The next morning after breakfast, Jax, Loki, and Kai tell me that they’re going to Enzo’s gym and ask if I’d like to join them. Ash is at his parents’ again.
I figure that I’ve got nothing else to do, well, I’ve got a whole load of homework, but I’m putting that shit off, because a girl needs a break from trying to work out where commas go in creative writing!
I go upstairs to get ready, excited to try my new activewear from Pru Apparel. It’s a gorgeous matching set of tight shorts and a sports bra, in turquoise stretch fabric, with printed purple flowers that are reminiscent of African waxed cloth.
I placed an order with Lucy & Yak a couple of weeks ago, which has just arrived this morning. So I wear my brand spanking new red berry corduroy dungarees on top, grabbing one of Loki’s hoodies and my heeled boots to complete the outfit. Might as well spend the money Adrian gives me.
I’ve not heard them mention Enzo before, or his gym, so I decide to ask about him as we all get into Jax’s truck, and head down the drive. In Hell I’ll Be In Good Company by The Dead South comes over the speakers, and I chuckle a little at the irony given the boys…occupation. I call that progress.
“Who’s Enzo?” I ask Jax, turning to gaze at him next to me in the driver’s seat.
“He’s my unofficial trainer,” Jax says, his voice a delicious rumble that always makes me a little wet between the thighs and leaves me breathless.
“Trainer?” I question. “Trainer for what?”
“Didn’t you know, Pretty Girl?” Loki says from the back, and I glance over my shoulder to see an evil smirk on his face that tells me he’s stirring shit somehow. “Big guy here is an underground MMA champion.”
My brows raise at this. “How am I only just finding out about this? Jax?” I turn to glare daggers at the man in question, who looks a little sheepish.
“Why do you think he’s so, well, ripped?” Loki asks, and I shrug.
“I dunno…to pin me down real good?” I tease, and I jump in my seat when Jax roars out a laugh that startles us all.
“Oh, Baby Girl,” he says, his voice dropping an octave and becoming husky, looking over to me. “That’s just an added bonus.”
I rub my thighs together, to try and ease the ache that’s started up there at his words and my dirty mind. Jax smirks at the movement.
“Eyes back on the road, big guy,” I say, voice mock scolding and he turns back to look out of the windscreen with a cough.
A few moments pass while I think about what I’ve just found out.
“So, can I come to your next fight?” I ask Jax, and he lifts a brow.
“Um, it’s not really a place nice girls go to,” he tells me, and I scowl.
“Who says I’m a nice girl?” I growl out, trying to sound fierce, but eliciting chuckles from them all which just pisses me off. Then a naughty idea pops into my mind. “Please, Jax,” I whine, trying not to sound petulant as I reach over and grab his hard thigh. “I’ll kiss all your wounds better afterwards,” I offer, lowering my own voice seductively, moving my hand upwards and eliciting a hiss from his mouth.
The leather on the steering wheel groans as he grips it hard.
“Fine,” he growls out, and I squeal, letting go and planting a kiss on his cheek. “But you’ll stay with one of the others at all times. It’s not until after Christmas anyway.”
We drive along the beautiful road that I took with Kai, heading into town, and then carrying on through, turning off Main Street onto a smaller, more worn looking street. Pulling up next to the pavement, I look up at the squat grey building to see a red sign that reads Enzo’s.
Jax shuts off the engine, parking, and we all get out, Kai grabbing our bags from the trunk. It’s another beautiful sunny day, but it’s freezing cold and I shiver as we head towards the double doors in the front. A warm arm settles over my shoulders, the smell of vanilla washing over me.
“I’ll warm you up real good when we get inside,” Loki whispers against my ear, and I shiver for an entirely different reason.
The heat hits me like a slap in the face as soon as I walk through the door. Followed by the smell of sweaty man, and the tang of blood, all mixed with the rich scent of leather. My nose crinkles and Loki laughs at me.
“Too much like slumming it for you, Princess?” he asks, using Ash’s nickname for me.
“Loki, you wouldn’t know what ‘slumming it’ was, if it came up behind you and bit you on your peachy arse!” I scoff at him, rolling my eyes.
“Pretty Girl, you can bite my ass anytime you want,” he quips back, nuzzling my neck and I shiver again.
Her Vagisty is in fine form I see, the hussy!
I look around the space, seeing that it’s a pretty standard setup. At least, I think it is, but what the fuck do I know, never having been in a gym before I started Highgate Prep. There’s a ring in the middle of the space, where two guys are already sparring. I notice both of them are smaller than my boys, and a sense of satisfaction washes over me.
There’s a weights area in one corner, another section with loads of punch bags hanging from the ceiling, and along one wall, mats are laid out in front of a mirror. There are a couple of guys in each area, which surprises me given it’s still early on a Sunday, so it must be a popular place.
An older guy with salt and pepper hair comes towards us, his handsome face full of smiles as he takes in the guys. His grin widens as he sees me standing with Loki on one side, his arm still around my shoulders, and Jax standing on the other, his hand in mine. Poor Kai is left to fend for himself next to Loki.
“Boys!” he says in a slight Italian accent, opening his arms wide and engulfing Kai in a full on man hug, kissing both cheeks. He’s wearing some loose gym shorts and a black tank top that shows off his buff arms, which are covered in colourful old school style tattoos. “So good to see you all again, che piacere!” he tells them, moving on to hug Jax, who wraps his own huge arms around him in return. I assume this is Enzo.
“Come stai? Tutto bene?” Enzo asks, pulling back but keeping Jax at arm’s length. Jax nods in his usual silent way, but there’s a warmth in his eyes that’s not often there with anyone outside of our group.
Enzo skips me with a wink as he grabs Loki, pulling him off me to squeeze him and kiss his cheeks too.
He turns his gaze towards me, letting Loki go, and his brown eyes are full of kindness, as well as a little mischief.
“Principessa, you must be Lilly. The boys neglected to tell me how beautiful you are, bella come la primavera,” he says, making a blush rise to my cheeks as he takes my hand and places a kiss on my knuckles.
Jax growls which makes Enzo laugh out loud. “Oh, don’t worry, figlio mio, I’m not trying to steal her away! I’m old enough to be her father! And Rosa, Mrs Russo,” he turns to me with another wink, “would never forgive me…sti ragazzi,” he says, shuddering. I hear Jax grumble which makes him chuckle more.
“You must be Enzo,” I say back, a warm smile spreading across my lips. “And the boys neglected to mention anything about you to me,” I say teasingly, narrowing my eyes at the guys, and causing Enzo to raise an eyebrow at them in mock severity.
They all rush to defend themselves, talking over each other, and their worry that they’ve upset him is actually kind of sweet. I can see how much he means to them in the way they behave towards him. I can’t say that I’m that surprised, given how their own parents act. Enzo seems to truly care about them.
“Don’t worry, boys, I’m sure I’ll forgive you all for your negligence, mannaggia,” he says with a smile, to show them he’s kidding. “Now, I want you all to do your warm up, then three rounds on the punch bags, then weights, yes? Andate, forza! ” he orders, clapping his hands and dismissing them.
“Are you sparring today, Jax?” he asks my Viking, who just nods. Enzo pauses, searching his gaze for a moment, then sighs before nodding back. “I’ll show Lilly around and get her settled, prego.” He holds out his arm for me to take and starts walking away.
He shows me the equipment whilst telling me all about how his father came over from Italy when he himself was a teenager, bringing his family with him. His father set up the gym, teaching and coaching semi and professional boxers. He points to grainy pictures on the walls of a gentleman who looks very similar to himself, alongside younger men wearing boxing gloves and holding huge belts.
“So, what would you like to do today, cara mia?” he asks me.
“Um, well, I was thinking maybe some yoga to warm up, and then perhaps practice some self-defence moves with one of the guys. Jax has been teaching me since…” My voice trails off, realising that I’d just started to open up to a complete stranger about what happened with Robert.
Enzo’s eyes go hard, and his grip on my elbow tightens. “He deserved what he got, quel disgraziato. My boys know how to take care of things and protect their own,” he says fiercely, and I gasp.
“How do you…” I begin, confused at how, and why, they would have told him. I mean, I know they’re close with the man, but still, surely it puts them in danger if anyone else knows.
“Me and my guys, we help them to…clean up,” he replies, and suddenly, I understand who helped take Robert away.
“Thank you,” I whisper, and his hand tightens once more as we stop outside what looks like an office.
“Senza problema, of course,” he leans, kissing my cheek gently, and I can’t help the emotion that clogs my throat.
This is what having a father must feel like.
“Now,” he says, turning to open the door of the office. “You can get changed in here, as we don’t have anywhere else suitable for a young lady. Prego,” he smiles so kindly at me, that I can’t help but lean over and kiss his cheek. His cheeks flush a little, whilst I smile.
A few minutes later, I emerge from the office, having left my clothes inside, neatly folded in a pile. I head over to where the guys have left our bags, seeing a few heated glances aimed my way. I’m just taking out my Bluetooth earbuds and phone to set up some calming music to practice to, when I hear the growl of Jax’s voice behind me.
“Not fucking happening, Baby Girl,” he huffs as I straighten up, turning towards him.
Seconds later, I’m encased in darkness as a soft cloth is placed over my head, smelling of lemons. My head pops through a hole in the top, and I realise that Jax is now standing before me minus his tank top, which is now on me.
He gives me a nod before turning and striding away, and although I’m a little pissed at his caveman attitude, Her Vagisty is practically drooling at all the muscles now on display and the public claiming that just went down. Fucking traitor!
“Is this really necessary?” I ask his retreating back. It is a gorgeous back. Sigh. He turns around, narrows his eyes at me, growls and then stalks off. Possessive bastard!
Accepting defeat, I pull my arms through the armholes, tying a knot in one side, so that at least it’s a little bit out of my way. I select the music, pop the earbuds in, and make my way over to the mats in front of the mirrors.
For a time, I just lose myself in my practice. I love the flow, and synchronizing my movements with breath. The burn of the stretch, and the shake of prana feeling so good. I’m winding down, my eyes closed as I breathe deeply, when I feel a warmth before me, smelling woods after the rain and fresh sweat. My lips lift up in a smile as I open my lids, to find honey brown eyes smiling back at me.
Taking my earbuds out, the sounds of the gym come rushing back in; the hissing out of breath as guys hit the punch bags, the bell that sounds every three minutes. Leaning over, I place my lips against Kai’s, surprising him.
All of a sudden, his hand comes up to grip my hair as he deepens the kiss, his tongue exploring mine. Sparks fly between us as I get lost in the feel of him, my hands running over his sweaty arms as his tongue destroys me in the best possible way. I hear catcalls and whistles when we finally break apart, both of us panting and blushing at the attention.
Of course, Loki’s voice is the loudest. “Come on, love birds!” he shouts, and I look over to see Jax getting ready to go into the ring.
My gaze returns to Kai’s, his pupils blown and nearly swallowing his irises.
“What’s going on?” I question him.
He takes a deep breath. “Jax is going to spar, and it’s a sight not to be missed,” he replies, getting up from his crouch and holding out his hand to help me up from the floor. I can’t help but notice that he adjusts himself, trying and failing to be discreet about it.
We walk over hand in hand to where Loki and Jax are, and I hear Believer by Imagine Dragons start to play in the background.
“I think the big guy deserves a good luck kiss don’t you, Pretty Girl?” Loki teases, a shit eating grin on his angel face.
I turn to Jax more than happy to oblige. Before I can take a step, however, he grabs the front of my throat and pulls me to him, slamming his lips to mine and demanding entry with his tongue. I open to him, matching him stroke for stroke, and as he begins to pull away, I bite his bottom lip hard, tasting copper and earning a low rumble from his throat which does all sorts of things to Her Vagisty.
I was never the best at playing sub.
His eyes are like blue fire as he steps away, a drop of blood dripping down his chin, and a promise of retribution in his gaze, which I am one hundred percent behind.
“That was hot as fuck, Pretty Girl,” Loki purrs in my ear, pulling me close for a searing kiss.
“Your girl fuck anyone, Jax? Does she charge?” I hear a voice sneer from the direction of the ring.
I break the kiss snarling, intending to rip this arsehole a new one, but I see Jax stepping into the ring, practically charging the other guy in there.
“Oh shit!” I hear Loki say as Jax aims a brutal high kick to the guy’s head.
The shitstain’s head snaps to the side, the crack audible, but he keeps his feet. Jax doesn’t even pause, landing punch after punch on his opponent’s torso. The dull thuds of fists hitting flesh, sound like the noise of the tanks firing near my uncle’s house in Wiltshire, where he lives on the edge of the Salisbury Plain Army training zone.
The guy manages to land a few punches that just fucking bounce off Jax, not even slowing him down, as Jax kicks him again in the side of the head. My pulse races with excitement, and far from being repulsed by the violence, I can feel my core become slick as I watch.
I hear Enzo’s voice as he steps up beside me. “He still juicing, Loki?” he asks, and I hear Loki’s sharp inhale.
I tear my gaze from the fight to look at Enzo.
“Juicing?” I ask, thoroughly confused. His eyes soften a little.
“Steroids, cara mia,” he says softly, eyes sad. This time Loki curses, and although I can still hear the sounds of the fight and the song, It’s as if from a distance.
“Steroids?” I repeat, still not quite sure what he’s talking about.
“Si, cara mia. Jax has been taking anabolic steroids since the beginning of the year. His father gives them to him and supplies others at the school through Jax, che padre!” Enzo spits the word father out, and I’m inclined to agree.
I flush with anger, going white hot for a moment. That motherfucking shitbag of an excuse for a father!
Looking back at the fight, I see Jax deliver a final punch, knocking the other guy out cold. He lands with a resounding thud, and before I really think through what I’m doing, I pull myself up into the ring and storm over to a panting Jax.
I vaguely hear Loki and Kai shout out, but I’m so angry that I’m not thinking straight, reaching out to grab his shoulder and force him to face me and my wrath. Only, it backfires slightly as Jax spins around, eyes wild, and clearly not seeing that it’s me as his own hand shoots out, grabbing me by the front of my throat, whilst tackling me to the ground.
All the breath rushes out of me as I land on my back hard, with him on top of me, knees either side of my hips, and his hand wrapped around my neck, squeezing. I can feel blackness starting to creep in around the edges, my hands clawing at his hand until suddenly his eyes clear.
“Lilly?” he questions, his grip immediately loosening, allowing sweet air to rush into my lungs.
Before he can say anything else, I lift my hips in a move he taught me, making him fall forward onto his palms. I hug tight to his torso, then pull myself up his body, and in a lightning quick move, I wrap my arm around his, pulling it underneath him and rolling him, so that I am now on top, pinning his wrists to the ground.
I hear a cheer from outside the ring, but my focus is all on Jax.
“What the fuck, Lilly!” Jax practically roars at me, not fighting my hold, and I can see the panic in his eyes, the worry that he really could have hurt me.
“What the fuck?” I ask, my voice raspy and my throat a bit sore from his hand. I’m still seething. “I’ll tell you what the fuck! Why the fuck are you filling your body with fucking poison, Jax? Do you know how bad regular steroid abuse is for you?!” I hit his hands on the ground in my rage. I know it’s not his fault, not really, but I’m so mad, and his cuntflap of a father isn’t here to feel the sharpness of my rage.
His gaze softens more. “Baby…” he begins, but I interrupt him before he can say another word.
“Don’t you ‘Baby’ me! Taking pills at parties is one thing, Jax. Taking this shit day in, day out…it’ll fuck you up so bad that you might not recover.” The thought of possibly losing him to this, makes my heart race, and panic fills my chest. “From this moment on you won’t take them, do you hear me?” I lean down so that I can whisper in his ear. “Otherwise you can kiss this goodbye.” I roll my hips which just so happen to be right over his crotch. I feel him starting to harden at the movement. “Did you know that steroids can shrink your dick, and I like it the monster size that it is,” I say, rolling my hips again, forgetting our audience and making him groan out loud. I hear a chuckle that sounds like Enzo.
Licking the shell of his ear, I bite down on his lobe, hearing another delicious moan escape his lips. I let go of his wrists, get up, and stand over him, looking down.
“No pussy until that shit is out of your system,” I tell him, deadly serious. His blue eyes widen.
“Baby Girl…” he starts as I turn to walk away. I look back at him.
“Lucky for you, your arms are the size of tree trunks. I’m sure they’ll manage the extra exercise that your hand will get,” I say, my tone laced with fake sweetness.
Then, turning on my heel, I head to the edge of the ring, where Loki is holding the rope open for me.
“That was vicious, Pretty Girl,” he tells me, an evil smile on his face. “And so fucking hot,” he adds as he helps me down.
Kai is right there, tilting my head and looking at my neck. He brushes his long fingers across my throat, and I wince before he puts an ice pack against it, the cold like a soothing balm.
I look up and see Enzo standing behind him. He just grins, giving me a nod, respect and what looks like relief in his eyes. I hear Jax step down, and suddenly Kai is gone, and I turn around in time to see him punch Jax square in the jaw, making his head snap to the side.
“Be more fucking careful,” Kai hisses, before coming back to me. I’m standing there in shock, mouth open.
Kai just fucking punched Jax! And Jax took it!
“Come on, Lilly,” Kai says, wrapping an arm around me and leading me towards the office and my clothes. “Let’s get you back, and I’ll make chicken ramen for lunch.”
We go to pass Enzo, who stops me with a hand on my arm, then pulls me into a tight embrace.
“You were made for them, cara mia, lo credo veramente,” he whispers, before kissing both cheeks, giving me a slightly quizzical, considering type of look, then letting me go.
