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I sounded okay on the outside, my voice didn’t shake, nor was it weak… but on the inside, I was a burning hot coal that was set to explode at a moment’s notice.
“Nothing,” he answered. “He only gave up his fellow friends in exchange for a lighter sentence seeing as he was caught red-handed detaining Cannel. No details whatsoever about what he did to her.”
I felt my stomach twist and cramp with worry.
Jesus Christ.
I’d heard about trafficking happening. I’d seen it with my own two eyes.
I’d felt the repercussions of it.
But I’d never had feelings for the person that had it happen to them.
The raw ache in my chest felt like it was going to split in two and utterly break me.
“Thank you for telling me.” I voiced. “I…”
I didn’t know what to say.
“Take care of her, man.” He hesitated. “Her life definitely hasn’t been easy.”
No, it hadn’t.
After we hung up, I wanted to throw my phone at the ground, smash it into a million tiny pieces.
But, I did the adult thing and shoved it into my pocket again before turning around to head back to the car.
The last fuckin’ thing in the world I wanted to do was look at Brianna’s smug face.
“Told you,” she said, chin held high and a small smirk on her face.
I turned my glare on Brianna. “Fuck off.”
Brianna’s smug smirk fell off her face. “I was just helping.”
“No,” I disagreed. “You were trying to kick someone when they were already down.”
• • •
Needless to say, by the time I finally arrived at CrossFit later that evening, the very last fucking thing I wanted to do was be nice. Especially since I had to control my temper—and woo boy was it legendary when I was mad—when it came to Brianna’s rude comments and quips throughout the entire day.
I wanted to get in a good workout, sweat, hopefully get some of my aggression out, and then get the fuck out of there.
I’d even managed to give off that ‘don’t fucking talk to me’ vibe to everyone in there, including Madden, the owner, as well as Haggard, the man that was teaching the class that day. Not to mention one of my dead brother-in-law’s best friends.
Madden and Haggard, as well as Taos, the other half owner with Madden, had all been friends once upon a time. Haggard hadn’t really been in the picture until Madden’s son, Jasper, had died in the line of duty not long ago.
Meaning, I didn’t know Haggard all that well other than a few tidbits of information I’d gleaned over the years I’d known him, and the few weeks he’d taught here. I.e.—not that much.
Though, it didn’t seem to stop him from coming up to me when we were about to start our workout and ask if I needed to talk.
I snorted.
Out of all the people in the gym, him I knew the least. There was no way I was going to talk to him of all people.
I’d have better luck calling one of my friends from back home and talking to them.
“No, I’m fucking fabulous,” I grumbled.
His brows went up, then caught on something over my shoulder. “If that’s so, I’ll just leave you… huh. Wonder if she’s coming for the class?”
I looked up at the same time as he did and found myself staring at Cannel.
She was smiling big at me, and I felt something inside of my chest shift for the first time since hearing that she’d been hurt. Seeing her happy and whole, as well as alive and walking, seemed to settle something I hadn’t realized had unsettled at the words I’d heard from Easton today.
I gave a chin jerk at her as Haggard said, “I’m gonna start the clock since it’s obvious that she’s here to see you. I’ll bring her a box over so she can sit here and watch.”
He started the clock, turned up the music, then slowly made his way toward Cannel.
I waited just long enough to make sure she wasn’t going to freak out—my God, did she have one hell of an excuse—and started my workout.
It was about two minutes into my second round of pull-ups that Haggard drug a wooden box that we used to do step-ups and box jumps on and offered it to her.
I looked at her face before one of my reps and found her smiling wide at me.
I closed my eyes and tried to cut her out, but it didn’t work.
Wasn’t sure why the hell I thought it would, to be honest.
“You better go,” she urged, clapping at me to urge me on.
I swallowed, tried to shut my brain down, and practically forced myself to grind through the workout.
Push-ups. Pull-ups. Squats.
Push-ups. Pull-ups. Squats.
Over and over again, round after round, I ground through the workout, very aware that she watched my every move.
