Page 5 of The Jester and His Outlaw: Part 2

“I just don’t understand. Jensen said he is a dark person, but I never imagined it would be this hard to break through to him.”

“Don’t decide tonight,” Foxy says graciously. She knows it’s a losing battle at this point because Riggs isn’t ready for our help and I’m not ready to give up. “Think on it. He may come around, you never know. You’re a force to be reckoned with, my girl. If anyone can break through to him, it will be you.”

Kai grunts again, but it isn’t necessarily a cheerful sound.

My usual routine is to send a text to Riggs each night before I turn my phone over and force myself to try to sleep.

I didn’t tonight. His continued rejection is burning a little deeper today, and I don’t think I can stand to see another text go without a response.

Early in the morning,I feel Kai slip from the bed. Normally I would get up and get my workout started, but today I’m not into it. No, today is more of a chill in bed and sulk kind of morning.

Until an icy hand grabs my ankle and yanks me from the bed. I yelp and grab for the covers, but Foxy is too fast and my body drops from the mattress, thudding painfully against the floor.

“Not today, bitch. We’re going to the gym,” she wails. I groan, rolling over on my stomach and rubbing my ass.

“Was that really necessary?” I grumble, glaring at her. She’s dusting her hands off like she’s just accomplished something.

“Probably not, but I’ve always wanted to do that to someone.” She preens, satisfied with herself.

“Payback is a bitch,” I remind her and stumble to my feet.

“Bring it, Gigantor.” She giggles, puffing out her chest and tilting her chin up as if I’m supposed to be intimidated by her tiny stature. The tiny package that houses my best friend’s big personality might be small, but I know she packs a punch. She’s a scrappy little thing.

“Why the gym?” She goes to my drawers and pulls a sports bra and panties from the top one, throwing them in my direction. Then the darkness of my giant walk-in closet swallows her whole momentarily and when she emerges, I have no time to prepare myself before a pair of athletic pants and a t-shirt fly my way.

“Because you’re weak.”

“Am not.” Damn, she’s being rather crude today, and it is way too early for this shit. My anger rises, having moved past our usual playful stage. I guess I woke up on the wrong side of the bed because Foxy is only doing what she feels she needs to do to keep me in check. It’s what I asked of her if I ever started falling off the wagon. This is a different reason to fall off the wagon than before, but her methods work. Now I need to workout to get some of the annoyance out of my system.

Her eyes travel up to my head, then down to my toes in a slow perusal that gets my blood boiling. It’s as if she sees something she doesn’t approve of. I may have been skipping my workouts, but my body is still on point. “You keep skipping your workouts like you have been and you will be weak. I have no room for weaklings on my team.”

I scoff. “Rude as fuck and what team? You don’t have a team.” I spin on her after I collect my clothes off the damn floor.

“I could have a team.”

“A team for what?” I question, ready for this explanation because it’s bound to be hilarious.

“Just shut up and go get dressed. We’re going to the gym.”

“What you mean is that I’m going to workout and you’re going to go watch my brother and Jensen spar.” I stand in front of her, clothes in hand, fists on my hips, chin raised as I peer down my nose at her nonsense.

“I never said I was working out, only that we are going to the gym.” I crack a smile. Regardless of how she dragged me out of bed, I’m letting what’s happening with Riggs affect me when I can’t afford that. Hockey is everything to me and working out is a huge part of that. I’m only hurting my game by sulking in bed and hiding from the world.

I’m pantingand out of breath by the time Kai comes over and tells me that our session is over. He has some self-defense class coming in and needs the gym space. Sweat drips down my face and chest, all over my body, really, but I can’t deny how damn good it feels. One of my happy places has always been in the gym, kick-boxing and sparring, but I’ve let it go lately.

I need to integrate this back into my routine. Punching shit just feels good.

“Do you think I can stay and help with your classes today?” I ask in between gulps of ice cold water. Kai shrugs, but there is a hint of concern in his eyes. “Kai, stop looking at me like that. You guys want me to get better and I need the distraction. Let me stay and help. What could it hurt? I know what I’m doing.”

“You brought Fox. How is she going to get home if you stay?”

“I don’t fucking care. She’s on her own,” I say, edging on teasing, but actually, I’m pretty serious. Payback happens when you least expect it and the last thing Foxy is going to want to watch is a bunch of women in a gym. Much like sports, Foxy is allergic to the gym, even with her guys here. Her attention to them is only going to last so long. So, she needs to find another way home or stay stranded with us for the day.

“Ouch.” She joins us, looking pissy and genuinely offended.

“Payback is a bitch.” A sweet smile creeps across my face.

“Oh, that’s fucked up.”

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