“Guard! Sweep! Kick! No! Jax, I've always told you to learn to read your opponents and listen. We’re starting this round again. Block!”
I tuned out Marcus’s voice as he barked out instructions at the other fighters, focusing solely on the opponent in front of me. I circled, my opponent mirroring my movements. I could see the heavy rise and fall of her chest, a sign of the fatigue from our previous round, which I had won. But I knew this time wouldn’t be as easy, Kira—my sparring partner—hated losing just as much as I did. My muscles burned, but I ignored it, shutting out the smell of sweat and rubber mats that was starting to make me feel light headed. I was tired, but I couldn’t quit now. Kira had begged for another round, and I had agreed. It was too late to back out. I narrowed my eyes, my body coiled, waiting for the right moment. I knew Kira’s weakness—she always left her side unguarded. “Uh-uh, not this time, Osborn,” she muttered, lunging at me with a fist aimed for my ribs. I smirked, already predicting her move. I twisted on my heel, thinking I had dodged her punch, but then she raised her leg and slammed it into my side, making me stumble backward. “Told ya.” “My bad. You caught me off guard.” I smiled through the pain, clutching my throbbing side. “We’ll see.” She came at me again, throwing a flurry of punches, barely giving me time to counterattack. I raised my hands, blocking as she drove me back, struggling to read her next move. Then I saw it—the rotation of her hips as she spun and swung her leg in a perfect circular motion. I panicked. With no time to think, I did the first thing that came to mind—I stretched out my hands and grabbed her leg mid-air. The impact sent me reeling, but I held my ground, refusing to let go. I yanked her down hard, and she lost her balance, crashing onto the mat. “And the winner of this round is Osborn!” The other fighters in the gym, who I didn’t realize had gathered around, began to clap, and cheer. I fell to my knees, laughing and crying at the same time—partly from the thrill of victory, partly from the pain I felt in my hands. It felt like the impact of her kick had shattered my bones. One of the fighters extended a hand to help Kira up. She took it, nodding gratefully. “Are you okay, Eugene?” She asked, her voice soft. I nodded at first, but then winced, the pain forcing me to shake my head as tears fell freely down my face. “Give me your hand,” A gruff voice said as he approached. “This is why I always say—NEVER.TRY.TO.CATCH.A.ROUNDHOUSE.KICK!” Marcus barked, making sure everyone in the room could hear. “Marcus,” I sobbed. “Is she going to be okay?” Kira asked, now kneeling beside me, rubbing my shoulders gently. “Yes, she’ll be fine,” he took my hands in his and began examining them. “‘Osborn what were you thinking, You should have blocked or stepped out of the way.” “I know, but…I didn’t see it in time,” “It’s okay. You’re lucky you didn’t break a thing. You’re just feeling the aftermath of the kick. The pain will subside in about an hour.” I nodded, wiping my eyes against my shoulder. “You can go home and rest now. You’ve trained enough for today.” He stood, helping me to my feet by the wrist. “Come on, I’ll walk you home,” Kira offered. “No, Kira, you stay and train. As you saw, a roundhouse kick should be powerful enough to knock out your opponent, but you barely grazed Eugene—just pushed her back.” “Ugh, fine. But it’s not that my kick wasn’t strong," Kira grumbled, flipping her ponytail. “I was just going easy on her.” She shot me a playful smirk before heading off to spar with someone else. “You’ll be okay walking home by yourself, right?’ “Yeah, thanks, Marcus.” “Good. Make sure to be here early tomorrow. I’m letting you go early today because that was pretty impressive—Catching a roundhouse kick and throwing your partner to the ground, Ha!” He shook his head, grinning as he stalked off to oversee his other students. I watched him go, waving back at Kira before exiting the training room. I headed for the locker room, flexing my throbbing arm, as I walked. I really hoped Marcus was right about the pain subsiding soon because I didn’t have any extra cash to spend on hospital bills. Thinking back to the moment Marcus had walked over to me—all cold and emotionless, but with a hint of worry in his eyes—I couldn’t help but smile. To outsiders, Marcus seemed cold and intimidating, especially with his towering height of 6’5”. But to us, his students, we knew that beneath his tough, menacing exterior was a kind and caring heart—like a mushy marshmallow hidden behind all that muscle. Tired and exhausted, I entered the locker room and began changing out of my gi. I slipped into a pair of black sweat pants and a matching crop hoodie. As I was gathering my things, ready to head out, I heard a noise. I paused, glancing around the locker room. Maybe it was my imagination. I shrugged it off, but there it was again, followed by heavy breathing. It sounded like someone was training, but the training room was too far away for me to hear anything from here. That meant whoever it was had to be close by. I scanned the room. The only place that could explain the noise was the door next to the locker beside mine—a door we'd always assumed led to a janitor's closet, though i'd never actually seen the janitor go in there. Curiosity piqued, I took a step closer. What if what was behind that door wasn't what I thought it was? I smirked, mentally scolding myself for jumping into conclusions. I could handle anything—I mean, I just caught a roundhouse kick, right? With that thought in mind, I grabbed the door handle and pushed it open. I half-expected to see the janitor arranging his tools, or maybe a student needing privacy for special training. But I definitely didn't expect to see one of Seattle's most popular heartthrob, and the son of a billionaire, lying bare-chested on the ground, panting in the middle of a room almost the size of our training area. And from the look in his eyes, he hadn't expected me either.I stood there, dumbfounded, torn between quietly shutting the door and backing away or saying something to explain my intrusion. But I didn’t have to decide; he broke the silence first. “Who the hell are you?” He scowled, still lying on the ground, staring up at me.“I…um, I came to…” My gaze darted around, searching for an excuse, until I spotted a mop in the far corner of the room. “Clean! Yeah, I'm the janitor, and I came to clean.”He sat up, narrowing his eyes. “Are you new or something? Didn’t Marcus tell you no one enters this room without my permission?’No and No. But I smiled, and walked into the room, heading toward the mop. “Actually, I just started today and didn’t know you’d be here, Mr Windsor. Sorry.”I grabbed the mop and began wiping the floor in front of me.“Get out.”“Sorry?” I blinked, taken aback.“Are you deaf? Get out.” He barked, brushing off his sweatpants as he stood up. “If you’re rude enough to barge in without knocking, and then dumb enough to start cle
I collapsed onto the floor, panting, Reid following suit.“Okay, you weren't kidding when you said you sucked.”He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. “I told you. If Marcus couldn't teach me, I doubt anyone can.” He looked down between his legs, propping his elbows on his knees as he sat up.The short silver-gray streaks at the tips of his hair fell over his face, and I had to resist the urge to reach over and run my hands through it.Even with sweat coating his body, he looked as attractive as ever. The media didn't do him justice. If his fans met him in real life, they'd be obsessed like I was becoming—just from spending the last two hours with him.He ran a hand down his stubbled, well-defined jaw, then buried his fingers in his hair, pushing it back slightly. “I'm really sorry I took up your time.”I shook my head, though he wasn't looking to see it. He had no idea he'd just made my day. After all, I was pretty much a loner, and Marcus letting me off earl
“So let me get this straight. You've owed the states over $200,000 for, what, two to three years now? And when they gave you a two-month forbearance period, you just decided to relax, thinking your debt would go poof, no?”I glared at Fitz, sensing his mockery, especially as he switched from his usual American accent to a casual french one.Hearing him recount everything I'd told him, I could finally see how stupid I'd been. Not once had I bothered to find a real, better-paying job, instead, settling for the small amounts Marcus gave me to help him train the junior recruits. If I was honest, I didn't deserve the payment—-Marcus was more than capable of training them himself. He only included me because he knew about my situation and the reason I’d moved to Seattle in the first place.I ran my finger along the rim of glass, my gaze fixed on the amber liquid. “Yeah, I see how stupid that sounds now,” I sighed.The amusement vanished from Fitz’s face as he took in my broken expression.
At Cascadia Academy, there were two rules Marcus drilled into us relentlessly—rules I’d never forget. First: learn to read your opponents. Second: sharpen your reflexes. Those lessons have carried me through countless fights, instincts that usually flared up in danger. But as I stood there with a gun aimed at my head, the only thing I could think of was that stormy night.The gunshot, the screams, my siblings’ cries for help–all of it crashed over me at once, freezing me in sheer terror. I closed my eyes, raised my hands, and muttered the words I’d once whispered countless times as a child. “Please, please...” I could still hear his footsteps, see his hands trembling as he held the gun by his side, his voice pleading, urging me to come out. I saw my sister—she was only twelve–-step out just as he neared my hiding spot. I watched her, heard the soothing lies he used to draw her close, the comforting tone that made her trust him enough to let him embrace her. Then, in a sickening shif
The weight of Marcus’ words sank into me like a stone dropped into a deep, dark well. You’re going to kill. The phrase kept playing in my head, disbelief gnawing at the edges of my thoughts. Marcus—the man who trained me to defend myself, who taught me true power lies in restraint—was ordering a hit?I barely had time to process it before the man and woman nodded curtly, pocketed their photos, and turned to leave. Panic surged through me. If they came out now, they’d see me, no question. My heart pounded as I searched for a place to hide, but there wasn't time.The door creaked open.I ducked into the shadow of a nearby rack holding training equipment, crouching low and pressing myself against the wall. My hands shook as I peeked out from between the dumbbells. The man walked out first, his boots heavy on the tile floor, followed by the woman, Leah. She moved with the coiled grace of a predator, her fingers brushing the gun at her back as she stopped suddenly, tilting her head like sh
I sat with one leg extended straight ahead and the other angled sharply to the side, stretching as I stared daggers at Marcus, who was busy supervising the younger students. After our earlier conversation, he had mumbled something vague about needing to think it over before stalking off, leaving me frustrated and without a clear answer. Training hours had since begun, making it three hours since our talk, and still, nothing. Tired of waiting, I pushed myself to my feet, closing the stretch as I stomped toward him. He turned just in time to see me approach and sighed, deliberately shifting his attention back to his students. Pretending he hadn’t noticed me, he continued giving commands. “Marcus,” I said sharply, stopping beside him with my arms folded. “Osborn,” he replied without so much as a glance, his focus still on the class. “Keep your knees straight and your toes pointed out, Tyler—good, hold it there.” I rolled my eyes and latched onto his arm, tugging him aside. “Ser
"Osborn, is everything okay?” I blinked, shaking myself out of my initial shock. “Yeah. You were saying?” Marcus leaned over and took the file from me. “You don't seem fine. You know, if you don't want it—” “No!” I snatched the file back from him. He jumped, startled by my sudden outburst. “Okay, seriously, what's wrong, Osborn?” I sighed, noticing the crease forming on Marcus’s forehead. He was genuinely worried, but I couldn't tell him the real reason I was acting weird. If Reid had wanted him to know about our meeting, Marcus would have known by now. The fact that he didn't, confirmed that it wasn't my place to say anything. “It's nothing. I was just surprised that my long-time crush is the one I'll be guarding.” I shrugged, forcing a nonchalant tone. Marcus rolled his eyes and stood, walking around his desk to perch on its edge in front of me. “Yeah, Reid Windsor is literally every girl in Seattle's crush, but don't get carried away. This is a mission, and worse still
I still couldn't sleep without my meds. Tossing and turning on the oversized bed, I tried in vain to catch even a few hours of rest before dawn, but the nightmares wouldn't let me. Eventually, I gave up and lay on my back, my eyes scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. The power had come back on during the dinner, and the housekeeper—Miss Cherry, as she introduced herself— had shown me to my room. It was massive, easily the size of my old apartment. In the center stood a king-sized bed adorned with floral curtains that hung like something out of a medieval Castle. Purple floral wallpaper covered the walls, and white marble tiles gleamed beneath my feet whenever I dared move. The bathroom felt like a separate wing altogether, with its size and luxury. Aside from the bed, the room was sparsely furnished—a single dresser stood against one wall, its oversized mirror bordered by elegant lights that looked like they belonged in a movie star's dressing room. At first, I'd been awestruck
“Why did you come?” I asked the instant I shut the door. I'd wanted to see him, sure, but I didn't expect him to show up unannounced. It was almost as though he had read my mind.Reid gave me a condescending smile, strolling casually around my room with his hands in his pockets. “Aren't you going to offer me a seat?”I folded my arms and shot him a glare. “Not until you tell me why you're here.”“Fine,” he said, collapsing into the single chair in my my apartment. “Ask whatever you want. I'll tell you everything.”I eyed him warily. “And how do I know you'll actually tell the truth?”He shrugged. “I guess you'll just have to trust me.”“Trust?” I snorted. “Reid, it's exactly like Marcus said—Windsors don't get to use that word.”He chuckled, the sound sharp and humourless. “Speaking of Marcus, let's start there. What lies has he been feeding you? Come on, spill. I'm sure he's painted quite the picture of me.”“As a matter of fact, he hasn't told me a thing about you. From the way he r
The silence between us stretched thin as I tried to process Marcus's words. It was like staring at a jigsaw puzzle, the pieces jagged and mismatched, but I could see the faint outlines of a picture emerging—and I didn't like what it showed.“The person responsible for my family's death….is the one coming after Reid?” I repeated, my voice hollow.Marcus nodded. “That's what it looks like.”“Okay…and if I'm following you, you think Reid might be…?”Marcus nodded. “I know we don't have proof, but I’ve got this gut feeling that Reid has a hidden agenda, and I'm not about to wait to find out. So, we're leaving town.”I raised an eyebrow, taken aback. “Whoa, you don't get to make that decision for me.”“Come on, Osborn, what's there to think about? Would you rather stay knowing your life’s at risk? Or leave knowing you'll be safe?”I scoffed and opened my mouth to argue, but no words came out—only a short, incredulous gasp. “What about the academy? You're really going to give up all of tha
I swallowed hard, raising my hand in surrender. “Fine. I'll go with you. But for God's sake, put the damn gun away. You know I hate guns.”The pressure against my back eased, and I exhaled a shaky breath, relief washing over me.“Sorry,” Marcus muttered, slipping the gun back into his waistband. “I just wanted you to come with me.”“Then, jeez, just ask,” I snapped, running a hand through my hair. “Instead of pulling this whole kidnap-the-kid routine.”He sighed, dragging a hand over his face. “I'm not thinking straight, Eugene. I just…I just know we have to get out of here.”“Okay, but at least tell me where we're going,” I pressed.Marcus opened his mouth, hesitating before clamping it shut. He shook his head. “You just have to trust me, okay?”I folded my arms and leaned back on my heels, scrutinizing him. If he'd said this an hour ago, I probably would've followed him without question. But after that conversation with Reid, trust wasn't coming as easily. I needed answers.“I want
The first thing I registered was the sharp scent of antiseptic, sterile and suffocating. My eyelids felt like lead, but I managed to crack them open, squinting against the harsh glare of fluorescent lights overhead. Everything was a blur—white walls, beeping machines, and the faint hum of voices. My side throbbed with a dull ache, and when I shifted slightly, a sharper pain shot through me, forcing a groan from my lips.I wasn't alone.The voices became clearer as I forced myself to focus. Marcus and Reid stood a few feet away, their sides partially turned toward me. They spoke in low tones, their voices charged with tension.“You know you're endangering her, right?” Marcus's voice was tight, each word cutting through the quiet.“I know what I'm doing, Marcus. With her in the mansion, things will be a lot easier,” Reid countered smoothly.“Yeah, easier for you.” Marcus sneered, jabbing a finger at Reid's chest. “Do you know what Klaus will do to her when he finds out?”Reid raised his
Marcus gave me a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, his gaze fixed on Reid as he answered. “Saving your ass, apparently. I didn't know we had company.” I looked between him and Reid, confusion prickling at the back of my mind. “Oh, I thought you two know each other? Reid is the reason I'm still alive, if I'm being honest.” Marcus didn't respond. Not a single word to acknowledge Reid’s presence. Instead, he shifted his attention to the rearview mirror, his expression unreadable. Reid, seemingly unfazed, followed his lead, both of them watching the road for any sign of the remaining bikers. “I thought you two knew each other?” I asked, this time directing my question to Reid. “We do,” Reid said with a grin that could only be described as infuriatingly smug. “But I'm guessing he doesn't fancy seeing you alone with me, given that I'm exceptionally handsome.” I rolled my eyes at his audacity. “Please. Marcus couldn't care less. He probably just wasn't expecting to see you
I sank into my seat, regret flooding my chest as the reality of my actions hit me. Reid reached over, his hands covering mine where it rested on my lap.“Hey, it's going to be okay. I promise, I won't let anything happen to you,” he said softly.I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. “This is all my fault. I should've thought it through before challenging someone like Klaus.”“No,” he said firmly. “It's not your fault. My dad can be…provoking. I'm sure whatever he did must've really pushed you to react that way and I get it.” He brushed away a tear slipping down my cheek, his thumb warm and steady, before resting his hand over mine again. “But now we've got to figure out a way forward. What I'm about to suggest might sound crazy, but it's our best option.”I turned to him, dread already curling in my stomach. I could guess what he was about to say.“No. Reid, there are about a hundred of them, and only two of us.”“It's thirty-five bikers,” he corrected. “and we're not taking all o
“Marcus, I'm about to do something really stupid, but right now, I don't care. I'm sharing my location with you—just in case things go south and I need backup.” I ended the call and threw the phone onto the passenger seat of the rental car I hadn't returned yet.My grip tightened on the steering wheel, my foot pressing harder on the gas pedal as I picked up speed. I didn't have a plan, just a burning determination not to let the Windsors push me around.At this point, I didn't care about who I was confronting or their status. All I knew was that I was getting answers tonight—or all hell was going to break loose.The sun had set, darkness creeping in, but sleep was the last thing on my mind. Not when I had a pretty good idea who was behind the root cause of my problems.I made a sharp turn, the shimmering lake coming into view as the road straightened ahead. My jaw clenched at the sight of the Windsor mansion. It no longer felt intimidating—just infuriating.Pulling up to the front, I
Kira sat stirring her drink absentmindedly, her eyes widening with every bit of tea I spilled. I'd left out the details about going undercover as a bodyguard, replacing it with a vague story about why he was at my house. I'd also kept Reid's name out of it, but the look on her face told me she still found the gist as interesting as I'd expected.“Okay, backup, sis. You've been secretly training with some guy in the janitor's closet for what, like two, three days? And now he shows up at your place, kisses you, and says he's ready to take things slow as long as you're interested?”I sipped my drink. “Mhmm. It seems unreal, which is why I had to spill. I don't know if I should trust him and go with the flow or just…” I shrugged.“Are you kidding me? If a hot guy who's super nice tracked me down just to ask me out, I'd totally say yes. I mean, it's giving old-school love, and I'm here for it, girl.”I laughed. Kira had a point. What Reid did was kind of understandable, given that I lied.
The warmth coursing through me was something I never wanted to end. My pulse quickened, my heart drumming softly as I tried to savor every fleeting second of this moment.Reid's lips brushed against mine—again and again—the sweet taste lingering like an unspoken promise. His hands tangled in my hair as he guided me back against the wall, his mouth never leaving mine.For a moment, it felt endless. Heck, I even dared to hope the kiss might lead to something more. But just as I was melting into the warmth of his body, the gentleness of his hands, the mingling of our breaths—he pulled away. His forehead rested against mine as I opened my eyes, the ghost of his kiss still tingling on my lips.Disappointment threatened to creep in, but his thumb brushed over my bottom lip, silencing any protest.“I've been wanting to do that since after our first training session,” he murmured.My gaze searched his, lingering on the way his eyes softened as he spoke. His own drifted to my lips before meeti