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I would see?
What the hell did that mean?
I stared at the door leading into the gym where I’d spent over a decade spilling my blood, sweat, and tears until I was the best. Dread churned in my stomach like undigested rotten food.
This was the last place I wanted to come back to, and if I had my way with the family empire, I never would again. Not to fight, at any rate.
The gym sat between two other buildings on a busy downtown street near Judiciary Square. To non-Gifted humans, it was a nondescript building that drew little notice. They ignored it as they passed, even if someone were to open the door right in front of them. The non-Gifted would simply sidestep around the door and keep going their merry way.
In addition to using her fae magic, Frankie Delgado had paid a small fortune to the Sato family for a camouflaging charm they’d procured. Both magics had done their job well, disguising the building for over twenty-five years.
Luckily for Frankie, the charm would continue to work forever so long as the stone stayed intact, which is one reason why no one had seen it since. I wouldn’t have put it past her to bury the damn thing in the foundation.
The Gifted Interests Government had tried for years to infiltrate the gym during a fight night, intending to shut it down for good. But Frankie must have gotten her grubby fae hands on another charm that kept them away as well. That, or she had someone on the inside, which was the more likely scenario.
No one knew exactly how she’d evaded the agents for so long, but the Gifted who frequented the fights continued to line their pockets while her luck—or magic—held firm. However, it would take far more than any charms she could procure to keep someone as powerful as me out.
I took a deep breath and pulled open the door, stepping inside. As my eyes adjusted to the dimmer interior, a soft humming drifted from the opposite side of the main ring. I was about to announce my presence when the most beautiful sound in the world stopped me in my tracks.
A woman’s voice, sweeter than any angel’s, belted out an old jazz tune I hadn’t heard in years. It was a classic by Ella Fitzgerald, and I was utterly captivated.
“It looks as if we two will never be one…”
Entranced, I stepped forward. I had to know who was singing, who ensnared me with such a magnificent sound. As I moved around the boxing ring, I slowed, drinking in the sight of the woman who appeared. My heart beat faster.
It was her—Bree.
She held a mop in both hands and swept it over the cement floor in time with the song’s tune. Her moves were beautiful and elegant, a dance of pure joy.
“Something must be done…”
Cute but worn running shorts and a matching sports bra did little to cover her toned body. She was barefoot, and a ponytail held most of her hair back from her face, all except the unruliest of them all.
Bree paused to lift the mop into the bucket, then pushed some escaped strands of hair behind her ear. Her gaze lifted to mine, and she gasped.
CHAPTER 10
Bree
Frozen in place, I stared at Dominic Sato as if I were seeing a ghost. My jaw—and ability to function in general—went slack.
Oh, for the love of Tethys.
The mop handle slipped out of my grip and sailed toward the ground. I lunged to grab it, afraid it would tip the entire yellow bucket over, only to trip over the bucket myself. I windmilled my arms as if they would somehow transform into wings and keep me from falling on my ass.
Especially in front of the hottest man to ever exist on this planet.
But instead of hitting the ground, a strong hand grabbed me beneath the arm and hauled me back onto my feet. Dominic’s foot shot out and caught the rocking bucket’s lip, keeping it from tipping over. Only a small amount of water sloshed over the side as the bucket settled.
Yeesh. His reflexes were insanely fast.
We stood there for a moment with his hand holding my arm, our bodies pressed together, my heart racing. Unlike during the massage, he didn’t smell like the oils I kneaded into his skin.
Today, he smelled like a campfire, a smoky, slightly spicy scent that was similar to sandalwood but wasn’t quite the same. He smelled absolutely delicious.
As our eyes locked, a spark passed between us.
Or maybe it was static.
