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“Stay away! There’s nothing wrong with me! I don’t need your pity!” Britt snatches her purse off the couch and storms out of the room, leaving me stunned.
My instinct is to go after her, throw her over my shoulder, toss her down on the bed, spank her ass red, and fuck her into submission. I groan, clenching my hands and reining in my lust. Britt just had a fucking seizure and spent time in the hospital. I can’t toss her around like my plaything, even if she begs me for it.
Confused by her reaction, I collapse on the bed, tugging at my hair in frustration. It’s so much easier to be a cold bastard—unfeeling, uncaring. Then I remember the icy fear I felt when Britt collapsed on the ground, convulsing, and I wonder if I’ll ever be able to be that emotionless guy again, to be Killer.
If Britt is going to shut me out, I won’t have a choice in the matter. If she doesn’t need Keller, I don’t need to be him. Killer doesn’t have feelings, Killer doesn’t miss anyone’s touch, Killer doesn’t need anything but the cage.
I clench my jaw and rebuild my shattered walls.
* * *
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The heavy bag shudders under my relentless attack. I flick the sweat out of my eyes and switch to knee strikes, kicking the bag over and over until every muscle burns and my lungs scream for relief.
“Killer, come with me.”
I grab a towel and rub it over my head and face. “Not now, Gabriel.” I toss the towel and get into my stance to continue my workout.
“Now! Get in my office!” His Portuguese is sharp and his tone indicates he’s not to be argued with.
Frustration boils over, scorching my veins. Britt hasn’t been to work in four days. It’s been six since she stormed out of my room in Vegas, leaving me bewildered, with no explanation whatsoever. She went from passionate kissing to furious screaming in the span of a heartbeat, and I have no fucking clue as to why.
The powerlessness I feel has me on edge, snapping out at anyone who dares to cross my path. The entire gym has noticed. Hell, just the fact that I’m not ignoring everyone is enough to earn me strange looks and hushed whispers whenever I’m around.
Fuck them. I didn’t care before, and I sure as fuck don’t care now.
I yank off my gloves and enter Gabriel’s office.
“Close the door,” he says, still speaking Portuguese. “Sit.” Gabriel glares, pointing at a chair.
I scowl, ready to argue, but he won’t have it.
“Now. Don’t talk, sit.”
With a huff, I drop into the chair and cross my arms over my sweaty chest, focusing on a seam in the tiled floor. Damn, I wish I remembered my hoodie. I feel exposed. I’m losing my edge. My armor isn’t what it used to be and Gabriel is an astute man.
“I want to talk about Vegas.” Gabriel puts his elbows on his desk, tenting his fingers in front of his mouth.
I continue to stare at the ground, wholly unconfident of my ability to be Killer, and desperate to keep Gabriel from seeing Keller.
“Look at me.” Gabriel snaps his fingers in my face.
Pissed, I whip my head up. I’m not a damn dog. Gabriel’s demand causes a snarl to rip from my throat.
Gabriel smiles. “Ah, there he is. I’ve been wondering where my fighter went.”
Yeah, me too.
“Listen to me, son. I don’t know what is going on with you and Britt.” I open my mouth to deny it, but he holds up a hand. “I don’t care. I only care that you both are happy.” Gabriel’s eyes soften. “Britt, she is like a daughter to me, but you must know, she is proud. Independent. But inside,” he thumps his chest with a fist. “She is broken, scared.”
“Scared of what?” Gabriel grins and I realize he sucked me right into a conversation I didn’t want to have.
“That is for her to tell. Anyway, I don’t know what it is that troubles her. You must not regard her as weak. That I do know. I’ve seen her tear down men twice her size when they treat her as delicate.”
I consider this information, connecting Britt’s fury to me rejecting her advances because she had a seizure.
“She has demons, that one.” Gabriel stares right at me, unwavering as usual, unafraid of the monster staring back. “Just like you. Maybe you are good for each other, maybe not.” He stands up, circling the desk to lean on it in front of me. “But if you hurt her,” Gabriel bends down until we’re eye-to-eye, nose-to-nose. “You will regret it.”
