Page 66 of Reaper

“Yeah, let’s go.” He looks at Nadia. “You have my number in case you need anything.”

“Thanks, guys.” She waves us away.

We head out the back door of the strip club and see the sun is starting to go down.

“How crazy do you think the clubhouse is tonight? Sex on the pool table? Wet T-shirt contest?”

“I guess we’re about to find out.” I chuckle as I get onto my bike and turn it on.

I hadn’t thought of it until now but I hope this isn’t the night that Natalie decides to venture out of our room. Who the hell knows what she could walk in on.

* * *

“Keep your head tucked in. If you keep throwing punches so wildly, there’s no way you can recover quick enough to protect yourself,” Wrath growls.

I am panting from the workout he has been putting me through. This is our fifth training session, and the man has not been taking it easy on me. The last one I thought I was going to have to sacrifice my lung. I don’t understand how I see this man smoking. How can he ruin his lungs in such a way then work this vigorously?

“I’m dying,” I whine.

He smacks me on the head with his punching mitts. It doesn’t hurt, but it does annoy me.

“Of course you’re dying. Right now, you are moving slower than molasses in Antarctica. Jesus, Nat Nat. Are you trying to let yourself get caught?” he eggs me on.

The first time he did this, I burst into tears. After calming me down and muttering about losing his dick to Harrison, he explained that I needed to toughen up. That it sucks that my life has been so hard, but that I should take those emotions and harness them into protecting myself instead of letting them own me.

That whole first session, he poked and prodded me into many tears. I learned though. Now, his words only infuriate me.

Swinging out, I punch him in the head instead of the mat, making him laugh.

“There you go. Give me that fire.”

His praise is few and far between, but it’s the little bit of accelerant I need to go at it harder.

Every single time I’ve thought I couldn’t push any further, Wrath has been there telling me I can give him more. Encouraging me to keep pushing past my mind’s limitations.

“Alright, let’s get some water. I’m scared you might pass out on me the way you’re heaving like a braying donkey.” He snorts.

“Ass.” I breathe out. “Hole.”

He pulls off his glove, grabbing a water bottle before opening it and giving it to me. “You love this asshole.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Whatever you say.”

That only makes him laugh harder.

Truth is, Wrath has been a rock for me. He filled a part in my life I didn’t know I was missing.

Harrison has been giving me support the best way he knows how, but he almost handles me with kid gloves. He asks questions when he needs to but doesn’t push.

Wrath is that wrecking ball who is going to come in, say it like it is, fuck shit up, then leave.

Only with me, he never leaves. He sits in the destruction with me while I work through whatever I’m feeling.

“What is your motivation today?” he asks as he sits on the floor, patting the mat next to him.

This is another thing he does. He doesn’t want me coming in every day using the same motivation. He wants me to continue to find new ones. New reasons why I will never be that girl who barely made it to the gates of this place.

“I want to be able to punch the next person who orders me to do anything for them. I am a human being. I deserve the respect of being asked to do whatever task they want and I have the right to say no. They must respect that right.”

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