

“Jade did this. Not Sawyer.”

“Jade is untouchable.”

“Why?” I snap. A certain rage engulfs me. “Why can’t she fucking be killed?” My arms swipe the entire coffee table, sending the plates and glasses flying before I stand up, pacing the room. “The bitch has had it out for me for months. She attacked me with her friends. She tried to fuckingend me. You keep talking about Caden and Sawyer, but it’sherfault.”

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